Settling in for the long haul

Dakota_Rose

So unsurprisingly, we still have a sickly household this morning. Little Miss is still poorly and Mr D and I are not feeling 100%. Mr D has gone to do the top-up shop and pick up eldest. 

We’ve kept the shopping list simple to tide us over until mid-week and decided to make last night’s meal plan stretch another day as we cooked less than we had expected only having the two of us here and well enough to eat. Our first Burns Night meal will be a complete non-starter but never mind. 

Lots to be grateful for though: a cosy, warm house filled with books and games should we feel up to enjoying them. Plenty of cups of tea, cuddles and cosies on for the day suits me fine. 

Dakota_Rose

We didn’t dip into the last few £s in the family treats pot this weekend, so have transferred £5 of it to the emergency fund. £645/£1000. As we know, every little helps and any other weekend it would have gone in the blink of an eye. 

Very quiet day, but have done some money ‘sensible’ bits: 
- listed two items on Vinted 
- mended a hole in one of my daughter’s favourite soft toys 
- used up some stores for dinner as nobody felt much like a proper meal 
- entertainment was reading a gifted book
- will do a free YouTube yoga session before bed 

Dakota_Rose

Another Monday at work done and all was okay. It’s good to be home for dinner now. 

Car finally topped up with £20 worth of fuel and should last a couple of weeks all being well being a hybrid. I say topped up, it was almost empty so has around half a tank now. Petrol pot for the month is now empty. 

Child benefit payment came through today. I don’t view this as our money as I never know how much we will need to pay back. Transferred this straight into a separate current account that feeds a regular saver. If we get to keep nothing, the interest will be ours at least. Last year we came out of it much better than we expected but I won’t count on it until I have the final statement. 

Well we’ve plenty of food to last the week but no money to carry over. Any little bits I had have been scooped into the emergency fund. 

Dinner tonight is chicken burgers with some roasted veg, chips and onion rings. Feels like a feast. Will enjoy this and a hot bath before bed tonight.  

_Dolly_Rocker_

I need to be better at topping up the emergency funds, you're my inspiration for it!

Dakota_Rose

Ah thank you @_Dolly_Rocker_ it will only be moving up in dribs and drabs now I imagine, but every little helps as we know.

Little one finally went back to school today. I was a bit worried about him as he was looking very pale and blotchy. I’ve come home from work and he’s full of beans, had a wonderful day and demolished a big bowl of spaghetti bolognese so I needed have worried at all.

Little Miss is rested and ready to go back and the mystery illness eldest locked himself in the loo with this morning seems to have magically righted itself over the day 🙈 so we’re hoping for a ‘normal’ day tomorrow. I have a working from home day tomorrow, which I really need to be peaceful and productive as Thursday will be an unusually long work day (16 hours I expect).

Mr D seems to have come down with the dreaded lurgy so I’ll be avoiding him at all costs tonight. Honestly, if he went back to paid work when littlest started school, I just don’t think we would’ve managed it with the constant cycle of illnesses. It is such a relief going to work knowing they are well cared for.

No money-related news at all today. I’m not thinking about another penny until payday!

_Dolly_Rocker_

Nothing worse when everyone is dropping like flies!

FootyFanDan

16 hours sounds loads of fun 😆, although the thought of been able to work without people pushing there other urgent matters into my space would be very much an advantage of being out of the office. Glad to hear the kids are seemingly recovered from the illness.

Well done on focusing on that emergency fund, every bit does help and when you hit your target it will be a good feeling

Dakota_Rose

Happy hump day all. I have had the mix of peacefulness and productiveness that I was hoping for today. The weather has also been drier and warmer than yesterday so has felt more positive all round.

Started the day with a Vinted sale so that will be £10 going to the emergency fund when it clears. This won’t be before payday though.

Other than that, there’s not much to report again. Will enjoy the usual mid-week reset of a hot bath and book before bed tonight. I managed to pick up three promising book titles from our staff book swap shelf yesterday at work. That’s me sorted for the next couple of months now!

Cherryfudge

I hope the 16 hour day isn't too exhausting! Well done on battling through all the sicknesses and getting a good V1nted sale.

Dakota_Rose

Friday morning and pay day - that’s a good combination to end the week with! I am really, really tired after yesterday’s epic work day. It was great but very demanding.

Money shuffle has been done. I work to a zero-based budget so every pound is accounted for. Main things to record this month are:

• Started our family holiday savings pot as…
• Daughter’s residential is now fully paid (£750!)
• Restarted the car pot (last month was MOT month)
• Personal spends, petrol, groceries, home spends, home savings, family treats pots all ‘topped up’
• Emergency fund topped up by another £50 (£695/1000)

The emergency fund allocation was diverted from the usual mortgage OP, and although frustrating, it’s a sensible choice I feel.

Happy pay day to everyone else who was waiting for the final working day of the month.