Diary of a 30-something idiot

SuzeQStan

F+F - I know you mentioned your OH was going to look for work - but there is a proper job already at home.  If he isn’t earning outside the home then no reason for him not to take over the entire cleaning/cooking/food shop/ clothes washing/ children sorting - basically everything that you are trying to do on top of your already full time job.

mumtoomany

Hi, @foxandflowers. We appear to be in the same county, maybe. We are North of carmarthen. Seem to be a lot of people on the forum from, or living in, wales. Hugs, mumtoomany.xx

foxandflowers

Morning Monday people.

I think I'm more tired than I was before the weekend started, honestly. The heat isn't helping, I feel claustrophobic, everything is so close and heavy feeling that I'm in a vile mood and just want to sleep. 
It looks like one of the baby seagulls that hatched near my window at work has died over the weekend. His sibling is left on the roof screaming constantly, and to be honest I also feel like screaming constantly.

I've not had a great weekend financially. We went to the new house, and the back garden is almost shoulder height overgrown now. Absolutely dreading having to clear it, but it will be so nice when its done. The plan is just... patio one end, lots of lawn, and then a shed. Low maintenance, and easy to keep looking nice. I've been peering into everyone's gardens, and it's so interesting to me that you can see who has an interest in gardening, and who doesn't. After living where we live, I've concluded that I absolutely do not. I'm quite happy with an actual lawn (no plastic rubbish, it's awful for wildlife), somewhere to put the outdoor table and chairs, and maybe a pergola for a hot tub... well a girl can dream. Spent £20 on sausage rolls, drinks and donuts for the kids because all the bread went mouldy because of the heat. It tried and failed to rain, so we came home. Made macaroni cheese with bacon bits in, and heated up leftover pulled pork. Then went to bed early, tried to read, but it was too hot to concentrate, so I tried to sleep, but it was too hot for that too. 

Sunday my friend was supposed to come and see me, but I ended up cancelling because I found a buyer for the TV. Trouble was she lived in Cardiff, so we arranged to meet sort of halfway/but not really/ in Bridgend because it turns out it was my nephew's 9th birthday party... SO fun. Dug around in the shed before left, and found an unused steel framed football goal in there, so took that as a present. (Free is my favourite price) Didn't have a card, chronically unorganised, so had to stop in the service station to get one (£3.25 = RIP OFF). Sold tv, paid sister in law back £50 out of the £100 we borrowed for fuel because my Vinted money still isn't clearing. Bought food because we had none, had to put yet more fuel in, and now I have no money again. And Vinted still hasn't cleared. 

I long for the day I have proper control of my finances and am able to be a super organised mum, who has sandwiches ready at the drop of a hat, and knows where everything is and never forgets anything. In reality, I am just grumpy, and I stubbed my toe this morning and took the top off, so I just honestly want to sulk and bury my head in a book. Instead I am in work, and I've wasted almost an hour so far, so I should probably go and do something productive.  

foxandflowers

PS. I spent some time on Friday clearing out my google drive and found a load of old Excel spreadsheets where I tried to sort out the budget... going back to 2013. So it's been ten years of trying and failing to get this sorted. 

But this time around I've got my monthly outgoings (bills, not food and fuel) from £1339.38 in December 2022 to £797.65 six months later. So about 40% reduction, which I'm super proud of. 

I spoke to Student Finance this morning to discuss the overpayment, and they said that if I can get a letter saying I withdrew for health reasons that I could get 60 days of funding back. So my debt would come down. But I have no idea if that is possible or not. So now we are trying to figure out if I can add the debt to Stepchange so it will at least start coming down.

I also switched my husband's phone contract, so instead of paying £46 a month, he will be paying £26. Still more than I'd like, but it will do. And while we were in the process of auditing his finances, we discovered his tablet had been paid off in January, and that we are paying £12.50 a month for... nothing. So I cancelled that. So the monthly amount has gone from £75 a month (eek) to £37. Hurrah. 

foxandflowers

Got home from work yesterday and without any prompting Mr Fox had... loaded the dishwasher? Made the bed? Emptied the upstairs bins?? 
Excuse me while I faint. 

Humdinger1

Excellent! A good start; now to continue love Humdinger xx 

Debsnewbudget

If I remember correctly, Mr F also volunteered to do the garden at the new house.  So thats one less thing to worry about. X

mumtoomany

Hi, @foxandflowers. Great that Mr Fox is pulling his weight a bit more. Long may it continue. I hope he knows he's not doing it "for you" but because it needs doing. Even better on the reduction in spending. Go you! Next I'd try to claim back the over payments on the tablet.

Hugs, mumtoomany.xx

foxandflowers

Proactive morning, am trying to really get my head back in the game here. 

Sent an email off to the University asking very nicely if they would please provide a letter on headed paper as per the Student Finance request. No idea if they will reply or not, but the email is sent. Out of my hands now.

Spoke to Vodafone, and they told me the debt has been sold on to Zinc Live, who I haven't really heard of, but I have sent them an email asking for my account number so I can pass this information along to Stepchange. Vodafone sent my bill to the house I lived in... Three houses ago. So it's no wonder I haven't had it. Despite updating them of my address change. And having new broadband and things delivered to the Carmarthen house. Can I ask for compensation for this? Hmmm. 

Have been playing with my excel spreadsheet too, got my debt totals, and my amount paid off. And I'm at 6% finally. 

None of the systems are up at work, so I'm pottering. Will be back to report further updates later. 

foxandflowers

Here is my spreadsheet that I am ridiculously proud of.