Flying solo

twiggy86

Had a great evening - won by one goal at netball and then had a laugh over a curry! We did pay for one of my teammates curry as she's off to uni next month and so this was a semi "leaving meal" as it was only game where we play the early game and so made sense to do it then. So spent £27 in the end. 

Tonight I am going round a friend's for dinner. She lives near my work so I will pop into town beforehand to waste some time - may get a drink and sit outside a cafe, as I did that a few weeks ago and really enjoyed it. Isn't something I would naturally think to do - would wonder round shops (not necessarily buying anything) but it's nice to sit and people watch or read a book! 

No other plans for the weekend. Will do a food shop then may clean out the tortoises tomorrow, cut the grass and do some other jobs around the house (or I may sit there and crochet!). Oh this morning I did locate my screwdriver and tighten the screws on a cupboard door that had dropped slightly!!! Bf will be back tomorrow at some point and will no doubt be shattered after 4 1/2 - 5 hour drive back, so envisage a quiet evening! 

Today's bits and pieces include... 

• Load of washing on 30 degree quick wash 
• Hang washing on airer
• Fix cupboard door 
• Make lunch to take to work 
• Collect parcel on way to work
• Update spreadsheet 
• Work on crochet present at lunch 
• Continue writing shopping list 
• Park for free for when I'm in town - will need to pay for parking when I visit friend as no free parking directly around and may leave when it's dark, so would rather not have to walk back to my car 
• Dinner at friends

twiggy86

Happy Monday! I had a lovely weekend - some productive, some chilled!

Friday after work I sat in town, had a beer and just people watched until my friend was back from work. This in itself is a big sign of how far I'd come - sitting alone, without some type of distraction would have been outside of my comfort zone previously. I've always been very independent in some ways, and have been away with groups of strangers etc, but being on my own in public was a different thing. Anyway it was lovely and then had a really nice time round my friend's, who cooked me dinner. And I managed to park for free for the entire time! 

Saturday I got up, did the food shopping, cut the grass and cleaned the tortoises all before midday! Then I just sat in the garden listening to music and doing some crochet until bf and his kids got back. Bf's son cooked us dinner - only in the air fryer but it was nice and we had a bit of a laugh whilst bf was putting his daughter to bed. I also bought some jeans off Vinted for £3 but given that I'm a complete short *** I knew I'd need to cut them - but given that they were so cheap I was willing to give it a try! Well 7 inches (!!!) shorter and I'm in love with my new zebra print bargain jeans!!!

Yesterday was a morning of playing at home, then dropped bf's daughter home on the way to take his son to football. We went for a quick drink (bf paid) before going back to watch the second half of the game. Then dropped bf's son home, cooked dinner and then ordered bf to go play computer games! It's how he switches off and whilst he said he was conscious he hadn't spent time with me, I said I was more conscious he hadn't spent time with himself - given that he'd spent the week looking after his two kids, nephew and dad! Anyway, he took me up on the offer but then invited me to join in an online game with them for a bit. Oh and we popped to his flat to grab some things, including some bits he's trying to sell on fb - have someone hopefully coming later to buy his air fryer (as mine is a better version). 

I need to update my spreadsheet as there was a few spends (food shop, tortoise dirt) etc. My pots are starting to look a bit too empty for my liking with a while to go before pay day! However, I do have some set aside for a CC overpayment which I intentionally haven't made yet so that it can be re-allocated if required. But I am tempted to make a £25 payment today as it's "mid-month, want to see progress" time! 

Anyway, enough waffle.... on to today:

• Make lunch to take to work 
  
• Give air fryer a good clean 
• Update spreadsheet 
• Look at remaining budget and consider making CC payment 
• Work on crochet present at lunch
• Charge phone at work 
• Change bedding - I may wash sheets tonight (30 degree, quick wash) or I may do tomorrow
• Hopefully sell the air fryer 
• Dinner from stores 
  

twiggy86

I did make a payment of £25 to one of my CCs! I have another £65 currently earmarked for a further over payment but will leave it sat there for now. It means that so far this year I have paid off 18% of my total debt, and 47% of the target I'd set for the year. Obviously that means it's unlikely I will meet the target for this year, but I have done and achieved a lot this year in other ways. 

I've got my solo festival/ camping event at the end of this month - super excited about it, but it had meant I've been paying for that and saving my spending money. So once that's out the way, it will free up some money each month. However, I am feeling torn on whether or not to rebuild my "misc savings"/ rainy day fund? I used it to pay the deposit on my new car, meaning that it now only has £98 in it. So the options are: 1) rebuild to £1,000 (as I had previously indicated would be an amount I was happy with as having "sat" there); 2) leave "as is" for now and re-prioritise debt over-payments; or 3) wipe out the remaining pot and use for CC payment and re-prioritise debt over-payments. Decisions, decisions!!! 

joedenise

I always think it's worth having an Emergency fund in case anything breaks down, eg your washing machine or fridge/freezer.  Perhaps build your rainy day fund up to £500 and then make overpayments on your debts whilst still adding small amounts to the rainy day fund to rebuild to £1,000.  Far better to have some money available for emergencies rather than having to add to your credit card debt.

badmemory

I have certainly noticed that things only break down when you have just spent that spare cash on something else.  "Sods Law" I believe.

