I'm going to do a diary too :)

gerbiljo

Yesterdays shopping was £50 with the voucher from the paper for tescos was going to go to asda but I lost my receipt to get £5 off so we felt the need to change!! I think this is pretty average and what to expect reallyfor the future, tho we did get something for us xmas dinner that was the only 'luxury'.

We haven't really sorted out the building much more, we tried yesterday but then made a mix of cement that was a bit runny and didn't have enough of anything else to correct it so that was a bit of a waste really. I now think we are going to struggle to get where we want to before xmas. Hopefully we can order some more bits this week and straighten our plans out a bit. Either way after that we will need to take a break so my husband can finish his qualification. Its hard now as I think were now getting to the stage where we would just like it done....

Our little cat is still unwell. He just hasn't improved fully, I think this is causing a degree of stress too for us (as well as him). I think he might have to go to a specialist if he needs surgery as I do not want to risk (as much as possible) anything going wrong. I think this stressed my husband out yesterday as the animals are very much mine rather than his- most of them I had before I met him. I said to him yesterday if he goes we could easily end up with a £3k bill and he wasn't too happy, because we have so many we've always said we wouldn't go too silly but now the time comes I don't really care how much it costs I just want him better. £3K to me is one months payment and working another month if it means he is better is nothing. I am still hoping that he will heal but I am going to try and get more info on my options for him in the next week. He is only 9 years old so could easily have 10 years left and as he is healthy in every other way and could make a full recovery I feel the risk is justified At the end of the day we are not poor, we are making ourselves restricted by our mortgage target and on weighing it up my boy has to come first.

We are still going to do a financial plan at some point, time is just flying at the mo (for a change) especially the weekends!! Oh a quick update on the house insurance, we actually got it for £188 because of building it excluded some parts of the policy so another £50 saved....result - that can go towards the cat!!

gerbiljo

Oh there are some building materials on ebay super cheap ending tonight we need, wish us luck with the bid

Sepa74

Sorry to hear about the kitty. Mine looked like she was edging towards diabetes, but a change of diet seems to have helped. They certainly worm their way into their heart, don't they, and suddenly all those ideas of 'not going silly' just fly out the window!

But if you feel she needs surgery, I would think about taking her to a different vet for a second opinion first. I know it will be extra expense and your own vet may feel it a betrayal, but vets are the classic case where their level of knowledge is so beyond yours that it's very hard to feel like you can 'sense check' what they are telling you.

All the 'vet' sites I've looked at on the internet have been complete rubbish and no help at all with either telling me what is wrong with my cat or what a sensible treatment would be.

They are also highly incentivised to encourage expensive treatment (it directly increases their pay packet!) and with so many people having pet insurance these days there is very little check on the cost of treatment going up and up and up.

I hope your puddy is OK and doesn't have to have the nasty surgery

gerbiljo

Where is the time going at the mo?? We pulled up some leeks the other day, have about 50 that should last us a year, i just need to get around to cleaning and cutting them and freezing them before they are no good!! We have also got a bit keen on the disney cars toys and a 3 for 2 offer the other day has allowed us about £25 damage.

An update on ebay we got all the building materials wahey, £20 will do all the lintels we need would have been about £200 min otherwise and some pipes for the cat room under floor heating for 99p which would have been about £50 and we will probably have some over. I also got my daughter some riding boots and jodphurs for about £25 total which again was naughty and also some quilt patches as I've decided I am going to make her a patchwork quilt to go in her new room, hopefully it can be my project when my hubby is studying.

