New year, New me (finally)

thrifty_fifty

Morning!

Things to report....

Training was really good yesterday. Trainer asked if anyone wanted to stand up in front of the group to present their ideas. I said that I was scared to so it was probably something I should do. I stood at the front hot and shakey, but the guy recommended holding a pad of paper and a pen, like a shield and sword and this would stop the nerves. It did! made sure I made eye contact with everyone, and spoke slowly and clearly (part of the reason I get nervous, is because I have a really quiet voice, and I get really scared that no-one will be able to hear me)

I'm really proud of myself for doing that.

I don't know how anyone else feels about this, but I get the impression that whatever job I have, management don't like me because I query things and challenge old systems-just because it has been working for the last 20yrs doesn't mean it is the most efficient way of doing things. Grrr.

Anyway had to cart home a bunch of drunk boys home last night at midnight after waiting around for them to finish their post quiz beer and fags.

Car has started to do some odd things. The display that tells the time, date, temperature has been fading all week. Last night it didn't come up atall, and when i got into the car the cd came on. Spooky thing was I hadn't even got the key in the ignition, or had the cd on atall yesterday.

Suggested we pop the jump leads in the car just incase we come back to a flat battery. Old cars, they don't cost much, but I'm discovering you need to keep a pot of 3-£400 aside all the time incase something needs replacing.

This year so far

Shattered shock absorber at the front, cut through the tyre. Replacement tyre, shock absorber, front brake discs allignment, balancing etc etc. £350

service £150, work to be done-rear drums, anti roll bar, steering wheel alignment. £312.

And now the weird electrical goings on and it's doing a weird thing where when you disengage the clutch from 2nd gear it shakes like it's going to stall.

And this is a car that has been well looked after, had everything it has ever needed done to it, since it was bought. It seems to like to have £800 worth of work spent on it each year. And if we can't drive it away from the garage we have to get it fixed as we live in a village on an 8 mile drive into work, not serviced by a bus route.

Anyway enough moaning. The Outnet £1 sale today. If i actually manage to get through the till with something, or even get onto the website before it crashes, it will be a miracle.

I'm hoping for a nice Alexander Mcqueen bag or an Oscar De La Renta ball gown. Fingers crossed.

xxx

thrifty_fifty

Grrr this is so frustrating. server error, server error. Get onto the item page, try and put it in my basket, server error. finally after three hours get the item into my basket put card details in, server error. Grrrrr. Go back 'sorry the outnet is really busy today please try again in a few minutes. Check email inbox to see if it went through, nothing, try and check online banking to see if charged, online banking down.


AAAAAAGGGGGHHHHH.

Blood pressure 3 million and 55

thrifty_fifty

Well thrifty, should you give up? Did you really think you were going to get a £350 dress for £1. I'm not atall lucky when it comes to things like this, competitions, anything.

Who was I kidding?

thrifty_fifty

OK, officially given up. Not wasting any more of my day sat looking at server errors and waiting for the little green progress bar to go across. Congratulations to all those who got their steals-MSE fantastic dress originally £2500, going for £1.

thrifty_fifty

Oh well it's over and I got nothing.

Wasn't meant to be. Going to console myself with icecream and chocolate now.

thrifty_fifty

Well it looks as though my suspicions about the car were correct. OH has just driven into town with it (not taking the jump leads as advised). Got in it to come home and it wouldn't start, then it did start and cut out on him. Then everything seemed ok, going up the long hill to come out of town, wouldn't go into first gear, then wouldn't go into second. He's now waiting to be recovered to the garage, where there will no doubt be another £400 bill.

So here I am listing my prized possessions on ebay, to try and finally get a good way into clearing this crap. Dodgy clutch, gearbox and now won't start? We can't afford a new car (when I say new I mean 0-£1500), what a ruddy nightmare.

We had the thing off OH parents back in september when the other one gave up, in the first month the shockabsorber shattered and unwound, doing all that damage, then the service costs, and now this.

I wouldn't mind but we don't drive recklessly, never bump it up a curb, dry steer it, anything. I've never know so much car trouble in all my life, as when we have had french cars.

