Everybody On The Floor!

I just love council cleanups. Our area doesn't have dedicated days (that's the way it started, in the nineties) but everyone can book a collection for free twice a year, and then just leave all their crap on the side of the road.

So far I've gotten a dressing chair, two matching bedside tables, a third larger one which I'll use in the living room, two outdoor chairs, a rattan linen basket, a peg bag, a child's booster seat, and today (dun dun dun) a huge woven rug in fabulous condition, bigger than the one I actually bought. It will cover most of my bedroom floor, and I'm stoked. I've hung it up on my line, to give it a whack in the morning. 

Quick night-time flash snap. 
It's doubled over - she be massive. 

You'll be proud of me, another neighbour has put an exercise bike out, and I left it there. ✅ 

Stop press: I ended up putting it through the laundromat washer and I'm pleased to say it works well in my bedroom. 

Mile-Long List

In a sort-of order of urgency. Which is unfortunately not the order I'd prefer to follow. 🙄

• Fridge - on the way
• Washing machine (arrives January) 
• Mattress (got it) 
• Whipper Snipper to tame the grass - it's really hot and dry for now so it isn't growing, touch wood
• Vacuum cleaner (being gifted by a relative) 
• Mop and bucket (ditto) 
• Bed frame, quilt, cotton sheets (got the sheet) 
• Sofa (on the way) 
• Drawers and wardrobes
• Rug for living room

The IKEA order arrived. It's completely wrong. 🤦🏻‍♀️ I unrolled my new mattress, but it was the wrong one 🤦🏻‍♀️ and there were two more wrong ones on my patio 🤦🏻‍♀️ and no chairs, sheets, mattress protector or coffee table that I actually ordered. Unimpressed. 😒 They eventually got the right mattress out but still screwed that up - two identical ones turned up and the delivery driver had to be cajoled into only leaving one, and that yes, he did also have to take three incorrect ones away, not two. I cancelled everything else they were sending and dragged Little X out on the bus, in the heat, to buy a single stool and some bedding so we could actually function. 

Fortune then decided to shine on me ☀️ and the house down the street also threw out two outdoor chairs and a high-backed dressing chair. As you can see the chair is a mess of furniture chalk paint and it's coming off with a good scrub. It'll only have a vague black-scratched look. I think it will be great for hanging jeans etc that I want to wear again the next day.  

I am still waiting for Medicare and Centrelink to care that I exist. They take forever and are grossly ineffective on the phone - you don't get to speak with the ones who make any decisions, and whether they'll accept my mixed load of documents is always a guessing game - and if they don't, they do not tell you, it's up to you to call and say, hey, is everything OK? No, no, it's not, try sending this and then call back in 3 days to see if it's acceptable. Too bad for someone who was actually homeless and penniless, right? I have the roof but until yesterday was sharing a blow up single mattress with a toddler and had nothing to sit on... And was seriously thinking my first rent payment might not get made... I actually thought I'd be cooking up luncheon meat for every meal this week (and I shopped for it accordingly). Yes, it's all Ritz luxury around here. 🙄

Fortunately a payment I'd been waiting on arrived, and I'm just going to add that my sister gave me a huge bag of food, unasked. 😍 So I had enough to order my sofa and to cover food for another ten days. And also, I made the most delicious dinner today with luncheon meat. 😁 

We Are In

Sans furniture, but we're in. I've done quite a lot of saying to myself how happy I am. 😊 I will admit that my lower back and feet are killing me as I've got no chairs - I've alternated between the single blow up mattress and perching on some storage boxes from my sister's place. We managed to get saucepans, utensils, a sheet set (flannelette 😮‍💨) and the score of all scores - a $12 air fryer! 👏

Sis also kindly bought me a kettle, microwave and toaster. 😍

Little X is slowly adjusting, but also digging into bags and boxes non-stop. Sis asked if I'd unpacked yet... And I thought, unpacked into what? There's no furniture... 😂 

I've bought absolute minimums, ie a mattress arrives tomorrow (no funds for the bed yet) and two chairs. Plus a small table for Little X as she's got a chair. Fridge is coming in a week since buying ice will bankrupt me. Washer arrives in a few days.

