Onto the straight and narrow...

ChickyPenguin

Not much to update. EF is only at £750 at the moment, fingers crossed it should get up to the £1k tomorrow depending how reliable they want to be with my payouts. I say 'only' it's 75% of the way there and the most I have ever had in savings. Budget is all set up on my spreadsheet for payday on Friday, got an extra £60 coming in my wages than I thought. I will be making extra payments to my gas and electric also to reduce the balance I have on those at the moment (the gas for a very long time was based on estimated readings, to the point that one of my statements my actual closing reading was far, far lower than the estimated start reading they had for that billing period so once that was sorted I have just started making manual payments and making sure I do my meter readings).

I have been a bit lax with doing surveys the last couple of weeks, earnt around £34 this month, will try and be more on top of that next month as it will help build up the EF once it's at the £1000 mark, allowing me to focus further money on my other savings and debt clearing.

CP x

ChickyPenguin

Counting down the hours until Friday/payday so I can feel like I'm doing something more money-wise 😂 small amount of interest was paid on my Xmas savings account so free money there. Still nothing concrete back from the debt owners, the one I did the budget form for has asked how I plan to proceed if they don't accept any offers so they can just get their pitiful payment monthly if they say no. It's 2 of my oldest and smallest so the ones I thought I had the best chance with but we will see.

Ex is coming to collect his stuff/key and return mine of the same tomorrow, had been some back and forth that had left me a bit hopeful but no such luck. So have reminded him of the money he needs to give me and at the moment it's looking like I will use it for some PT sessions so something positive and that gets me out of the house and moving will come from the money. Managed to find someone local who seems very reasonably priced and if the photos of his setup are anything to go by, it can include some boxing training and I think I will find it very therapeutic to punch a bag 😂 one of the options is out of his home gym set up too so won't need to feel anxious around other people.

I have some counselling sessions lined up through my workplace as all of this recent stuff has made me realise that a) I don't have many people around me to lean on and speak to which is not good and b) I don't have very good coping mechanisms so I have a bit of work to do. But hey, it's free! It has also highlighted that my current job and any major life events do not work well together in terms of stress so I am equally looking for other jobs whilst I am off. All change here!

CP x

Sun_Addict

September is a good time for a reset and it sounds like you’re getting things in place for that. Punching a bag sounds very therapeutic indeed 😆

ChickyPenguin

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82116015#Comment_82116015

I'm sure it will be 😂

ChickyPenguin

I did the early payday thing with Monzo today, for the first time in I don't know how long it's not because I had no money, but because I couldn't wait to start moving things around into my pots and sorting it all out on YNAB 😂 it has been a very thrilling Thursday evening doing that 😂 it's a breath of fresh air not wondering where the money to cover my bills is going to come from and it'll give me some motivation ticking off all of the bills on there as they go out, too.

28 days gamble free today!

Met someone for lunch today which was lovely but I had to cut it a little short on the expectation that Ex would be coming by as arranged to sort out our things/keys, however something more important came up his end 🙄 so is now apparently coming tomorrow. Hit the point that I just want it done now which is nice in a way that I've got to the angry stage rather than the sad stage 😂

CP x

FootyFanDan

Who doesn't love a night messing around on YNAB 🤣. Well done on the 28 day gamble free, I know from personal experience how tough that can be.

ChickyPenguin

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82117562#Comment_82117562

I think it might be my new favourite thing 😂

ChickyPenguin

The exchange is all done. It was very sad but it's done 🙃 I am currently debating whether I am brave enough to go on a holiday on my own in place of the one I was meant to go on, so that I don't miss out on some sunshine 😂 I have flown on my own to Australia before so I can manage the travel part and I'm quite happy to just lay around reading a book in the sunshine.

Most of my monthly debt payments and my auto save for Xmas savings went out today, have another £10 or so coming out on Tuesday towards the debts then that's all the payments out for the month.

My house is still a sauna at the moment despite the drop in temperature and a load of rain this evening, the fan I got a couple of months ago is my best friend currently, don't dare open windows for long as there is a field right behind my house and big creepy crawlies seem to rush straight into the house 🕷️😅

CP x

vampirotoothus

Hi I got a net curtain affair that uses hook and loop tape around the window and then has a zip sewn in so you can open and close the window using the handle. I can't recommend it enough. If you put this in the search in the big river site, you will see what I mean.

Custom Size Self-Adhesive Window Screen Mesh Cat Safety Net

I don't have a cat, but the ability to use the zip (which is place where you want it) is invaluable. V x

ChickyPenguin

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82118873#Comment_82118873

Ooh that looks perfect, thank you!