On the downside I will have a rather expensive vet bill. Sepa I always like to keep it secret as otherwise my life is plagued by people wanting advice (!) but my job is indeed the 'V' word, hence acquiring such a stupid amount of animals. Unfortunately my cats condition is very severe and I have never had one as bad of this and so I have had to seek advice from a number of specialists and today I have left him at the referral centre for investigation. Basically his willy is too narrow and so he is only urinating in spurts and is bladder is getting over full. The last 19 days I have been medicating him and having to check, empty his bladder and I have to say it has taken its toll to the extent I am now losing sleep (never happens) and I am starting to feel ill, it has made me feel like I can never go away again and leave him anyone as he is so high maintenance. I have had him since he was a week old and bottle fed him milk for 6weeks (and his brother and sisters) and to say I am attached to him is an understatement. Anyway i spoke to a surgeon yesterday and he is going to find out if he has a narrowing/ scar tissue etc what exactly the issue is. Typically he did some weeing today and I almost reconsidered but he has still not managed to empty his bladder. He basically might need a penile amputation or possibly for a metal tube to be inserted up his willy to keep the hole open, ideally this should reduce the incidence of recurrence perhaps meaning I can get back to normality!! My daughter has also been ill and my parents panic so she has been at work with me and it has caused some tension as I think they think I'm putting my daughter after my cat but of course the has a life threatening condition whereas my daughter has a cold. Anyway he needs lots of tests first, the worse case scenario is looking about.....fffffffff£5k. Its a bit scary and I told my hubby maybe £3k so I have had to apply for another credit card.... I could probably do some of it myself to keep down the costs and they said I can get him home asap and do any treatment etc but I just don't want to do the surgery, it could be very difficult and I get too emotional, i have done that kind of thing on dogs and ferrets but I really don't need the pressure. Its actually been liberating to drop off my cat hopefully with someone who is hopefully going to 'fix' him. The money is huge but once I paid £14k for a car, £5k for cosmetic surgery, many a thing I've wasted my money on and I truly do not think I will ever see this as a waste. I am just praying really he makes a full recovery and I will miss him so very much as well as will the rest of the family including his feline bro's. My husband said I can do it and I feel bad for him as we scrimp on everything and now I am well and truly blowing the budget. We could have had a lovely holiday, new car, finished the extension......but I'd rather have my cat what can I say!! One good thing about my job is I don't have profit related pay so i always get to put the animals interests first, I have been offered it and I'd probably get more as I am relatively badly paid for what I do and my level of experience but I except it as my work is quiet and I couldn't cope with a higher level of stress!!

Anyway I guess thats why you should have a contingency!!! Luckily I also have a good credit rating, failing that a good family who are richer than me who know how much I love my cat....wish us luck!! It seems silly now to add to this my weekly food shop etc but I guess we have to try and keep it all up or things will get out of control!!

vl2588

*hugs for Den*

gerbiljo

Woohoo my cat is home and weeing. He managed with the simpler operation, and from the sounds of it it was inevitable, he had an abnormal urethra, the total £2.5k... but I am so happy and relieved to have him home, it was worth every penny, its made me think about things a lot and put money into perspective. it has been such a hard couple of weeks with him being unwell and my daughter being a bit poorly and whingy and various other family issues its sometimes hard to look at the bigger picture.

I spoke to my boss lately and I was taking my daughter to preschool and picking up my cat and he was annoyed that I was leaving work (I do a split shift, finishing when I'm finished and coming back later, sometimes I'm there all day sometimes much less) even though everything was done. To cut a long story short I felt I had to make a decision between taking my daughter to preschool and work and I chose the former so I have just handed in my notice. i hope I can get some work for the new year I am hoping to finish end of december. I am not worried and I do hope to keep to my challenge but time will tell. I have sacrificed so many parts of my daughters childhood for my inflexible job but I want to take her to school, meet the mums, know who her friends are and how she's getting on I felt the line was overstepped for me. It would be sooooo easy to keep going but I guess it was the straw which broke the camels back!!

We will have a good financial sort out and try and make some rough plans, the signature might get a bit distorted but time will tell. Heres to a new start in 2012!!

uzubairu

I am sure you will be OK.All those months spent agonising over what was the right thing to do and the current circumstances have helped you come to probably the right decision for you and your family.


You've made an amazing start so far which will still benefit you enourmously.
There is no point in racing towards mortgage-freedom at the exclusion of having a life.


Good luck with your future plans and I'll still keep looking in.


My OH suffered with a problem with his waterworks for many years (at least 15 visits a day- a trickle at a time). After his op last year, normal service was resumed and he was like a kid with a new toy.
When I told him about your cat he fully understood the pain it was suffering.

Sepa74

Glad the puddy is well! And now I know who to turn to when I need impartial advice about my cats...lol there is no avoiding it! But I promise it will only be when I'm desperate!

Sorry about your job, but as you say, sick cats and sick daughters and quitting difficult jobs are what contingency money is for. Fingers crossed you get a great, super-flexible job asap!

gerbiljo

Firstly my cat is doing really well, he's obviously still a bit sore but loads of weeing being done, he seems happy too tho I guess he'll be happier when he is out of the cage and back with his bros.

