Yes Please

I will accept the credit limit increase on that card, thank you. It isn't even the most expensive card, so I've done a money transfer and will move some cash where it is more useful in lowering my interest charges.

Road trip today to a sister store, a much bigger store than ours. We thought we'd be re-merchandising the store, but in the end, we merely worked cages of stock onto the shelves, because honestly, it's the most helpful thing we could have done. They want us to come back, but to be candid they can ask other stores - they do not need the "Best Merchandisers in the South West", they just need extra humans.

I even washed my car (myself!) in preparation. We won't mention the stubborn patches of bird poop on the roof, but otherwise, it's looking pretty sparkly, even if I do say so myself! (Also...I had already demanded up-front that I be paid my hourly rate for the travel time, but Blondie very kindly pointed out I can also request mileage paid. Thank you sir! This means I'll also get around £40 straight into my pocket even after my fuel cost is taken care of.)

🚗😁

Closest Scrape Yet

So earlier this week (for the second time) there were insufficient funds to pay a direct debit and I had until 2.30pm to pay in so that it wouldn't be missed. I transferred the last few pounds from my other current account so there was enough. But then I checked my bank, and the stupid "other account" money had not turned up, leaving me about one pound short.

I grumbled extensively and then drove to the bank to deposit a five-pound note. To my even greater irritation, once I deposited that, the missing transfer showed up. smacks head on wall

It's getting annoying being this close to the bone, if I'm honest. Three times this week I've had to make excuses when co-workers asked me to buy them a drink during their breaks, so I say no, but it's embarrassing that I feel selfish when I never even buy myself a drink. And that I feel judged, because I do occasionally "splash out" on a sandwich for 90p when I'm on an eight-hour shift.

On the flipside, there's something wrong with my clock in records from last weekend and it recorded the time wrong. Good Boss knows, said Head Office was fixing it, but, well, HO didn't fix it and they've overpaid me. I've mentioned that I got overpaid, but nobody seems to care. 💁 It's about 12 hours' worth or so. Anyway, I'm taking the attitude they will correct it eventually so this is just a loan.

Even so, if they think I won't use it on bills right now, they are wrong!

Hunting About

Assuming that I may not get one or both of the cleaning jobs I applied for this week, I've been checking the job ads for more. It's a bit frustrating because some of them are either too many hours or clash with my main job - and at least half of the ads don't even tell you how many hours or when they are, which is ridiculous. Ah well, I shall keep looking, and keep checking for overtime at work as well.

I have reached payout today on three more survey sites and that will be another £30 headed my way over the next few days.

Frugal: so a few months ago I bought a natural ginger cordial. It tasted of nothing but "hot" and wasn't enjoyable at all. Well, today I am drinking it, mixed with a bit of apple squash. I cannot STAND food waste! ...which is why I am eating the caramel snack bars that I don't like, and the bitter easy peelers in my fridge. Tonight I will mix a bunch of vegetables into a "minced beef and onion" tin to male it edible. Food Club has limited options for protein, so I take what I can get.

Work: To my immense irritation, I've been made to declare my career intentions after Maternity Leave. I should have been put on the trainee programme without regard to that, but, work is still making Baby Steps in regards to learning about equal rights (did you see what I did there?).

I just didn't have the guts to decline to discuss it. So I told them I do intend to progress... but also will want to reduce hours after baby is born. I don't think they've figured out just yet exactly how long that will keep me off work 😁

It's About Time.

So, finally I can talk more openly about my health issues, as I have now reached the magic number of 13 weeks pregnant 😊 It has been a bit of a rough ride, especially in the early weeks, but now I'm feeling great and have a relatively-clean bill of health. And I'm really starting to feel excited 😊

I have been fiercely resisting accumulating most baby items, especially since I was so worried about miscarriage in the first few months, but there are few items I've seen in my travels and I had to make sure I didn't miss getting my hands on them. The first item I scored for free was this:

Posed by models - but I have this exact set.

Mine hasn't got the canopy (and it has plain bedsheets) but it's in lovely condition and I'm really pleased. The same lady gave me a white baby bath as well. I then got my hands on the real score:

Again posed by models but mine looks almost as immaculate as this!

It's convertible and adjustable from birth right up to four years, which is brilliant and will save me a lot of hassle. For lots of assorted reasons I'm quite sure it's not very old and hasn't been in an accident, so I am really chuffed at getting my hands on it for free. I am now on the lookout for a pram in good condition.

Spendy McSpenderson: well this month I realised there was too much due and not enough in the bank (surprise/as usual) so I've been pushing the odd pounds around. Today I walked up the post office and exchanged my leftover Australian dollars, then went to the bank to deposit the cash. I also stopped in at a couple of charity shops and found two plain t-shirts which will fit me as I get bigger - but so far, no luck finding maternity trousers or reusable nappies. I also stopped in at Favourite Supermarket and spent eight whole pounds on essentials. No, on actual essentials this time, no pizza went into my basket and I actually behaved. 😁

Applied: for two part-time cleaning jobs. One is in the morning, and the other is keyholder at any time over the weekend. I am hopeful.

