The Little Cottage by the Sea

londoner2019

I love how all of us on the DFD pages are all probably doing tax returns as soon as HMRC allows us to None of this waiting until 31 January next year!

WFH - no idea of your circumstances, but if you regularly WFH and submit self assessment, you can claim back on things like portions of utility bills, rent, even mortgage interest, as expenses. 

BrimfulofSascha

Hi Londoner, welcome.
I get it in quick as I have to pay back part of CB so I'd rather know what I owe sooner rather than later. Still annoyed that it's based on individual income and not household income. Being a solo parent is such fun!

The rules changed after Covid, if it's a choice to WFH you can't claim. This is what the gov.uk website says:

Who cannot claim tax relief

You cannot claim tax relief if you choose to work from home. This includes if:

• your employment contract lets you work from home some or all of the time
• your employer has an office, but you cannot go there sometimes because it’s full

BrimfulofSascha

Hi Vampire and Van-girl (you sound like a super hero duo!)

@vampirotoothus Oh there's definitely a list already. First thing is a new central heating system. Then new double glazing and doors. The excitement!

@Van_Girl We are quite outdoorsy people so fun is normally cheap-ish, winter less so when the weather is pants. Really need to get DP to service the mountain bikes so we can go be silly in the local forest. We are lucky we live somewhere near forests, countryside, beaches...unfortunately no mountains though. We are both Ultra runners amongst other things, lack of hills sucks. I can see us getting lots of use from the tent when work calms down a little after May.

I love having Caleb on in the background when I'm WFH. It was on when my DP came over after work on Friday, I don't think he appreciated the shouting. Will have to be a week day guilty pressure.

rachmac3

I've just put Caleb Hammer on for the first time because of this thread. I don't know if I'm fascinated, terrified, or both!

doingitanyway

Sounds lovely where you are...mountain bikes and being silly in the forest sounds wonderful...

BrimfulofSascha

@rachmac3 I think it's normal to be both. haha blows my mind how many of them have $40k cars on 7 year finance at 18%. Why would you do that???

BrimfulofSascha

Good afternoon Loves,

We made it halfway through the work week. Well done!
Work is a little manic today but I'm bulldozing through my todo list.

Yesterday was indeed a NSD. Today isn't, I had to get fuel this morning. Just shy of £60 for a full tank, I'm hoping it will last towards the end of next week. I'll also need milk! Boy can I tell it's the Easter holidays, the child eats cereal and mugs of tea like she's been starved for weeks. Definitely not complaining, last weeks Dr's visit told me she is slightly underweight. It's mostly her natural shape, but I'm keeping an eye on it.

@doingitanyway it is a lovely place to live and raise children. I do feel very lucky.

Last night I did a pre training run and then a heavy training session. Feeling a little tender today, But I needed it.
Same again tomorrow.

The little cat seems back to himself and has been signed off from his operation by the vet. He did make me giggle yesterday. He is usually a fiend for catching (and eating) creepy crawlies. We had the biggest bumblebee I've ever seen fly in through the bedroom window last night, Baby cat took one look at the size of it a hid under the bed. Mr Bee swiftly wafted out of the window to pollinate another day. I hope this means my efforts in the garden this weekend were meaningful.

Other than that I'm just plodding along until payday. Can't wait to update the figures below.

Love and Light 
Sascha

BrimfulofSascha

Good Morning Loves,

Thought I'd pop in for a quick five minutes before I leave for the office. 

Yesterday's grocery spend was £10.05 ( Milk, laundry pods, soda crystals to clean the washing machine) So £49.77 left in the Grocery Budget, and £43.54 in the Fuel budget.

Last night I made a risotto for dinner which leaves enough leftovers for dinner today and lunch on Friday. Stretching out this week's grocery spend as much as possible. Plus less washing up. Winner winner recycled dinner. haha

It's a long day with a double training session after work tonight so no progress on the great spring tidy up shall be had today.

What a dull diary entry. I hope your Thursday's bring you something more interesting.

Love and light
Sascha

BrimfulofSascha

Good Morning Loves,

We made it to Friday. I hope you have lovely weekend plans to make the most of this weather.
Yesterday made for 3 NSD's so far this week. Today should be NSD number 4.
I had a run and a training session last night, It felt harder than usual. I hope I'm not coming down with something. I will persevere, fresh air, movement and lots of veggies to push through.

