Taking control of my life

Ames

I've been naughty. I picked up a couple of bags of books on freecycle, sorry, freegle. Most of them are bog standard murder mysteries, which'll be good for when I'm not feeling good and just want some chewing gum for the brain. There were some old hardback classics too, ones I've been wanting to read. They're the style (totally worthless) that I like, I think they've got more character. It also had Human Traces by Sebastian Fawlkes, which I've wanted for ages, I've been scouring charity shops for it. So I'm a happy bunny!

I also got a big slow cooker from Asda for £7. I'm planning to rest up for a few days and make some big batches of stuff to freeze, and do it at a time when the cleaner can do the washing up. Then I've got 'ready meals' but know what's gone into them. Although I need to clear some space in the freezer first, or preferably get a second one.

Ames

A small dishwasher would be brilliant, if I could afford one, and the plumbing, and find room for it in my tiny kitchen, so practically it's just not going to happen, I really can't see how I can fit one in. Good idea though!

Ames

No tables to put one on! I've got the cooker on one worktop and the microwave on the other.

dancingfairy

Hi Ames. Can't believe the amazing things that seem to have happened since I last reas your diary. Your sister moving, organising the cleaning, a new A-Level, getting some kind MSE'rs to help you clean and organise and the fact that you can have some space from your sister for a bit.
Sounds brilliant - mad - and kind of fast moving but brilliant. Oh and I hope the trainer did give the social worker's boss a piece of her mind and good luck for Friday - not that you need luck - I would have thought it would be fairly obvious to social workers what help you need with their experience and if they ask the questions they are supposed to and listen and record the answers you actually give.
Best of Luck
df

Ames

Minilaura, I don't have a cupboard to move! I've only got three cupboards and need them all. Plus if I start doing that the council might not be happy. I'm getting a new kitchen in the next 1-6 years, and I'm planning to get them to build dishwasher space into the plans. In the meantime I think paper plates and plastic cutlery is the way to go, and just get the cleaner to do the stuff like pans.

DF, it has been a bit mad, but it's all coming together nicely. Unfortunately it's a GCSE not an A level, but I'll be applying for A levels in January to make sure I get on the course next year! And there's loads of places in Italy I want to visit so knowing a bit of the lingo will probably help (I'm saving £2 coins for weekends away in various places, I've almost got enough for my first one, but I think it's going to be Lindisfarne rather than anywhere exotic).

The health trainer's just phoned, she's making an official complaint about it! She's been given details of who to write to and stuff, she's sending me a copy of the letter so that I can make any changes to it. She's REALLY p!ssed of about it all!

Ames

Well, yesterday wasn't too good. I went to the opticians and my eyes had got a lot worse. Fine, I thought, the glasses are free. Except that Boots prices are frames only, so I'd have had to pay £55 for the lenses. So I took my prescription to Specsavers. They had a special offer on, so I got two pairs (one sunglasses), but they cost me £48. It's not too bad because I'm due the cheque from housing in the next week or two, but until I get that I'm brassic.

Then went out on the first of sister's leaving nights out. Didn't get back till 1.30, ouch, so I'm shattered today. Just have phonecalls to make though, so I can get plenty of rest.

Sister's going to Scarborough today, so she's going to bring back the throws, so that's something I don't need to buy. She's also said she'll help me put the new bed together when she comes back next weekend, which is good, I wasn't sure how I'd manage to get it done.

So, I've got to make back the £48. I've got a couple of plans for that:

1. Make sure someone else pays the petrol for moving sis to Skeggy on Sunday - I just can't afford it.
2. List stuff on ebay. If I do 10 a day then it wont be too much hassle to delete the pictures from my camera as I go. Not sure though whether to list stuff in lots or singly - for instance, all the xmassy rubber stamps together.

