museumworker's quest to consign mortgage to history!

museumworker

just booked a first appointment for acupuncture assessment at clinic - Sunday morning at 8.30am :eek:! Better make sure I get an early night on Saturday too then!

Queen-Bee_2

Hi MW - as a result of a brain op when I was younger, I have some scarring, which apparently is the root cause of the migraines I've suffered ever since.

My no 1 method of dealing with them is to try and lie down flat in the dark, rather than attempt to brave things out, as this creates stress, thereby prolonging the attack. It's not always possible, but I've learned to try and have a conversation with the people around me to explain that irritating as this is, I am going to take a few hours off and finish whatever it was I am doing later on - ultimately, this is more productive.

Drinking lots of fluids also helps - it seems that a well irrigated brain is much more resilient! Popping to the loo a lot is vastly preferable to me than a migraine...

I try and avoid prescription painkillers, as I dislike feeling spaced out, but use a combination of paracetamol, asprin and ibuprofen (probably I shouldnt be doing this, but it does seem to work in conjunction with everything else). I also use an over the counter medication for migraine sufferers who feel sick.

Acupuncture worked for me, but is too expensive for me these days. Massage - especially for my upper back and the base of my neck, which get very tense from the pain (and in anticipation of the pain, thereby making it worse) also helps - OH is a trained masseur so in that respect, I am lucky.

If I am working at a computer, I make sure I take a break every 15 minutes, as I think migraines can be sometimes be triggered by looking at the screen for too long.

Not sure if any of that helps, but it's how I cope!
QB

CathT

No idea about the fruit sorry MW, that paragraph lost me a bit!

Great news about the acupuncture assessment.

QB, i avoid codeine based stuff aswell and GP told me you can get rebound headache by taking codeine anyway and he suggested I take anti-inflammatories.
Just watch your tummy taking aspirin and ibuprofen together.

museumworker

Queen-Bee wrote: »

Hi MW - as a result of a brain op when I was younger, I have some scarring, which apparently is the root cause of the migraines I've suffered ever since.

My no 1 method of dealing with them is to try and lie down flat in the dark, rather than attempt to brave things out, as this creates stress, thereby prolonging the attack. It's not always possible, but I've learned to try and have a conversation with the people around me to explain that irritating as this is, I am going to take a few hours off and finish whatever it was I am doing later on - ultimately, this is more productive.

Drinking lots of fluids also helps - it seems that a well irrigated brain is much more resilient! Popping to the loo a lot is vastly preferable to me than a migraine...

I try and avoid prescription painkillers, as I dislike feeling spaced out, but use a combination of paracetamol, asprin and ibuprofen (probably I shouldnt be doing this, but it does seem to work in conjunction with everything else). I also use an over the counter medication for migraine sufferers who feel sick.

Acupuncture worked for me, but is too expensive for me these days. Massage - especially for my upper back and the base of my neck, which get very tense from the pain (and in anticipation of the pain, thereby making it worse) also helps - OH is a trained masseur so in that respect, I am lucky.

If I am working at a computer, I make sure I take a break every 15 minutes, as I think migraines can be sometimes be triggered by looking at the screen for too long.

Not sure if any of that helps, but it's how I cope!
QB

Thanks for the tips QB - sorry to hear you suffer from them too. Do you get them very often?

Lucky you with the OH who is a masseur .

Just wondering how you manage to take 15 min breaks from the computer, as sometimes I need to be on it for long periods for work. Do you set a timer or something? And how long a break do you take/what do you do to give yourself a proper break?

museumworker

CathT wrote: »

No idea about the fruit sorry MW, that paragraph lost me a bit!

Great news about the acupuncture assessment.

QB, i avoid codeine based stuff aswell and GP told me you can get rebound headache by taking codeine anyway and he suggested I take anti-inflammatories.
Just watch your tummy taking aspirin and ibuprofen together.

Apologies, I don't know what i'm talking about with the fruit either . Not much on the forums about medlars, surprisingly. Might bump up an old thread and see if any of the OS can help me!

Looking forward to Sunday, apart from early start and the needle thing...

I did get daily headaches after being prescribed painkillers, hence like QB I try and not take too much of anything too strong.

museumworker

Been busy at work, and not managed to get very far with article , is due in tomorrow :eek:, although I have been offered an extension. I know however the only way to get it written is to work on it the weekend, which I am loathe to do at the minute.

