Debt free in ten years-my new, more realistic challenge.

beanielou

pooh~~hoping all is well in the world with you & yours.
Take care xx

poohbear59

Hello folks and sorry for not posting but I have had major problems with internet then the phone line then my mobile signal disappeared. Now I have no laptop.

All is good here. Snow hasn't all gone but the roads are clear at last. We eventually got BT back after faults of over three weeks. They couldn't do much as the phone line was buried under three or more feet of snow. They eventually found we had an old fault caused by a lightning strike.

When we could get a dialing tone I found I could talk to my two neighbours!! At the same time! It was funny but having no phone or mobile or internet and the road closed by snow wasn't so funny. In some ways it was fun though. My neighbour and I did some sewing together again and I got a lot of knitting done.

My laptop finally died so we took it to local market town where there is a great little repair shop but it couldn't be repaired

After a lot of deliberation we decided that as I need another urgently and need the data transferred to buy a new laptop from the shop and they should have it ready by Tuesday. It had to be paid using my emergency card but DD will pay my bill next month so it is on her 0% card until I can pay it off.

DS 2 felt well enough to phone DWP about his under payment and they have agreed they owe him £800. He should receive it soon and the overpayment they said he owed from 2009 was completely false. He is talking about going to his best friend's stag weekend which is a massive change from last few months.

My back continues to be quite bad. I have managed two chiropractor sessions now we can get out more easily. I think I will need a few more sessions and probably should see my GP about it too. The chiro seems to think it is solvable. I really can't have me unable to walk I want to be able to help when DD has her baby.

I have covered chiro costs through my Simply life cover. It costs£32 for a treatment and I can claim £30 back. But only for about£100 per year. So £60 down.

Tomorrow we have another cottage change over. If I feel up to it I will make biscuits. My neighbour is going to help DD clean the cottage as she really can't manage the showers or bath cleaning so easily. Her bump gets in the way and it is tiring too.

grannyx2

Glad to hear you are ok but sorry to hear your back is still bad.

X

HappyNow

Hello Pooh, sorry I haven't been around much to cheer you on but I see you have had lots of support on here /


I've had a catch up now and it seems like you've had a real mixed bag while I've been away - some real cr*p but some lovely stuff too. That's life I suppose.


Hope your back feels better soon and you're fully functioning before that baby comes

poohbear59

Thank you Granny and Happy

DS 2 has gone to see his best friend and to stay over to watch the rugby. We managed to get his car in for an MOT a few weeks ago and it has given him the 'wheels' to get away when he felt up to it.

I am hoping he will come back feeling okay. It is hard for him to see his friends with good jobs and girl friends when he is feeling low. Hoping he is on a good enough place this time to realise that there is hope for him too. He is an amazing young man with his whole life ahead of him.

DDIL has more surgery last week and will have more next week. On the whole she seems to be doing better.

We have DD and family coming for their Sunday dinner again today. She was so tired after helping in the cottage yesterday that she was unable to get to church last night. I think it is time she stopped for now. I will wait to see what she says later today. They are going for a swim to the private pool we went to on my birthday.

Money wise........ not so good but possibly not as bad as it could be. Mr P and I have been using cash for spending.There have been times over the last month when there has been no cash in the pot but we have managed quite well. Sometimes Mr P has gone out for his evening pint and I have asked how he managed he said his friends bought him a drink. He did admit that he has run up a tab. Last night after church we called in to the pub for our usual drink. I always have tea as it is just £1.40 though it has gone up by 10p. Mr P was very generous and bought a point for someone else at the bar. He asked for it to be put on his tab!! I said that as I had the current account debit card with me I would pay the bill. £104!!!!!! I had to pay out with the emergency credit card. A bar bill is not an emergency. I didn't make a fuss in front of everyone but have had very strong word about being responsible with money. There were five teas on it so that means it has been built up over five weeks but even so it has to stop.

Mr P needs to get out as he is missing working and the men he has known and worked alongside for 20 years. He pops in when they do at around five ish. I saw some over Christmas and they didn't know Mr P hadn't worked since October 2013. He still doesn't have the physical ability to do building work but obviously needs to get out and see people. I can see people at knit and matter at£1 a session or WI if I ever remember to go I also subscribe to SW online and do sewing with friends. Friday is it planned get together day with my old friends, the idea is that we have a swim and lunch. I saw them last month. It is pricy to do both but when I can I will start joining them again. I do see them as they will call in for cup of tea too or I see them at church or church functions.