Ames

Haven't done much today cos of a cold starting, and aunt flo visiting. I went to the furniture charity, but they can't collect my stuff till next friday, and the new stuff's coming on Thursday. They've given me a list of other numbers to try though, so hopefully I can get someone to take it. Then there's the national charities, like RSPCA for me to try, a couple of local second hand furniture shops, and if it comes to it I'll have to get the council to take them to the tip.

Then I went to Asda and 'overspent'. I only bought fruit food wise - I've got a thread on OS about how much food I have to get over, it's here if anyone's interested: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1954483. I went for tupperware and paper plates and bowls and plastic cutlery, they're only going to be for when I'm really bad though cos they cost a fortuine! I could have bought a whole new dinner set for less! And then the 'overspend' was more of a 'redirected spend'. They had a load of stationary reduced, which I need for my courses starting next week and next month.

Next week's a busy one. Headspace course on Wed, furniture delivery and course on Thurs, SS assessment Fri. In addition, I've set myself a few challenges, mainly to help with the 12 week challenge.

1. Keep food budget to £5 - I'll only need milk, sandwich fillings, bananas so easily achievable, with some to run over to the next week when I'll need bread and juice as well.
2. List an average of 5 books on Amazon each day.
3. File/deal with paperwork as it comes.
4. Make sure I get my 5 a day - meal plan will deal with this.

I think there was more, but I can't remember...

GeorgeUK

Hey Ames, what's shaking?

Hope you're feeling a bit better with that cold.
Did you have that appointment on Friday or was that rescheduled?

Ames

Ok, I've tried updating this twice tonight and both times the computer died, hopefully it's third time lucky.

George, the cold's still grumbling along, I'm looking forward to a day resting in bed tomorrow - I've got some phonecalls to make but that's all. The appointment was supposed to be on friday, but it was rearranged so my support worker could be there, it's next friday morning instead.

Well, I've had a busy few days.

Last night we went for a lovely meal, and met dad's new girlfriend. She's really nice, we talked about loads of stuff. I don't mean to sound nasty, but I didn't think dad would do so well - he lives in a small village and doesn't get to meet many women, so his choices were really limited without internet dating. He seems really happy too, which is a bit strange after the last ten years, I'm really pleased for him.

It's strange, but mum and dad with their new partners makes me wonder what on earth they were doing together, they have nothing in common at all. It's so sad that it's taken both of them so long to be happy.

Sister wasn't too happy. She just wanted to get to the gig. We got in the car and I asked what she thought to gf, all she said was 'you'll have to floor it or we wont make it'. Apparantly she was annoyed with me - dad said after the meal we could leave, but I said we'd wait a few minutes while he went to take his insulin so that gf wasn't sitting on her own. But those five minutes were crucial...

The gig was ok, I wasn't looking forward to it. Last time sister saw them the singer asked how I was because of my facebook status about the social worker. She said to him 'Ames is fine, she's got manic depression and she's having an episode that's all'. Which usually makes people not want to know me... he was ok, but I was embarassed, so I just said hi and left asap.

I didn't get home till 2am, so didn't get much sleep before heading off to Skegness. I got to sisters and she said 'housemate hasn't brought back my bass amp, you'll have to bring it over later'. Not, would you, or when could you, or even please. Just, you will be doing this. Then we realised that the tardis button on my car didn't work, and she couldn't fit everything in. So there's another guitar, two amps, a mixing desk and clothes left to take. Sister was coming back next weekend on the train, and she's decided that she's coming back on the train and I'm taking her back on sunday with her stuff. Which !!!!!!s up my plans for the weekend. I suggested I take her stuff over and bring her back on the saturday, and she gets the train on the sunday, that way it works around my plans. But that wont work apparantly. Ah well, at least I'll save money by not going out.

Then my computer seemed to die... but thanks to the wonderful techie people on here I've fixed it with a download. I was all ready to have to buy a new one! This really is a money saving site!

scaredy_cat

Ames, you are doing her the favour, not the other way round. If she can't fit in with your plans then she'll have to make other arrangements for her stuff.
BTW, is she giving you any petrol money?