Progress is...

KajiKita

You are doing well, blips included 😊

Actually, next year, make sure the *entire team* expects your non-paying colleague to do the organising and cash managing for the festive lunch … They might finally come to understand what they are taking for granted! 

KK

Cheery_Daff

Grr, that's very annoying!

Next year can you demand cash up front by a certain date and only book for the people who have paid? Grrr indeed.

beanielou

That’s so unacceptable. 

badmemory

A very valid rant & very unfair of them.  Once you get above a certain number involved there is always one.

Baileys_Babe

Your colleagues behaviour is very rude and completely unacceptable.

Cheery_Daff said:

Grr, that's very annoying!

Next year can you demand cash up front by a certain date and only book for the people who have paid? Grrr indeed.

This sounds like a great idea.

Muddy_Walker

Hello! I found your diary by accident and it is great reading 😁 Our mortgage is due for renewal in April 2025 and as the overpayments were very limited have been saving like mad so that we can pay a chunk off at renewal.

One quick question- what is mortgage neutrality please?

Thank you!

rtandon27

Good Sunday morning all!  It is bright and sunny in our part of the country which is making me feel upbeat and positive!  A lovely way to start the day after so many gloomy ones.

It is also the first day of a two week break from work and the commuting!  No direct trains available (as usual at this time of year) with stupidly planned bus replacement service instead, so no point in making the effort to go in unless something urgent comes up! 

I cannot tell you just how much I am enjoying the thought of wearing yoga gear (in true yummy mummy style) for the next two weeks - no suits, no dress shirts, no make-up, hair worn au natural at worst and pinned up at best!  The sum total energy it will save will be channeled into plotting & planning for 2025!

@KajiKita - thank-you for adding your cheer-leading!  I am always heartened by the positive nudges & affirmations by all the like-minded ladies who visit the virtual kitchen!

So...

I'm feeling a little less irked by being out of pocket as I know I will get it eventually, it's not like the individual is going anywhere & their behavior is not unexpected!  Last year's excuse was that they had two children & I'm sure this year's will be something equally ridiculous!  We all have financial responsibilities and most folks paid up within 30 mins of the tally being posted. A few needed chasing but only because they needed help with using their tech as I don't do cash - totally acceptable and direction was given and taken with good humour.

@KajiKita - I love the theory of your suggestion, but said colleague would not be able to organize the proverbially p*ss-up in a brewery & no one would make the effort to participate if they were left in charge.

@Cheery_Daff - I did have money up front from all for the non-refundable deposit & chased said individual 5 times for the initial amount, ending with the ultimatum 'no-money = no-reservation, I'm not your personal banker!'

@beanielou - agreed - 100% unacceptable

@badmemory - there were only 14 in the end -  8 either overpaid the deposit and/or paid the balance within 30 mins of the tally being posted! - 5 needed chasing, 4 needed tech help & 1 is the slacker of ill-repute.

@Baileys_Babe - I'm glad my assessment was well founded - I do actually find the individual to be rude, self-absorbed and lacking in basic social skills!

So for a bit of background - 'Management' cancelled our annual Christmas tree decorating and potluck for various reasons that they thought would make themselves appear to be religiously inclusive - the reality is that it angered us old-timers and disappointed our younger staff.  Pot-lucks are affordable for all & promote inclusivity when the staff make such a wide range of salaries.  My understanding is that at least two of the more objectionable personalities in our team voiced an opinion which lead to the cancellation! (As an aside the two individuals who practice a different religion, wanted both to decorate the tree and participate in the pot-luck! - they came to the unofficial lunch instead.)

Yours truly got to deliver the news to the team and bear the brunt of the backlash & comments.  So my solution was to personally invite everyone to a Festive meal instead.  (I'm both a rebel & a sh*t-disturber.)  Luckily our work culture allows for long lunches - sometimes business & sometimes personal with the extra time made up at the end of the day.  I also offered to take care of payment on my personal card as long as everyone coughed up for the deposit & paid the remainder within 24 hours of the meal.  So as my OH says - it was a personal invite so you only have yourself to blame for your annoyance, next time, just don't invite the annoying individual and tell them it is because of their inability to manage money!

So all that to say that the meal itself was really fun & those that chose to attend are truly happy & thankful that we got to spend time together.  We all went back to the office and worked into the evening, so there were no objections.  Those who could not attend, had their own pickety-bits lunch the next day & I took them a tin of biscuits to share as well.  Not quite the joint activity we'd have wanted but the best that we could do while respecting Management's decision.

@Muddy_Walker - so good to see you in my virtual kitchen, help your self to gingerbread biscuts & a cuppa and do sit yourself down   - Great idea to save up for a lump sum at renewal - my OH has suggested that as well!

Mortgage Neutrality is when you have enough in cash assets (not including pension pots) to pay off your mortgage should you choose to.  In our case it means that it would wipe out everything (including the ISA's), and we would be left with no emergency fund, no holiday fund, no replacement car fund, no grocery fund, no medical fund etc. etc. - It is however a useful planning tool that allows the brain to understand that there is enough available while paying off the mortgage, to live day to day without truly struggling - lots of hard work treading to keep our heads above water, but no drowning or downward spiraling. 

For me the thought of mortgage neutrality means that should I really and truly need to, I could pack in my high-demand & high-stress job and do something I love instead.  It will probably never happen as it would also mean my fabulous pension would be affected, but it's nice to be able to dream on days when things are tough!  It's a more tangible version of winning the lottery.

So ladies - story-time is over for the morning - I bid you adieu as OH has agreed to venture to the shop with me and get our ever growing top-up shop - I need to make the effort and throw on something warm and a pair of boots or the opportunity will pass!

As always feel free to hang around the virtual kitchen, have another cuppa & please do add your words of wisdom! (I'm calling you out @Greying_Pilgrim - I see you lurking in between wash loads! xoxox)

KajiKita

“So for a bit of background - 'Management' cancelled our annual Christmas tree decorating and potluck for various reasons that they thought would make themselves appear to be religiously inclusive - the reality is that it angered us old-timers and disappointed our younger staff.  Pot-lucks are affordable for all & promote inclusivity when the staff make such a wide range of salaries.  My understanding is that at least two of the more objectionable personalities in our team voiced an opinion which lead to the cancellation! (As an aside the two individuals who practice a different religion, wanted both to decorate the tree and participate in the pot-luck! - they came to the unofficial lunch instead.)

Yours truly got to deliver the news to the team and bear the brunt of the backlash & comments.  So my solution was to personally invite everyone to a Festive meal instead.”

Hmmmm … management need to be told how badly they misread this I think. It was kind of you to step up, but yes, either don’t invite the non-payer next time, or they pay upfront and get refunded any excess. 

Good luck with the shopping! 😊

KK

Boodedoo

Re: The utility companies holding large balances on fixed monthly d/ds and I wonder just how much they are benefitting from their customers technically lending them money.

I too got very miffed about that a year or so ago and now put their required amount into a savings account and still pay by monthly d/d but on the whole bill each month. The interest they were getting on the balance is now coming my way. Its not much over the year but does at least make me feel better :-)

badmemory

Choice is a wonderful thing.  When you have bills to pay & need income to pay them then you don't have as many choices.  But once you have some "independent" income & so do have a choice that choice does not seem as onerous.  I found that once I passed retirement age I was much less worried about managements machinations.  They sold up 2 years after I finally retired & the division I worked in closed shortly after.