May Making Money Go Frugally Further

[Wolfcub]

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Do you do lots of little things like that lonely - I get the Caglets a tree decoration every year and am despairing of the boring ones in the shops. I am also planning to hang up the little hedgehogs you made on the tree so every Christmas I can remember the lovely things you sent and how much it meant to read your note when I brought Cagletini home from hospital :o ❤️

That's awful of her Em! At least you are a day further through the visit than you thought you were.
It's gone cool and drizzly here today. Luckily dd1 is exhausted from the week's activities so far and seems happy to potter about and watch TV for a bit. Suits me, I'm exhausted.
Did a quick Aldi shop last night to get the basics until dh gets paid. These were nappies, cheese, milk, ham, oats, eggs, yoghurt, potatoes and some raspberries that were reduced to half price. Not strictly essential but they will be nice for pudding with the yoghurt. In the fridge we already had tomatoes, carrots, broccoli, salad and a couple of peppers. Together with some Quorn mince and a few frozen leftovers in the freezer plus a few tins etc from the cupboard I have a meal plan to last the rest of the week.

Yes cag I can pretty much have a stab at anything. My things lend themselves to tree decorations and advent calendar fillers as I tend to make tiny things.

I’ve tidied up (again) and left some strategic paperwork (my second British passport application and letter from passport office re my appointment - I’m getting a second passport for travelling to Qatar/Saudi etc for work. Given I travel to Israel for work too it makes sense. As the they’re both funny about other middle eastern areas and the USA are also twitchy...work are paying for this) lying not so hidden in my drawer.

If she mentions it I’ll know she’s had a sneak.

Have also put something she gave me in the charity shop bag. She’ll know it’s from her. So if it’s there tonight or if it’s mentioned I’ll know she’s snooped.

Genius Em I like it.

Ds and I are going to the cinema using a meerkat code so 15.10 for the two of us.

Wow @ememem84, I like your style!

Yesterday was an NSD, I browsed online but resisted the urge to spend.

Love it em.
£21 hair, £2.80 coop

10.80 m&s for two meal deals, bread milk and crumpets. We are taking the snacks and drinks from the meal deal to the cinema

Super good news, checked and I finished paying for the orthadontist last month! I thought there was another month to go. Standing order cancelled. £100 more for June than I'd budgeted for. My knits have arrived, and the chap has already paid for them, yay! This more than pays for the yarn that arrived this morning.

£5 birthday card and wrapping paper for dnephews first birthday at the end of next month. I was going to ask mil to take the gift home with her. But will probably post it so bil and sil know it all comes from us.

Oh and £32 on a pair of navy chino shorts from fat face. I went to M&S to see if I could find sunny’s shorts but no luck! #sadface

NSD

She’s done really well there North.

Em Did you say your Grandad was in Colditz or similar? I think he would be proud of you. This is getting really exciting now.

Next thing will be a camera trap that fires when a drawer is opened. If you want me to figure out the electronics I could have a go.

I'm in Ely on holiday again, at the same house as last time. Dh and ds have gone for a walk and I am at home trying to figure out the fingerings of the clarinet. I think the person who invented this instrument was smoking something pretty potent.

Alas there is a sleeping baby next door, so no actual honkings are possible. May need to find a park or something.

Afternoon all, we are on the last leg of our holiday in Dorset. Have stopped at West bay en route home, haven't actually made it out of the car park yet as there is an amazing park here that dd is currently loving! !

Went to another castle this morning that was fun, wasn't national Trust unfortunately but not overly expensive and there were peacocks which dd enjoyed feeding.

Reckon I've spent at least £150 in total but we've had a brilliant time and hopefully made some memories to last a lifetime.

Off to do some crabbing in a min....

Ah, glad you are having a great time Girlie

Holiday again Sunny?! How reckless . So you decided that on balance, your last trip was a success?

£70 to nanny for help 8am-3pm. Friend meant to be arriving at 4 to help with lifting dd etc. And c £10 on bread, cheese, milk, strawberries (again).

Dd is really quite sick. Its definitely more than a cold. She’s listless, boiling hot and blotchy - however, when the calpol hits her temperature drops and she perks up a bit for an hour or so so I’m sure it’s viral and we just have to ride it out. I’m keeping a close eye on her though.

My back pain has flared up a bit, I’ve definitely been doing too much lifting so it’s back to being as strict as possible now!

