Teetering on the brink

EatingBeans

Today has been day one of yet another new approach to taking my tablets and so far it is showing promising results! Given that I have maxed out how many tablets I can take before bed but taking them in the day puts me to sleep, I have decided to try setting an alarm at 5am with the idea that I wake up just enough to take more tablets, then turn over and sleep for a few more hours. If it even slightly works, and I make it through the rest of the day like a functioning human being then I can play with adjusting my bedtime and early morning dosing time until I get something where I can actually work again! 🤞

Waking up early proved a bit challenging - I slept through my alarm for quite a while until it managed to wake me. The tablets knock me out so this was expected but I am hoping with time my body might get used to the routine. 🤷‍♀️ I then discovered that it was such a challenge to think at that time that I struggled to work out if I’d already taken the tablets. 😬 Thankfully I’d given myself a new strip so I could eventually get my head around it. Lesson learnt - portion some out and leave just that amount next to my bed so it is easier to tell - and maybe leave myself a note to explain too! 🤣 Before trying this I was concerned I might not be able to go back to sleep but I needn't have worried - I was spark out within a couple of minutes! But then, oh joy of joys, I woke up pain free at 8am! 😱 And even better, I was actually properly awake - a rarity nowadays. No coffee required! Now, I didn’t want to peak too soon and crash so I took a pottering approach to the day, but that still involved a shower for the second morning in a row. Yes, I am celebrating this as it has been a considerable challenge of late. I gave my teeth an ultra good clean, with dental floss, my water pick, my electric toothbrush for 5 minutes followed by mouthwash and still no pain! Brushing my teeth is a horrible trigger for the TN so I was taking advantage of being pain free and scrubbing them to death while I had the chance. A bit of dishwashing and sorting of clothes later, a bit of a twang crept in, but still not particularly bad. I could just tell the effects of my tablets were wearing off. Still, it’s gone 4pm now and despite no further pain relief I am still at the point where it is talking to me but still not enough to stop me actually doing anything - I’ve even been outside and braved the cold (well wrapped up of course), to clean up after the dogs. Now, if I can just get it to repeat that again tomorrow I might even be on to something. I am not sure what the GP will think of me actively waking myself up mid sleep just to dose myself up again but hey, they’ve run out of ideas so I’m just looking for something that works. Just a few years ago I used to wake myself up at 5am on weekdays to go for a run before work as it used to make me feel good. My body just needs something else now so I’m going with that as my reasoning that it’s perfectly fine. 🤣 The tablets are spaced out and that’s what matters as far as levels in my blood so who cares how I do it right? 

Fingers crossed tomorrow goes just as well and I can crack on with more things. I really want to take a look at the finances again because I haven’t even properly wrapped up from November. 😕 It is so frustrating that I keep being derailed but I am trying to be kind to myself and accept that some things just have to come first. A bit like putting your oxygen mask on first on a plane, I have to prioritise sleep and getting washed/dressed/fed, before I tackle the debt/work situation. One step at a time. At least today was a step in the right direction! 🙂

Sun_Addict

You’ve nothing to lose by at least applying for PIP. The worst that can happen is they say no.  When Mr SA was in hospital I had no idea he could apply for ESA as he’d been self employed. Fortunately at the time I worked with an ex DWP ESA advisor who helped me make a claim on his behalf. Always worth a try. 

Cherryfudge

The 5am medication is a really good idea. I hope you get used to the early alarm.

EatingBeans

Day two of new tablet taking regime has been written off as a disaster thanks to a mad dash to A&E at 2am with dd1. 😢 Bless her, she woke up quite literally screaming in pain and it took me a minute to even come around enough to work out what was going on. She called me from her bedroom and all I could hear was her screaming and I genuinely thought she hadn’t made it home and she had crashed the car and was somewhere in a ditch. Thankfully A&E is only a mile down the road and by the time we had managed to get her decent and down the stairs I think the adrenaline had kicked in, overriding the side effects of my tablets and I was able to drive her. Over three hours later the pain had subsided a bit and the suggestion was that she has an ovarian cyst that had twisted but then untwisted itself. Poor girl was quite clearly in a lot of pain but it was deemed home was the best option and she will be booked in for another scan asap before deciding what to do about it. So home we came and into bed we flopped. 😴

For some reason the whole event gave me raging heartburn which has yet to leave me, making it difficult to actually get any rest. So, I've not made any progress on reconciling today but I have watched several youtube videos on registering to become self employed and what I need to consider ahead of tax returns etc. Not something I immediately need to do but I wanted to update my knowledge ahead of making any decisions about potentially changing the way I work. 

