Evasive action! Stop the trench becoming a hole.

KeepOnKnitting

Payday has arrived and I feel so relieved. I love doing the YNAB bit of allocating all the money to the pots. I tend to start in the following month and then work backwards to this month. I can't contemplate sending money to savings unless I know the bills are sorted for next month.

In other finance news, the new job will allow me to pay into my pension as salary sacrifice. I'm not paid enough to pay higher rate tax in my work, but if I did lots of overtime in the side job, I think there is a chance I could get close. Salary sacrifice in the main job means that I won't breach that limit, and my overtime will be that much more rewarding.

Between the bumper pay packet from the main job this month, plus the overtime, I think I will have paid nearly 3x as much into my student loan as I previously did, which is fantastic. I've got an overtime day tomorrow, so that is going to go into a savings account to start building up for paying off the student loan.

The plan is all coming together!

KeepOnKnitting

Overtime went well, but I do want to acknowledge that I had some anxiety in advance that I would be the person in charge (I wasn't), and then some stress dreams causing poor sleep after the shift. I'm not saying it's enough to put me off the work, just that it is a reminder to myself that I don't want to take too many shifts, and that there is a balance to be struck between the extra money and my wellbeing. Definitely going to walk on the beach today.

I've sat with pen and paper (and cat in lap) this morning and planned my move away from the credit card and towards using cash. I found my old packet of brown envelopes, and I'll be heading to the cash machine today. I have £60 for groceries and £100 for petrol for the rest of Feb. I'll be leaving my cards at home, but I will probably leave the credit card app on my phone for emergencies for the moment.

I want to do some batch cooking as well today. The freezer has been running low. I've made a shopping list and I am off to the supermarket now. Wish me luck.

redofromstart

Good luck!  I found cash worked really well when we had a very fixed budget.

Deeply envious of being able to walk on a beach. 

KeepOnKnitting

So I supermarket shopped, and I think I am going to move some money from petrol to food, as there just isn't going to be enough otherwise. I've still got lots of petrol.

Cooked a big batch of chili and a banana bread on Sunday, which is seeing me through the week.

I've had my payslip for my part-time job arrive today. HMRC are just turning their work into a comedy of errors. They have starting messing with this tax year as well as next year. They have decided that my tax allowance should be applied to my part time job, and as such I will overpay tax. So they have started refunding some tax. I'm going to have to hold that refund back, as I'm betting the next action is to charge 20% on my full salary from my regular job next month.

KeepOnKnitting

I made it to the end of Feb! I get to do the tally up and declare savings on the £12k savings thread. Technically most of the "savings" have been spent on paying for my holiday, but that was the plan and I'm just excited that it is now close enough to need paying for.

March is going to be interesting as I am not sure how much I will be paid with the tax question. I've got one overtime shift booked, but there is nothing else available that suits me, so it may only be one day in March. I've put the overtime from Feb in savings as some is allocated for tax mess and the rest is for student loan repayment.

I've done a bunch of shuffling to access some good savings rates from different banks, including a switch that should give a nice bonus.

On the "managing life" front, I really must make my sandwiches for the week today, as I have been struggling with them on mornings. I'm also going to try a new batch recipe today for the week ahead and make some time in the garden to enjoy this sunshine. Need to wash the car, or possibly give in and take it to the car wash. It just gets so filthy this time of year. Also, laundry. Ugh.

Cherryfudge

It all sounds as though you're heading in the right direction! Well done on getting a switch that will give you some extra: I struggle to do switches as they have always seemed to require some information that I don't have to hand, and DH gets twitchy about not knowing where there money is! (I tell him, but then he has that to remember).

Doing the sandwiches ahead is a winner. Even if one day you forget to take them with you, that's still another day sorted in advance. Do you freeze them?

KeepOnKnitting

Luckily (or unluckily, depending on perspective) I don't have anyone else to worry about where the money is. I just put it wherever I darn well please.

If I make my sandwiches really early they do go in the freezer, which is how I discovered that mayonaise does not freeze well. If they are only a day or two ahead they just stay in the fridge. I never forget to take them, but sometimes I do not have time in the morning before I go to work because I forget I need to make sandwiches and get too engrossed in reading a thing and barely have time to shower and be presentable. I like mornings, I just don't like having to get to work on time.

Today has been really good. I was up and out early to go and get the cheesy hot cross buns from a certain overpriced supermarket. I sometimes go in there to get yellow stickers on a friday night, but they never have the cheese hot cross buns by that time of day. I love hot cross buns an unreasonable amount and I will buy enough to stockpile them in the freezer. I also like the chocolate ones, but more supermarkets do those now so I can get them anywhere.

I then saw some friends with a new baby, which was lovely. Home, had lunch and then attacked my garden. I've got such big plans this year, and I am determined to put in the hard work to make it look nice. I put on my warm walking trousers, wellies and thermals, and it was really nice just pottering in the sunshine. I thought the strimmer wasn't going to work, but I looked up the manual online and managed to fix it. I've shoved so much in the compost bin today. 

I stopped in the garden as it was about to get dark, and I was seriously thinking about going to the chip shop for dinner. They only have the veg oil fryer on Friday and Saturday, so I can only have chippy tea on those days. I got the laundry off the line, and decided I wasn't going to get chips, I would have an omelette and use up some of the mushrooms I meant to eat last weekend. Couldn't do garlic mushrooms as I am out of garlic! Complete fridge and cupboard malfunction, I usually have fresh and ready chopped in at all times.

Also decided while I was in the garage that I am going to clean out and sell the old fridge freezer I have. I brought it with me when I moved, but just kept it in the garage thinking it would be useful for barbecues. I pretty much never use it, so I might as well get a little bit of cash for it and free up the space. I've turned it off and opened it to defrost. Will clean it tomorrow and list it on market place.

Right, I really must get to the supermarket.

KeepOnKnitting

I'm now about 7 weeks into the new job, and I am so glad I made the change. It's turning out to be a really nice place to work, I have more time for me, I'm finding it easy to make it to the gym, and the financial benefits are so calming. I'm not worrying about how I can afford to pay for maintaining the car or go on holiday any more, which is huge for my mental health.

I've been enjoying doing some bits to the garden this weekend and last. Lots more work required, but I have ordered the mulch I need to put down to reduce the weeding. I do need to get some fence treatment as I've been putting that off for too long, but it can probably wait until I am back from holiday.

5 Weeks to holiday. Getting excited. Car parking is booked. Travel insurance in place. Cat sitter sorted. Need to get some anti-malaria tablets. Also want to book having my nails done before I go. I am going to see about the library audiobook membership so I can take some audiobooks with me for the travel days. Want to take Euros with me as well.

joeyjimbles

You are sounding so in control - well done on making it all work.
In the last year or so I have discovered that you can freeze chili peppers, ginger and garlic. The chilis can be used directly either hot or cold, the ginger and garlic needs a bit longer to either thaw or be ready to slice etc. 

dawnybabes

If I need ginger (and lemons) then I just grate them in from frozen