Starting afresh in paradise

ManekiNeko

Popped into my online banking and discovered the cashback reward for holding the account had come through, so that's another £3, plus £1.56 as the water bill has reduced a bit.

The latter amount will vary next month as the first month of this water year (April) is different to the remainder, but because I was paying off debt last year (not a big deal kind of debt, just because it took me maybe 5-6 weeks to ring them up to set up my new account in the first place really), the standard payments this year (which are a rise compared to last year's prices) are still less than the debt payments. If that makes any sense to you lol. 🤔 If not dw, the tldr is that I'll have a quid + some pennies each month to OP. 🎉

Altogether that's a little over twenty quid OP'd thus far in April, and takes me up to 0.67 per cent OP'd to date.

I'm also expecting to receive the £65 service charge this month, but thinking I'll align it with the rest of my budget in that the April money should be used to cover the May bill. This won't make a difference now, but it's one way for me to protect myself in case my benefits were ever paid late or sanctioned etc, by giving me a month to figure out what to do about a sudden loss of income. This system will also facilitate me to go back to work one day, as I'll need to work a month before getting paid. So, I'll just tuck it away for next month and start OP'ing it from then. Little bit sad I don't get to OP it now, but tbf it's largely a mental exercise as it would only be put into a different pot in the same account anyway lol. It's only that it would make my OP figures look better. 🤓 Oh well, mortgages are a long game, I'd best practice patience.

Similarly, haven't had the complaint money cheque yet, that I know of anyway. I'm planning to head to mine tonight for a few days, so maybe it'll have turned up. 🍀

In other news, my support worker is off on holiday now for a couple of weeks, but she's got someone covering, so aside from making a big list of taxi numbers with them (needed as if I'm ill at the time I need them, I won't be able to look them up), I might write one of the easier complaint letters on my list. Trying desperately to think of what else is useful to do that doesn't require them knowing me personally, and can be achieved in a single session. Maybe also making a system for managing my money when I go away with family, as I find it confusing logging my expenditure when I'm in a rush, so I tend to leave it until the trip is over. This evidently isn't a good plan, as I can easily overspend by accident. What does everyone use on holiday for a quick and easy tracker?

ManekiNeko

I've been in 'minus cashback' for a few weeks as I needed to return something to Amazon. Finally, I'm back in the black and sent 7p to my OPs fund this morning!

There's a little tracker in my cashback rewards section of the app, and apparently I've earnt nearly £50 of cashback now. 🤯 Genuinely a bit baffled by that, I remember it being about £35 last time I looked. I'm so pleased Chase are going to carry on with it for now, it's so much easier for me to keep on top of than my CCs.

I seem to have a zillion things to do so going to head into town now and try to buy some craft supplies, as got a surprise birthday gift to make for a friend. Then as much as I can get done off the (impossibly long!) todo list.

And then I thought I'd try taking a bath at my apartment for the first time (dw I've been showering lol just elsewhere). I still haven't fixed the rubber issue, but can't see that it would hurt me to bathe in it tbf, it's not like I'm drinking it. It's a bit soon in the sense that all my bathroom stuff is being stored in plastic bags in the bath (until I build my cupboard), but I'm sick of not being able to use it. I expect I'll use my new bath tray and back support (which were lovely gifts) and read a bit of my new book in there. 🤓📖📚🔖

ManekiNeko

Plans changed and I didn't get the bath sorted out, but did have a lovely day yesterday making a macrame keyring and sitting in the park enjoying the sunshine.

Today chocolate and crisps for breakfast (well it is Easter after all, I'm not religious but it's a good excuse for chocolate!) and found another 57p of cashback has come through, so that's gone to my OPs fund too.

Happy Easter / happy Sunday everyone. It's so lovely to have the spring weather back.

newgirly

Happy Easter 🙂

ManekiNeko

Thanks @newgirly, did you get up to anything nice to celebrate?

ManekiNeko

Received my compensation cheque on Saturday, was running late but opened the envelope anyway as I knew it was on its way. It was indeed in there, so nipped into the bank after my craft club session and having met up with a friend (they kindly didn't mind), and it's appeared on my statement today even though it won't fully clear until tomorrow.

But I can see it on my online banking, which is good enough for me to do the figures. 🎉🤓

Results:

This latest OP will save me £182.90 in (simple) interest alone, making the true value of the compensation £427.90. Not bad as an hourly rate for a letter that took me about two hours to write. 😉

This means I've now OP'd more since 1 March this year than I managed in the whole of last June - Feb.

