Progress is...

rtandon27

Decided that while I was shuffling money, I'd self-fund the annual train pass this year. I'm paying money in taxes that means I'm not even making back my hourly rate & it takes far too much administration time for that tiny amount of money!

Train pass has also gone up by 276 pounds for the year - a solid 23 pounds a month. I've not been claiming back all of my Delay Repay lately so I think I'd better step it up going forward. Nevertheless I've averaged 50 pounds back every month for the past year, and if I'd claimed back everyting it would have been worth around 75 a month. So right there is the rest of my water bill increase and then some!

If only there were 48 hours in a day, I'd be on top of the mountain of aadmin that is accumulating!

rtandon27

A lovely Saturday afternoon out and no rain! It is the first time OH and I have been out since our wedding in November. His treatment started two days later and it has been an all cosuming 3 months! Had an afternoon out with OH's son and grandbabies - one is 4 and the other 18 months. The younger one is quiet a little dolly - he doesn't talk much but likes cuddles and is very well behaved. The older one is an imp through and through - she's his anti-thesis - mischievious and a bundle of curious energy. I'd forgotten how exhausting little children are!

Payday was yesterday, have shuffled money around and mortgage payment to come out on Monday - holding steady and have managed to budget an overpayment for April! Massive credit card payment for the annual pass won't come out until April, but money is in the correct account now as this payment happens automatically. We are budgeted fully for March & April - not the three months that I like to have covered but between the wedding expenses all paid upfront and the pot for the funeral costs being fully funded, that elusive 3rd month shold be built back up by June or July.

Cheery_Daff

Glad you've had a lovely day out with OH and some cheerful time with the little ones 😊

Humdinger1

@rtandon please get in touch with your MP. I've heard that across the country, water companies are the biggest topic of complaint. Sorry to add yet more to your to-do list but I predict handsome compensation, account on hold while they investigate, and grovelling apologies. Plus you'll be helping build a case for others. Love Humdinger xx

beanielou

Glad you have had a lovely day.

EssexHebridean

Unfortunately water bills really have gone up - we're metered, and I suspect in a cheaper water board area too - but our monthly DD has doubled in the past year. If you're not metered then it's probably a good idea to do a check on how much a change to metered might save you - when we moved from the flat (unable to have a meter so assessed bill) to the house (garden etc) our monthly cost reduced by 2/3rds.

KajiKita

Ummm … in your post on 21st February you said you were looking for ballerina wedges for everyday use still …

Would these work?

https://clarke-oxford.com/products/calerinne?_pos=1&_psq=ballerina-wedge&_ss=e&_v=1.0

KK

rtandon27

Wow - that was a whirlwind of a week - at times I was not sure if I was coming or going!

The week ended yesterday with a lovely walk along the Southbank with our dear Karmacat - we chatted and chatted and chatted some more!. Took in Lambeth Palace and the Garden Museum and had a good 1.5 hour walk. So relaxing & lovely to be with a friend who just gets it! (Also a break from the grind of work/docs/caring/etc. - didn't realize how much I needed to be away from all of that just having fun!)

@Cheery_Daff & @beanielou - the bubbies were a cute pair, and I'm glad that OH got some family time with his son & offspring - the small family are now in Wales with the in-law as rather than Scotland, so I'm hoping that the occasional daddy day turns into daddy & grampy day for the kids!

@Humdinger1 - I totally get where you are coming from with the talk to your MP - I don't actually like our MP, he's full of hot air and as I've told him on multiple occasions, the only time I see or hear from him is near election time when he suddenly becomes part of the community for the photo ops! The husband of our local aristrocratic family agrees with me and is highly amused that I was so open at the latest 'debate' - he chalks it up to being a forthright Canadian! - I know I moan about our water bill, but it was not unexpected given that oour community are holding them accountable for the trout stream pollution so now they need to clean it up! They are doing something, but in turn they are passing the cost on to us. Profit is the only name of the game, therthere is no altruism involved!

@EssexHebridean - Unfortunately we are not metered and cannot be, given the age of our house and the water for the four connecting houses comes in and goes out communally. TBH, other than the plastic grass neighbours, we are all avid gardeners so once the price doubled the other year, we all made a point of using what we pay for and our gardens were lush last year! I'm 100% sure that if we were on a meter we'd be only paying half, taking into account the garden and my love of a long shower!

@KajiKita - Thank-you so much for the link! Those are incredibly affordable shoes on sale and come in 3 styles, the ankle strap, the bow and plain-Jane. I'll have a look at the reviews and probably go for the classic plain jane if they are still available in my size! Fingers crossed they fit - lol - I'm now tried at least a dozen pairs and not one has been comfortable! Not a problem in the winter when I can get away with boots every day, but now that spring has sprung, some new shoes would be good!

rtandon27

So this week let's try and have some order and as always it starts with a…

meal plan…
✅ 🍜 Saturday Mar 07 - Easy Peasy Day - Linner = Seekh Kebabs in Persian flatflatbread with salad
🍖🥕🍠🍅🥔 Sunday Mar 08 - Roast Day - Lunch = Freezer Dive posh sausages in buns - Dinner = turkey steaks & brussels & carrots & stuffed mushrooms & potatoes
✅🥬 Monday Mar 09 - Veggie Day - Tortellini & mushroom sauce last minute invite to an Iftar meal! Eritraean Food!
✅🐟🍟 Tuesday Mar 10 - Fish Day - Oven Fish & prawns & crinkle cut chips
✅🍗🍄🥕🥦🥔 Wednesday Mar 11 - Chicken Day - Lunch = BLT sandwich rolls - Dinner = Chicken & Pepper Tikka & rice Turkey steaks & stuffed mushrooms & steamed mixed veg
✅🍔🌽🥔 Thursday Mar 12 - Meat Day - Pork Carnitas in arapas & steamed mixed veg SIGH - delivery subbed French Brioche for Columbian Arapas - so this is off the menu - might now be freezer dive! - delivery from the local Tandoori place - more food that we needed for a meal!
✅🥧🍟Friday Mar 13 - Fakeaway Day - Lunch = BLT sandwich rolls - Dinner = Pizza & Chips & salad Spanokapita & thursday leftovers
🍜 Saturday Mar 14- Easy Peasy Day - BF = McD's Lunch = gyoza & noodles - Dinner = Saag Paneer & Paratas Pizza & Chips & salad
🍖🥕🍠🍅🥔 Sunday Feb 15 - Roast Day - Chicken Breast Tenders & brussels & carrots & mushrooms
🥬 Monday Mar 16 - Veggie Day - Seitan & noodles & pak choi

routine tasks..
✅ YNAB shuffling
🔆 across the pond banking
✅ grocery order - Tuesday evening delivery
✅ meal plan (above)
🔱 weekly digital planner
🔆 Delay Repay
✅ supplements into dossets
✅ pack-ups for work days
✅Weekly surveys & contests
✅ laundry - 1 load in the machine - 1 folded & put away

non-routine tasks...
✅ dishes and pots washed - 4 sinkfuls done
✅ vacuum downstairs
🔆 vacuum furniture
🔆 vacuum stairs
🔆 vacuum landing
🔆 vacuum bedroom
🔱 have sourced weighted blankets - singles - Scandinavian style!
🔱 still on the hunt for ballerina wedges that fit for everyday use
🔱 need to get a flat top brush for brass paint
🔱 apply for the GHIC card
⏳ look into oiling/waxing newly installed xtra banister
⏳BFF across the pond - we owe each other money - SIGH - we need to sort this!

redofromstart

We may have passed each other yesterday on opposite sides on that basis (Battersea, over the Chelsea Bridge and along the river to Embankment!)