My Mortgage Free Mountain - A 7 year expedition to climb to the top

craftingmad

Good morning.

I feel absolutely shattered as I worked a straight 10 hour shift yesterday with no breaks at all and we done a deep clean so it was hard and dirty work. My reward was to bring back a black bin bag full of tea towels which need washing and bringing back when I start my shift today - I'm living the dream!!! They are currently in the washing machine as I just could not face them yesterday so I'm praying for good weather this morning so they (along with my work clothes) are dry in time! 

I was due to be going into the chippy at 4.30pm today but that has been moved to 3pm as he wants me to train somebody on a trial shift so although it is less time for me to get done other things at least it will add a little bit more into the OP savings account (although the tax man will probably take most of it! ).

Busy day running around with the kids today as well. Daughter in work for 10am (poor girl has a 10am-10pm shift today) and son is going into the City with his friends so I need to pick them up and then take them to the closest bus stop for 10am too! I wish I could split myself in two sometimes - it would be much easier.

I must also get some orders made and posted today so its busy, busy, busy. I am going to try and make a few moments for myself though as you know what they say about all work and no play .......

Here's my slightly longer list for today:-

1. Play on Mistplay - DONE 39 points earned so far - would really love 100 but that may be pushing it!
2. Get tea towels dry before going to work (I refuse to use my tumble dryer!!!) - DONE 42 tea towels on my washing line and drying nicely  
3. Make and post off 6 friendship teabags for Etsy order - made - will post off on my way into work to save a bit of petrol  
4. Make and post off two lucky gnomes for Etsy order - made - will post off on way to work  
5. Make and post off lucky gnome for website order - made - will post off on way to work  
6. Answer enquiry for business cards - DONE order placed for £26.50  
7. Transfer over money received from website order into OP savings account - DONE £21.78 added to OP savings pot  
8. Complete survey and searches on Inbox Pounds - DONE survey completed for £1 and searches for 7p  
9. Check for Nectar surveys - still no surveys for me  
10. Complete survey on Panelbase
11. Complete Survey on Opinion Outpost
12. Complete survey on Prime Opinions - DONE survey completed for 24 points (so close to being able to claim a £10 voucher again)  
13. Take a little time for me
14. 6.5 hour chippy shift - DONE

craftingmad

Morning all.

I'm not working in the original chippy until 4.30pm today so that will be a lovely little break for me. I'm hoping to do something nice with our son (when he wakes up!!!). 

I worked out that I worked 56.75 hours between the two chippies last week - no wonder I feel tired still!!!
I really need to work on the work/life balance more I think but the new chippy is desperate for me to commit to more hours and I really don't know how I feel about that. He has obviously offered to increase my money (although only by 59p per hour so not huge and the tax man will take most of it) but I found out yesterday (because my boss had written it on a piece of paper and left it lying around) that the other two older workers work many less hours than me already and still get paid the £11 hourly rate so I feel a little bit annoyed if I'm honest. Add to that the people I was working with yesterday were useless at the end of night cleaning so he sent them home and I had to do their work as well as mine so I'm feeling more than a little disillusioned. Maybe all chip shop bosses are the same after all

Our daughters iphone has stopped working so I've managed to get an appointment for her at the genius bar in the city for today to hopefully get it repaired. I'm really praying it can be fixed because a) there is not a lot of money left this month and I really don't want to transfer money out of the savings account to cover it and b) she goes away to visit her boyfriend on Friday and I like to know she is safe and well when on the train. My fingers are tightly crossed it will be an easy fix.

 Whilst I am waiting for the son to wake up I'll work on thus list for today:-

1. Play on Mistplay - DONE 82 points earned - really want 100 though!
2. Check and see if money received from website order - DONE not received yet  
3. Make plantable hearts for Etsy order
4. Make nail planner for Etsy order
5. Reply to logo amendment enquiry - DONE £15 already paid to my paypal account
6. Pay in cheques using banking app received from Royal Mail - DONE will transfer over the amount when cleared  
7. Complete survey and searches on Inbox Pounds - DONE 7p from searches
8. Check for Nectar surveys - DONE still no surveys   
9. Complete survey on Panelbase - DONE survey completed for 35p
10. Complete Survey on Opinion Outpost - wanting me to validate myself with proof of ID but I don't feel comfortable doing that for a survey site - anyone else had this with these?
11. Complete survey on Prime Opinions - DONE completed really long survey and only got credited 6 points as timed out right near the end  
12. Take a little time for me - DONE sat outside in the sunshine watching son at skatepark  
13. Record small shop and lunch bought from Morrisons on Shop and Go app and bleeper device - DONE  
14. 4 hour chippy shift - DONE  

Jessy103

Fingers crossed the phone is fixed! 
Shame about both chippy bosses being plonkers. Is there anywhere else that might be better for a work/life balance, a supermarket maybe? X

craftingmad

Jessy103 said:

Fingers crossed the phone is fixed! 
Shame about both chippy bosses being plonkers. Is there anywhere else that might be better for a work/life balance, a supermarket maybe? X

Thank you. Luckily the phone just needed a reboot so back and working again and cost us nothing to fix - phew  

A supermarket sounds like a good plan. I shall take a look and see if they are recruiting at the moment.

craftingmad

Good morning. 

