Live on £4000 for a Year, 2009 Challenge, part 2

ald65

Hi Lilac lady

Indian Summer [sorry cant remember author!] is a fab inspirational read -and not too heavy

whitewing

"Everything I've Ever Done That Worked" is a quite thought-provoking book.

And the trusty old "Chicken Soup for the soul" series.

Brighton_belle

hello all: another big welcome to aeb: everyone has said so well what I might do, that I can only echo their sentiments. This forum is life enhancing, supporting and changing. Please stick around.
ram: a rough week for you - treat your self gently.

I had a wonderful visit to bails on Thursday:first of all she picked me up from the station and we went back to her place where I met her menagerie and she fed me a luscious lunch. The we went to her gorgeous gym (warm yellow stone old manor house converted) were I had my first ever sauna/jacusi and steam room experience. The heat took my breath away but I did enjoy it. After the steam room we even did the 'rubbing yourself over with ice after' bit:eek:. We also had a swim. The jacusi was hilarious particularly, and we made a pact to refuse to look at all the places it was wobbling that we'd rather it wasn't:D. Talked incessantly which resulted in forgetting the time and a tense dash for my return train which I caught by the skin of my teeth. Total fab day.

I took my camera especially to take a photo of her dog for you all and completely forgot as we were talking so much:D. Saw all the potential in her garden though for next years veggie growing.

Bails sends her love to everyone. She's doing well and is really busy at the mo so hasn't had so much time to be online recently.

I've read everyone's posts and know that some of you are carrying a load at this time. All of life is represented here really isn't it. The good and the difficult, the joys and the losses.
Michelle - I know this is virtually impossible, but look after yourself the best you can, if you know exhaustion is at the root of not being well at the mo. I think having very young children and working can be enormously demanding.
Great to hear from you whitewing.

Lots of practical jobs to do today so better get started...need to menu plan for the week ahead and update my accounts and get down to working on some clock designs, as I have a willing buyer for one:j. I also need to be completely ruthless with 2 shelves worth of paperwork bumf. I'd like to just not even look at it and put it straight in a bin bag but can't quite bring myself to do that:o. We need the space though.

savingfortravel

Hi Everyone
Just stopping for a 5 min rest.
Really keen to catch up on posts, especially all the messages for aeb, so lovely everyone is offering support and advice..what a great bunch you all are.
EFC-Thanks for message x
Michelle-Thanks for your message too. Please look after yourself...you sound exhausted. Be really strict with yourself and rest. xx
Our day has consisted of visiting the bank to organise moving finances, organising a storage room to put our possessions. Phoning estate agent to insist on moving in during half term (if we don't we will pick up the keys when we've exchanged and then move our stuff from container one weekend)-at least we've tried for half term. We have someone from freecycle picking up our bedstand (will buy new one), single bed and 2 wardrobes (fitted in cottage). They say they are setting up a house. Who knows, but we need them to go. My sister and partner are coming over with a van later so we can start taking larger items to container. Will continue to do so tomorrow and Mr SFT has Monday off too. So things are moving along. Had a good old cry this morning..just to relieve me of stress..I wasn't unhappy as such and now feel better.

Take care all. SFT

BB-Wow! I am so pleased you visited Bails, am I right in thinking that was one of your 101? Congrats..you are making fantastic changes/improvements to your life...love reading about it. Bails is so lovely and I'd love to visit one day (invite please). Has her husband's post been confirmed??
Whitewing-Thanks for your messages-Such wise words as always
Lilac Lady-What did you pick up from the library?
Skint Lynne-What about a 4k convention near Nyks? Now I'd definitely be up for that!

bails

Invite duly granted SFT And I'd be up for a 4k convention too!

Hello everyone! :hello::hello: I've only read this page (and have no hope of catching up) and seem to have picked up that there's lots of bad things happening at mo - I'm really sorry to read that and am sending hugs to everyone who needs one.

Life is crazy busy and not abating any time soon but just wanted to show my face at least. Had a lovely time with BB as she's said, always a pleasure, and hopefully we can catch up again in a few weeks when I'm next in Brighton?

Showing someone round the house (which needs tidying!) tomorrow so hopefully they'll rent the place, trying to cram for my final sign language exams on Monday, visiting my best friend Tues-Thurs and shopping for hol, Masters, packing and a wedding to fit in before an early flight to Sardinia Sunday! PHEW! OH has flown out this morning to crew the yacht and I'll be joining him for the second week, really can't wait! :j

Unfortunately he didn't get either of the placements which is such a shame but we're going anyway, to Nepal for 5 months then 3 months travelling back overland - Tibet, China, Mongolia, Russia - bizarrely a replica of a trip we started planning years ago to do in 2009 and then had to scrap due to lack of funds! Isn't it wonderful how these things come around anyway?