Counting from when I completed on my home, I've now OP'd 1.03 per cent of my total mortgage. I'm actually shocked how that's added up. 🤯

My new MF date is December 2055, which feels extra exciting because it's now 2055-something instead of 2056-something. Put another way, I've pulled the date forward by 5 months and 17 days so far.

💃

In other news this Easter weekend, I was treated to a chocolate bunny. I couldn't work out how to break it up like you could for an egg, so I've been nibbling on it directly out of the foil like I used to do as a kid. It turns out this method is why Easter eggs seemed to last longer when I was smaller, as I've still got a bit left! It's made me happily nostalgic for the little Easter baskets my parents and grandparents used to make for me.

I've also enjoyed a lovely lie in this morning. Now time to get the kettle on. Wishing you all a relaxing bank holiday.🧘‍♀️☕

ManekiNeko

Also ... in case anyone has any advice ... I've remained in too much of a rush / it's been too hard mentally to keep my apps updated when I'm out shopping. When I'm out, my brain says ooh that's complicated, I'll update everything when I get home. And when I get in, I'm tired from the mental effort of being out and about, so I think, that's ok I'll do it tomorrow. And then days pass, and I've overspent because I didn't realise how little I had left in a spending category.

It's not a huge issue now, because it's only a few pounds, and because my partner is helping me with food (e.g. I can take it from my food category), but it'll become one sharpish if I don't sort it out. He's also got a potential bigger bill with his car this month so has taken me up on the offer to pay towards food this month, depending on what the garage say tomorrow.

At some point in the next month I'll be ordering a mini calculator to take to the shops with me, to see if it helps. But I'm not convinced it's a total solution; tbh, the main reason I'm getting it is just to add up food as I go round the supermarket, so I'm not surprised at the till.

Maybe I need to go back to pen and paper and take a little notepad out with me? I'm not sure what else to try. Ideas are very welcome.💡

feeldaburn

ManekiNeko said:

Also ... in case anyone has any advice ... I've remained in too much of a rush / it's been too hard mentally to keep my apps updated when I'm out shopping. When I'm out, my brain says ooh that's complicated, I'll update everything when I get home. And when I get in, I'm tired from the mental effort of being out and about, so I think, that's ok I'll do it tomorrow. And then days pass, and I've overspent because I didn't realise how little I had left in a spending category.

It's not a huge issue now, because it's only a few pounds, and because my partner is helping me with food (e.g. I can take it from my food category), but it'll become one sharpish if I don't sort it out. He's also got a potential bigger bill with his car this month so has taken me up on the offer to pay towards food this month, depending on what the garage say tomorrow.

At some point in the next month I'll be ordering a mini calculator to take to the shops with me, to see if it helps. But I'm not convinced it's a total solution; tbh, the main reason I'm getting it is just to add up food as I go round the supermarket, so I'm not surprised at the till.

Maybe I need to go back to pen and paper and take a little notepad out with me? I'm not sure what else to try. Ideas are very welcome.💡

Not sure where you food shop but some supermarkets allow you to scan as you shop using a provided device or your phone and an app (e.g. I know Sains does). This would at least total as you go so you're keeping track, and if its an app you'd probs be able to access the details of previous shops for recording later?

ManekiNeko

Ooh good point @feeldaburn, I mostly shop at Morrisons, Aldi & Tesco's. Just depending on where I'm closest to at the time really.

I really wish they had those scanners in normal shops as well.. they sound handy.

ManekiNeko

This morning headed back to mine early, got the whole day to myself to try and get my place a bit in order. So far that's meant sorting and shredding a bunch more old papers; it wasn't what I'd planned to do, but I'm feeling strangely motivated about my paperwork at the moment.

I'm definitely finding it a helpful approach to focus on sorting and filing rather than a detailed read of every piece of paper - otherwise I think I'd be there forever, not least because it takes a lot more emotional energy to deal with 'misc' papers than it does to look at one folder (one topic) at once. I do however shred anything that's obviously trash, plus anything that's a quick decision to get rid of. I've got a large shredder bin, and I've emptied it three times since last week, so I've been pleasantly surprised by how much has actually been shredded.

I really ought to go out in a bit to top up my gas meter, and then make some calls and possibly have a tidy up. Also need to pack a bag for tomorrow. Currently having a little break though as I'm shattered (we had to get to the garage first thing).. wish I could just stay here and work on papers. That's an unusual wish for me! 🤯