It's been a busy work week and I feel it won't let up for a few weeks to come. I have decided to take the next half term off (May) to try and recuperate. I've not had more than 2 days off since August (including the Christmas break) and it's taken it's toll. DD must feel rejected. I'm not sure if we will be human doings and find a cheap adventure, or human beings and rest. I guess it depends on what the budget looks like between now and then.

I downloaded the WoB app yesterday to try and shift some of my acres of books, I must get on to it. DD smashed her phone screen yesterday so I'd like to try and get the repair spend neutral. Wish me luck.

It's 12 days until payday (not that I'm counting) which seems a long time, this month seems to drag. I'm trying not to wish my life away while on this journey. The car has 3/4 of a tank (approx 500 miles) and there will only be 3 commutes to work next week (BH and WFH day) and then 2 commutes the following week before my pay hits. So I might be able to plod until payday without spending the last £43.54 in the fuel pot.

The grocery pot isn't looking as fruitful though. I have £49.77 left and probably only 3 dinners in stores. Lunches and Breakfasts should be fine for at a week, but 9 dinners, and 5 days of breakfast/lunches on sub £50 might require some creativity. Any exciting Easter roast may be out of the window. never say never though, maybe i'll buy a large chicken, I've a huge tin of mango puree I've been meaning to use, would make a lovely chicken and mango curry. Will have to do a stores check tonight and see what we can do. 

On we plod!

Love and light
Sascha

BrimfulofSascha

Good morning Loves.

I hope you had a lovely weekend.
I feel like today's post may be a little confessional. I'm trying to use it as ammunition's to keep going, rather than an excuse to go back to burying my head in the sand. So here it goes...

Forgive me father for I have spent! 
Saturday started with a double training session and a run in the sun. I love my sport crew it's like a big family, it put me in such a summer vibe. When I got home DD and DP were only just getting up and dressed. I suggested making the most of the day and going to the beach. DP suggested the zoo as they introduced a new animal there a few years ago that he had never seen before.
The spending account was already looking a bit tight going into the weekend, but I got a little carried away on the good mood I was in. DP paid for the entry tickets for the three of us so it was only fair that I paid for brunch (I was starving and had only eaten a banana after 3 hours of exercise- poor planning). Lunch was so lovely and we got to try out an independent café we hadn't tried before, but that was £46.40 gone! We stopped in Mr L on the way home for bits for a BBQ and dinner for Sunday, thankfully DP paid. This made me feel so guilty though as zoo tickets and groceries were more than double the lunch cost.
Sunday we took a drive out to a couple of local nurseries as DP wanted some plants for his garden, again poor planning meant being out having not had breakfast or lunch. We went to the local country park/heath/forest and I spent another £35.95 for lunch for the 3 of us. So spends were more even between us, but it absolutely was not in my budget.

I'm sat here feeling guilt for spending outside of budget, shame for not being able to really afford these things when I earn a good salary, shame for keeping my debt a secret from DP (we don't live together so it doesn't effect him, I should be well out of it before we are ready to combine lives in a financial way). I also feel sad that this weekend felt so nice, it felt like the mini holiday I needed after working non-stop for 8 months, and now it's tarnished by the guilt of my money situation.

The payment for my crime? Well, I have just £27.27 in my spending account and £6 in cash to see me through until payday on 24th. There's half a tank of fuel, with 3 1/2 commutes to do. There's leftovers for lunches today and tomorrow, a chicken and mango curry in the slow cooker for a few dinners and a pantry almost empty of carbs. I'm on the dregs of toothpaste, and Easter weekend is just around the corner. oh bother!

Oh, and to top it off the fan/heating in my car decided to stop working on my drive in to work. double bother!

My only concentration this week is to stick totally to basics, only do what I need to do. I must not resort to the credit card or pulling out of my EF. I do have £40.21 in my round-ups pot on my spending account but I'm going to do my best not to touch that too. I'm hoping to use that for a camping trip with one of my best friends next month before she moves abroad.

We can do this, I've been poorer than this, with no financial security blanket. It's just 9 days!

Love and light
Sascha