I wish you all happiness and look forward to catching up with you again once I'm back from Sardinia xxx

bails

Oh, having read a few pages back, I just had to post again to say aeb, my heart goes out to you completely, I'm so sorry to read about your husband and WOW, how amazing are you!! I say, scrap the 4k meet in Scotland (and those of you who know me know I wouldn't pass up a visit to Scotland lightly!), let's get a working party over to wherever it is that you are. I'll happily lend you my very skilled OH and I'm sure between us we could cover most aspects - DIY, childminding, massage, financial advice, batchcooking, baking, cups of tea. With the skills of this lot on here we'd have you sorted in no time!
In the meantime, sending you masses of hugs and absolute respect xxx

Ram, so sorry to hear of your losses too :grouphug:and I hope you enjoy your birthday x

SFT, Whitewing said exactly what I was going to -we all experience different stresses/difficulties at different times and all are valid and important. Gutted for you that things aren't going smoothly, in time it will be a memory but for now have a big hug x

Skint_Lynne

savingfortravel wrote: »

Hi Everyone
Just stopping for a 5 min rest.
Really keen to catch up on posts, especially all the messages for aeb, so lovely everyone is offering support and advice..what a great bunch you all are.
EFC-Thanks for message x
Michelle-Thanks for your message too. Please look after yourself...you sound exhausted. Be really strict with yourself and rest. xx
Our day has consisted of visiting the bank to organise moving finances, organising a storage room to put our possessions. Phoning estate agent to insist on moving in during half term (if we don't we will pick up the keys when we've exchanged and then move our stuff from container one weekend)-at least we've tried for half term. We have someone from freecycle picking up our bedstand (will buy new one), single bed and 2 wardrobes (fitted in cottage). They say they are setting up a house. Who knows, but we need them to go. My sister and partner are coming over with a van later so we can start taking larger items to container. Will continue to do so tomorrow and Mr SFT has Monday off too. So things are moving along. Had a good old cry this morning..just to relieve me of stress..I wasn't unhappy as such and now feel better.

Take care all. SFT

BB-Wow! I am so pleased you visited Bails, am I right in thinking that was one of your 101? Congrats..you are making fantastic changes/improvements to your life...love reading about it. Bails is so lovely and I'd love to visit one day (invite please). Has her husband's post been confirmed??
Whitewing-Thanks for your messages-Such wise words as always
Lilac Lady-What did you pick up from the library?
Skint Lynne-What about a 4k convention near Nyks? Now I'd definitely be up for that!

Yep, sounds good to me, I would be up for that, apparently there are a lot of good B & B's near Nyk's place, so it would even be nice to stay overnight so that a weekend could be made of it. I don't know what the area would make of it, a load of frugalers decending on it.:D

cw18

bails wrote: »

I say, scrap the 4k meet in Scotland (and those of you who know me know I wouldn't pass up a visit to Scotland lightly!), let's get a working party over to wherever it is that you are. I'll happily lend you my very skilled OH and I'm sure between us we could cover most aspects - DIY, childminding, massage, financial advice, batchcooking, baking, cups of tea.

No OH to lend out from here, but ........

I have some (limited) experience of plastering and tiling

I can "hold my own" when it comes to painting, wallpapering, putting up shelves (that stay up), putting up curtain rails (that stay up - unlike Dad's), making the curtains (to put on them), laying carpets, installing kitchen units (not appliances or worktops though), changing existing socket / switches / light fittings, changing taps, installing shower screens over baths, and fitting (through tiles!) all the bathroom essentials such as loo roll holders......

And I like to think I'm pretty good at entertaining young children too -- just not as keen on them once they hit their stroppy teenage years :rolleyes:




Been busy batch cooking for the freezer today.... bought veg to make a soup a couple of days back, and had some leeks and celery still to use. So before DS got up I made a batch of Bolognese Sauce (substituted leek for the normal onion, and threw in some celery and some diced carrot I'd forgotten was still 'tray freezing' - I use the ice compartment bit for this - so 6 portions of that in the freezer now. And I'm currently keeping an eye on a batch of beef stew (more leek, celery and carrots in this), which DS isn't keen on but I'll have with a jacket potato when he has curry (which I can't stand).

Later tonight I need to make up a batch of curry, but will use half of that tomorrow for both DS's (before elder one goes back to base) and only have a couple of portions left to freeze. Need to do it tonight as I'm out tomorrow from around 9:30am-4:30pm, and elder DS is leaving between 5 & 6pm - so this way the boys can reheat the curry and cook the rice before I get back if needed.

Also have a cauli I need to get into the freezer -- but I'm going to be struggling for space even though I've taken out the mince, mushrooms, carrots, stewing beef and chicken to do all this cooking Why, oh why - when I've been pulling meals out it all month - do my freezers still look as full as they did at the start of May given I've hardly put anything into it apart from 2 portions of fish in butter sauce, 7 portions of soup, 3 garlic baguettes, 6 small bread rolls, half a loaf of bread, 8 portions of salmon, 4 burgers (2 already used), a bag of sweetcorn (now opened), 4 tubs of tomato & mascarpone sauce, a couple of dozen ice-pops......

bails

Sorry CW, didn't mean to be insensitive. WOW, what a lot of skills you have, you can definitely join the working party :T I'm ashamed to say I'm probably best as Chief Tea Maker, although if the kids suddenly morphed into those stroppy teenagers I'm your woman
:rotfl:at the freezer multiplication, I have a similar problem (and we're moving out next month )

cw18

bails wrote: »

Sorry CW, didn't mean to be insensitive.

Don't worry - you weren't......

You wouldn't have wanted my DH in a working party anyway -- he always minded the kids (until he could escape to the pub) and left me to the DIY

As for accumulated skills, my Dad believes a member of the fairer sex should be as able to be self-sufficient as anyone. To that end, as soon as I passed my driving test, he booked me (and my Mum) on a Car Maintainance for Beginners course at night school....... which means if you have a much older vehicle (ie. not all electrical) I can add changing plugs and points to my list :rolleyes: A fair number of the other skills (painting, papering, drilling, electrical and plumbing) have all been learned from him as well -- thankyou Dad :kisses3:



Actually, an exchange of skills in return for a weekend away (with food cooked for you) sounds a fabulous idea :j