Freebie win: these, dumped across the road. 

They have a few scratches and slight moisture marks but they are perfectly serviceable, and besides, bedside tables weren't even in my "buy later" list.

Now if I knew I could pay bills after next week, life would be just grand. Stay tuned. 

It All Comes Together

I had to read back through my last entry to remember where I was at... The agent was a 🤬 and rendered me a panicking floozy, two working days before we fly and he refused to sign my property. Fortunately I found someone fabulous who's willing to work with me and actually thinks my flat looks great. The likely price is a disappointment, but I will have to trust the universe has a plan for me.

Little X had a great time and ran about smacking the new discovery - balloons! 🎈 

I've managed to do almost everything I'd wanted. The freezer, drawers, potty set and car seat all found new homes. 🎉 The do list of stuff still isn't short, but now the items are all small reminders instead of big tasks.

I've cooked everything left and there's just the fridge and floor to deal with. Oh and re packing, because I still think I've got too much. Please send "ruthlessness" mojo. 😊

Full Car

It's full of stuff to return to the shop and stuff to donate. It's mostly stuff that's used occasionally. Seconds and thirds of items that realistically aren't needed. "I use this sometimes" is not the same as "I don't need this and don't want to move it to my next home". 👏 And loads of spare Little X clothes. We had too many. 

The painting actually feels like it's on the home stretch, finally. I've given myself a deadline for listing my flat for sale - I have a week to decide whether I rip out the carpet. I've been avoiding culling the Good Stuff Stack. 🤐 But I actually need the physical floor space to lay flooring. So... I think I have to face that I'm making excuses and pissing about.

Bought: nothing. I've used up all the milk and long-life milk, so today, there's ice-cream in my coffee. ☕  German Supermarket has a £5 voucher thing running again, so that's the plan for my next big shop.

Money: I now have 7 defaults visible, so only 4 to go. 🍻 #6 has locked me out of the app, and doesn't have any generic bank account number online to make payments to, like every other card does. It is also, bizarrely, not really sending any useful paperwork which has this info on it. Just a phone number to pay, and I don't want to do anything over the phone. #7 is a bank overdraft and the account no longer exists, so I have the same issue there. I happen to have a second bank account with them which is empty, so I think I'll start dropping the £2 into there each month and hope they have the sense to take it - legally they can although I understand it's rare they do. We shall see. 

Score! x2

Little X's progressive anti-vegetable stance is attempting to branch out and she's started rejecting most fruit. 😑 Pay day has come around and I've decided to cook and bake. I've even hauled out the blender and I'm psyching myself up for courgette muffins, carrot cake and pea & ham omelettes.

While hunting for the baking paraphernalia I discovered two tins of food Best Before 2018. Both of them got binned. Old me would have eaten them. 😂 I also found an extra-large glass cutting board big enough to cover my stovetop. 😍 Yes thank you. I also sorted my tupperware. 👏 Feeling: energised.

I blended up carrot & potato waffle mix but they're too wet with not enough egg to set them 😭 which is a right pain with ten already portioned in the freezer. 😭 Unsurprisingly Little X went "no thanks" once I actually got it solidly cooked. I cooked one for myself and after 45 minutes under the heat I was annoyed. I loaded it with breadcrumbs all over and it was surprisingly nice alongside my HALF a pizza 🍕 (new me isn't eating a whole one). 🏆

In mentally preparing myself for shopping, I reflected that one shouldn't need to mentally prepare for an ordinary task they've done for years. Hauling the groceries about is starting to get to me, physically. Time's up. The weight needs to come off. Loads of salad veg came home in my trolley. It's day three of Not Being A Pig and I haven't made revolutionary changes but every day has involved a salad. Gotta start somewhere. 👍 

Incremental Upgrades

Ever since I moved here I've been upgrading my furniture. I'm tired of temporary items, furniture which folds up, stuff which is meant for camping, flatpack products assembled from a hundred pieces.

