Daffy's 'a nice cup of tea cheers you up' diary

Cheery_Daff

Aha, that's a link, I was trying to post a picture! Let's try again...

[oops - had to edit it out, it's enormous!!!! :rotfl: just follow the link....]

makeup

Love the bunting!! Very 70s fabulous! And suitably Cheery.


You asked about the lodger, well I got an email today from a friend from the past. It was a round robin type, not directly to me and she is doing her PGCE at the Uni down the road from me and looking for somewhere to live.

I had vaguely thought of it as a way to get some extra cash in - my budget is tight and I'm still paying off both student loan and I owe my folks some cash as well.

However it seemed good timing as it would presumably just be for a year while she does her PGCE and I know her (although not well). Prob good in terms of not knowing well as if it all went horribly wrong and we ended on not speaking terms it wouldn't really matter. And also means we have different circles of friends so quite seperate.

Ideally would love to have flat on my own but on a practical level that extra cash for a year would be really welcome.....

boredofbeingathome

Cheery_Daff wrote: »

Just trying an experiment, cos I've never managed to do this before...

Would you like to see a picture of my cheery camper van bunting?? (don't get excited, it's not actually *in* the camper van!) :rotfl:

Won't look until i can get some camper van action NOt that i have a thing about camper vans:whistle::rotfl:

beanielou

Love the cushions

beanielou

GReat idea on lodger make up.
I had a lodger while she did her probationary year & she is a great friend now IYSWIM(dident know her before)

MrsMoo2U

Cheery, that bunting is lovely. Makeup took the words out of my mouth. Very seventies. I too declare a love of VW campervans. Always wanted one well, at least since my first ever job when my boss had an original and we used to go to the veg markets in the early mornings in it. It wasnt so fashionable to have one in those days, but have recently diverted my attentions to a landrover as it seems to be more attainable. I could never cope with the repairs on a campervan.

Sorry Cheery I wasnt trying to down play the phd. It does sound truly difficult. I am sure if I was left to my own devices I probably would be distracted (oh there is a song in there!)too. Once you have it finished though you can look forward to being free.

Pippilongstocking

Morning

At home today (hurray) but lots to do - there's a mountain of post in there to sort out etc - so today has to be productive

And writing something towards a literature review would also be good!

Fabulous bunting love the pinking edges

MAKEUP Lodgers - mines have all be great - and both girls I had are now close chums - I'd say go for it Makeup - be clear on the rules and enjoy the company - I was really glad of the money and the time did fly past - I directed all of my lodger money at my debt - so rather than it being sucked in to normal stuff - when I got a bit 'oh I want my own space' about things - I'd look at the balance of things going down.........................

Cheery_Daff

BOB, you'll be waiting a while if you won't look til there's a campervan - it's not *my* van (sadly!), and it's not in the post yet, and the person it's going to is as idle as me, so it probably won't even get put up til next year, and she'll probably never take a photo of it at all! :rotfl:

The lodger does indeed sound like the Very Thing makeup! :T And Fay has some good advice :j Especially to put the money towards something special, and not get into the habit of feeling like it's necessary and you therefore can't do without it...

Cherisong, what on earth was your job if you were driving round fruit and veg markets in a VW camper?? Sounds like my ideal job! :rotfl: (and like something Fay would do!) :j OOh, and I never thought you were trying to play down the PhD at all, where did you get that idea?? Hope it was nothing I said! just have a bit of a bee in my bonnet about it at the minute... Pah!

Looooon day here, up at 6 to get the train to work, did PhD stuff on the train, worked 9-5, more PhD on the train, cycled 10 miles to and from stations (in the sunshine, along the river and through the park, so I can't really complain :rotfl:), and this evening I've done nothing other than drunk lots of tea, ate a nice tea that Mr Daffs made for me, and the pair of us put the world to rights :j

Now he's working on the blinds for the van, and I'm running a bath :j :j Not because I *want* to, mind you, but because I *have* to, you see, because I need to seal round the edge of the bath, and I'm reliably informed that the *only* way to do it is to fill the bath with water first, because if you do it when empty, the first time you get in the bath later, it'll pull the seal off. And there's no earthly point filling the bath with cold water, and if you're going to fill it with hot water you might as well get in it and have a laze around first :rotfl:

Did I justify that enough??? :j

makeup

Fay - thanks for the tips about the lodger plan.

I've now really come round to the idea. My friend rang me this afternoon and we discussed things and I think it will work out well.

I got on well with her when we worked together (about 8 yrs ago) and she has similar ideas about how things would work (she's cool with going over Xmas as my family are down, she isn't going to bring all her goods & chattels - just what she needs for her day to day stuff).

Anyway she's going to have a look at the room next week.

I've got so much to do, another friend is coming to stay on Saturday as she's in the middle of buying a flat and it is held up so I've got to clear the room for her....

Plus my housewarming is Saturday as well so need to be set for that!

Aargh!

Cheery, can't believe you've been up since 6am and are still going. Big respect!

Cheery_Daff

Anyway, been having a few financial (and other) ponderings during the course of the day...

I have a casual job at a local university, doing note taking in lectures for deaf students and people who can't take their own notes. I love it, it's great fun, and it's well paid for that kind of work (just under £11 an hour). It's only term time, and there's no guaranteed hours, but they're pretty good at finding you work if you want it...

So term will be starting again at the end of September, and I was wondering what to do... The past couple of years I've taken on roughly 5 hours a week (on the same day, usually takes up a whole day as it depends who is in need of what and when), which works out about £200-250 a month - which can obviously be put to good use! I was half planning to do the same thing again this year (and I'd like to because it's cheery too...), but I think I've decided not to...

You see... (and here's me justifying things again - more to myself than anything!)... there's 18 weeks left til the beginning of Christmas week :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

I want this damn PhD done before Christmas. I already work 2 days a week, in a job that pays me more than the casual one, (plus holiday pay too! :rotfl:) They've also asked if I'd like to do more work with them - so there's the prospect of another couple of days a week, possibly full time if I could handle it, which would pretty much double my income. BUT I can't do that until the PhD is finished...

SO - I'm going to say no to the cheery notetaking, and forego that extra bit of cash in order to concentrate on the phd. Pah!

BUT... I WILL get it finished before Christmas I WILL! So that gives me 18 weeks :eek: In those 18 weeks I also have a few (easily attainable) financial goals:

- pay off the rest of what I owe to Mr Daffs (by end of October probably)
- pay off rest of fees (will be done by the beginning of October)
- save up enough for a cheery fortnight or more away over Christmas :j :j :j (Ideally around £500 - a ludicrous amount to spend on what will probably turn out a fairly 'frugal' holiday but that'll include travel, cheery holiday cottage by the sea or something, and all food, entertainment, spending money, cups of tea and cakes in cafe for over a fortnight...)
- sort out all household bills (gas, electric, phone, mobiles, mortgage etc) and sort out me paying more of a 'fair' share
- investigate sticking fingers in many pies at work for the new year and hopefully have an extra couple of days a week lined up for early 2011...

(oh, and the usual losing a couple of stone, redecorating the entire house, growing a fabulously productive all year round vegetable garden, that kind of thing) :rotfl:

Hmm - fewer baths and more work is needed I reckon! :eek:

<ponders>