Road To Financial Recovery

alt80

@FootyFanDan good to hear you’ve signed up. 

Looks like you’re making a good start to the year. 

FootyFanDan

Evening all, 

Winding down on another weekend and ready for another week.
This week is a little different as I am working Monday and then travelling to Scotland Tuesday.

This week has been a pretty hectic work week, but managed to start getting ahead of things and also I got a payrise (unexpected as normally meant to be there a year before been eligible). Manager advised it was more of a reward for how much effort and impact since I started  so I guess that is a positive. I am not sure how much extra this will work out monthly but it will be in this month wage so I will see.

Finance wise, everything is okay at the moment, I am hoping I can make another small overpayment towards debt, but will towards end of week if that is going to be do-able. I remembered yesterday that we are due to go to Warner Studios in early feb so I need to look at the travel plans for that, I don't know whether I am just going to drive on the day or book an hotel closer and make a weekend of it.

Hope everyone has a good week.

alt80

Excellent news mate, it sounds like the new company really appreciate you and the work you’re putting in. You can check your take home on a website called the salary calculator so you can plan ahead. 

Sounds like you’ve got some good family days / weekends out planned.

FootyFanDan

alt80 said:

Excellent news mate, it sounds like the new company really appreciate you and the work you’re putting in. You can check your take home on a website called the salary calculator so you can plan ahead. 

Sounds like you’ve got some good family days / weekends out planned.

It has been a real learning curve, going from something I was in for 8 years and knew inside out to learning a new role, new people among trying to sort out some of my own internal s***. However most days I do feel like it is slowly coming to me and my manager does often note its a testament to how well I have settled that everyone already sees me as a go to person. It will probably end up being about £80 extra per month I reckon after accounting for tax and tbh a decent payrise so no grumbles.

FootyFanDan

Happy Wednesday.
There isn't really much to report but midweek check in to keep active.

We had a trip to Scotland Monday/Tuesday for a funeral on my missus's side of family, there is spends that haven't been accounted for yet - petrol, service stops for drinks/food. All this will be soaked up by our buffer fund so not really too bothered about tracking it as that is exactly what it is there for. 

I need to see if I can try get into a routine of entering my spending in YNAB as it really does keep me mindful but times when I feel busy/tired it gets missed so I must find a way

Hope everyone is having a good week.

FootyFanDan

Evening all, 
hope everyone had a good Saturday. I've been feeling a little under the weather since Thursday night, but decided today to try get out and get some fresh air. We had a lovely walk around a local country park and pub lunch.

So far there hasn't been any further extra payments towards the debt, I will probably see what balance we have left just before payday and go from there. I have football tomorrow and then hopefully a chill rest of day after that.

FootyFanDan

Today I am grateful that I am not having to de-ice my car!
Hope everyone has had a good Monday, today has been a pretty busy day with a lot of long boring teams calls. I need to sit and review my current open projects over next few days so I can put together a to-do list of what I need to be prioritising. I am unsure if it is just a mindset things but I am starting to feel more comfortable with a lot of elements of work, so I don't know if this has just been a natural progression. There is of course still a few things that are needing attention but starting to see good progress.

On a night I have now started to try do the things I normally do on a morning for work - (i.e work lunch, prep clothes and stuff). I am hoping this makes my morning feel a little less rushed and also ensure that I am getting my lunch. I have noticed over the last few weeks I have been struggling with the morning stuff and end up then not making lunch and I daren't even think of how un-MSE that has been 

Tomorrow there will be a planned spend to fill up the car, this should then cover me until payday. There is also a food shop to do before next payday too, but got plenty of food to use up so this will likely be fine until the weekend. 

Still feeling very sniffly but not as achey as I was. I am also starting to regulate my sleeping pattern, I don't know if this is a coincidence but aligns with the fact I don't feel as stressed.

Things to do over the next fortnight

- Purchase new laptop charger cable only - my current one is frayed and has been used as much as possible, pretty sure the 'fruit brand' design them to not last. Any suggestions on the best alternative welcome

- Purchase a decent sized storage bag - I have been holding off this for a while but now starting to bother me. I have all my work ppe & boots in my boot but coz its just thrown everywhere its a mess. I am going to get a decent bag so I can put the stuff in and hopefully free up some space

- Book car service and MOT ( I will probably do this at the weekend) I have most of the cost of this. Due mid feb

- Review whether I need to book hotel for Warner Bros Studio - options are drive for 3 hours on the day which means an early set of or I can book a cheap hotel about an hour away and drive down on Saturday night. I can get a room for about £60 ish.

- Complete ESTA, this is planned for the minute we get paid. This is something that should have been done before but due to other family stuff going off its kind of slipped our thoughts.


I have updated all my spends in YNAB and looking in decent shape at the minute. How often are the YNAB crew here updating there spending do they do it immediately or have certain routines?

Spendywendywoo

@FootyFanDan sounds like a great day, especially the reducing stress element 😀

re Warner Brothers, is that the same place as the Harry Potter tour? If so, we stopped at Watford and there’s a free bus that takes you straight to the studio. If you travel by train, the bus is right outside the train station at Watford. Just thought I’d mention in case it’s of help 

FootyFanDan

Spendywendywoo said:

@FootyFanDan sounds like a great day, especially the reducing stress element 😀

re Warner Brothers, is that the same place as the Harry Potter tour? If so, we stopped at Watford and there’s a free bus that takes you straight to the studio. If you travel by train, the bus is right outside the train station at Watford. Just thought I’d mention in case it’s of help 

Yeah it is the Harry Potter studio tour, we promised the little one it as a treat for her 10th Birthday. Unfortunately by the time it was agreed and booked it wasn't available until feb. I am thinking I will be driving, but I just need to decide whether it is worth just stopping close by. We could travel down Saturday and then maybe just chill without the need to get up crazy early. I don't so much mind the travel, it is the little one i am more wanting her to not be too tired to enjoy the day.

Spendywendywoo

Ah yes, that's understandable.  We stopped here last summer; Village Hotel London Watford | Hotel in Borehamwood, there's parking on site (think we paid £10 for 24 hours), and the HP bus is a 2 minute walk down the road, it's free with your entry ticket.  Took about 20 minutes in traffic to get to the studios, if that. 

Your little one will love it, ours did