There has always been a niggle at the back of my mind that whilst I know I am well within the £1000 limit for taxable gross income that means I would need to register for self assessment, at the moment my odd bits of extra income that could potentially be taxable (i.e. surveys), are all just mixed in with all my personal spending. If I really push on with the ebay sales then that might appear that I have more than £1000 taxable extra income when really I don’t because I am just selling my own personal possessions. It’s one thing me knowing it’s not self employment income but it is another thing proving it, and when it is all just smushed together it would not make it easy to explain if they do want to check out why I am not submitting tax returns. I know ebay have already reached the reporting threshold for my account so I am thinking a clearer distinction might be useful. Anyone got any suggestions of how they manage multiple small sources of income without ending up with a million different accounts?

To give you an idea, I am thinking it is entirely possible that I eventually I end up with something like:
- A PAYE salary (taxable)
- Survey income (taxable)
- Ebay sales of personal possessions (non taxable as I am not expecting anything to be over £6k, nothing is bought in to sell, non profit etc, all just the random stuff I already have)
- Vinted sales (non taxable as all just my old clothes, nothing bought in etc)
- Self employed income (taxable - this could be contracting or possibly might have a bash at something like starting a laser engraving business)
- Puppy sales (non taxable as this would be the odd litter as replacements for the mad pair I currently have, zero intention of this being a business but I could see how this might be challenged due to the money coming in from puppies so I want it easily distinguishable as a hobby, especially as the laser engraving/creative work is likely to focus around pets/labs too. 

There are just too make unknowns to ask anyone for proper advice any time soon but I want to start with a plan in mind so I guess I was just wondering how people might manage a random collection like this so I can at least try and get money going in logical groupings? Currently I have 4 different current accounts and whilst they once upon a time had a logic to them, now it’s just a bit of a mess. Any thoughts? 

ellenvan

My thoughts;
Clear records are the key.
If you already have 4 current accounts, maybe define them as
One - eBay personal sales
Two - Survey income
Three - Salary in, household expenses out
Four - new Laser business potential 

Second idea,- if you can bank switch the fourth account as some good deals about, while you await new business.

Much easier to record things as you go along than try to sort out afterwards.

Hope your daughter recovers soon.

daisy_1571

Definitely sort as you go along.  Separate bank accounts as above are a great idea plus separate spreadsheets.   I had a folder called business then inside that a folder for each separate named little business.   Inside each of the separate named business folders a spreadsheet for costs or day to day or whatever makes sense to you.  You can then have a column of your costs and income with headings across the next however many columns splitting the costs/income out.  Some of these will be costs you can offset against tax, others are just the cost of running a business.   Things like raw stock, advertising,  website fees, postage, stationery,  packing if you send anything, bank fees, professional membership, professional services, electricity,  premises rent details, mileage, parking etc.  You will need to familiarise yourself as you go with what can be offset where.

The first tab is the current tax year.  Next tax year start a new tab in the same spreadsheet.   Close off each tax year with all your totals and its easy to look back over the years.   

I had a job and rental from a flat.  Then rental and one little business, then 2 little businesses.  Having it all split out in separate spreadsheets meant I could look back at previous years to see how I treated different expenses as the different businesses had different tax rules.

When you get to filling out a self assessment its easy IF you keep the spreadsheets up to date as you go.  Never think ill leave it this month and reconcile it next month  - it won't get easier !! 😆   do it every month.  Or every week.  

Plus if you start getting money in, shift 25% instantly to a separate account that you know is your tax money- it isn't your money so dont be spending it.  You will need it at the end of the tax year.

