Typical Isn't It

Job #2 is messing about with my holiday in asshat fashion. Citing rules and policies and blah, blah, never mind such trivial things as laws and entitlements. Clown admin has agreed to put in a special request to the CEO to allow me to take all four weeks that I have earned (like that's supposed to make me feel special?) but if they don't play ball I will just go on Unpaid Parental Leave which they can't avoid... and they still won't have me in the building for those four weeks 😁

Big Boss at Job #1 has been absolutely stellar ⭐ and will work with me however I want to swing things ⭐ which now looks like me lowering to a small contract, dragging my earned annual leave out for months, and then returning one day per week. 💙

My application for Healthy Start has been rejected as I still earn too much. I will try again next month as it will have fallen further. Council tax reduction is only 40% (not 75%) due to my "high income" 😂 but again, I'll have to reapply next month.

I've bought some more nappies. £50 worth. I think I have a problem with buying nappies 😂 in my defence Little X is outgrowing things and it was a good deal. Yeah, excuses. I also bought her a bundle of shorts in size 12-18 months, but unfortunately half of them are still too small to go around a cloth bum, so I bought another larger bundle. Plus I bought myself some shorts. And t-shirts, as two of my old faithfuls have holes.

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! 

Happy Votependence Day

So it's the 4th of July, which we all know is a very important date, that's right, voting day. My area only has two candidates getting a good percentage of the votes, Tories and Liberal Democrats, which works well for me since since I vehemently detest the Tories since Lib Dem is my ideal party anyway.

I have been rejected for significant financial support from the grant scheme I applied to but they have given me a discretionary £300 for cost of living. 👏 I also got the statutory maternity grant of £500 👏 plus unexpectedly got a further week of maternity pay 😲 so now I'm impatient for (1) Friday, to see if it happens again, and (2) Universal Credit day to see how much I have left over to hack at the Poison Ivy card again. 

Little X is fast outgrowing her clothes so I bought a bundle off Vinted, and the seller threw in some extras, it's a huge pile 💕 really pleased even though most of it is for winter & next year. I have finally started listing the newborn stuff for sale, six sets sold within minutes 😲 unfortunately we had to cancel once we clarified the sizes. Still, part of it resold an hour later so here's hoping. Also sold another two pairs of trainers and the next pair is cleaned up and drying as I write. I seem to be settling into £50 profit each month. 

We survived 2 concerts and "survived" is apt since without being able to take a stroller in, it's fairly exhausting. It hurts carrying a kid let that long, who also won't sleep. Might be easier next year! 

Dancing, Dancing

We went to see Crowded House this week. I am absolutely exhausted and my everything hurts. Little X behaved like, well, like a baby. She refused to sleep until far beyond exhausted. Next time we'll arrive earlier to attempt to get ahead of the game.

More shoes sold. 👟 Also sold my pregnancy ball. Other sales on Vinted are slow. Such is life. I've applied for two assistance schemes. 🤞 Still waiting to hear back about the maternity grant. My Nationwide £100 and council £100 cost of living payment both arrived though. 👏 

Huge splurge on this. 

It folds forwards instead of sideways and is also tiny and very light. 

It supposedly folds and opens one-handed - realistically you need two hands so it locks into place as doing it with a knee isn't the smoothest move. 😂 But since I merely wanted to fight less with hauling a heavy unruly stroller in and out of the car boot, this ticks the boxes. I did try to get one used, these are well known with a good reputation, but I was looking at £50 plus shipping for the grubby examples I found. Then I saw this for half price from the manufacturer (discounted because the newer model has been released), with free shipping. Winner for £99. No regrets. 

Time to clean the old one up and try to sell it for a tenner (it was free, but I bought a new footmuff and liner). 

All At Once

I sold the first pair of big-ticket shoes - well, considering people on Vinted want to pay a pound for everything, £21 is big-ticket. I also sold a pair for £11, a couple of bundles of other items totalling £20, plus a used pair of trainers for £9 on eBay, and a car seat clip I never thought would sell, for £5. I even offloaded Little X's baby rocker for another £5 on Facebook. It's been a good week. That all represents around £43 in profit and I'd be stoked to achieve that every week!

Feeling very accomplished, we went to baby group and behaved like angels. We scooted over to Food Club during the week and also to Value Frozen shop, plus bought our other staples from German Discounter. We even popped into Cheapy Shop for some oil, for the pushchair's squeaky wheels. Today during Little X's first nap I made her lunch (chicken, mashed potato and mashed carrots) plus made myself chicken curry and stuffing balls. Adulting++. Watch, next week will no doubt be a complete shit-show. 😁

Physio this afternoon. Someone is still snotty so I hope she isn't too tired and cranky. 🤞 

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. 