Yes I think the thing is I seem to deliberate over things for ages and then make an impulsive decision. I think really the outcome is the same, had I of asked to collect my daughter he would have said no and so I guess at least I have got to the end of the year. Next september she would move onto mornings so that would have required more exceptions and it wouldn't have worked. I have always wanted to have a life and friend basis outside of my job and with my antenatal group it didn't work I guess because they met up when I was at work and on maternity leave money was just so tight I didn't even top up my phone so I never joined in text conversations etc. One of my main issues also has been if I get pregnant again, last time all my grief with work as I am the sole person at my branch was operating and x-raying plus working nights alone. The first time I was pregnant I carried on as I didn't want to make waves and then miscarried. The second time because I put my foot down it caused major issues with my old boss tho my current boss was well aware as he ran other branches. One of the reasons we have waited for the second baby is my husband and I decided that if they would continue to make me operate/ X-ray then I would walk so we didn't have to go through all this grief again, which would mean I would lose any maternity pay hence the baby coming after being mortgage free. Anyway at least i do not have to worry about that now. I had always said I wanted to be at the gate when she left school and I think the fact that our daughters preschool is within the school I feel like if I'm not around now I'll be a bit out of it when school starts, it just happened slightly sooner than planned.

My notice has been accepted, that is really what I expected, no one is irreplaceable. So I just have to wait for him to confirm my last day either 31st dec or 6th jan I have requested 31st so I get a new year to start a fresh, plus I am actually off on holiday from the 23rd, so I'd have little over a month to go!!! We shall see. I have enquired about an agency job for nights, 7 on 7 off its local too and actually starts 28th dec so either way it could be worked, its ongoing so I am really hoping this will work out. I have decided to do nights as I think then I can still take my daughter to preschool and we can have dinner together as a family before I go, my husband falls asleep early most nights anyway! The plan really is to do it for 1 year- if I do it for a year then we can consider the second baby and our plans don't really have to change, therefore in my mind I only have to do it 26 times. If this doesn't work out I will speak to another practice that have offered me a job before and aim for 3 days (tho I did turn it down so not sure how keen they'll be) and do some of the nights with another night clinic that send me jobs weekly anyway and they pay £375 a night. My pre tax salary is £3300, so I will do enough work to aim for this so we can keep on the challenge, I will have to sort out my own tax and pay some sort of insurance so I will research this in the week. We shall see, perhaps it will give me more confidence, I was rotting where I was but I'll miss the girls especially one which has been such a support to me I feel like I am letting her down a bit.

Anyway on the up we have sorted out a financial plan to clear the imminent debt which is now 5K on the sainsburys card (cheers denz ) and £666 we still owe the referral centre. My husband an I have got 2 new cards on the way, he has a barclays I have an M&S (perhaps it will be harder to get these now!!) All new spending will have to go on these for the mo. We might have a bit of cash over to pay off the sainsburys card. This month we will reduce the sainsburys card by £2500 and discard it then clear it last month on my official last pay packet. This month £900 off the mortgage so we can nicely rest at a sub £40k balance, I would be very frustrated to sit above it, 30 something sounds so much better!! Not sure of mortgage plans for next month will see what work I have lined up, if there is none then I will have to accept a break for being a LOL (lady of leisure !!) we shall see, I have faith . The sainsburys card need to be cleared by march so that I class as urgent.

The other cards we have are my barclays which is now £3.5k -cheers denz this is not up until OCT 2012 (grr beyond the original MF date!!) if I don't have work then obviously this will need paying off but If I do I will prob start clearing it in June so we have a few months leeway as before I was going to clear it after being MF ideally....anyway. Then we will just have these two new cards which aren't up until 2013 and I expect they will be maxed. Anyway looking on the bright side for a change!

As far as contingency my sister is also leaving her job she has been at for years though she is getting a 65k redundancy package unlike my nothing hehe and she has said that she would pay off my cards if we get in a mess bless her she said that to get me to leave my job I think as she has thought for ages I shouldn't be doing it.

Anyway on the up yesterday we got about £200 building materials for £21 plus petrol so prob another £15, including underfloor heating for my beautiful cats when they're new room is done. We only spent £40 on food yesterday at sainsbury too, I think I might get a TNS voucher this week . We did sneak in smyths tho lured by the 3 for 2 cars 2 die cast models, and got another 6, 5 we have so one duplicate which it seems will go on ebay for about £7-8 so 'profit' wish us luck!! Free listing too.

I think thats about it, hopefully will have some new of a job soon and can update with new plans roll on 2012!!

vl2588

The cats will LOVE underfloor heating

Plans are coming together aren't they?