Reining it in for retirement and sanity

LillythePink

Hey

Hope you managed to get off - it's always stressful when there are delays

Enjoy yourselves and don't worry about budgets or any additional spends - memories are worth it for the odd blip and you can reset next month.

Have a good holiday

RebeccaPAgain

Hey all. Hope everyone had a good bank holiday and is looking forward to the next one?!

Holiday was good. It was pretty relaxing. I think we have realised though that as "naice" as everything is in these "fancy" resorts, it is not very "us". We much prefer getting out and about and experiencing the local culture and food which we didn't really want to do as we had paid through the nose for All Inclusive. I think the kids got a little bored. In a way I am glad of the realisation as if that was the expected standard for every holiday it would be a problem. Kids club was excellent though and it did mean that DH and I got out a couple of mornings just to have a look around and got to have a lunch together with no kids. 

It was tough getting back in the saddle last week. We had monday off though which was welcomed and I took myself off for a 2 hour coastal walk alone with a podcast (strategically planned for toilets on the way!). This week is a full week and very busy. Have to prepare some recordings of myself for a training session we are doing but gave up after 2 hours of rubbish takes today (I am not feeling great today) so will try again tomorrow.

Unbelievably, we managed to come in under budget last month even with the costs at the airport - we are about £47 under.  This month I have increased our budget as we have DH's birthday, father's day and my parents are coming to visit so will be increased food/drink costs plus eating out. I'm also out with 2 friends this month plus a lunch out with work. And it's car insurance renewal time for one of our cars. So I figure no point in setting the budget at an unrealistic level and just accepting that this month, I need to increase it.

DH has also (rather annoyingly) just decided to change our ferry for our trip to France in the summer which has meant booking an overnight hotel. It makes sense as the ferry gets in so late we would lose a whole day of holiday if we didn't but I pointed out to him that I had made this suggestion when we were booking and he had dismissed it. He acknowledged that but it still irks as it would likely have been cheaper to book hotel back then plus no ferry amendment charge (though this was only £5). For reasons unbeknown to me he also used a credit card (so will attract an exchange fee) rather than Revol&t.

So it continues to be a bit of a battle to try to get him thinking in an MSE way.

LillythePink

Hey

So glad to hear you had a good time away - making lots of memories.

Know what you mean about the ferry getting in late - it's a pain, but then again, depending on what you do/where you go, it means that you can bed down quickly and be up bright and early for any travel - we are away in September and have booked the B&B (I think) just down from McDonalds and we will be on the road no later than 6am - a bit different with children maybe - but we have done that in the past as well when our daughter was young.

£5 is cheap - we had to pay £72 for a cancellation charge....we are ripped off but hopefully they are more reliable (remains to be seen)

We've only done all inclusive once in Egypt many moons ago - food was ok but I wouldn't do it again - we like to explore and do road trips mainly.

June sure will be an expensive month for us also but we will take it as it comes.

XX

RebeccaPAgain

Can't believe another week has gone by - where is the time going?! DC1 is now on half term. We are off monday then he is with grandparents (though has me afternoons) apart from Weds when DH off. DH has booked him a climbing session and will probably take him swimming too. I have budgeted £50 for half term week activities so hoping that is enough as it's just DC1 (DC2 will be in nursery).

DH and I got a B!ghams last night (reduced so very MSE) as we just could not be bothered to cook and we have started re-watching Clarksons Farm as new series out but we wanted to remind ourselves of everything that's happened so far so chugging our way through those. Tonight he is making a chicken lasagna out of a cookbook from one of our favourite chefs and we have some pistachio lindt balls for "pudding". DH and kids currently outside paying football but it's pretty windy so I am taking shelter with a cuppa and my laptop. Made some cookies with the kids this morning and went to a lego event and a new farm shop which has opened.

Tomorrow DC2 has a party so DH may take DC1 swimming. I think we might take them for walk/to park in afternoon if nice and then pop in to see MIL. Monday is seeing FIL and Step-MIL in morning and probably a park/bikes afternoon.

Budget-wise just meh. We had blocked drains yesterday. DH tried to fix but couldn't so had to call out the professionals (£90). As above, already an expensive month.

We've also decided to change our budget to run from 1st of each month as it was just proving too difficult to get a completely accurate picture of where we are at any given point. This means that we will be worse off as we will effectively have a 6 week budget this month (in an already expensive month) but it should mean that it is easier to keep track in the long run.

Work is difficult. They are piling it on and seem to want more and more from our team with less and less resource. I have to be careful not to let it overload me and get stressed as otherwise I know I will get ill. It is not a happy place right now but I am hoping it is just a blip, as there have been some difficult circumstances recently.

Just really wish I could retire. Oh well, only 13 more years to go(!!!!!).

LillythePink

Retirement is calling me as well - I am just not motivated at the moment, I think it's the come down from year end/audit/Q1 (but something is still carrying on until the end of June) but a holiday is coming for me so hopefully that will reset my "work ethic" a bit but who knows - we as well, are give give give - gets you down doesn't it.

Hope the weather is ok for half term rain still means getting out as long as it's warm - Wednesday seems to be the dodgy day but it can change,

Good luck for your budget reset - I go payday to payday for mine but it depends on when you get paid in the month, luckily, hubby gets paid mid month so we only have a few weeks between our paydays which makes it less stressful when you see balances going down.