The Splurge, Toy Edition

Remember a year ago when I said my house will never be filled with brightly-coloured plastic? Ahem. Anyway, Little X prefers about four toys to all the rest. But I went into a little independent charity shop this week and CLEANED UP, ie, I spent £8 and got an enormous bag of baby toys, which I do actually plan to sell in bundles. More toys for her is pointless right now as she can't divide her attention anyway and having too many surrounding her is just noise. She often ignores the lot in favour of the carry bag, my socked foot or chewing on her sleeve. 🤷‍♀️

I'm hunting around for a jumperoo or walker. Not to necessarily roll about in, but so that she can spend some time upright for the different muscle groups. She's an ace at moving around by rolling and scooting (crawling is on the horizon). 

One pair of trainers sold, two more listed, four to work on and list. I've done £50 on vinted in two weeks, about 30 of that is profit. £215 for bank switching 👏 and I've figured out how to pay several bills on credit card rather than direct deposit, since the "three months of no maternity pay" starts shortly. I can afford a few pounds of interest for a spell rather than affording a few hundred in bills each month. After that my annual leave pay begins and things improve 👏 

We actually went to play group this week for the first time in ages, and it was odd seeing tiny babies! Little X was as good as gold 🥇

Refunded: the trainer cups which turned out to be impossible to assemble without a crowbar (I even found the receipt). In exchange I bought 4 small wide neck bottles new from Vinted for a fiver, and £4 got us some different teats to switch in soon. 

Spendy: £25 on a space saver "real" cot for Little X 😍 and while it's slightly narrower than the travel cot I got free, I don't need to bend down to the ground to pick her up anymore. 😍

The Shoe Saga

Walking shoes - were too rigid across the foot, resold and broke even. 

Trainers #1 - too small. Cleaned up for resale as-is on eBay. No bids yet. 

Trainers #2 - same brand and still too small. Cleaned up and repainted toe leather with sports white. New laces. Need to photograph for sale. 

Trainers #3 - intended for me but not comfy, almost new, dirt cheap, missing laces, unexpectedly they're limited edition 😀 but also suede. 😒 I should be able to recoup the cost and the postage if I manage to clean the stain on the front. 

Trainers #4 - bargain, bought to resell. No laces, very good condition, washer time 👍

New #1 through #9 - heels and espadrilles - from a wholesaler for £22 altogether. Hopefully £100 profit from the lot but may take time to sell. 

Trainers #5 - not arrived yet but bargain, so let's hope they fit my fat feet 😁

Trainers #6 - I bought these because I made an offer then bought another instead, and then my first offer was accepted. They will be Fighting A Duel (tm) with #5 to see who are the supreme trainers. 👟

Bonus... My first posting error, an item which cost me £1.56, I sent to the wrong buyer. She said nothing (I assume her correct item also arrived). I refunded the lady who didn't get her item. Education is never free they say, I was incredibly lucky to only lose pocket change and safe to say I'll be far more careful from here on. 

Gold Mine

I have finally started listing some of the nappies this week (I know they'll take a while and some aren't worth much). So far I've sold £10 worth. 

Vinted: I've sold 6 items for £10 in profit. 👍 I also resold the shoes which don't fit and broke even. 👍 I got a refund on the AliExpress package that didn't show up. 👍 I've contested 2 on eBay taking forever, 1 refunded 👍 1 TBA 🤷‍♀️ The problem with Vinted is that I keep looking at AliExpress and buying things to sell 🤦‍♀️ when I have plenty of things to list and not plenty of money or space for more things! 

Stop Press: I just sold, and posted, another £15 worth of nappies. The other problem with selling things is that although I get exercise and money, the bakery also has cakes in the window for 50p at closing time. 

One must support local business. 

Enthusiasm

I sold £2 and £3 items on Vinted, and it's required a printed postage label both times. 😒 Little X and I had to walk in the rain, to print it at the library, an hour's work for my £2 profit each time. Thankfully I've now figured out how to disable the "print" postage! 

Anyway, I needed trainers. So I checked Vinted and found a pair for £3. Too narrow, so I've relisted them at £8 and already had an enquiry. Then omfg, the comfy brand-name trainers I wore in the 90s, for £4. They were muddy but seemed barely worn. Sold. Unfortunately they were too small. 😔 I then found others, there are tons, all going for under a tenner.

I checked eBay pricings, and DUDE. OK, 15 minutes of cleaning and a spin through the washer, the too-small shoes are near-immaculate now. I'll list them over there for £25 and cross my fingers. 🤞 If nothing else they might pay me back 😂 even if they take months to sell... 

I've been browsing about for some fleece to make more nappy wipes and found a second-hand fleece blanket for £4. I reckon I'll get about a hundred wipes, much cheaper than paying £30 for the fabric. 🕺

Stupid eBay has blocked me from listing nappies. I've posted some in a nappy group on Facebook, I really want to shift some of the sheer piles of stuff in here. 🤞

Spendy: trainer cups for Little X. And I can't find the receipt 😡 and I suspect we won't need them all. 😔 

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 💕

Accounting

So my phone is driving me insane and after a year of battling, I quit. I simply need one with more memory (I have plenty of storage, but I've nearly gone bananas having to make space for app updates). 🍌

New phone has been chosen, £120 on offer, plus I have bought via a cashback site for ten quid in hand 👏 and I also did it with my work perks card. I discovered through the hellish purchase process that I can buy a virtual mastercard at a 7% discount which I can use online anywhere. The drawback to these is you can't top up later, so you need to purchase exactly the amount you need in order not to waste any. That's OK, I'll just use them for Amazon, eBay, Aliexpress.

