The alternative hive - making plan B work

Queen_of_the_Hive

Good Morning diary, happy Thursday!

Its a new era in the hive this morning. We have moved away from broadband with B* to Vod**** because they were a LOT cheaper than B*. Its a biggish moment for us as we have stuck firm with B* for the past few years because OH is a gamer and I WFH but paying just shy of £50p/m for just broadband only was no longer sustainable. Its dropped to £27 p/m. OH is currently going around the house updating devices but connection seems good so far!

Next on our hit list is moving our mobiles to cheaper networks. I just have a mobile, sim only but in contract that ends next month. OH is more into his gadgets which was fine when he was working but now he's retired we just can't maintain his "man toys". Luckily OH understands and reluctantly agrees. He bought the items on a contract where he was paying monthly for item and some airtime. Man toys contracts are ending between 2 and 6 months. Will be glad when this is sorted tbh. I've been quite resentful of the man toys. They've been costing a stupid amount that I didn't really realise until very recently!

Today I have £5 coming out from my bank acc to Sprive, my usual amount was £1 but upped it to £5.

Its a non working day for me, its going to be a bit of a "bitty" day. Little one is struggling with division so we are going to take a look at this with him. Maths is not my strongest point at all but will give it a go! We are also looking at a second hand mountain bike for eldest. He's a teen and has grown a lot so since last time we bought him a bike. The one we are trying is mens medium size frame so we will see. Want something that will last him but not sure if it will be too big. He's in a bit of tricky size, he's still growing but in mid ground between a small and medium frame. The bike is a reasonable brand which we hope will be able to be sold on if needed. Have wobbled on do we or do we not get the bike due to most recent cc bill but we will make the most of the bikes during the summer months on days out so have decided to go ahead. Money will come from savings.

As I write this i'm watching a discussion on the news about potental introduction of tourist tax. If this policy did come in and they added this to all hotels, it would be yet another kick in the teeth. I have to use budget hotels to see my kids in the city because living there and its already costing me a pretty penny. An additional tourist tax would be an extra burden which ultimately pulls me more into debt rather than out of it 😭

Queen_of_the_Hive

Hello Saturday,

Its pretty chilly today with a threat of rain. This is not the kind of weather we was hoping for today as there is a an open day on at my local community tennis club (its no fancy private club). The kids have got a bit more in to tennis as its something they do with their dad & step mum back in the city. We are always looking for ways to get them busy and off their devices and so I hope this goes well. I can't play for toffee so it will be interesting to see how it goes!

So a little update on CC situ, as I posted earlier in the week I was pretty much in a funk on CC1 interest charged this month and generally was feeling sorry for myself. However as in life, things can quickly turn around for the better and I have had a really fabulous run on the surveys in the past few days. I've cashed out £62.35 this morning and moved £25 to reno & refurb & been able to make a little top up to EF. Our EF is relatively a new pot for us made up of some match betting money plus some surveys etc and bits of extra cash if and when we have it. First goal is £1000 and its currently sitting at £257.66. Will continue to push the surveys with new found gusto.

Talking of CC's, CC2 is due to go on to a new month beginning of next week and to ensure overall balance is down I must admit I did do a £50 overpayment yesterday. Needed a little win! Also, I can see the expenses from work will clear my account on Monday and will go straight into the dreaded CC1.

Last night I made some carrot and lentil soup using Easter carrots. I still have 2 broccoli heads to use that are showing signs of turning so planning to make some of my favourite broccoli and stilton cheese soup too. Will freeze these down for work lunches.

I need to catch up on diaries! Have been busy with it being the school holidays but will enjoy catching up with them next week.

Queen_of_the_Hive

So we got through Easter and now on a new credit card month for both cards. Frustratingly managed to reduce the balance on the cards but the interest was more than expected on both so progress has been teeny tiny slow. However since Feb to now I have managed to get the total cc debt down from £21,376 to £21,259 as was on 13th of April (monthly accounts review). Second month of small cc debt reduction, small win!

Aims for this month - continue on building on the baby steps seen so far. Myself and OH are making the most of what we have already in for food and just doing little top ups. We have a mini camping trip coming up for the bank holiday weekend so our energies is going into that. We are also going to start to make a shed base. One of those gravel ones with the plastic grids. We don't do a lot of DIY so it could be quite a testing project. Hoping by doing it ourselves we can save a few ££.