Clio-replacement gear box, random electrical faults, and blew more bulbs than a Christmas tree.

Renault Laguna- gear box went

Peugeot 406-all of the above.

I think there is a pattern here, and a lesson- stay away from french motor vehicles. Grrrr

thrifty_fifty

Call from OH. Sounds like the clutch bearing has sheared off. Fabulous.

Car is now in a garage and he has to get a bus and taxi home with the weeks shop.

My questions to OH.

2 months ago- 'the clutch pedal seems to be sticking in, might be on its way out'
It's fine, just lift it out with your foot.

And now the above situation.

My questions to OH today

'did you tell the recovery guy about the random fading dashboard display and cd player coming on by itself with no key in the ignition' (because although i don't know much about cars, weird things like that in an old car are premonitions of a dodgy alternator)

OH. 'No'

me 'have you sent off your paperwork to the IR for overpayment of tax (they owe him around £600, going back to 2004). 'I'm still gathering some bits together'

Those bits are basically telling IR that he cannot get a p60 from a recruitment agency because the company went bust. He has been needing to mention this from when we first moved in here, 18 months ago.

Why are men so bliddy laid back. When there are warning signs that something is going to go wrong, heed them. When you have had £600 owed to you for over 4 years, get on it, especially when we keep having to go to his father for money for car repairs. I could just ruddy well scream at him sometimes.

Ok I'm a worrier, but when I had my car it went for oil changes twice a year, I replaced the spark plugs before each winter and never let the petrol run below the quarter mark. I had that car for three years and in all that time, it started first time everyday, it never broke down on me, I never had a bill for it for more than £70.

Although we have just planted out the allotment, I think we have discovered that you need to have a fair spot of money behind you before moving out to the country. We may have to move back to the city and have a cheap little run around. Then if the car does need any major work that we can't afford, we can walk into work and save the money up.

Will someone up there please throw us a bone? Every single month since we moved in here there has been something. Blocked drain because those flushable wipes weren't so flushable afterall. Broken window, when OH drunkely swatted a fly. Washing machine repairs, car repairs, exam fees, birthdays, christmas and everything else in between.

Sorry for my moan, but I'd just be grateful for one month where nothing goes wrong.

thrifty_fifty

OH arrived back from his mile walk after getting off the bus. Bless him his spirits are low, but so is his discipline.

£15 spent on olives and proscuitto amongst others. Snacky treats at £15??

To try and lift the gloom I worked out the weekly shop, and if we are sensible and use stuff up that is already in the house and go to the market, this should come to £6.85.

He looked less than impressed with my offerings. When the food is quite heavily veg based he wants more meat in there, when it is quite stodgy he wants more veg. I can't win!! What he needs to understand is, so that in the future we have money for cars needing to be repaired etc etc, we need to cut back, to get into a better financial position.
If not willing to make small sacrifices -like the various pickled items and meats to go on a salad (me myself can live on tomatoes, lettuce, spinach and peppers), then how will anything change?

I find it so easy to stick to a healthy and CHEAP eating plan myself, but for OH it always has to be something out of a cookery book that requires expensive cheeses and creams and basically anything but what we already have in the cupboard.

I really don't want to have to move back to the city, because that will inevitably mean getting involved in every single social event, and we will probably end up spending £80 a week on carp. Beers and snacks and pizzas and rustlers burgers. All rubbish but when you do those snack stops they inevitably end up costing upwards of £20 a time. It's these frequent small expenditures that eat the money up.

I'll be damned if I'm going to sell all of my shoes to fund a lifestyle of rustlers burgers, no holidays or house deposit and cheap ale.

Mightily frustrated at the mo!

thrifty_fifty

Lat moan I promise. If one more person asks if I ship to Hungary!!!! I don't, I've clearly labelled it as UK bidders only

thrifty_fifty

I'm not so moany now. Early night in preparation for the 2.1/2 mile walk to the next village where the bus stops. Collecting the car tomorrow

Then onto the allotment to sow carrots, parsnips and radishes. I have a feeling I will sleep very well tomorrow.

Nighty night.

xx