Saving: coins and £5 notes, as I would like to do a car boot sale while I'm still able to lift and carry all my unwanted stuff in and out of my car!

Summer Treats

So my gardening efforts in the black freebie flower tubs (from last year) are now looking very sad, dead and tired. Today I successfully chose £10 worth of plants, which gave me six decent-sized pots of colour. I then went to the DIY store, located a really big plastic pot for £13 and brought it home, thinking I'd get to bin two of my black buckets.

Turns out that it took the soil of FOUR of my dead black buckets. Which is even better. I now have a respectable-looking flower pot in the shared backyard and in a few weeks the colours will look amazing. Very pleased.

I also spent my £10 voucher at Old Favourite Supermarket. Then accidentally went to the wrong branch for my eye test. Oh well, I remain blind a little bit longer. Doctor's appointment coming up on Friday, which will hopefully be a clean bill of health. 👌

Currently eating a 90p pepperoni pizza which was in no way part of my shopping list but somehow jumped out of the freezers and into my basket. #noregrets

Vehicular Protest

So on my first day of work I climbed into my trusty Pronto, turned the key, stepped on the accelerator, and... nothing. The engine whirred, I felt the car trying to move, but it wasn't going anywhere. When I forced it, the car dragged one tyre across the driveaway instead of the wheel, you know, spinning, like a wheel is supposed to spin 😔 So I sadly called work and told them I'd be late. When I finally arrived after catching the bus, Blondie said my car was jealous that I went on holidays without it and was just getting its revenge 😂

Turns out the back wheel's brake was seized into place which is apparently common after sitting still for ten days. It also turns out that my stupid insurance's breakdown service does not cover me within 1/4 mile of home. SEAT were quite helpful in giving me tips to try to free it myself, but none of my home attempts were successful. And joining the AA on the spot would have cost me £150 for today plus signing up for road service for a year for another £200, which the dipsy phone rep did not seem to understand was very expensive for what was probably going to be a 30 minute single call-out. So after many phone calls I found a very nice local mechanic who came out and freed it for me, for the divine price of £119.

Which of course is money I can't afford to be spending, but here we are.

Lately I've just really wanted sandwiches for lunch, so I went into Fave Supermarket yesterday because it was beside the bus stop, and bought tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, pickles, sliced cheese and ham. (I made an INCREDIBLE sandwich for lunch today and was very pleased with my shopping effort.) I successfully resisted all ready meals, snacks and junk food ✔ mainly because I was conscious of spending money at all, and that I have a voucher for Old Favourite. Since Mr Nice Mechanic told me I should give it a good drive to get the brakes nice and hot, I am considering driving down today and spending part of that voucher.

Also in work news we will be switched over to four-weekly pay instead of weekly. I am really displeased about this development. There is no date set for it just yet but it's a matter of time. Blondie could see how worried I am about this, and tried to tell me I should opt in now so that I get a choice on when it starts... and he is right in theory, but it really won't make a difference, because no matter what day they start it, I will have three weeks of not being able to pay bills at all. I simply don't have the cash cushion there to cover bills for a month while my pay is not coming in. The best I can hope is that it's not for a few months and I can possibly do a money transfer off a credit card to tide me over (£££).

In the mean time I'm doing surveys...

Bleeding Wallet

I have now returned from my trip to Australia - apologies for the lack of updates but it's been quite a busy time. My poor wallet has taken a hammering. I am now very close to my limit-limit on credit cards, that is, they are all almost maxed out. Since one of the cards decided to stop functioning right before I left, I had to spend on my most expensive card, so the game is back in play where I pay that one off asap and use a cheaper one for my day-to-day expenses.

It was a battering time physically, my legs ended up huge from the long hours sat in the plane and coach seats, and the ten-minute walk up the hill to get home at the end of all that was like a marathon. I've put on several kilos 😔 which given my health issues right now will be very difficult to undo. I must try to find the energy to get back to the gym.

I am back to work tomorrow and my sleep schedule is still very messed up. Fortunately I haven't been sleeping whole 8h chunks, but more like 4h then being awake for 6h, over and over. I should be ok in a couple of days though.

Frugal things that we did manage: we cooked most meals at home. When I say frugal, I should say "more frugal than eating out" because my dawg, the cost of groceries in Australia is eye-watering. I even packed us sandwiches for our trip to the zoo. We did overshoot with the food slightly and there was an entire meal's worth of supplies left over, which we gifted to my parents before we left. We did still manage to treat ourselves, eating a chicken takeaway, a lovely Chinese in the city, an amazing Oporto burger meal and a tavern lunch with all the relatives for a catch-up.

Pride: I didn't buy a single thing during my 36h of travel over, nor on the first 30h back. Then I caved and really just wanted a sandwich, so meal deal it was for my coach home (I was absolutely sick of crisps and fruit, and far too tired to behave myself and leave my wallet alone). It was possibly the nicest sandwich I've ever eaten 😁