Flying solo

twiggy86

Bit of a mixed evening last night! Had my haircut by my friend - only cost me £10! Then me and bf had said we were going to go to the beach for a quick swim.... well everybody had the same idea!!! Unfortunately not only did it mean getting stuck in traffic for 45 minutes before getting to the car park and giving up, but it also made me incredibly anxious - ex would have lost his temper and I was waiting for bf do to the same. Clearly some unresolved trauma going on there! However, evening was then ok when we got back as we just watched a film.

On a brighter note - it's payday today!!! I have down my sweep ups from the July budget and have sent £17.32 to CC (taking it to nice round number again!) and £46.42 to my misc/ car deposit. When my wages hit my bank I will shuffle money to relevant accounts/ pots as per my budget. Current CC debt stands at £10,823.91 - was definitely hoping to be under the £10k mark at this point in the year... which I would be if I didn't do the silly thing of buying a new car! Plus I have made the intentional decision to ease up on overpayments at the moment to allow me a bit more "financial freedom" during a busy couple of months. The good news is that I made an extra £212 in July from working, cashback, Vinted etc - so that helped! 

On to today's bits and bobs... 

• Make lunch to take to work 
• Do "sweep up" of accounts 
• Update spreadsheet 
• Do money shuffle when wages come in 
• Work on crochet present at lunch 
• Charge phone at work 
• Reprint some forms at work that had a mistake in them
• Go straight to slacklining/ acro from work 
• Attempt to find free parking (although tbh I'm worried I won't be able to find ANY parking as it's near the beach!) 
• Small dinner from stores when I get home 

twiggy86

Well last night was quite delightful! I went straight from work and parked by where we do acro (lots of spaces and free!), then walked 10 minutes to the beach. Had a paddle, did some slack-lining followed by another paddle (the other guys went for a swim but I didn't have my stuff - boo!!!) then walked back to the park for acro! I also found some prada sunglasses floating in the sea!!! No idea if they're real or not and they have a slight scratch so couldn't sell them, but will see if anyone of my friends want them! 

I have been productive this morning and actually went food shopping before work! It's because of the school holidays that I can leave home later in the morning so decided to utilise the time, rather than go on my way home! 

Bits and bobs for today...

• Write shopping list 
• Shop to list
• Make lunch to take to work 
• Snap receipt 
• Update spreadsheet 
• Work on crochet present at lunch 
• Charge phone at work 
• Set timer and do 30 minutes of cleaning - on top of the "day-to-day" stuff but should probably clean the bathroom and/or do some dusting! 
• Light dinner from stores 
• Park for free for netball - playing two games tonight! 

twiggy86

Two very hot but great games of netball last night! I had about 5 different people say how good I played and how much I've improved! It was a massive surprise to be so complimented and so lovely to hear! I did an hours worth of cleaning before I went as friend I usually meet at the pub wasn't playing - so also meant that yesterday was a "no personal spends" day (netball comes out of a dedicated pot)! Oh and I spoke to a friend who was able to tell me that the sunglasses I found are real and worth £185! Bf offered them a work colleague so will see if he wants to buy them but if not may offer them to bf's son (for free). 

Weekend looks busy but not spendy! Tonight will just be in with bf and his kids - bf has said he's cooking. Then tomorrow we are going to take breakfast to the beach and meet his sister down there with her kids so they can all have a run around. After that we are all coming back to mine for a bbq and let the kids play in the garden - I'm conscious that I don't have many toys at mine but bf bought some chalks for them to draw on the patio and is going to pick up a pool later (we will split the cost). And then on Sunday me, bf and his son are going to watch our local premier league football team in a friendly - bf bought tickets for us a while ago. His daughter was meant to be coming but would mean dropping her home later than usual and her mum wasn't shifting on it - so unfortunately that means we will drop her back first so she won't get to come. 

Anyway, that's past and future cover so let's move on to the present (i.e. today!)...

• Make lunch to take to work 
• Pop tortoises in the garden 
• Get £15 worth of petrol on way to work - likely picking up new car next week so was running on fumes but didn't want to put too much in! 
• Snap receipt 
• Update spreadsheet 
• Work on crochet present at lunch 
• Charge phone at work 
• Dinner from stores 
• If bf buys pool we will fill up tonight and then cover with an old sheet to save buying a cover 

birdsfoottrefoil

Gosh v busy weekend planned! I was catching up with your diary and it sounds like the pots for money are going well. 

kayannie

Well done on the sunglasses. I was on our beach last week picking up plastics etc & found some false teeth ( I didn't keep them!).
KA

twiggy86

@birdsfoottrefoil - the pots have been a must this month and proved how worthwhile it is doing this, even though sometimes I feel like I'm spreading my money too "thin"!

