The Little Cottage by the Sea

BrimfulofSascha

Thank you @Humdinger1 that means a lot. Why on earth are you awake at 3.47am though? I hope you are ok

BrimfulofSascha

Good Afternoon loves,

I am finally in the possession of a courtesy car so back in the office this week. No idea how the car repair is progressing, no update on my insurance app.

Saved loads last week in fuel as I had no car, but spent more on groceries with an almost daily 'pop' to the village Co-op. Somehow managed to do barely any exercise despite being home. For the first week my back was twinging from the impact, then last week I just wasn't motivated.

My current account is showing my first wage from this temp job pending, looking forward to doing my regular money shuffle tomorrow.

I'm going to have to be careful with spending this month as it's DD birthday in 5 weeks, and I'm looking at buying her a block of driving lessons. £495 for 5x2h lessons. it is not 2004 anymore that is for sure.

I'd over-egged my sinking fund for annual car expenses, or so I thought! However, I now have £300 insurance excess to pay for the accident. It may be tight when insurance, new brakes, and annual service/MOT are all due in November. The pot currently contains £621, and I add £100 each pay day, so it will be c. £900 in November. I think I'll be short by about £300 (what a shock) but need to work it out. Thankfully road fund isn't due until May.

I've had a(nother) letter from CMS stating that my ex's maintenance payments have been paused until October. which is hilarious. I get an annual review each October, in 11 months since that review he has managed 6 payments which is probably a PB in the past 15 1/2 years. However, only 1 was for the actually amount due, 2 were close, and the other 3 were between 1/3 and 1/2 of the monthly amount due. Arrears are in the thousands. I doubt I'll ever see that financial contribution, despite the fact that CMS are supposed to be garnishing wages.

I also had a whatsapp message from the hire car company i used for our holiday, apparently I have a police fine, but I need to look into this to check it isn't a scam.

All fun money news today! I am so grateful that despite whatever the world throws at me now, and it's thrown a lot this year, I now have safety nets in place to be able to cope.

In, hopefully, positive news, I had a job interview for a permanant position on Fridaym, which I feel went well. I have another, with a different company on Wednesday 2nd. keeping everything crossed that one of these is a positive move.

Will update numbers when money shuffle is complete.

Love & light

Sascha

Rhyddid2026

Good luck with the interviews.

BrimfulofSascha

Thankyou @Rhyddid2026 I'm trying to think positive thoughts. I can't keep having this negative luck.

Money shuffle of the month complete, £771.02 towards the credit cards this month, the usual DD to the boiler and car loans will go out over the next couple of weeks (£236.75 for both), nothing to savings this month which feels rubbish. I've kept some back for the car excess and I did dip into my O/draft a little bit last month. I need to stop doing this.

A couple of months ago I started doing a weekly S/O from my current account to my spending account. I used to just put the whole months spending money in at the start of the month and then find I'd spent 2/3rds of the allowance in the first week topping everything up/doing a big shop etc. I have been mostly sticking to the weekly way of doing things. knowing I'm only a few days away from the weekly 'payday' does stop feast or famine spending. But obviously I've not been perfect as I have been taking things out of the current account that need repaying on proper payday. We can only keep trying to be a bit more disciplined.

Applied for DD's provisional licence yesterday.

DD; "mum why does it cost money, why is it so expensive". Me: "oh my sweet child, it's only £35, of all my bills that is pennies".

Need to order her a 16-17 rail card before college starts proper next week, we have been getting away with her paying child prices despite turning 16 11 months ago, the conductor doesn't care if they are in school uniform. Possibly morally wrong of me to have encouraged this, but I think it is absolutely rediculous charging children adult ticket prices to get to school when they legally have to stay in education/training until 18, so I will not be made to feel guilty about this. Annoyingly even with the discount rail card the new rail fare will be double the child's return ticket price. The bus is the similar price and takes an hour rather than 7 mins on the train.

Making a promise to myself to get out on a run when I get home from work tonight.

Other than that we are just plodding along.

L&L

Sascha

BrimfulofSascha

Afternoon Lovelies.

First of all, RIP Dolly, what an incredible woman, what a loss to the world. "What would Dolly do?" is a bit of a mantra between me and DD. She was always so soft and kind without being hard, feminine without being a pushover, 100% unapologetically herself.

I did my run last night as promised. It was so lovely. Should cycle tonight. maybe swim tomorrow.

Money news, well not much. I've updated my signature. EF is higher than the online experts suggests, but having just been made redundant, and all CC debt being 0% it makes more sense to my life.

Yesterday was a NSD,

Today spends:

£22.05 petrol (only doing little bits as I don't know when I'll get my car back, don't want to gift the garage a full tank)

£10.00 for DD, she has college and will stay at Funcles tonight to avoid a weird early train, so should pay for 2 days lunches. not very money saving but will be packed lunches most days.

£14.50 dry cat food.

This leaves £138.45 of the weekly spend pot.

I heard back from the job I interviewed for last week. I was the 'top candidate but above their budget'. That's ok, not the only job in the world. I have another next week that should be better suited.

L&L

Sascha

Rhyddid2026

'top candidate but above their budget' sounds like an excellent reason to not get a job! I'd take that as a compliment.

ArtyJ931

if recruiters put the actual offered salary on adverts it would stop wasting people’s time. Got my goat when I was job hunting!

BrimfulofSascha

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82116305#Comment_82116305

I Agree, to be fair this one was advertised as £XX+ which I knew the XX was a bit lower than I expected but with start-ups there is usually some negotiation for the right candidate. The one I have next Thursday I have already spoken to the internal recruiter and my expectation is in range. I think I'd really like the role so just need to nail the interview. My contract at the temp job is another 5 months so we aren't desperate yet, but it will be one less thing to worry about once I have something suitable and permanant.