Last Week Recap

Hello guys,
Hope you all a good week and weekend.
Today´s post is an update on how things are going on my end and the progresses I´ve done so far in the "moving process".
First of all, let me share with you that last week I renewed Mizé Journey for one more year, this domain just completed two years of existence and I´m happy for that :)

About renting: As I mentioned in a previous post, last December, one of the tenants left so I had to reduce the rent. So far, the situation remains the same and the tenants that stayed have been paying rent and services expenses on time. It won´t be easy to find another person to rent the vacant room (the living room was converted into a 3rd room) and my intentions of moving to that flat have kept me from even trying to find someone else. It will be hard enough to send current tenants away in case I move there so I prefer to keep things as they are now than putting someone else in this situation.

About a job: When I first thought about leaving my previous job at the hospital, I uploaded my CV to a website. Last week, I received a call from one association for a job interview, they have a secretary vacancy for their local office.
Last Friday, I went to the interview. The job is a normal 9 to 5, the wage is just a bit over the minimum for that position and, initially, they will do a 6 month contract. There were 5 candidates and I will know their final decision this week.
I wasn´t expecting this and now I´m a bit confused about what to do in case they select me. You see, it´s another low paying job...the schedules are much better than my last job and I would have weekends off and everything...still...it´s not what I really wanted to do or studied for. With so many decisions I have to make, this event is only confusing me more.

Moving: I finished packing my kitchen books and I moved on to my CD`s. I´m half done with the CD´s. They were a bit dusty so I decided to clean them very well before packing. I also brought home a few more boxes. I´m using the vacant room in my flat to keep all the boxes and that´s where I´ve been doing most of the moving mess.
Yesterday, I had a visit and a long night awake so I suspended my packing activities. As I´m writing this post, it´s still Sunday night here and today I haven´t done anything at all in this department.

My Car: In January 27, I paid 6 months of insurance and tax. I need to replace two small damaged parts (named "sinobloco", wheels part) before my next travel to Lisbon. Beside this, my next predictable car expense will be next May: inspection and oil change.

Money/Budget: So far, I´ve been able to pay all our expenses and even had a few extras such as dinning out, bought a concert ticket - Roger Waters Concert in Lisbon next March 22nd, spent 5 days during Christmas in my hometown and paid my daughter´s birthday party. These extras are only possible thanks to the money I earn online trough my blogs advertising revenue and my other make money online activities. My blogs have turned into a part-time which I enjoy and, at the same time, provides me some extra money.
For two months in a row, I haven´t tracked my expenses like I used to..yeah, shame on me...but I´ve been looking closely to supermarket bills and been spending 50.00 Euros average per week for both of us.


Saving: Since I became unemployed, I´ve been able to make ends meet but I haven´t been able to lower our expenses under 600 Euros. My savings did not grow, something predictable but still not a comfortable thought.
Once I´ve been spending more time at home, I´ve been doing a lot more "no spending days". On the other hand, I haven´t been able to reduced smoking. Currently, I smoke a 40 gr rolling tobacco packet every 5/6 days at 5.50 Euros each. I´ve also putted on some weight...I´ve been baking more cakes and yummy fat food than I should. I need to stop this extra intake and restart swimming or else I will regain all the weight I´ve lost in these 2 years.
With my current budget-resources making ends meet is only possible because I carefully watch my spending, I cook home almost everyday, don´t go out much and I avoid spending money in things that I don´t really need. I also noticed that my "wants" have been slowly decreasing.
Well, that´s all for now. See you soon xx