Countdown to Christmas 2024: And So We Begin (Thread 1)

[NoWordForFluffy]

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It's a leap year next year, so an extra day to wait!

I've ordered 120 baubles today, as WeRChristmas sent me a 50% code for today only. Annoyingly I could get our new tree way cheaper today! 😭

I'm exhausted now I've finally had time to sit and relax. Tomorrow is a chill day.

Image of 70 driving home! 🚤 🚙

I hope the interview went well, Woogle.

It shat down this morning. Not sure about this afternoon. Certainly wasn't as bad.

Hurrah for the car and getting better, Meeces.

It's been an odd week at work. Looking forward to the weekend though. However, we're doing more decorating, so I imagine I'll be taping the ceilings for much of it! 🤣

Just wanted to check in with everyone hope you're all ok . @whydoesitalwayshappentome hope you get proper treatment soon.

Feb is such a crap month, difficult to keep up the post Christmas momentum. Weather is rubbish. I'm focusing on the DC uni applications, with fingers crossed. Supporting eldest DD going through divorce. We do have some nice events to look forward to ,family Wedding and holiday booked 😊

It's been a bloody long month, I think. January went faster! But it's pay day tomorrow, so all is good.

And the new massive Sainsbury's opens next Weds, so I'm as happy as a pig in shit. 🤣🤣

Ooh Fluffy, have you gor a shopping list in mind or will you just go for a browse? I like to go to BIG ASDA or BIG TESCO every now and again, just for the wander saddo 🤣

We went to a GCSE options evening for dd2 tonight - I'm knackered and just waiting for dd1 to hurry up in the shower so I can go to bed 😴. So ready for the weekend - I'm going to finish a couple of masks for school that I have no go to finish tonight, do some more Eras outfit prep, and just mooch about the house I think. Need to help dd2 to find an outfit too. Everything I suggest gets an eyeroll 🤷‍♀️

She's upstairs dissecting tonight on the phone with a friend. I think the school's offerings are a bit shit, but she is determined not to look elsewhere. I think she's a bit overwhelmed tbh. She was panicking about what to pick when we got in.

I need some new nighties (glamorous, I know!) and some tea light candles. Then I shall browse for whatever else I fancy! Can't wait!

Options are so hard. You never fully get the choices you want. Annoying.

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It's the last day of half term here so it's been a day of haircuts and homework.

I took DS up to visit MIL earlier in the week and yesterday's return journey wasn't fun on a very wet M6.

Fluffy I love a good nightie. I'm tempted to treat myself to a posh fine cotton one although perhaps I should wait until a time when it won't get bunged into the washing machine with a load of sweaty sports socks. Maybe I'll stick to my M&S t-shirt style for the time being 😂

T-shirt style is what I wear too. Though I'm a hot sleeper can't even blame my age so it doesn't matter what they're washed with! 🙈🤣

I've postponed our haircuts as they were meant to be tomorrow morning, but DD has been away for 2 nights with school, so I imagine she's going to sleep for most of tomorrow!

I’ve mainly been wearing pyjama tops to bed, maybe I need to invest in a nightie 🤔

I wear old tshirts to bed, once they start looking like theyve been through the washer too many times they get demoted to nightwear haha

Lucysmam we just submitted dd’s options, then I got an email to approve them, we will find out in June…

dd and I had a secret McDonald’s for lunch after our McDonald’s chat 😅

Bloody freezing here and the sky is pink.

70 new car is very boring - it's grey.

DH would never drive a yellow anything.
My absolute dream is a 1960s two tone VW camper, either blue and white or yellow and white.

I used to use MILs yellow mini when we stayed with her years ago. She put bumble bee and flower stickers on it 😂
If it hasn't essentially blown up she'd have given that to me and I'd have enjoyed tootling around in it.

lucysmam I feel like you need one of those big glittery/tassels jacket things they wear for TS, to go with your boots.

Fluffy do you need bedding? Sains stuff is lovely.

Another nightie fan here. I bought some 'sport back' ones to go away with a few summers ago as I find hotels hot overnight and they so the job so I've picked up more.