It's a nervous wait in our household today as our son will be getting his exam results in just under an hour's time. He has convinced himself that he has failed English and a few others but only time will tell. I know he really struggled with his mental health during the exams so what ever happens I am super proud of him for getting through them. 

Good news on the phone front - it had just put itself into safety mode and needed rebooting so it's back working again and it didn't cost us a penny to fix - hooray   

The original chippy boss was actually lovely yesterday as well  - he thanked me for coming in and praised me for my work! I'm sure aliens must have abducted him and replaced him with a nice version - lets hope they grab the other chip shop boss too

I've got a lunchtime and evening shift at the original chippy tonight (6 hours in total) so fingers crossed the boss is still in his appreciative mood  

 Here's my optimistic list for today:-

1. Play on Mistplay - DONE 52 points earned - I can now cash in a £10 voucher  
2. Check and see if money received from website order  - DONE £7.09 transferred into OP savings account  
3. Check to see if cheques have cleared - DONE £28.15 transferred into OP savings account  
4. Make plantable hearts for Etsy order
5. Make nail planner for Etsy order
6. Complete logo amendment for customer - DONE
7. Complete survey and searches on Inbox Pounds
8. Check for Nectar surveys  
9. Complete survey on Panelbase
10. Complete survey on Prime Opinions 
11. Lunchtime chippy shift - DONE 1.75 hours (£18.90) to add to wages next week  
12. Evening chippy shift - DONE 4 hours completed (£43.20) to add to wages next week  

craftingmad

Morning all,

Our son passed all 9 of his GCSE's so we could not be any prouder. Personally, I think his year group has been treated so unfairly as they lost so much schooling due to Covid and teachers strikes yet still the grade boundaries were raised by a considerable amount so we are so happy by his achievements and he has done more than well enough to earn his place in college come September. He is very relieved to say the least and his mood has got instantly better which is a great relief. He decided on a chinese takeaway last night for his treat so that was very nice for me after my chippy shift yesterday.

In other news the old boss is back to his usual ways and I have another lunchtime and evening shift to get through with him today I already feel shattered (I'm counting down to my day off on Tuesday - my first for 21 days) so not sure if my patience can take him tonight!! It could be an interesting shift and my day off may come sooner than I thought  

I also must get two Etsy orders made and posted off today so I'm going to busy, busy, busy .... no change there then!!! 

Our daughter has just got on the train to spend 10 days with her boyfriend so the house is very quiet and fingers crossed our food and electric bills will be much lower whilst she is away. She needs me to post a jacket to her which she has left behind and desperately needs so whilst I was in there I turned off her electric fairy lights and tv for the first time since she has been home from Uni I think!!! I cannot wait until she has to pay for utilities so she really understands how much everything costs these days

Right, I better crack on if I am to achieve anything today.

Here's my optimistic list for today:-

1. Play on Mistplay - 2 points so far  
2. Make plantable hearts for Etsy order - made just need to post off  
3. Make nail planner for Etsy order - made just need to post off  
4. Complete survey and searches on Inbox Pounds
5. Check for Nectar surveys  
6. Complete survey on Panelbase
7. Complete survey on Prime Opinions 
8. Lunchtime chippy shift - DONE 2.5 hours added to next weeks wages
9. Evening chippy shift  - DONE 4.5 hours added to next weeks wages
10. Ask for wages from original chippy as only doing a quick short tomorrow as a favour for them - DONE £221/40 waiting to be paid into bank via post office tomorrow

Jessy103

Congratulations to DS on his results! 😃

craftingmad

Jessy103 said:

Congratulations to DS on his results! 😃

Thank you 

craftingmad

Good morning  

I feel absolutely shattered today and I'm not sure which part of my body is hurting most. Only 4 shifts to go until I get a day off and I cannot wait!!! The money from the two PT jobs is really mounting up though and helping me to add a reasonable sum to the OP savings pot each month whilst my business is so quiet so I think it's all worth it. I can rest when we are mortgage free  

Not much planned again today apart from two chip shop shifts. I'm working a lunchtime shift at the original chippy and then an evening shift at the new chippy so will have to be careful I wear the right thing to the right job!!!

I'm also planning on taking a bit of time out for me before the shifts start so will hopefully make a few cards using my huge crafting stash I have. I'm feeling a bit proud of myself as I have gone a whole year without spending money on the crafty shopping channel which is really helping us have even more money left at the end of each month. Now I just have to set aside time to start using the mountains of supplies I have bought previously!!! 

So here's my very little list for today:-

1. Play on Mistplay - DONE 112 thanks to a 50 point bonus for playing a new game  
2. Make two black cat tokens for an Etsy order
3. Reply to enquiry for stickers - DONE  
4. Pay wages into bank and transfer to savings account
5. Complete survey and searches on Inbox Pounds
6. Check for Nectar surveys  
7. Complete survey on Panelbase
8. Complete survey on Prime Opinions 
9. Take some time for me - DONE made a couple of cards using my crafty stash  
10. Lunchtime chippy shift - DONE 1.5 hours to add to next weeks wages  
11. Evening chippy shift  - DONE 5 hours to add to next months wages  
12. NSD - DONE

selloptape

The last few years have been tough for students! Congrats to your DS for getting through it with fab results