My plastic bathroom storage was frankly putrid from dust and spilled lotions, shampoos etc. I was prepared to do a clean out, and I was despairing that it would still look awful. But this week I managed to snag myself a four-door wooden cupboard for free. 😍 It's old, a bit past its best, and needs a repaint, but it will do just fine at hiding all the untidy bottles and boxes. 

Currently pulling my old plastic shelves and drawers apart to clean them. I cannot wait to gift them, cleaned up and gleaming white again, to someone who can't afford fancy, and who sees them as a bathroom storage win. 🏆

I already gave away my open metal shelves. 💪 Next in my sights is losing my cage shelving. I haven't had it very long, but the stuff in it doesn't look good and doesn't need to be on show, and honestly, I'd just rather pare down belongings until it's unnecessary. Wish me luck. 🍀 

Received: my £100 from the council. ✅ 

High Ceilings: Boooo.

I don't recommend these, for reasons of painting and extra heating bills, but primarily for my current trial of hanging wallpaper. At 2pm on Tuesday I decided there was plenty of time to hang one length before nursery pick-up time at 3. Gentle Reader, I was wrong. 😂

I'm currently irritable because said nursery is breaking up 2 days before the end of term, meaning she only gets 2 more sessions. I have 7 lengths of papering to do (circa 4-5 hours) plus the stripping and prepping around the windows, which is a horrendous job. If I manage those two things, it's the best I can expect. I will have to do all painting with kiddo in the flat. I did most of the first coat at night, but good daylight really would have been better for painting. 🤷🏻‍♀️

With each task and tidy out I move another piece of furniture. Things are almost in logical places, which is a first in several years. My flat almost looks like a normal flat, planned and arranged with purpose, instead of a "space where you shove things wherever they fit".

Just as I'm feeling ready to sell it, it feels like a home. 😂

Win: I went to German Supermarket and spent £25 to get my free £5 voucher. 👏 I also got a free savoury rice packet and a free big bag of cheese curl crisps that Little X likes. I also... ahem... bought two Monstera plants for £6 each (Swiss Cheese plants) which don't yet have their characteristic leaf holes but do still look lovely. 😍

Plus: £50 has been credited to my council tax account as expected. 👍 They also finally processed my application for general support and are sending £100 - no idea when. 👍

Inconvenient Amnesia

I know it's March, but somehow I forgot that means April is almost here. And the 5th of April is the HMRC deadline for topping up missing NI years for the state pension. It's a terribly boring subject in general but basically, in my first financial year here I didn't pay enough NI to have the year counted towards a pension. You have the option to "top it up" with a cash payment which I sort of ignored last year due to being broke. Well, I'm still broke, but now it's my last chance. So I've got £700 about to jump out of my stash for this. It's a lot of money but will easily give me thousands more in my meagre pension and free money is good.

This leaves me with £250-ish and ideally I should save about £800 for maintenance arrears. I won't have £800 by April though, so I'll just have to pay what I can.

Big news - the bank which only just promised me fees are cancelled forever, has sent me notice of intention to default! This is actually great and much faster than expected. Now waiting for "the" letter and for the big red D to appear on my credit report. One down, 10 to go. The debt charity has told me they've corrected the account with the wrong number, but no, they have not. Oh well.

Work denied my leave for the month of June. I hope it was just a supervisor denying it by mistake, because most of them (and the boss) know I haven't yet returned to work. It's not the end of the world if I do go back then but I need to confirm which days they'll schedule me and somehow find £350 for child care up front.