I already tried spending nothing on unecessary things in February, sticking to menu plan, and doing something I enjoy every day. My cardigan/jacket is growing fast. I am also trying to lose weight which is difficult with a bad back. The cardigan won't fit unless I lose weight as I am making it a size smaller than I need.

What I am trying to say is that I understand why Mr P likes to go out as I get to see friends a lot, for him out involves spending money to see people. His best friend's have remarried and moved away His other friends tend to pop into the pub but won't come around here as I have suggested. They are just calling in for a quick drink on their way home from work.

I am sure we will find a solution to the problem....

Verbatim

Phew nasty shock £104! Had Mr PB not realized how much it had run up? Did he have a plan to repay or was it more "something will turn up"?
Is he fit enough to go on walks? Perhaps the Ramblers or a local walking group? That might lift his mood too. Or a gardening club?

poohbear59

Verbatim he didnt know how much he had run up. It is far two easy to spend more when not using cash. It has given him a shock.

I have suggested a few ideas of clubs etc. but he doesnt want to do any. He hasnt had any hobbies since we married 31 years ago. He then gave everything up. It was a shock to me at the time as he did voluntary work in his spare time as did I. We did move house three times in two years and had two babies so understandable if he gave things up later
I might suggest voluntary work such as CAB
But he had his confidence knocked 20years ago and hasnt really got it back

It seems more difficult for men when they retire...

NSD by me £10 by Mr P.

Verbatim

Ah I see. Would he join something if you did too?
I have a good friend whose oh drives her mad as he'll only do things with her.
You really are having to run the whole show aren't you. Take care.
V

poohbear59

Verbatim I hadn't really thought of it like that. I suppose I am. I just suggested a few things but he said he isn't interested. I have managed to get him to use the Kindle I bought for him Cmas 13. He is looking at fcebok and playing crosswords. It is an improvement.

He really is a shadow of his former self. The negotiator for scores of people with employment disputes. All in his free time. He had a breakdown when working for electricity board the year after they were all privatised. They had him doing the work of four people! 24 hours a day on call. It was too much for one man. Privatisation didn't save money in the end as he has had to have medical support ever since.

He loved doing the garden in the summer so will hopefully get back to it in the spring.


On a different subject all together. My neighbour had a broody hen last year so someone have her some eggs for her hens too sit on. Two hatched and she had two gorgeous chicks. They have both turned out to be cockerels and as we already have one each we decided that they need rehoming. I took photos and asked if anyone was interested on fbook. Today we had someone to view.

I should have said that they are both now living in my garden and eating my food I have found a happy home for one and today I have been phoning around and asking if anyone wants the other. He is more feisty so may be more of a problem. My stupid cockerel just let them in to pester our hens

Another NSD today for me. And for DH so far too.

WI today and I have gained another pound I must try harder

ETA NSD for Mr P too.:)

poohbear59

I have my new laptop so things are a lot easier. DD is so very helpful. She has paid for it using her interest free credit card. I am very lucky to have such a good family.

DS 1 starts his new job today. He is flying to a small airport the driving to Lake Superior where he will be doing testing on a power station. He is going from Orlando temperatures to -15.

He is having to leave his lovely new wife at home to undergo surgery without him being there.

This week be her third surgery in four weeks so prayers,
thoughts please will be greatly appreciated. They then move house to New York by road next week.

DS2 was up and about by midday yesterday so I feel our prayers are being answered. He is seeing GP weekly too.

Finances kind of chug along slowly. It is our wedding anniversary today and Mr P feels bad we can't go out for a meal but I have told him it isn't the end of the world and we are still together after a very long time.

The Simply Health payment went into our account to pay for the chiro treatment.So we have £24 extra in there today. I would rather keep it there to pay bills when they come along in the next week.

Mr P hadn't been out since the weekend when we had the huge bill to pay. He has gone to the recycling centre today with the dog?!! The dog likes a trip out in the pickup.

We are looking after DGD this afternoon while DD goes to the midwife. Then if we still have time will go to knit and matter. My £1 spend.

ETA One of our neighbours cockerels has been collected so one less mouth for us toto feed.