Think of the self assessment as one return with several appendices.   First bit is 'the form' ticking all the things you do and don't have.  Job yes, self employment yes whats the business name, second self employment,  property  rental no, money from abroad  no etc etc.  Then you go through each appendix - employment: details from p60.  Business 1 income, profit.  Business 2, same.  Etc etc.  Then it basically shows you all your Ins - salary, business income.  Then yiyr tax allowance(s) usually the 12570 personal then any others.  Then it calculates tax due.  Takes off what you've already paid through your job and the balancing figure is what extra tax you're due to pay them or a figure of overpaid tax they are due to refund you.

In the first year or 2 a business might not make any taxable profit so you might be carrying forward a loss for a year or 2.  Maybe a loss on one and a gain on the other business. 

It is fairly simple if you keep records - name of business, date started (this is the date you are eligible to charge for your work or services (so in one of my jobs it was the date I passed my exam even though I'd been keeping records for over a year by that point during studying as some of these costs were able to go against the new business).  If you intend paying the self employed ni stamp you need to inform the ni people of your start date but if you pay ni through your job you won't need that. 

Keep receipts, write notes.  Get a shoe box with an envelope for each business and put the receipts and notes in there once you've logged it on your spreadsheet.  Numbering the line on the spreadsheet and noting that number on the receipt helps keep it in order if they all fall on the floor one day. 

Dont ever assume you'll remember something- WRITE IT DOWN   😆 ask me how I learned some of these tips  😆 

Your local council will likely have a business start up section.   They will probably run free sessions on advertising,  record keeping,  taxation  etc.  Keep a note on your spreadsheet you attended these.  They are good networking opportunities too, as you are all in the same situation and excited about starting up.  Potentially you will meet someone you can help and others that can help you.  Take your business cards (and note you bought business cards on your spreadsheet  😆) vist@print are good for giveaways with your name on but be careful, its easy to get caught up in excitement buying stuff for your shiny new business. 

Hope this is helpful,  if I think if anything else I'll try to remember and post.  Pm me if you want any other specific advice

Daisy xxx

Ps id keep the same level of detail for your hobbies at the start, just in case at some point you decide they are businesses plus its useful to see if they are costing too much for the level of enjoyment you get

daisy_1571

sorry meant to say hope your daughter feels better soon, that sounds awful for her (and you to be woken like that)

Cherryfudge

I can't add to the above expertise but just wanted to say I hope your daughter is feeling better. It must have been terrifying for both of you but knowing what was going on is a help. I hope you both get a good night's sleep tonight and you can get back to your 5am medication successfully.

Humdinger1

Excellent advice above.  Hope you're all feeling OK? Love Humdinger xx 

EatingBeans

@daisy_1571 you are an absolute star, thank you! All absolutely awesome advice. I love the little details like numbering the receipts and matching it to the spreadsheet - such a little thing but I can 100% imagine the benefit of that! I wasn’t aware of the local council information, I will defo be checking that out, thank you.

And I totally agree that starting to keep records for the hobbies is a good idea. It was really the dogs that got me thinking about all of this tbh. I know there is absolutely no way the dogs themselves will ever make me money, in fact once the girls are gone they will almost certainly be the biggest draw on my disposable income. But, since they are my biggest passion I’d ideally like to find a way to earn at least part of my living in some way related to them - ‘do something you love doing and you’ll never work a day in your life’ kinda thinking. Right now, with all the time in the world to sit and ponder possibilities, I am realising that if I do this then the line between business and pleasure could become very blurry money-wise and I can see the advantage of keeping records so that if ever needed I can work out what relates to what. If nothing else it will help me become a bit more organised again and give me another view of how I am spending my money/where I can cut costs - I am looking at you Paw Balm! 🤦‍♀️

Since I normally review my record keeping system once a year (normally between Christmas and New Year - go me!🤣), I thought now would be a good time to give it an overhaul. I guess it is my way of feeling productive even if all I can do is lay on the sofa cuddling my pupsters, dreaming of what my ideal would look like and planning steps of how to make it a reality given all my limitations. Doesn’t cost anything to make a plan right?