Feeling Super, Super

Super, super sorry for myself. Yesterday I was flexing like a boss for being on track with my painting deadline, decided to get ahead while Little X was having her daytime nap, and... one shoulder began screaming, which called a halt. Today I got another patch done before my legs began wobbling (I have learned to stop climbing ladders with the wobbles). 

On top of that I've got horrible hayfever with sneezing and crying thrown in. Related: absolutely exhausted and trying not to fall asleep all day. I have absolutely rotten physical fitness and zero stamina. I need to remember the aim. To live in a place where I actually want to walk down the street, where I've got a space for flowers of my own, and where I actually do those things (walk, and garden). I just need to keep my feet going forwards and more tasks ticked off my mental list. ✅ 

Good Stuff stack sorted ✅ but still too much of it and hard decisions need to be made. Next up will be more paperwork and some "crap boxes" to sort.

Two more bank defaults. ✅ That's 9 out of 11. They've locked me out of the apps so I will have to set up token payments manually. 

I cashed out £80 from Testerup 👏 and found another gaming rewards app too, so I'm trying that out. 

Spendy McSpenderson: clear pouches. There are loads of little things I want to sort through and not bin, so this will let me corral them and see what's inside. I also bought loads of things that were sat in my checkout list for weeks - I did actually think carefully and take my time before buying! 

Flex: I added some more money into the moving fund and it felt good. 

Invoices and Paradigm Shifts

I have received my first childcare invoice and am in the process of having it reimbursed by Universal Credit. And apparently, I also have the option of a budgeting advance of £800. The world doesn't end if they say no, but it would feel good to have my maintenance arrears taken care of. It would help motivate me to get the flat ready for sale.

Along those lines I did a big shop at German Supermarket on UC day and while I was there I spotted paint for £13. In white. So I bought two. It was like cementing a major decision, yes, I'm now mentally committed to a very minor flat makeover. It's like putting lipstick on a pig, but first impressions matter, and it might mean £1,000 more on the sale price. 🙏

The grocery component came to £42, which is on the high side. It was intentional though... In my new mindset of not clinging to every object, I'm also relaxing the vice grip on penny-pinching. There's so many things I've denied myself and Little X which are beyond fair. This week she's had fruits and nuts she's never tried before. Party rings. Flavoured crisps. Orange squash. I know a toddler doesn't need all this every day, but it's well overdue for her to have a touch of normality. I don't want her to grow up terrified of spending every penny. I will still choose budget options, but no more basic denial of entire food groups.

Bought: £100 voucher for above-mentioned German Supermarket, then Everup had a 6.25% offer for Fave Mainstream Supermarket so I spent another £100 on that. Between them I got loads of points and played them through the games, ended up with £13 in the account for my next voucher. These vouchers also help steer me away from Nearby Less Cheap Supermarket. 👍

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.

Life in G Flat

Feeling really flat. Had a good chat with my sister about it and she's in the same boat. The convo was prompted by Mum's birthday but it wasn't even that really. It's really hard when you realise your life priorities aren't what they should have been, and you're not sure what they should be or what you actually want, and can't figure out how to move forward. I think this is what people mean when they say "it's hard" - not that they are necessarily a teary mess 24/7, but that they have realised their life road map is blank and haven't got a clue how to get around anymore. And everyone around us is capable which makes it feel even more perplexing. Like, how do they do that? How do they adult? How do they plan for their futures, how do they make decisions? I used to know how to do this shit.

Anyway. The only option in this position is to keep walking forwards. So I do. The debt charity has approved my Debt Management Plan 🥳 but I haven't yet received the postal access code to get in and potter about and understand their online system. They sent over the amounts per creditor and I was surprised to find most will receive exactly £5, so now I wait to see if they all accept the proposal, then will let it run for a few months and see how I feel after that. The market research stuff arrived for Little X, I duly got it all ready and she shoved it away three times in a row. Safe to say she is not a fan. I mixed it with something from my kitchen cupboards and it eventually went down. I will still be honest and tell them it was rejected.

I actually got myself together and went off to Big Warehousey Supermarket to spend some money that has been sitting in a gift card for months. I had been going to buy a new micro, but it is still working fine despite looking awful, so I will just deal with it when it dies. £35 was on a non-refundable gift card and the electrical shops I could actually use it in are far too expensive anyway. BWS is the only place foodwise where I could go. They are absolutely not good value at all, they are convenience store prices, but I treated it like free money and came home with £25 worth of food. Treat: a proper curry. I haven't had one in a long long time and it was £2 and I made my own rice to go with it. Winner.

