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

beanielou

So glad you had a lovely weekend Pooh~~you deserve it :j

Bubblesmum

poohbear59 wrote: »

We had a lovely weekend with Mr P's sisters and some of their family. and our family too.


It was lovely and I was well looked after. I slept, kept warm and enjoyed some good company while I was feeling up to it. I didn't wash a dish, cook or clear up at all.

Hoorah :j:j:j

brizzledfw

Fantastic! Very pleased

Think fabric bags sound lush. Maybe in time next year you always do a few to sell as well

poohbear59

I just worked out our finances for the next month or two and it is going to be tight. Especially with an extra three mouths to feed for two weeks but I am the queen of eking so it will all be okay.

Today I ordered wood pellets at £262.50 a load so we will be warm for a while longer. They should last a month at this time of year but we are eking them out a bit longer. The next RHI payment is due in January. I put the last payment away to pay for pellets but I have had to raid it a couple of times for important stuff like food.

I have a hospital appointment today so we are going to go to 4ldi with a shopping list. I have already written a menu plan for two weeks so I will stick to it now I am feeling a touch better. Mr P has been cooking which has been lovely but he is a lot more generous than me with lots of things. We had gorgeous spg bol last night with lots of sun dried tomatoes in it.

Cottage bookings are going okay. I put it on Groupon so I don't have to go searching for bookings over the winter. We have DS1, wife and mother in law coming for two weeks over Cmas and New Year. They have booked the cottage at prime time so we will miss £1000 which we need to make up elsewhere. I know they want to pay but I don't want to take money from them. DDIL is still poorly, she is now tube fed but hoping to be able to eat for her holiday.

At Christmas we always ask people who come to dinner to bring something for the table. It is better than an unwanted present. DS2 always makes the starter and as he has never been away for Christmas we have had amazing starters for 10 years.

DS2 has a couple of appointments for his depression this week which means that he is now being helped properly again.

If I feel up to it later this week I will get back to paining kitchen cupboards. They have been abandoned since I fractured my ribs. I would love to have the doors back on for Cmas.

Lots of plans...... I need to do something gentle today.

beanielou

Be kind to yourself.
Could you maybe take a very much reduced payment from your Christmas guests? then at least you get some pennies & they feel they have made a contribution? Just a wee thought

Verbatim

Good idea from Beanie.
So glad ds2 is getting help. Is he a good cook then? In terms of doing something gentle I recently made a list of "5 minute" jobs with the aim of doing one every so often. It doesn't seem quite so daunting if it's broken down into 5 minute chunks.

beanielou

Vertibim~~Great idea on 5 min bursts.
I sometimes do 15 mins bursts but that can sometimes be a bit much.
Sometimes I do worry I have nae common sense :eek:

poohbear59

Beanie and Verbatim I will try starting with five minute bursts, then build up to 15. Beanie you have lots of sense. I think you are like me though and push yourself when you shouldn't

Yesterday I asked for a tall Xmas tree for our hall on freegle but forgot it published onto Facebook too. DS 1's MIL got in touch and said I am not to do anything special for them. The most important thing for them is to spend time with us. It helped take some of the pressure off as I have been trying to make things special for them.

I know they will offer to pay for the cottage but as our son and DIL are now living with them full time and they provide everything for them I feel it would be wrong to accept money, so we need to have a full winter to cover the bills.

And our other son is staying free of all charge in his future MIL' s house in New Mexico. They both have very generous in laws in USA.

DS 2 is an amazing cook. He has always loved cooking and follows recipes precisely. Whereas I just bung things in and guess quantities. I am thinking I will ask him to take over cooking one day a week. When I had a few sons at home they all took turns cooking.

He has been invited out tonight to a show with some friends so I will let him borrow my car. His has a hole in the exhaust.

poohbear59

After years of lovely cottage guests we had some who left the place a complete mess. Four people took five hours each to clean it back to an acceptable level. I was so lucky to be able to call on people for help. DS 2 was a star. He did loads to help and we are really grateful he was able to do it.

New people arrived, things settled down, I sat down with a cup of tea, when the doorbell rang and it was a cottage guest looking for the Sky remote control. We ALWAYS check the TV but forgot yesterday. After doing another search of the house we accepted it had gone.
DS 1 ordered one from 4rgos for me and we now just have to pop to Hexham for it. At least the people in the cottage will have something to watch tonight

beanielou

That is truly dire.