My landlord is a disgusting leech of a human being. I don't know if I told you, but it turns out our May rental payment never ended up in the Letting Agents' bank account. After a long and stressful argument with my bank, it turns out it was their error as the money was taken from my account but not actually put anywhere that anyone can find, so they are refunding it, except for some bizarre reason that can take up to 5 weeks. In the meantime we have asked if we can pay our May rent with our June rent which are both due mid-June. Our Letting Agent has spoke to our landlord about it for the last week or so and put our request to him, with a screenshot of my online banking showing we tried to make the payment - well, we did, it just didn't go to them, and asked if that was ok. Apparently he is 'adamant' that the payment must be made 'as soon as possible' and cannot possibly wait two weeks for the payment as we suggested. Therefore the Letting Agent has asked if we can borrow the £600 to pay May's rent now while we wait for the refund. I can borrow it from my parents but they are going to go ballistic at the situation but there's nothing I can do about it, if we don't pay we are at risk of homelessness because we are on a rolling contract. I cannot believe how much of a leech he is that he won't wait a few weeks for the money and wants us to borrow it. Imagine if I didn't have parents that could borrow it, he would think it more reasonable for us to take a loan out to pay than him wait a few weeks?! We have always paid our rent on time. I am so angry I can't stop crying!!! That these people exist that can have this hold over us just because they have money and they act like their tenants are not human beings and just rolls of cash.

How stressful meadow. I suppose he might have a mortgage payment coming out? It shouldn't take your bank five weeks though that's ridiculous I would be more angry with them than the landlord. It's their fault that is hasn't been paid and now they're refusing to fix it for five weeks?! That's unacceptable. You need to email the CEO.

That's shit meadow. YY to complaints department at the bank, with compo

That's rubbish Meadow. So many horror stories about private landlords. No advice but try not to get too stressed in your condition and for you.

Please update us as to if she slips up and mentions something Em!

He does have a mortgage apparently, but the flat was empty when we moved in - I don't have any sympathy because if you're going to take a property out and put a mortgage on it, you must have enough coming in that you could cover it being empty for a few months in-between tenants at the very least! Otherwise if your finances are so tight that you can't miss one rental payment without being able to pay your mortgage then what do you do when there's gaps in-between your tenants like there was between the previous tenants and us? I don't see how someone could get a buy-to-let mortgage if their incoming was so little that they couldn't even shoulder a few months of the property being empty. And we were only asking for another two weeks from now.

I have complained to the bank about a week ago when this all started but their complaints thing is to respond within 14 days and they are admitted on their website they are not even close to that because it's TSB and they are being inundated with complaints atm. I have also tweeted them about it and they said they would look into, that was about 5 days ago and no further response, have just tweeted them again. I am so angry with both of them . Gahhh.

I will make the payment tonight and then I will have to ask my parents to loan me June's rent money until the refund comes back if I don't have it by then as that will be due in about two weeks. Cannot wait to leave the private rented market, I don't know if I said but we are moving in August to a property my parents own, it cannot come fast enough!

Thats so much stress you do not need meadow. First step, explain carefully to your parents, borrow the money, square with landlord. Then get onto the bank, again and again, this is their mistake, and you should be compensated. 5 weeks must be their outer limit, but how utterly ridiculous. And then pay back parents (unless they absolutely refuse) as soon as the money is back.

I have spent £5.03 (€5.50) on a knitting pattern.

The house is bare. Like no food. I am not at all sure what to do for the dc. Possibly rice with veg in plus a fried egg. If there is any rice. Or veg. I have eggs!

Got a Farmfoods leaflet through, with lots of cheap looking "3 for £5" on bags of frozen fruits and "5 for £4" on veg. Anyone been? Theres a 10% off coupon as well. Theres a brand new shop in town I've never been in

Meadow that’s really crappy. It’s good that your parents will help you out though and that the end is in sight with your move in August. That time will fly by.

I’m sure Fluffy will have some advice on the bank situation but I would write them s really stern email now saying they are causing a very heavily pregnant woman significant stress and potential homelessness. I’d personally be tempted to threaten legal action/small claims court. I know they have been compensating people for their recent bank account scandal so I would keep pushing and I’d also look to move banks if you can. I don’t think they’ve come out of this recent kerfuffle very well at all.

Lonely what about veggie fried rice. Or good old omelette.

Oh yes tsb are awful at the moment. I agree if you're a landlord you should have enough to cover six months or so without tenants! If it makes you feel any better if the same happened to me I would also have to borrow from my dad

Meadow Don’t bother with customer services, go straight to the ceo of tsb. Include the screen shots of;

The failed payment.
The bank admitting fault.
The emails from the agents.
Your maternity notes with edd, You may not want to share these but it will show you are literally about to give birth.

Tell them you want the money back by the weekend or you are being threatened with eviction.

Don’t mention your parents can bail you out.

Even if he serves notice on you it takes weeks & weeks to do. By the time it was completed it would be August.

Never complain to customer services unless it’s really trivial, simple stuff. Always go to the ceo.