No Title Yet

I might keep that title, I think 😁

The stars aligned correctly with jobs both paying me on time. Along with me purchasing an item from the "middle aisle" and returning it straight away in order to move £70 from the credit card to my current account without paying a money transfer fee. It's really not my fault that (a) the credit card company won't let me pay for a money transfer right now, and (b) the shop doesn't check whether I put the refund onto the same card I paid with. The item is perfectly resellable, so? 🤷 That cash is going onto a more expensive card. Budget now balanced for another month. Bills all paid. 

This week I got a free £10 supermarket voucher for participating in the NHS's Our Future Health scheme, which was about supplying a blood sample and being warned that my cholesterol is elevated. Time for me to eat better.

I also got a £2 bonus from TopCashBack (again!), I love this recurring deal so much. I bought a five pound supermarket card to qualify, so that's £2.13 off it altogether. There was then a deal of £9 cashback for doing the Audible free trial, so I did that one too and set up a reminder to cancel before it takes the payment in a month. I also realised I'm getting enough cashback to justify the £5/year membership upgrade so I took that plunge. Miranda Hart's new book awaits me (you get one free book with the Audible subscription).

Finally, a post filled with actually frugal things. It's been so long. It's very related to me knowing bills are paid for the month. 💰

Oh, almost forgot, I have been blessed with an unexpected acknowledgement. I spend a fair bit of time on a frugality-related social media group and its owner decided to thank me - by replacing her referral code for Zing with my own. 😍 When I didn't get any referrals in the first week, I almost gave up hope... But two have just completed, meaning I'll get £60 next month. 😍 Definitely not shabby and very much appreciated right now.

Spendy McSpenderson: Little X's birthday present bought off Vinted (£5), plus Christmas gifts for Kid #1, Kid #2 and their dad. I still need Christmas gifts for Little X but I'm going to watch the baby bank and the nearby Cheap Charity Shop for those. I still need gifts for Neighbour #2a, Neighbours #8 and Work Bestie. 

The Sofa Saga

There seem to be a lot of sagas in my life, but whatever. I had to repair my last sofa and here we are again with the "new" one. I thought it just had saggy foam, but no, the support belting sucks and is almost dead. I've ordered upholstery belt and I'm going to attack it with a staple gun. £20 I didn't want to spend 😒

I also spent another £25 on a cube storage unit which needed assembling. In the spare time which I didn't have 😂 to be placed in the space I don't have. 😂 The only place for it is on top of my drawers, so I lose that surface, but considering it was covered in bags and boxes before, no loss. 

Little X has a monster cold and is miserable. I suppose the first one had to happen eventually! 

Good news for the bank account, I qualify for the £100 Nationwide bank bonus in June and also get £100 council support payment soon. £185 switch bonus too plus a £30 cashback bonus. Still waiting to hear about the £500 Sure Start Maternity grant, not sure if I'll get it. 🤞 

More money out: £20 on bedding and waterproof mattress cover for the cot. £5 on a great walker which can be kept stationary... Little X is a bit small yet as her toes don't reach the ground. 

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 💕

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. 

Possible Impending Uncrossing Of Fingers

I hardly ever qualify for anything extra in support, so you can imagine my surprise to be told I'll get the cost of living payment of £299. Wahoo. I'll not believe it until it actually lands, of course!

Itching to withdraw my Help To Save, which I think was finished on the 31st, but I don't dare in case it really finishes next week when my bonus drops.

Little X has been out of sorts today. I'm beginning to realise I can't do three errands in one day. The last two days have been like that and today she's been so unsettled. Tomorrow there's a free clothing event I really want to see, so here's hoping for a better day!

I did manage to get to Food Club yesterday, where of course she cried while I just tried to hurry. They kindly helped me carry her to the car though. ♥ Scored myself free carrots, custard and the obligatory bread and pastries. 🥐 

Faulty Clocks

All of them. They simply must be faulty because everything takes so much longer than I expect. Today after the group, I calculated there were 1-2 hours left before Little X would demand feeding. Half way around the supermarket she started to cry, and quickly became inconsolable, which is rather inconvenient when you have a trolley of shopping 🛒 AND your kitchen is depleted almost to the bone so you can't actually not shop. When I got home I realised it was much later than I'd realised. She had a point in yelling at me. 

