Live on £4000 for a year - part 4 (Oct - Dec 2008)

cw18

Elder DS got home late Wednesday evening.

Have had several chats about how we want things at the service (and afterwards), and have reached agreement on everything bar the flowers from us!! Younger DS said yesterday he didn't want to come to see the funeral director with the rest of us, but I asked again as I was getting ready to go this afternoon and he changed his mind. BIL & SIL are happy with all the decisions we've made which makes it easier too -- but I'm afraid the kids would over-ride them if there was a conflict !!!

I had a bit of a breakdown this morning, and ended up on the phone to a very good friend from the crafting forum. She was an absolute STAR (and so was her DH), and I felt much better afterwards.

I'm not looking forward to my next phone bill though, as I reckon I've made more calls (especially daytime ones) in the last 4 days than I normally make in 4 months :eek: Have actually considered calling the company I pay for my calls, as the last time my usage spiked they cut us off with no warning just 3 days after the 'excessive' use !!!!!!!! They claimed to have tried to contact me, but there was no message left on the home phone and they confirmed they had the correct mobile number on record as an alternative -- claimed to have tried that too, but I'd not had any missed calls come up at all.......

Skint_Lynne

Oh Cheryl,

I'm glad your friend from the crafting forum was there for you to talk to. I think you are holding up really well considering, but you will have breakdowns, it is only natural.

That's good that all the arrangements are coming along smoothly, it makes things easier all round.

I would get in touch with the phone people, you really need your phone just now. I remember that I called one of those premium line numbers when I came across one of those TV competitions (they should have been called con-petitions:D ). I got my phone cut off for that, wehn I phoned to get it back on they demanded that I paid them there and then, the bill wasn't due for another couple of weeks. Needless to say, I got them to take their equipment away and I got another company to supply me with phone, internet and TV, so it was their loss.

Remember, if you need anyone to speak to, just give me a shout. xx

Brighton_belle

Glad you had someone to call cheryl: having the right friend for the right moment is beyond price. I'm sure they were very glad to be able to help and would want to again whenever the need arises.
It may be worth calling the phone company if it reassures you that isn't going to happen again.
Marru - (((hugs )) to you too. It is hard coping on your own all the time and the desire to have someone else take over for a bit is totally natural and understandable. I hope you get some quick answers about your mum.

On an involuntary go slow today, body a bit ceased up. List untouched but 4 free bulbs arrived curtesy of edf.

Lynda - I think the house would give you more scope for keeping chickens...

1st xmas pressie finished yesterday: I've mosaiced a wall planter I found in a charity shop.
Just rediscovered £20 smith vouchers I got paid for taking part as exhibit A in the med schools final exams. Going to use it for kids books xmas pressies and nephew's birthday:j .

sophiesmum_2

Good morning frunchkins:D

(((Hugs ))) to Marru - hope you are starting to feel a little less overwhelmed, ((Hugs)))to BB - hope the body is feeling a bit rested today
(((Hugs))) for cw - You must feel better having both your boys home with you, glad the plans are falling into place without opposition. It's good that you have a good friend to confide in, really helps to offload sometimes.

(((Special hugs))) to Janey - janey hope you are feeling okay.Missing mums memory of the day.

Sorry If I have missed anyone

Plan of action for today is quick trip to town for some bargain veggies from market.
Start spring cleaning the house ready for xmas, going to declutter one room and deep clean it each weekend. Luckily we are naturally tidy and orgnised so the decluttering/tidying doesn't take long just the actual scrubbing and polishing etc. Need to nag DD to clear her bedroom, as she obviously hasn't inherited the tidy gene:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: I'm still amazed that she can spend all day quite happily mucking out horses which is strenuous dirty work - yet picking a few clothes off her floor is totally beyond her
Washing is already done:D , had to be up for 7am delivery of new dishwasher for work so stuck it in early. Just about to chuck a load of pulses, chicken pieces and veggies from fridge into slowcooker and that will be tea sorted:rolleyes:
Made banana bread, banana muffins, and banana and walnut cake for freezer last night with bananas I got reduced in asda the other night 4kg for 40p:j
Still some left so may stick the dehydrator on later for some banana chips.

Enjoy the rest of the day everyone.