@kayannie - the false teeth made me chuckle!!!! 

Today I have also ordered a storage box thing for the garden. My parents had said/ decided to buy me a shed for the garden for my birthday (although that isn't until September!), as currently I have stuff laying around in the garden or stored in the house. However, there isn't actually that much stuff so we opted for a storage box instead to save space and money! So that should be arriving some time next week which will be good as then I can better sort out the utility and the area I have been referring to as my "indoor shed"!!!

Oh and I also sent a screenshot of my B&Q card barcode to bf so that he can utilise it later and save some money on the pool - although it's already discounted so it may not work, but worth a try!

Sarahwithlove

I've just caught up after being away for a while. So pleased for you that you have found someone who makes you happy and that you've stood up to your ex! 

twiggy86

Thanks @Sarahwithlove - I certainly feel a very different person and in a very different place to a year ago! 

Had a lovely weekend spent with bf, his kids and family! Went to the beach for a paddle and play Saturday morning then everyone came back here for a BBQ. It is so nice to have a home that I happily welcome people into now - both in terms of it being a nice house (if I say so myself) and welcoming! The little ones were playing in the paddling pool, drawing on the patio in chalks whilst the bigger kids were playing football. Both bf and his sister were worried about the kids wrecking things but whilst I like my house to be tidy, I don't stress about mess and loved the kids doing what they wanted! I also had great fun having a water fight with bf's daughter after everyone else had gone! Then yesterday we popped to buy a couple more fish for the tank, dropped bf's daughter home (and I popped the forms in to my aunt as the mum lives right by her) then took bf's son to football. We had something to eat at football (bf paid) so after we dropped his son home, me and bf had apple crumble and custard for dinner!!! Very nutritious!  

Enrolment opens this evening for the activities for summer camp/ festival I'm going to later this month. Of course I spent ages working on my schedule last week... but it's on my work computer and I'm working from home today!!! So I had to re-do it yesterday! Apparently some things get booked up very quickly so wanted to make sure I've planned best I can so that I get the most from the credits included with my ticket! I've planned so that the Saturday is the more strenuous day and then more chilled on Sunday... well that's if everything goes to plan! Checked with bf last night that he has all the camping stuff I'll need, which he does - so that saves me the expense (I have no camping stuff myself!) 

Today's bits and pieces...

• Wash bedding on 30 degree quick cycle
• Hang bedding on airer/ banister 
• Pop tortoises in the garden 
• Dad popping round to take some measurements for something he's got a bee in his bonnet about in the garden! 
• Update spreadsheet 
• Make CC payment as statement has come in 
• Double check schedule and find alternates in case anything is booked so that I have a back-up plan of things I want to do 
• Take rubbish to the tip as I'm WFH and whilst I still have my old car (rather than a nice shiny new one!!!) 
• Lunch and dinner from stores 

twiggy86

Not really anything to report for yesterday other than I did a little food shop. Oh no - there was something exciting - I managed to book all the activities I wanted for my festival/ camp! Had to be quick about it as things were getting booked quickly! 

Back in the office today, so today's bits and pieces...

• Take leftover pasta to work for lunch 
• Update spreadsheet 
• Put together schedule for festival and work out anything I need for certain activities (e.g. swimming costume) 
• Work on crochet present at lunch 
• Consider doing load of washing if there's enough - will do on 30 degree cycle and hang on airer if I do 
• Dinner from stores 
  

twiggy86

Quiet evening last night - cooked burgers, chatted to bf and then watched the Olympics whilst doing some crochet. I did spend £30 on a ticket to an event with friends in October though so wasn't a NSD. 

Tonight I have decided to play netball instead of going to acro - wasn't convinced acro was going to happen as there are two places to meet being suggested which seem to be causing a bit of a "split"! However, anxiety is getting to me (period due) so I need some exercise as it helps manage it. So £6 from the "fitness" pot. 

Today I have/ will:

•  Load of washing on 30 degree quick wash
• Hang washing on airer
• Take leftover pasta to work for lunch 
• Update spreadsheet 
• Read MSE email 
• Work on crochet present at lunch 
• Pop to shop for card on way home 
• Put small amount of petrol in car
• Snap receipts 
• Light dinner from stores