Enjoy your day and I hope that the party is enjoyable

Blackcats

Hope you've had a good BH weekend.
i didn't even know that there was such a thing as pistachio Lindt balls,  they are something I definitely need to seek out and sample fairly urgently.
I switched my budget to start on 1st of the month too as psychologically it is so much easier to re-set at the beginning of the month.  I have a month ahead savings account and I move money that I receive for the upcoming month into there and then move it into my current account when it's needed.
I hope work is better this week.  It is ok to ask how your colleagues would like you to prioritise your workload,

Ordinary_Yet_Unique

You are progressing! Do you have pension provision in place to allow for part-time working or full retirement at age 60?

RebeccaPAgain

Gosh has it really been over a month?!  @Blackcats - I fear they were not that good actually, luckily full price not paid, have you tried them yet? @Ordinary_Yet_Unique - we have done the sums and as long as we rein it in now and save, we "should" have enough. If both DC want to go to uni then I think I will have to continue PT (say 3 days a week) for a couple of years.

So, this was an expensive month.  In budgetary terms, I am not yet sure if we will make it within budget.  We have a family event sunday which will require some spending but as it is being split between the siblings, I don't yet know final figures. DH has really annoyed me ordering yet MORE gravel. We have spent an absolute fortune on it.  He also spent £40 on a rabbit trap as the rabbits were digging in his veg beds - managed to catch 1 of 3 and release it a few miles away but haven't yet got the others. I feel his attitude is spend spend spend spend spend.  He also had a night out which was £74 - just for food and a few drinks - goes to show that going out is so expensive now.

@Blackcats - I do feel, like you, that from 1st of month will be better psychologically and I am looking forward to monday when I can reconcile everything and start afresh.

Tonight is pasta from stores and re-watching the stanley tucci italy series ahead of his new one. Need to go and collect car shortly - was in for service before we go on hols to uk in a few weeks - we had budgeted £500 and chap rang earlier saying it will be no more than £100 so that's good.  As I've said A LOT, we could really do with a newer car, especially now we are looking to use that more to go away rather than fly. But it keeps getting pushed down the list of priorities so we limp on spending on it here and there.

We have to pay our holiday balance for our france holiday tomorrow but I am expecting a cheque from my dad next week. He bets on the horses (only what he can afford and is very strict about it) has done for years, and is kind enough to send me and my brother a cheque at christmas and in june each year. That should hopefully cover spending money for our uk trip.

Big shop tomorrow and then I have to nip to town tomorrow but only for a couple of things that don't cost, like the library.  Then have an afternoon tea with a friend but had already paid for that a couple months ago. Sunday is the family event.

Next week I have told DH not to book anyone or anything in so we can just have a quiet week and weekend next weekend.

I was away last week in our sister isle for work - 3 days(!) Luckily everything was paid for by work apart from lego (only minifigures) brought back for the kids and a babka brought back for me and DH.

Diet non-existent and think I have put it all back on. Need to do more exercise.

Been exchanging lots of voice notes with my best friend from school - she says I sound extremely tired and fed up of the treadmill and is worried about me. I think I'm ok largely - but I am tired.  Work is hard yards, lots going on and just seem to be busy all the time.

Blackcats

Hope you enjoyed your afternoon tea.  

Some months just seem destined to be spendy.  June was expensive for us too and because I put it all on our cashback credit card I can see the full gory details with just a glance.  The money is available to pay it in full when it's due on 25th July and that will feel painful too.  

Have fun with the family tomorrow.  Then you can relish your budget reset on 1st July.

RebeccaPAgain

Thank you @Blackcats - it was nice actually - it was watching a dance event and was nice to see my friend and get another date in the diary! And I feel your pain - I've now started using this spending app so can see all of the transactions and what has been spent on what - it is clear to me that I definitely under estimate in some categories and it is painful viewing generally. It's hard isn't it - like you, we have the cash available to pay it but it hurts handing it over!

Mechanic charged us 464 despite having said to DH on the phone (not long before pickup) "it'll be about 350, 400 max". I dropped DH off and wish I'd warned him to ensure it was capped at 400 because last time this chap did a service he did exactly the same thing, added on  fair bit more - if he'd had said it was going to be 464 then fine, because that's what you're then expecting, but I do get very very annoyed when I'm told it will be (considerably) less then isn't as then I just start feeling ripped off.

Family day out was pleasant. Kids had fun.

Well in the end we came in 0.49 over budget!  This was caused by my needing painkillers today due to unexpected time of month!!!  But I feel this is not a bad result.

Though I mean, we had budgeted separately for the car service of course so if that was just coming out of normal budgeted spends, it would be 464.49 over!

Now need to try to estimate spending for this coming month - events: DH has a work night out, not sure if it will be paid for so if not, there will be that. I am meeting my friend from the weekend for drinks, possibly food. Need to get DC1's teacher and LSA presents/cards for end of term. Holiday. DC1 has a party so present/card for that.  FIL's and SIL's birthdays so ditto. Other car insurance. Plus usual food, petrol, prescriptions, toiletries etc etc.