We will get this debt down & the savings up

Makingabobor2

Sun_Addict said:

They tried to put up our monthly payments when we’re £730 in credit (this will reduce as this month’s bill but will still be around £500 ish in credit. I told them no but will review if the credit starts to get eaten into by a large amount. 

I get offered a free Covid jab as a carer for Mr SA but they make me feel so grotty I’ve declined the last couple. Mr SA is having his tomorrow though. The flu jab doesn’t affect me normally so hoping next week’s won’t.

I've never felt as bad as I did this year with the flu one. For the last few years have been having both together, but now they changed the criteria and I have to pay for the covid one, I have to go to Boots to get it. The pharmacist was saying how stupid the new rules are. DH is on the vunerable list, and whilst I am not his carer, I still live in the same house, so would make sense for me to be covered as well. I think this is a new rule that will back fire on the Govt, like so many of their decisions. 

Makingabobor2

The tentacled ones sent the £40 refund, which I have transferred to the debt busting pot. Will try for another refund after the next bill when I see the state of the credit. 

Meeting a friend for coffee ( not my turn to pay) after dance class and will swap books & jigsaw puzzles.  Also need a couple of bits from L*d!. I'm £8 away from the free veg item, so should manage that & will then nip back in for the bag of spuds. Shopping is such a complex thing these days....lol. 

Have a good morning everyone

Cara_

Shopping is such a complex thing these days

You're not wrong. I've been shopping in M0rris0ns to get 10,000 points and I had to spend £40 per week for 3 weeks to 'earn' them. I didn't want to spend much over the £40 so had a small planning session before I went which seemed a lot of effort for so little return    Still, I'm £10 better off which is great.

Enjoy your dance class and coffee with your friend.

Makingabobor2

@Cara_. Yes indeed, as Mr T used to say, " every little helps"  

Newstartforme

Good you got a little back from energy provider,  not good how much they still want to hold onto though , it really should be the ammount of your highest bill plus a few pounds they can keep if you pay monthly and should refund the remainder xx

Makingabobor2

Newstartforme said:

Good you got a little back from energy provider,  not good how much they still want to hold onto though , it really should be the ammount of your highest bill plus a few pounds they can keep if you pay monthly and should refund the remainder xx

Yes, I shall try & get some more back in a couple of weeks. We pay £135 a month and have never been this,much in credit before. I can't imagine going that much in the red in the winter. 

Makingabobor2

Good Afternoon all.  What a dismal looking day. We have had no sunshine at all, but at least its not raining, so the washing is out and fingers crossed it at least 90% dries.  
I have been out planting a couple of things this afternoon. I had a nasty weedy sort of patch under where the bird table and feeders grow, and it has a couple of rocks in it, but can't really be called a rockery. Its the worst bit of garden really and I never did much to it because of where it was. But got sick of seeing it out the kitchen window. So the other day I poured some home made natural weed killer down and then there's just the edge bit where the grass comes up over it to deal with. Then I bought a few little alpine type plants to put in there, cleared the weeds and planted them and TBH, I was quite surprised at how good the soil seemed there, much better than the rest of the garden. Its a pity it doesn't get much sun on that side. Did a bit more tidying while I was out there as well.  
Apart from that today was stripping the bed, washing, walk to the butcher CS and PO, hoover and dust upstairs and list something on V*nt*d.

Sold a pair of trainers on V*nt*d yesterday, so they are on their way and just listed a back pack of DH's. Decluttering has been continuing and another 11 items gone. 

Debts continue to go down, as this month's payments went out yesterday,  which is always pleasing. But still not quick enough for me. So hoping to get some big amounts paid off before the end of the year and it is my intention to have them all gone by end of next year.. 

Just noticed the time, so I think I should get the washing in and get dinner started, so we can watch Strictly later. 
Have a good evening everyone

Makingabobor2

What a damp and dreary day.  Can't seem to get warm. Think it will be a blanket and the fire on for an hour this evening. I currently have 3 layers on, slippers and wrist warmers. No way am I putting the CH heating on yet, we just had in on for half hour this morning. It took the chill off the kitchen and I could warm my clothes on the radiator.  It will soon warm up in a bit when I start dinner. 

So today I had my dancing class, really enjoying it and such good value for £4.50.  Can't think of a better way to spend my personal spends money than on exercise TBH.  Nipped into L!D! on the way out and managed to nab an orange stickered loaf and 15% voucher for their S&S sauce which I always buy a couple every month. I tried making my own S&S once, but DH said he didn't like it....might try again with a different recipe, as I really don't like jars of sauce with all the additives. So was a very small spend today. 

2 regular savers matured yesterday and the interest was moved to the holiday pot and the debt pot.  Managed to open new ones today, so have amended the transfers from the main joint account each week.  These are for Emergency Fund and the other one is the New Car Savings (Won't be new though, will be 2nd hand...LOL). Hoping that won't be needed for a good few years yet.

I have been searching for ages for a good 2nd hand food processor.  Had an old one years ago that I got rid of as it wasn't very good and I didn't really use it. But since retiring I have been doing much more cooking/baking etc and got so many recipes and things I want to try that really are a lot easier with a processor. But I was determined not to pay much for it, and had seen some for £25ish. But they only had small bowl & 400W motor, which didn't seem much good for pastry & dough from what I have read.  There was one on V!nt*d for £72 that said it was brand new and when I checked they are retailing at £149.  I made an offer and managed to get it for £55.  Had most of that left in my Personal spends for last period, so just took a bit from the house and garden pot, as after all it is for the house, and I can always put it back from my P/fc earnings.  So I am very pleased with my purchase and excited for it to arrive. 

Talking of savings pots. I originally had separate pots for house and garden, and then combined them. Now I can't decide if its best to separate them again.  Any thoughts??

Dropped another box at the CS today in the next town where I go to dancing. This one went to BHF for a change from Age UK.  Decluttering is continuing at a good pace. Yesterday I had a good clear out, 4 more things listed to sell,  some to CS and quite a lot for just recycling....old cards, etc. I do love a good clear out, and am determined to get to my 2025 items by the end of the year. Still got a load of old photos to go through and then will start again on kitchen and wardrobe.  Will get DH to get the Christmas stuff down from the attic soon, so I can get rid of more of that. Every year some more goes, but I still think we have too much. 

Well, think that's about all for today.  Have a good evening everyone. 

Sun_Addict

My house and garden pot is combined but do whatever thinks works best for you. The main thing is you have a pot for any potential spends. 

Any money spent on something you enjoy and does you good is well worth it. 

Well done on the food processor purchase, that’s a great price for brand new. 

Blackcats

I have mixer envy! 

My house and garden pots are separate.  For me, who doesn't like gardening I prefer to have a relatively small pot of money for summer bedding, bulbs etc.  when we re-did the garden 2 years ago we made it very low maintenance and we mostly have pots.  If any garden tools break this would be covered by our repair/replace pot.  I know you have been enjoying your gardening so I think you might feel more  comfortable spending on the garden if it was separate to the house pot.