So anyway as hinted I used up a lot of food this week. Emptied both freezers and a fair few packets and tins. I even drank black coffee for two days when the milk ran out. ☕ It's probably the first time I have actually lived the way my income should dictate. 🤣 It helped that the temperature out there is hovering around freezing ❄ and it's just generally inconvenient to shop with a baby to begin with.

Today I managed a few yellow stickers. Seven (7) reduced cheese pizzas 🍕 which were only 69p each. Three lasagne portions - I consider lasagne a treat these days given the cost so I haven't had any for ages. And I also bought reduced cinnamon buns. This supermarket is new to me, spacious, cheap and clean, so I may have to make it a habit. Spendy also put cheap chocolate, coke and muffins into the trolley. It's important to taste test them, obviously. 

Currently playing a mindless game for cash. I have joined a bunch of Facebook groups for people who do "stuff at home for cash" and there are a few promising-looking programmes I may try out.

Konniption Fit

So today I got notification of what my Universal Credit will be. I lose half of it thanks to my maternity pay and UC debt repayments. 😒 I've sent a grovelling note asking if the repayment part (£92) can be reduced... Watch this space.

Anyhoo, my new budgetary quackalations began, and I almost had a heart attack - thankfully I realised an enormous calculation error and was then able to breathe. By February, on an ordinary month I'll be only £100 shy of covering necessary bills. Very survivable via surveys. And if my fuel/food/extras stay under 170 per month from there, the bill costs will begin to reduce. Challenge accepted. 

MOT booked and the dealer is going to kindly collect and return the car for me 👍

Free MOT, Yes Thanks

50 into my bank account this week.
Please and Thank You. 🙏

So technically, my MOT is not "free", but I've been a good girl lately in getting all my YouGov surveys done and reached cashout level of £50. The timing is very good indeed. I have also had a pile of small redemptions that all add up, many of them from games that I play on my phone while trapped under a small baby. Might as well earn something while I can't do much else!

I ended up buying my new bra on credit (well, everything is on credit these days) and the journey was not fun in any way, with Little X screaming the street down as we walked home from the bus stop - and me getting drenched in the process. I cannot wait to be cleared to drive. Right now the closest I get to that is in moving the car around the carpark every few days to stop the brakes/wheels seizing up. Bus trips themselves I don't mind, it's the fact that places I need to go take a long, long time to get to. Little X is not nearly as patient as I am.

We've had three home health visits now and the next one is at the clinic in town. At some point this week I should get to register her with my GP and then we fight to get a timely appointment - mostly because I want to be cleared for driving! It would also mean I can visit Food Club again.

Today I defrosted my freezer. The ice came off in huge slabs which is so incredibly satisfying. Mind you, it means the freezer was incredibly inefficient until I did this. 😖 I must be far more careful not to load it up so full, it's the air getting in the seal which makes it do this, and the door seals perfectly when it's not over-filled. Must think of all the saved pennies.

Long, Long Ago

...I used to buy supermarket gift cards online at a discount. That website is long gone now, but this week, MoneySavingExpert told me to check my employer's rewards programme in case I can buy certain gift vouchers online. So I did. And I can, at a 7% discount, which is not shabby at all!

Unfortunately it has limited options but I can buy a physical card for one "discounter" supermarket that's local. It breaks even on just over £20 worth for the first purchase (£1.50 yearly fee), but if I wait until my C-word bonus goes in this week and spend the lot, I'll be getting a saving and spending "free money" to do it. Plan sorted. 👍

The new direct debits are still not showing in my new account. Ho hum. I know it takes a few days but I need them to appear so I can do my £175 switch. Patience.

Baby has been a bit of a monkey this week but I've been checked over and she seems fine. Just a waiting game now. £25 forked out for a weekly parking permit at the hospital, since I have to be there at least three times this week for more scans and monitoring. Stupid Universal Credit invited me to an in-person interview which lands right on top of an appointment, too. I've told them, but we will see whether they try to argue!