I finished my £100 baby food study (phew) and it was actually enough effort to make the amount of cash seem appropriate. Now for the money to come my way quickly, please!

Roast chicken for dinner. I'm trying to empty my freezer because there's loads in there, I've just been too picky for too long.

I Just Gotta Letterrrr

....from Debt Charity, about that hold message on Overdraft Bank. It states the bank can't find account number 1234 5687, making the problem obvious, two of the digits are back-to-front. I have emailed them asking for the correction, since their DIY instructions don't work, but I thoroughly expect them to blab on about phoning them again and that's not happening.

I managed to take two bags of stuff to the baby bank (I forgot about the bagful already in my car 🤦🏻‍♀️) and I was hoping to find certain things... walking shoes, socks, vests, and toy cars without small pieces. I went home with wellies which light up, Christmas socks, canvas sandals, two vests and a rubber ball. Not a terrible result and Little X is obsessed with the ball! Oh and I got the most gorgeous little walking boots.

Currently awaiting a £35 payout from TopCashBack 👏

I'm finding Sundays a real drag because there is no chance of any letters in the mail. Imagine that, wanting to get mail. I think I am just impatient for news because it makes me feel informed?

PS I cleaned the wellies and now the lights don't work. Not too bothered though, I would rather Little Miss Wobbly Walker didn't have her eyes transfixed on her feet.

Bleh

Mental fatigue has crept into everything. This page has sat open for hours and I keep switching to other things instead of writing. In between, I have been silly enough to calculate how long it will take me to get out of debt. 😂 The first major debt to reach payoff is the car, with 29 months remaining, and then there is the flat, with 42 months remaining. Assuming I can even keep up with minimum repayments. 👿 I know that the only realistic prospect of that is in going back to work.

I qualify for "free childcare" for Little X of 11 hours per week. I can then pay for extra hours at an hourly rate. Most centres also charge a consumables fee on top of the "free hours". I can claim part of any extra hours' fees if I need more than 11 hours per week, but I get no rebate on consumable fees. 😭

So we went to see one centre, but their consumable fee is so high that working wouldn't be worthwhile. Next week I'm viewing a less pricey place, and here's hoping that I like them. Then I need to hope that Big Boss will let me work a fixed one day per week. I could probably pay for a second day, but their hourly fee would again make it a very expensive exercise. In any case, one day of work will help.

Win: a £100 market research task coming up in February (I'm not sure when I will get paid). It's a food product test. I am subject to confidentiality clauses but yeah, it's baby food. 😊 It took three emails from them before I summoned the energy to apply and I'm glad that I did.

Win/Lose: My car passed its MOT. I also got a repair done which they told me about last year but which I put off (only £80 to my surprise and delight). Annoyingly, it does have a suspension slight leak and some surface rust on the underside. They expect it may fail next year. I am disgusted to say the least, this is how the last car became worthless. The issue this time is that it's on a Hire Purchase Agreement (car loan) meaning I couldn't sell it even if I wanted to. All I can do is cross my fingers that it passes next year or doesn't cost a fortune to repair.

Of Course Not

Well, boss found out about kiddo coming to work, which I'm totally bummed about but also relieved. It was physically difficult and I was almost ready to hand back the key anyway. It is what it is. 

Got myself a free new shower head, thank you government environmental scheme thingy.

My Healthy Start payment drops to half as she turns one in a few weeks (£17 instead of £34)... well it was nice while I had it. More milk and fewer grapes in my life. 😉

I've been staying for the free lunch lately when I go up to Food Club (which isn't often enough, but it's exhausting to haul Little X and the groceries up and down the stairs). I think I'm going to stop bothering with lunch. Of the past four lunches I've had there, it's been cheese and tomato pasta once and cheese toasties the other three times. Nice enough but Little X really needs something more nutritious for her main meal of the day. 