Work has ramped up this week - am now very busy. Planning is the key so need to focus some time getting myself an action list and adding key dates to my work calendar. All very dull but necessary. I do struggle to do this during my working days so will do this over the weekend. We also found out we are getting a 3.5% payrise. On my pt salary its not a lot tbh but as there was rumours of no payrise will take the little bit we are getting.

Queen_of_the_Hive

Hello Thursday!

So the plan for today is to carry on with the unexepected sucess on the surveys front. Currently have £31.98 sitting ready to withdraw and have decided to aim for £145 to cover the cost of renting the wooden hut on our May camping trip. So heads down with that.

Also looking forward to Apprentice final tonight and catching up with tidying up the house since the kids went home. Hoping to have some NSD's in the mix. Must also catch up with diaries. They are very motivational and love reading what everyone has been upto.

Baileys_Babe

Congratulations on the pay rise, how are you planning to use it? Increasing your pension contributions? paying debt? adding to the emergency fund? overpaying the mortgage? entertainment budget?

Queen_of_the_Hive

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81965412#Comment_81965412

oooh thats an interesting thought BB, hadn't thought of it that way. Putting into debts probably or just a bit extra to cope with the dreaded price rises.

Queen_of_the_Hive

Just a quick update:

Survey pot sitting at £54.49 / £145 for May wooden cabin.

Not a bad day but feeling quite tired now so might not do much more today.

Queen_of_the_Hive

Hey Friday afternoon diary!

6am and was on hot working on the surveys. cabin pot is a bit more topped up with £80.34 / £145. £64.66 to go! Its gone a bit quieter this afternoon.

Haven't been as productive as yesterday - feeling quite tired if truth be told. Keep finding myself sitting at the laptop to find i'd nodded off briefly… old lady river 😅

Have though finally managed to set up a new S&S ISA. Have been trying to do this now for 2 years and failed myserably for various reasons, anyway we are up and running with £28. Planning to keep this as a new one and will have my original one running alongside. May consider transferring out at a later stage but for now just excited to be widening my investment options.

Also been food shopping with OH, we had a £5 off £50 shop at L*dl. Spent £83 but bought quite a bit of meat including a 4pk steaks for £10 The kids love steak so we will keep in the freezer for summer holidays. Bill was shared with OH and paid using bank card not cc'd so thats a little win in itself.

Queen_of_the_Hive

Hey Saturday afternoon,

We had a wonderful morning at the free tennis session at the Community Tennis club. Turns out i'm having a problem holiding the racket correctly and battled through the session to not let my hand slip away. Was much harder than i'd thought it would be. Both myself and OH felt tired but refreshed and had lunch at a local cafe.

I'm waking up early at the moment - anytime between 4.30 and 5am! Its really annoying but I did get up early as OH was still asleep and cracked on with the survey challenge. 3 completed this morning and 2 this afternoon and now sitting with £100.34 to withdraw!

New S&S ISA was up £0.08p 😀

Queen_of_the_Hive

Hello Sunday,

Its been a very leisurely start to sunday morning in the hive. Have already added 3 more surveys to the pot, so we are now sitting on £111.20 of the cabin challenge. Only £33.80 to go!!!!

Had a notification from third cc company that this card is on a new month. This one was a balance transfer only card which I had upto 3 different balance transfers on which have gradually expired the 0% period and am now paying interest which is an eeek situation to be in. I have a plan in mind to pay off this card and move the bulk of outstanding balance on the worse interest cc to this card but taking a lower interest over a longer period rather than 0% balance transfer. Hoping this will step stone to getting the second cc balance on to a 0% balance transfer. Have it kinda mapped in my mind but not ready yet to make the change.

This afternoon I must set up the strawberry planter and take some photos of DS2's smaller bike. This money will go back into my savings as I recently used savings to buy the bigger bike for DS1. We have home made cottage pie for dinner, made really late last night but managed to use up some of the cheap Easter veg. This week I plan to make muffins using a parsnip cake recipe. Hopefully they turn out lush. Will be making to freeze for summer treats. I left them out, i'd be eating them very quickly 😂.

Forgot to say - trying something new, its really fair to say have been struggling to stop eating the sweet treats. Well in our trip to the big orange DIY store we stumbled across a perfectly sized lockable box to lock away the naughty but nice stuff. So only on full day 1 but hoping this will help me with controlling snacking. Its too early to tell but I haven't even been tempted by it.