Check, Check, Check

✔ hospital bag finished

✔ checklist done for last minute baby stuffs

✔ car seat and pram in car ready

✔ kidlet corner finished and set up, moses basket ready, nappy changing station sorted

✔ large amounts of scented "fabric refresher" in use on somewhat unfragrant shampooed carpet

✔ bathroom cleaned

✔ kitchen mopped and mat washed

✔ surprise tax refund from job #2 of £20. Yes thanks, considering bills this week were tight

...and I must admit there's a sort of relief for most of these, although there are still random piles of "stuff" in my living space which I really don't have a place for, which is frustrating. Those, plus the necessary things (including my exercise ball, for the moment) take up pretty much the entire space. Ideally I need a second wardrobe for storage, which is money I shouldn't really spend - even if I do find one second-hand. We shall see.

Midwife did indeed brush off the baby's weight gain. She has also acknowledged that the current "negotiated" Plan of Attack™ by the hospital is too-little-too-late to actually meet my wants and needs, so she has added some things in to (cross fingers) try to get things going sooner rather than later. This is absolutely the best I could hope for, so, here's hoping.

Currently eating pineapple, which is supposed to be a good idea. Spendy: a small tripod for my phone (£3).

How to save money: Know vaguely that your windows are a huge heat loss area (last year you bought that small radiator to put right there, under your knees, because it was colder than the rest of the flat). Notice (during the huge storm this week) that your curtains are moving, and realise that the wind is coming through their probably-craptastic seals. Go to the Screwfix website (other hardware sites are available) and find a great price on a roll of replacement self-adhesive rubber window seals. Pat self on the back as you place it in your cart, then think, hey, I should just quickly check that I'll be able to fit this. Climb up on your pc desk (irresponsibly, since you're nine months pregnant) and yes, you can feel the wind coming in, an alarming amount of it. Open window, examine frame, think "yes", then latch it, and discover in annoyance that the stupid thing is able to be locked "shut" while open half an inch. Pulled properly, it closes just fine. Ditto on the other window. Smack forehead at own idiocy.

Trash your shopping cart, having spent nothing.

The Penny Drops

I am 99% sure I've had Covid again. The coughing is gravelly (but mostly faded away now). I realised after posting my last message in here that food wasn't awful, it was... flavourless. And I'm getting out of breath just walking (although I am nowhere near as tired as the first time I had it).

I am sort of getting my taste and smell back now but pretty much all I've eaten for a week is whichever carbs looked edible. At work yesterday I decided on a chili pot noodle, which was a silly idea because the only detectable flavour was "mouth on fire" but at least I ate it. I am now making myself a fakeaway chicken burger because it might smell nice? We will see.

Swagbucks has given me the credit "as a courtesy" which leaves me slightly miffed but at least I will get the payment. My doctor has finally deigned to call me (whoa) and in even more surprising news was quite pleasant and has some FREE medication which was unexpected - but I'll take it. Especially since having needed three days off work, my finances have taken a great big slap in the face.

I am currently speaking with a mortgage broker to try to refinance my debts. I have always assumed I can't get one, but he didn't seem to see any reason why not. If he's able to find me a lender who'll take me on (most will not lend on studio flats) then it will be an incredible relief, and cut my repayments in half.

Fingers crossed.

Magical Wins

The good part about little wins is that when they're unexpected they still put a smile on my face, no matter how small. I went to Old Favourite supermarket early in the week, with a £5 voucher from doing surveys, to grab things I can't get at Food Club. I loaded up my basket and knew it was going to go way over. But at the till, I opened my loyalty app and apparently I also had another £5 worth of points, so, bam, I also used that. In the end my shop only cost me 86p and I left the shop feeling good about it all. Even though it contained a value pizza, which is not at all healthy nor was it on my shopping list, but was very nice indeed thankyouverymuch. And we won't mention the six hot cross buns which were eaten within two days (however, I did still inexplicably lose weight this week, which I don't understand).

I'm now attempting to reach payout again to get another voucher for the same supermarket, hopefully by the weekend. It's been two weeks since I've been to Food Club and tomorrow I will pop in on the way to work. I am tossing up whether to do a Meal Plan on here based on what I buy. It's been a long time since I did a challenge, so maybe I should!

I also sold my bitcoin today and earned £12 which is quite acceptable since I bought it five days ago. Same as always, I'm not adding any cash to that "play money" but just doing it for entertainment. I will probably lose again next time!