Sarahwithlove

I agree personally I'd prefer having some kind of emergency fund so you don't have to get into more debt to pay for anything that might go wrong 

Sarahwithlove

I agree personally I'd prefer having some kind of emergency fund so you don't have to get into more debt to pay for anything that might go wrong 

twiggy86

Thanks guys! I do have a separate £1,000 emergency fund - my Rainy Day Fund is just an additional "nice to have" in case anything non-essential crops up e.g. if me and bf decide to book a holiday or I see something I want (or the tattoo I keep promising myself!).  

Well the person cam to look at the air fryer but tried to haggle on price and bf said no. However, have another person due to come tonight (they have already asked if price is negotiable which bf said no to) - hopefully they turn up! I sorted out the utility/ "indoor shed" area as it had turned into a bit of a dumping ground. Still needs properly sorting but is tidier - need to sort the under-stairs cupboard as well as part of the whole process as some stuff can probably live in there. I have put some old dust sheets (kept some but had an excessive amount) in my car to put in a textiles bin, so that cleared it out a bit. Also changed the bedding and hung around the house to dry. Then cooked dinner with bf and watched a film. So a fairly productive/ chilled evening! 

Tonight me, bf and another couple are going to a quiz night - hopefully we do better than last time! Quiz is at a different pub so not sure of the rounds etc. It's something I haven't done for years but enjoyed it when we went a few weeks ago. Yesterday I also sent bf a list of potential ideas of things to do this weekend - found a few pubs that have music and things on. He has a work thing Friday night - but has said that I should come join them for the fireworks (was one of the things on my list as I'd forgotten he was out) and then can take him home - he's not one for going out in town, so would make it easier for him/ give him an excuse to leave! 

Today's bit and pieces include...

• Make lunch to take to work 
• Take some chicken out of freezer for lunch/ dinner tomorrow 
• Update spreadsheet (to reflect a NSD yesterday!)
• Charge phone at work 
• Work on crochet present at lunch 
• Drop sheets etc in a textiles bank on my way home 
• Pop to shop for a couple of bits 
• Snap receipt
• Dinner from stores before going out 
• Park for free for quiz night

twiggy86

Well we were naughty and ended up having dinner at the pub - I paid as a belated birthday dinner for bf, but also paid for my friends drinks. However this means I have pretty much spent all my personal budget!!! Oops! Will definitely need to utilise some of the money that was set aside for a debt over-payment. Trying not to be too hard on myself as that is the reason I hadn't actually made the over-payment yet - always find summer more social! For example, I am going out to meet friends on Thursday night - not sure of exact plans yet. I do have some money left in some of my pots which won't be used this month that I could snaffle  - I do need to get petrol today but have £100 left in the pot so unlikely to use all of it this month however I do have a long-ish drive to the festival. 

Annoyingly after waiting around for someone to come and potentially buy bf's air fryer when I chased them, the response was "oh sorry, can't make tonight now" - well when did they intend on telling me that?! They are possibly coming tonight, but I won't hold my breathe! Also had a message from someone else asking for a picture of the inside which I will do when I get home. However, no acro tonight as no one fancied it, so at least I will be around at home anyway in case anyone does want to collect the air fryer. 

Bits and pieces for today:

• Make lunch to take to work 
• Email bank details to someone about an event that was cancelled - will get £10 refund 
• Update spreadsheet 
• Call re refund that hasn't yet arrived 
• Charge phone at work 
• Work on crochet present at lunch 
• Get petrol on way home 
• Snap receipt 
• Do some more sorting around house 
• Dinner from stores 
• Cook chicken for tomorrow 

twiggy86

Quiet night at home last night - helped bf make a cheesecake for work (gutted I didn't get any but hoping he'll bring me back a slice!!) and cooked dinner. I did also sort out a random bag of stuff - some string lights, CD wallet, toothpaste, bike lock, a lipstick etc etc all in a bag in the "indoor shed"!!! Some stuff has been thrown out and some bits I will take to the charity shop. Also managed to work on crochet present for a little bit - hoping I can get it finished to be posted on Saturday! 

Oh and good job I chased the refund as apparently it had been "blocked"!!! It's £120 so definitely don't want that to go missing!!! Was told it should be about 3 working days, so will keep an eye out and chase next week if it still doesn't appear. Thankfully it only needs to go back into a pot, so I don't need it to get by! 

I'm working from home today and then meant to be meeting friends tonight, however the weather is rubbish and it was predominantly outdoor so not sure if anyone will bother. Will text in a bit to see what people are thinking. 

Today's bits and pieces...

• Load of washing on 30 degree quick wash 
• Hang washing on airer 
• Update spreadsheet 
• Cook chicken
• Lunch and (probably) dinner from stores 
• Dye my hair possibly 
• Work on crochet present 
• Drive tonight if we meet up