Popped to a street party last night which was a bit pants, but then got last bits and bobs to make Xmas decorations - we are planning to batch make a felt ornament, so this weekend I would like to make one to see how easy it is, and whether we want to adapt. Bought some embroidery thread, tailors chalk, and some trial buttons, total spent about £5.50. So far that means we have spent from our own pockets about £11.00 on this particular project, but hope to make about 20 decs, and will have acres of felt left over by the looks of it. May need a few quid more of ric rac/ribbon/buttons, but not much more than that.

Plan to go to library this afternoon with DD after school, haven't been for ages as last year kept getting fines for forgetting to renew - am ready to clear my debts and start again. Will limit it to 4 books out at a time though. Am hoping to go once every 2 weeks with DD, she is such an avid reader and even though she has lots of books at home, does need a new selection to keep her fresh. By building it into a routine, hoping it becomes second nature to us.

Feeling a bit of the autumn blues, but new series of Mad Men and True Blood are making my week nights a bit more :j.

museumworker

Well - it is the weekend so as promised here is my SOA. I look forward to any useful comments!

Statement of Affairs and Personal Balance Sheet

Monthly Income Details
My Income from Employment (after tax, Student loan, NI and pension). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,400.00
Benefits (Inc. Child Benefit/Tax Credits & Income Support). . . . . . . . . . . 81.20
Child support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143.38
OH's income (after tax, NI and pension) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,400.00

Monthly Expense Details

In Your Home

Mobile Phone(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22.00
TV Licence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12.37
Internet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10.00
Home Phone. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18.00
Garden Maintenance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.33
Household Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16.67
Electricity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20.00
Gas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35.00
Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20.63
Council Tax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108.33
Home Insurance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37.50
Mortgage/Rent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,126.78
Plumbing/Boiler Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.00
OH Life Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35.00
Food and Household Shopping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250.00
My mobile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10.00
My life insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.00

Motoring & Public Transport

OH Petrol/Diesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173.33
Car Tax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10.42
Car Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21.45
Car Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33.33
Annual oyster card. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91.67
Breakdown Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.67

Debt Repayments

None

Savings & Investments

Our pensions come out before transfer money to joint account

Family

DD School Trips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.67
DD School Meals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37.50
DD Pocket Money. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.33
My pocket money. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £150.00
OH pocket money. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £150.00
Laundry/Dry Cleaning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.67
DD's swimming lessons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15.83
DD's guitar lessons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14.92
DD breakfast club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32.50
DD tea time club. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73.13
DD holiday club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37.50

Entertainment

Family Days Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20.00
Cinema/Theatre Trips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.67
Books/Music/Films/Computers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.00
Big Days Out. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.83
IT/Computing (eyetv). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.25
Drinking Out from joint account. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50.00
Eating Out from joint account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40.00

Clothes, Health & Beauty

Complimentary Therapies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10.00
(this is for new acupuncture courses, likely to be less over a year)
Optical Bills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.17
Haircuts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10.00
Dentistry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.67
New Children's Clothes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12.50
New Clothes (Dress challenge £100pa) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.33
shoes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.33
non clothes budget items. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.67
OH clothes and shoes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15.00
OH weekly pilates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30.33
My weekly swimming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.67


Big One Offs

Wedding Expenses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25.00
(not my own wedding - what the 2/3 weddings a year we go to cost us!)
Birthdays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33.33
Summer Holiday. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41.67
Christmas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29.17
European break. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41.67

Odds & Sods

Newspapers & Magazines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.00
Regular Charity Donations (this is roughly what the sponsorships of friends marathons etc cost). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.00
Any meals at work, coffee, sandwiches come out of 'pocket money'
Professional museum organisations memberships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£10.63


Total monthly income. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,024.58


Total monthly expenses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,034.21 :eek:

Total surplus per month: £990.37 :j

I think the fact that we are saving £1,200-1,400 a month shows that we are not spending everything from this. For example, pocket money is a maximum for personal spending. Any excess gets transferred over to savings.

Also I haven't put down any extra income from selling things, surveys, cashback etc - reason being I think you can't count on this, but it does help us to reduce our costs and increase income.

tootallulah

In homage to your bravery I am off to do an SOA as promised. Will no doubt have terrible shock when it is complete.

museumworker

Will look forward to it - it is a real eye opener. Had no idea my monthly expenses were so high!

CathT

Scary when you see it all written down isn't it! You seem to budget well for everything. Only things that seem a little high (imo)
1) Your home insurance (we have just paid £160 for a years policy)
2) Could your drinking and eating out £90 a month come out of your personal spends?
3) Am assuming OH travels a distance to work as petrol quite high, too far for a pushbike? ;-)

Am sure others are more budget minded than me and can offer some tips. I'm quite impressed by your £2 a month boiler cover!

Have you thought of any ways to cut back yourself?