Marru

sophiesmum wrote: »

(((Hugs ))) to Marru - hope you are starting to feel a little less overwhelmed,

Thanks sophiesmum and everybody else. I did feel extremely hollow and helpless yesterday evening but a lot better today. My Mum has been released from hospital. The downside is that the doctors don't know what happened and they are not going to do any more tests. But she sounded like herself and remembered what she had sent for DD for her birthday. I am going to talk to my brother to get a community nurse to visit her once a day to go and check that she is ok.

sophiesmum wrote: »

I'm still amazed that she can spend all day quite happily mucking out horses which is strenuous dirty work - yet picking a few clothes off her floor is totally beyond her

Ummm - I clean my animals, muck out at stables and do duties at college cleaning animals and then I have a cleaner to keep my house clean. Due to my money problems I have been thinking I need to let her go but the thought of finding the time and energy to keep the house as clean as she does is terrifying.

sophiesmum wrote: »

Made banana bread, banana muffins, and banana and walnut cake for freezer

OOOOOHHHHHH Just wait there will be a day when I will come and raid your freezer and pantry...

DD has just brought me bread and spread that she wants to eat so better go and do it for her. And get some breakfast for myself as well. I have a date with Bails' cats today and tomorrow so better get going.

Have a good day everybody,

Marru

whitewing

Marru,

Have lots of cuddles from the whitewing household. Sounds to me that the cleaner is a necessity at the moment. Yes, you could do the cleaning yourself, but where's the fun in that? And a magically clean house will make such a difference to your state of mind.

Hope you are able to accept what you can and can't do for your mum at the moment. I'm sure it is enough for her that you are thinking of her. She knows that you would be there if you could be.

Cw - you take care too. Glad the arrangements are going smoothly. Hope you are able to all enjoy being together, although it is such a sad time. I second contacting the phone company. Maybe they have a unlimited calls package that you could switch to, especially for when the grief strikes unexpectedly. Also I am sure that friends or family will make the call to the phone company for you, as long as you are there to give permission. Don't be afraid to ask.

Janey, I'm missing your memories too. Lots of love to you.

I shall be busily doing my other 25 qype reviews today to get the amazon voucher. Then I want to start getting my 4 year plan folder ready. It'll be a hodgepodge of random stuff to start with, but I think over the coming months it will be a useful reference/prioritising tool.

I started to have worry pangs and was panicking myself about going and getting another part time job. But DH has put his foot down and reminded me that we agreed to manage for the rest of this year, so that we could make the right decisions and not rush headlong into things like I always do. I know he's right.

Have a good weekend folks, whether you be decluttering, resting, working, moving house, buying house, studying or spending time with family and friends.

Brighton_belle

Can I second whitewing on pretty much everything please .
And good for your DH ww to help you stick to what you jointly agreed re panicking.
I'm doing better today thanks SM but will try and not do too much.
I have finally got down to doing some hse ins comparison's via the recommends of MSE. Can't put it off any longer!
Why is the anticipation of doing these things so stressful?
I've managed to get a quote that would save me £180 from my current renewal quote. It covers the same important basics and I've ensured I am not underinsured, but I have cut out 'legal expenses for personal injury claims' (mine only, not to be confused with public liability) which was previously a free addition but now they are charging for it, and the option for 24hr home emergency call out - for that, 2 yrs of this level of saving and I'll have saved what they would give me anyway.
Do any of you have these and wouldn't be without? (I won't take any comments as 'binding advice!')
I shall be so relieved when this is finally sorted.

cw18

Just taken a couple of pics to share with the girls who sent me the floral display a couple of days ago, so thought I'd share them here as well. The flowers themselves were a wonderful gesture, but the fact they remembered from a conversation months ago that my living areas are terracotta really moved me




and even the box hasn't gone to waste :rotfl:

Marru

I must be really twisted. I enjoyed looking at the flowers but got really squiffy when saw the pic of the dog...:o

There will be great film on channel 5 later this afternoon. It is called Fluke. If you are going to watch it please keep hankies at hand. I think I will watch it and then during the film "Cats and Dogs" (which is also good one) I might try to leave DD to watch that one and sneak into a bath with some chocolate. :rolleyes:

Skint_Lynne

awwww,

He is lovely, what is his name, he looks so cosy in there.