I've been really down in the dumps lately and feeling like my plans are so far off they're pointless. There's a vague constant feeling of travelling towards doom. It isn't like me. I turned off on the drive home, parked, and took us for a walk through the cliff top park. It didn't put me in my usual good mood in any way. But I've now realised I was less down all afternoon than I was in the morning, so clearly, it worked a little.

Related: trawling Rightmove as a debt escape route if selling my flat, looking for potential future cheapy properties in an ever-widening area and with more and more ridiculous criteria. I can buy a shed in a paddock! Or I could buy a disused public toilet for us to live in, right? Maybe if I also buy us a motorhome to park beside it? 😂😂😂

Sigh (Size Large)

Today I dropped out of my English course. 😢 Why?

Childcare directories checked: 4

Websites researched: about 30

Enquiries sent: approx 20

Replies: 4

Carers with availability: 1

Number who are registered and deductible: 0

Cost for the 6 hours of the exams: £170

This would be an ongoing issue if I were to try and qualify for anything that isn't 9 to 5 work. I haven't ruled out studying something but the time is not right. 

I think this is why I've felt a bit mopey for the past few weeks. Little X has interrupted the past four lessons, I haven't had a chance to do homework or study, and the entire course has shifted to "passing the exams" which is like a doomsday clock when you don't know if you'll even be able to go. So while I feel sad right now, it's going to be a relief to no longer care if she's still awake at 5.45pm. I will focus on my side hustle. Five weeks in now and while I am not rich, it's a steady trickle and it helps. 

We went to the Baby Bank on the weekend as somehow Little X hasn't got long sleeve tops or jumpers which fit. We only found a couple, so I've also bought a few off Vinted. (How early can kids start wearing Christmas jumpers, and are Christmas pyjamas acceptable daytime attire for a baby? Asking for a friend.) I managed to offload another bag of newborn clothes. Four more to go.

They also had some cotton daytime nappies. 👍 Last year I was battling to dry the bamboo indoors, so here's hoping the new cotton ones work for us.

Currently enjoying: Little X's virus and rash. It's Hand, Foot and Mouth disease. She's mostly in good spirits but tiring quickly, and we're stuck in the house for a few days. Yay (sarcasm). 

Hedonistic Adaptation Fail

I have found myself in that terrible place of late, the "constant wanting" mood, always thinking wistfully about physical things that I want but can't afford. It's so unhealthy and really brings the mood down. And it's not like me at all. I usually focus on the fact that I can make do with what I have for now, and then I come up with a long-term plan to change things for the better. But lately I have found myself hitting walls in the daydreaming, and considering more and more ridiculous ideas as goals.

I wonder if some people live their whole lives like this - but don't do the daydreaming and planning to get out of it? Place one foot in front of the other, go to work each day, come home to a place they're not happy in, but conclude there's no escape? How awful. I at least know that this shall pass and I will find a way. If I haven't found the way then I haven't finished solving it yet, and I need to remind myself of this more often. It's partly because we're still quarantined, I'm sure. Each day I hope will be the one when the snot fest ends 😂

I counted up my profits from the new side hustle over the past three weeks, and it looks like only £150 overall. 😔 But there's a few jobs in progress that I can't calculate until they finish. I am hoping it breaks the £170 mark in the next few days. Building it up is slow going, but there's not much else to do after Little X is asleep each night apart from housework. I'm slowly getting better at it.

I also dyed her "new" larger night nappies. I needed to stop mixing them up with her day ones. Nine lovely purple nappies are hung up to dry. There are another 12 in a different style and I still have more dye. We'll see. I'm battling to get everything washed and dried in limited space and it's not even winter yet 🤐

Accomplished: repaired the torn car seat cover and got it all clean. Installed the seat, which is huge - and the space is squeezy, so here's hoping she cooperates getting in and out. We paid £2 to vacuum and deodorise the seat under it. She never even eats in the car and the seat was nasty. All fresh now and ready to roll 🚘 

Bundling

The answer to how much extra I had left to put onto the poison ivy card was £210. Which isn't that much because the card is getting used for ongoing expenses 😕 so the freedom date is not really getting closer yet. It still felt good that all bills are sorted and I survived another month. 