Speaking of the latter, I've given the pram bag a go, but it's not big enough. I went to look second hand and saw what I think are brand new, from the same site, at double the price... So I did buy another and also nabbed a couple of other items that I'll list for resale. If it doesn't work, I've lost ten pounds. If it does, I've gained ten and I'll do it again. 🤷‍♀️

I was rejected for subsidised housing on stupid technicality. 🤦‍♀️ 🏡 I recalculated my expenses for post-June, and it will require creativity. Survival will require kicking the can down the road cash-flow-wise, but it is what it is. Little X is getting bigger and eventually there will be more working options to get the debt down. 

Currently eating yummy snacks that Poppet gifted to me 🍪

Mathing

I have several options for buying discounted supermarket gift cards (app, work perk, cashback sites) but none of them seemed worthwhile for different reasons. I almost bought at a 3% discount yesterday on the app until I realised they only take debit card... but this in theory ring-fences cash that could be paying off interest. The rabbit hole beckoned and long story short it's about 40p bonus for a £10 voucher if I spend it within a month, so I bought one, but not from the app 😁

Next day: £2 TopCashBack bonus on gift cards 🤦‍♀️ so I bought a £5 one too, to get the bonus. 

Big win: all three bank switches have completed and all three paid me the £200 bonus. 🎉 👏 😁 I ended up putting £100 onto my poison-ivy credit card and £500 is staying in my bills account to wipe off the overdraft. Technically I'd be better off maxing the overdraft and putting it all onto PI CC, but it's only pennies different and I think it'd be nice to have a small cash buffer, since I haven't had an emergency fund for a long time. 

Last week I snapped up a mini dehumidifier from a German supermarket for £35. I didn't expect miracles but I thought I would try. Unfortunately even though its stated capability was only 300ml per day, I emptied it after 24h and found... 100ml. Unimpressed. 😒 Promptly returned for a refund. As an aside, I bought this on credit and returned it to my debit card because nobody checks and so you can essentially do small money transfers for free. I might have to remember this trick.

Spendy McSpenderson: a pram baby bag, a baby bottle handle adapter, a harness for Little X's mini high chair, baby ear defenders, and a baby bag in a backpack. The last two are for our two concerts. They're not until June but I saw the backpack and ended up buying the other four items because I was tempted by the free delivery over £10. Never mind that it went over £20 (they always get you this way). All except the harness have arrived and I love both bags, the bed bag especially is fabulous and really a bargain. It was £13 and I got a £5 credit for being a new customer. Not bad.

Child not included. 

Currently procrastinating about food club or the supermarket. Every time I visit one or the other I buy too many snacks and then gorge on them. 😒 

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. 

Wardrobe Update

For Little X, that is. The free clothing event was a good one, I managed to get Little X's spring fashion, and a few extra bits. I didn't feel comfortable taking as much as I would have liked, but I have a full washer right now, so I am very grateful.

We managed a more pleasant trip to Food Club ☺ and we even went to playgroup, where we smiled at the other mummies. There was not much actual playing, though.

YESSS both lots of money landed. They were swiftly distributed and I breathed a sigh of relief.

Our current project is learning about night time being sleeping time. We're two nights in and Little X is doing fabulously, it's just her mother who needs to figure it out 🤣 

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. 🥐 

The Electricity Consumption Rabbit Hole

So after much a'Googlin' I think that it's still cheaper to wash nappies than to use disposables 🤞 but not in the way I've been doing it (full rinse followed by hot wash). Several people say a warm wash is fine so I'm going to try a single rinse then just warm washing on the longest cycle.

My son J is coming to visit and meet his little sister this week 💕 and I can't wait!

Shopping sensibly has really gone out the window. While I don't go crazy in the shops, I usually forget essentials and then it's a week before I can organise myself to shop again. Related: I found an old tin of condensed milk (possibly free from my old house 3 years ago) and although it's out of date, in my coffee it's just fine. #frugal

So today's mission was to do a weekly shop. I actually remembered everything. But did Little X enjoy the experience? Hell no. She screamed. There's nothing fun about attempting to pack groceries while also trying to calm a baby down. 0/10 would not recommend.

I also had return two Amazon items -  child slept through this 👏 however she yelled while paying for fuel - the stupid pay at pump wasn't working so I had to drag her inside. 👎

Spendy McSpenderson:  The shop had a pack of toffee tarts reduced. So I had to. No regrets because they are incredible.