I had sports back ones from Matalan ages ago, but couldn't find anymore when they needed replacing. So I went to t-shirt ones instead. I prefer sports back, but haven't seen any.

Meeces, I don't <need> bedding. Doesn't mean I won't get any though. 🤣

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Morning!

It appears to be very cold as the cats outside have frozen. We also have washing frozen on the line! 🤣 I'm sure freeze-drying works.

Dog walk soon. At least it's fully light, so that makes a nice change!

My car was too frozen for me to scrape this morning. Brrrr. Just got back from Sainsburys and put the shopping all away.

Just got our rent increase letter. So we have…

Rent up 7.7%
council tax up 4.99%
pension up 1.8% (in September when I go up an increment)
car tax and insurance up
food and fuel up

wages - static. Meh. Everything is a bit shit isn’t it. I know we’re more fortunate than some but with two adults working more than full time hours we should be living a pleasant life! Child benefit up a bit though.

Just noticed I said the cats were frozen...too late to edit. I'm sure both cars AND cats were chilled first thing! 🤣

We will get a letter next month about a rent increase on the rented 50%. The formula does say that it's 'increase in RPI + x%'. Well, RPI is down on last year, so it'll probably just be the x%, I suppose. We shall see! Bet they don't start with the minus RPI at the start of the equation!

Our council tax is 4.99% too. Thankfully our water bill is still below where it was in the old house, as we apparently don't use as much water as 4 people should. 🤷‍♀️ Not a clue how!

I've got £241 in catch up council tax to pay in March though, as this is Band D and we were Band B before and they've only just processed the move. Then it'll be the normal amount from April.

We have a Sainsbury's delivery tonight cheapy £1 slot so I don't have to do a big shop in the new one on Weds! I want to be able to mooch round the other bits, not focus on food. 🤣

🤣 Meeces, my colleague who is going on the same night said that! I'm going with the purple furry one with beaded tassels - I already had the beads & paid all of £2 for the jacket on Vinted.

Pic is the outfit I've copied on the cheap (apart from the boots!). I've made myself a garter too. My jacket's not as purple but I'll hopefully not want it anyway in June, and my dress is silvery sequins!

Ours is CPI + 1%. We have different companies for water supply and water waste, our supply is cheap and waste is expensive 🤨 bet that’ll go up too!

It was in the news yesterday about massive water bill rises. Apparently we need to fund bonuses which was money they probably should spend on repairs (well, we're told we're funding the repairs, but I'm pretty sure reducing / removing bonuses in prior years could have funded that).

I haven't had council tax/water bills drop through the door yet...be interesting to see how they increase. Hoping to move before the next rent increase, it's falling to bits & no way worth any more than we already pay. With some proper work done, it could be really nice too 🤷‍♀️

Our rental was like that, @lucysmam. We're so glad to be out of it! Apparently the landlord might be moving in, which is interesting. I have no doubt there will be building works taking place within a very short time if they do! 🙄

We haven't had our bills yet. I dread to think how much they will be.

At work today and I can tell it was a full moon last night. It has been quite a day already.

Oh. Timely post. Rent increase 9.2%. But the overall increase somehow works out at 10.31% with the service charge increase (I think the cost of the buildings insurance is what's done that, I'd have to check).

Pretty sure I don't get a pay rise in my first year at work either. Yaaaay. 🙄

Ouch fluffy. I’m not sure about our service charge yet but it’s definitely too much as they barely do anything. When we first moved in they said they were going to query it after a year but they haven’t.

I haven't heard about the increases here yet but I'm sure they're coming.
We're on a water meter and we tend to be quite frugal with it so hopefully that won't be too bad. Everything will be increased though.

Love the sound of your outfit lucysmam

Fluffy my sister is due to move soon and her landlord is giving the house to his daughter.
He apparently commented 'it'll need a new kitchen and bathroom and we'll have to sort the garden, there's no way Amy (fake name) will put up with what's here - all said with no apparent awareness that this has all been fine for my sister to put up with 😡

Pay rises are another thing. I don't always expect them to be huge but last year they did 2 (one for cost of living and one performance related) which means this year will probably be crap.

We're just off to do the food shop at Aldi. I'm hoping for some nice plant pots in the random middle aisle 🤞🏼