Job #2 is taking forever to approve my leave. Job #1, I have an appointment on Tuesday to talk about my part time return, since it does look like it'd be worthwhile - but I don't want too many hours, Little X is only little once. 🥰 Touch wood with a small contract I can take holidays a fair while first. I'm also going to do an online English course. I miss learning. 

Someone else bought a big pile of newborn clothes, for imminent twins. Not a big sale amount but it's stuff out of my hair. I've sold a handful of other things and listed two more pairs of trainers for sale.

My maternity pay did indeed stop 🤣 so this week I will apply for both Council Tax Reduction and Healthy Start top up, both of which I should get now, together around £80 a month.

Spendy: some bigger night nappy wraps, £20.

Winner: £100 prize from a free lottery 🎉 which is on an All4one card (zero supermarket spending options) so I will probably treat myself to new underwear and socks. 🧦

Win? I had three unopened pairs of tights to return with no receipt. I've had them far too long and finally managed to take them to the right supermarket. Face value was £8 each but I knew if they'd been reduced I'd only get current price. I was hoping for £2 each. Well, I got all £24 but it had to be on Nutmeg products in Morrisons, which is baby wear and homeware, and Little X needs nothing. To my surprise I managed to actually spend on things I'd already had in mind to get. Including a non stick tray to fit my mini oven. Chuffed with this lot! 

Spinning Around

Me and Little X. One day's adventures: supermarket #1 for snack food, fuel with my Nectar points, class party for my course, supermarket #2 for discounted veg, supermarket #3 to post something I sold. Every stop required lugging a pram in and out of the boot or hauling a baby carrier. Plus we got caught in a storm running for the car, the rain cover was blown aside, Little X had rain and wind blustering in her face, poor little thing got all wet but didn't complain, just had a face full of frothy drool 🤤

Two hours in my sofa that night and I was as stiff as a robot. I found myself thinking that I really needed to walk more. Yes, I was so tired I forgot I'd spent the entire day running around 🤣

Some nappies arrived from Vinted (threadbare & smaller than expected) and a completely un-ordered set of kids clothes... the seller had a day like mine and sent my cot sheets to a person expecting kids clothes. I also got the pram liner, a box of baby toys, and my bed risers. 

Current project: to rearrange furniture and sort through the mountains of stuff. It's really rather difficult due to the sheer lack of space. I spent today moving furniture around, which was a bit like those parking games...

Moving furniture in my flat is actually like this. 

Boxes and bags are stacked everywhere but I also have a whole empty shelf unit which I'm going to use for stuff which I list for sale.🤞 And most importantly there's now space for Little X's cot, which she's now snoring away in as I speak. 💕

Happy Easter if it's your thing, I hope the bunny was good to you. 🐰 

Chuffed With Today

Today we popped into the baby bank. It's only open once a week, for two hours, and no matter how organised I am, I always feel rushed and forget something. Anyway, we got some fabulous sensory toys for Little X. Plus some musical instruments so that I can hate my life. 🤣

I'd been meaning to check for funky outfits, but she was starting to grumble. I did find a few cute rompers and some tights, but nothing coordinated or fancy. Then in chatting to another mother, I mentioned we don't have a cot yet. The coordinator pulled out a ratty red bag. It turned out to be an immaculate travel cot. Then on Facebook marketplace I found someone giving away a mattress that is also immaculate, and fits perfectly.

Fairly decent fit.

I fashioned a waterproof cover from an old work food satchel, then washed the mesh zip cover and zipped it over the top. Another lady on Facebook gave me some fitted cot sheets. 👏

I sold the big pram today for £10. Mainly I just needed the space. I also received my new £9 changing bag off Aliexpress and when I saw the quality I was over the MOON. 🌙 I've also spent a bit more on resellable items. Touch wood.

