Settling in for the long haul

Dakota_Rose

3 work days down for the week, 2 to go. It’s been a full on start back after the week’s break but all manageable enough at this stage.

I’ve made a silly money mistake today and am trying to rectify it. I paid for some school photographs via PayPal and realised at the last minute that I didn’t recognise the card it automatically selected for me. I’ve been all through my accounts and can’t find the payment. Back on PayPal, it’s an unconfirmed card with HSBC, that I don’t think I’ve ever had an account with. PayPal won’t let me cancel the payment so I need to wait in hope that the photograph company will cancel and refund the order. I really cannot cope with the thought of having a credit card balance somewhere that I cannot access or pay off. Clicking on the direct debit instruction, it’s my maiden name and old address with only a sort code and no account number. It’s stressing me out. Needless to say, when this is sorted the rogue bank card will be deleted from my PP account!!

It’s typical too - I haven’t bought a school photograph for years. I would like the first and last school photographs for each of the children though as keepsakes and it’s a special year for each of them in their respective schools.

Other than that, I have no money news to share. The next few months are likely to be costly with events for the children so I’m really hoping to keep the reins tight elsewhere.

On the bright side, it’s humpday!

Sun_Addict

I hope you can get the payment cancelled. I can’t believe they’re still doing school photos. I used to dread having to fork out for them, what a rip off they were and rarely half decent. The ones of the whole school/class are nice though to look back on though.

Dakota_Rose

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82022278#Comment_82022278

That’s the problem - they are a rip off! They are naff and I do avoid the cost most years, but I still on occasion look back on my own and don’t want to take the opportunity away from the kids to do the same when they’re grown.

vampirotoothus

Hi just wondering if you would be able to see the card on a report from a credit agency? V x

Dakota_Rose

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82022708#Comment_82022708

Thanks for this suggestion. I have checked and it isn’t showing a HSBC account on my file for historical or open accounts. Very strange indeed! The good news is that the company replied this morning and have cancelled/refunded the order for me. PayPal shows as refund received but pending so once it clears, I’ll be deleting that ‘card’ from my account. I really can’t fathom why it’s there and am a little worried about it.

Dakota_Rose

That was a heavy day at work and it wasn’t helped by having very little breakfast or lunch to fuel me. I never take a lunch break as such but do rely on my food from home to get me through as I like to graze as I work. We were very short on packed lunch ingredients so I just had a small amount of fruit with me. I can order hot food at work but my IBS symptoms meant that I wasn’t hungry enough to eat at that particular time so I missed the window.

You can imagine my delight when I got home to Mr D cooking a delicious meal of creamy chicken tagliatelle with mushrooms, broccoli and creamy cabbage and leek 😋. All my favourite ingredients in one dish and even a scrummy garlic focaccia on the side. It was well received!

For those with an M&S sparks account and M&S credit card, check your app! There’s a free boxed cake available in the offers at the moment which I only discovered by seeing someone on social media posting about theirs. That’s definitely too good to pass up a visit to M&S at the weekend.

In good news, it’s Friday tomorrow. In not-so-good news, I have far more than a day’s worth of work to fit into it.

Must end the day with some gratitudes:

-I have a well-paying job and it does give happy moments each day when I remember to look for them
-I am sitting overlooking a very pretty rose border/garden which I’m lucky enough to call my own
-a safe and loving home to come back to each day
- my health. Hormones and rumbly bowel aside, I am so lucky to be well enough to get up and go to work each day.

That lot should be enough for anyone really shouldn’t it! Now I’ll pack my grumbles away.

FootyFanDan

-I have a well-paying job and it does give happy moments each day when I remember to look for them

Absolutely me this is!…I am at the moment finding work a very tough environment for various reasons, my head knows I can't just quit but by gosh I wish I could haha. I guess the difficult decision when earning high is whether to take that drop income, or just suck it up and find ways to manage

I am also another who struggles with food intake during work, I often find myself just grazing at my desk.

Dakota_Rose

I know how you feel @FootyFanDan and some big decisions will need to be made at some point in the future. I really don’t want to give up my job, as there’s parts I adore, and I honestly don’t know what else I would do. Certainly can’t think of anything that would pay a similar salary. But, it’s not really sustainable to stay in it till retirement age so something will have to give at some point. I’m working hard on thickening my skin to the tougher aspects at the moment.

My workload is going to reach a pretty stressful peak in the coming 6 weeks leading up to a longer break in the summer. I’ll hit burnout without a doubt and then suddenly it all halts to a stop, at which point I’ll feel like a lemming being catapulted into nothingness 😂

Today, work has been intense. I’ve achieved a lot but unlike me, I’ve not managed to quite get through the list so I’m going to have to do an hour or two’s work this weekend. Boo!

We had chicken and bacon subs for dinner with some lovely little cheesy hash brown bites - they were bought in error by Mr D but we all really liked them! There was not a vegetable in sight 🙈. I also really enjoyed a hard-earned glass of rose.

Tomorrow should be a home day, which I’m really looking forward to. Happy weekend all!

Dakota_Rose

Well today is a good day as this month’s car loan payment takes us below our first big target amount of £16500. Why is this good? Well we have two (lovely, new to us) cars on this loan and in our minds, Mr D’s car is now fully paid off leaving mine left to clear. I know this is still a huge amount to owe, but mentally it helps to celebrate the milestones along the way. I’d like to be able to attack this more with overpayments but it’s coasting away while we work on home improvements and continue to fill sinking funds.

Our mortgage is also temptingly close to the next £100k bracket. £5k to clear and then we’ll be starting with a £100k rather than a £200k. Now that will be motivating! I have halted regular overpayments to this while we continue with family priorities but do round down to the nearest pound whenever I can.

We’ve had a quiet home day today and as I didn’t sleep well last night, it’s been needed. I would like to spend some family time outdoors tomorrow though, even if it’s just a short walk and a visit to Mum’s before a new week of work begins. I’ve headed into my busiest season of work for the year and I am feeling quite anxious - I woke last night making to do lists in between dreams about work. There’s more on my daily/weekly agenda than is comfortable but it’s the same every year and I just need to take a week at a time. I’ll get through it as I always do.

Tonight’s dinner will be a fakeaway of pizza and sides. I’ll finish my rose wine (the bottle has lasted a couple of weeks now), and try to stay awake long enough to watch some television and catch up with Mr D.

Have a lovely Saturday evening all.

weenancyinAmerica

You got the fruit in though - isn't wine made from grapes?