I have been watching news of the budget today and have seen that the energy cap will remain at least for a little while. This doesn't affect me as I'm well in advance with my power bills, but it will help others. Nothing else in the budget seems to give me anything to write about, though. Ho hum. Oh, and I bought myself a RevComps raffle ticket with the odd few Euro I had left from my last trip to Spain. I look forward to receiving my £45,000 cash when I win 😁

Want-essity

I suppose this is not really a necessity, but a want: My Bluetooth wireless headphones have bitten the dust and now refuse to recharge. I can still walk and cycle using cheap corded ones, but they're just so awkward and uncomfortable. I found a gift balance I'd forgotten about on Amazon.com (ka-ching!). Even better, I have actually found a set of headphones which will deliver to the UK. Free headphones, that's a win. There's a chance I'll have to pay a customs fee, but I think it'll still be less than replacing them over here.

Today I cashed out on PaidViewpoint so that money is on its way to my PayPal, for a little bit less cash-stress this week. I've cashed out a fiver on Shoppix and that should also arrive shortly. I also realised I had another programme at cashout level (£25 for sharing my tv viewing habits, thank you) and I have cashed that out too. Plus, I got a survey invite in the mail for Sport England, who are apparently sending me a £5 gift card for a mystery store. Not a bad day for being productive!

Heating hack: I was thinking about how I sometimes got to enjoy the faint aroma of spag bol, or casserole (etc) in my bathroom thanks to the fact there's a paper-thin wall there next to my neighbour's kitchen. Well this morning I checked the temp in there, and it was 19 degrees at 8am. Hello, warm neighbour with their gas central heating! I'm leaving the bathroom door open from now on to warm my whole flat 😂

So far I have not used the main heater this year. I have that small one that I bought, it's right in front of my knees as I sit at the PC, but even that one doesn't get turned on much (I'm trying to be brave). Here's to more bravery as the temperature drops. Oh, and I spent £2 on some cheap slippers 😁

Reality Check

I need to weigh myself less often due to the disappointment of it not going down before my very eyes. Right now I'm reminding myself that no matter what I do, it simply isn't going to go down by a kilo a day 😁

I will be putting in big hours this week at work so the challenge is to keep up my enthusiasm for the gym. It's easier to make excuses when I've been at work for a long day. Must keep strong. Feeling a bit less sluggish now so perhaps I'm adjusting to the diet?

Almost ready for the surveyor. It is nice to feel a little bit organised.

Currently playing a rummy game for £12. It'll work out at mere pence an hour, but I'm enjoying the game!

Saddy McSadface

Entire air show was cancelled for Sunday. Even though the sun came out over us, it wasn't sunny at the place the planes were taking off from, so it just wasn't safe. Booo. But it did make me wonder about other air shows and there are lots, so perhaps I'll go see a different one. And take the whole weekend off ready for it.

Happy face: This. Remember that bingo game I was playing? Well, it's about to ka-ching. Woot.

I am currently playing an island game and also a farming game. Hopefully another couple of ka-chings (assuming I complete enough levels in time). My referral link for joining Inbox Pounds: click here.

Right now I am busy cutting more logs and collecting tomatoes so that I can start the dinner in game 😁

Way Overdue: Survey Master List Update

I realised how out-of-date my Survey Master List was, so I've just spent some time updating it. You can see it in all its goodness here with info on how you can cash out, which ones offer PayPal, and which ones are the best paying. Since I am now spending half my days on doing surveys at home for cash, and coming close to supporting myself this way, you'd think I would have sorted that out a bit sooner 😁 but hey ho better late than never. Also, I discovered one that I'd forgotten about. Yay?

There are a couple of other bits and pieces I'm trying out too in my quest to monetise my side hustle (I think that's what the young folk call it these days) including a couple of phone apps that offer mystery shopping opportunities. So far I've been offered for browsing a technology shop, going to a car wash and photographing chocolate displays at a supermarket. Unfortunately none of them are (yet) a great fit for me in terms of locality but I'm trying to be patient for some closer to home.

Universal Credit appointment was terribly routine, she's a nice lady and didn't expect any miracles, so there's that. She has offered me job coaching help, which is ridiculous but which I said yes to because otherwise I look uncooperative. She has also noted that the job coach will help "fix" my CV, kind words from someone who hasn't seen it, but hey. I can nod through his advice then mentally shelve it.