Tempted to spend some time charity shop browsing, to see if I can find anything amazing to sell.

Spendy: an £8 set of risers for my bed, so that the crates in my storage shelves fit under the bed. 

Zoom-a-Zoom

I've had some unused frequent flier points since forever and all I ever seemed to do was ignore them... ✈ Well, based on a tip from Martin Lewis, I've just converted them to Nectar points and I now have enough for a free tank of fuel. Not shabby at all! ⛽ 🚗

I saw someone mention last year's member bonus for Nationwide. I didn't qualify without either a mortgage or savings account. 😒 This poster was hoping out loud for £100 again, so, long story short I've just opened a savings account that I've got no savings to put into. 😂

I've had another broker look into refinancing what I owe as a mortgage. This time looks slightly more positive, but I'm trying not to get my hopes up. 🏡 They've been quiet two days so it's anyone's guess. 

JamDoughnut fun, I bought another gift voucher for one of my fave supermarkets to get 2.5% cashback. These little vouchers have the bonus of forcing me to go spend them rather than pulling into the nearest shop. 👍

Freebie: a fancy pushchair for Little X. The travel system pram was what I thought I needed (since they insist it must lie completely flat) but it's unwieldy in and out of the car. Turns out they make decent stroller types which would have done just fine. In any case, she can sit up now on an incline. The kind man who gave it to me will also have a cot bed soon and promised to get in touch 💕

Snip Snip

We tried out reusable wet wipes and I was prepared to consider them a sacrifice, but they are so good that I've ditched the crappy disposables. I've been merrily snipping my way through a bunch of old clothes to make more squares. ✂ ✂ 

A weird rustling sound scared me earlier until I peeked out the window - the world is bathed in white hail. It's small enough to look like snow. ❄ This is only acceptable when you don't have to leave the house. I hope it melts quickly. I ordered a cheap little humidity meter off ebay and we're over 80% (no wonder clothes take forever to dry) but it ain't much better outside right now. 🙄

Annoying: Little X's vaccination was delayed... then cancelled... I get a reminder for the cancelled appointment 🙄 which I "cancel". They re-book (I turn up and they ask why I'm there 🙄) and when I actually turn up at the right time, I'm 10 minutes late and they won't see her. The waiting room was empty. If I weren't so frustrated with myself, I'd be angry at their general incompetence (or indifference?). 

Two bank switch bonuses so far 👏 🎉 and hopefully the third one comes through in the next few days. 🤞

Assignment Complete

Last night I did a good solid hour of adulting - which is unlike me. I had several spare current accounts ready for when the bank switch deals returned. I missed the last offer because it ended after only a week (!!) so the lesson has been learned. 

Four offers came up this week and reading the Ts & Cs I appear to be eligible for only one of them because I've done one bank before and the three other banks are all in the same ownership. However in my travels I read that people managed to get all three last time regardless... So, nothing to lose, I hammered out three switch applications in a row. I should get £200 minimum from the switches and fingers crossed I actually get all three, £600 🤞

This week I actually got slightly determined, and cooked several meals. 😲 The Too Good To Go app keeps reminding me to go back to where I scored that great haul, but I've been resisting (it's after Little X's bedtime and we've been doing so well, I'm not keen to derail it). So I'm watching out for earlier collections. 🤞 We did manage to finally get over to Big New Discounter to spend my gift card. I'm afraid I went a bit nuts and my freezer is full. At least I didn't spend any cash.

The Wet Washing Battle took an expensive hit this week. On Day Four the still-damp nappies had that "eggy protein" whiff like when you've washed up eggy dinner and then done all the other dishes. I had to put them through a hot wash then tumble dry them, which takes hours. 💰 Fortunately we had better weather after that so I was able to get dry air inside.

Currently listening to: "new" baby bank clothes in the washer.