Sorting through my rubbish

3_kids_2_jobs_1_dog

Hi All

Well we have had to bite the bullet this week, the boiler has well and truely died now, no hot water or heating, so we are having a new one installed, starting work tomorrow. That has totally wiped out the last of my savings so I will be starting from scratch. I know I said the boiler needed replacing back in February but we managed to limp along with just hot water for a few more months. We have been having 'strip washes' with a bowl and a kettle of boiling water, much to the amusement of my 10yo who wants to know if this is what they did in the olden days!! Certainly makes you appreciate our hot running water and showers!! This month and next will be tight but my new salary should kick in end May so I will build up my savings again and ramp up the debt repayments.

So the money saving is on going and I am trying to find different ways to generate extra income. I picked up some moisturisers in a clearance sale the other day, 50p each so picked up 7 of them, got home to discover they are £45 in a well known chemists so I have popped them on Ebay for £30 each, no takers yet but fingers crossed they will sell. Have a couple of other items listed. I have some new clothing to sell and am going to blitz my shoe collection. Need to take some used clothing to the cash for clothes place tomorrow and have cashed in my topcashback earnings so far, only £40 but it will help.

Freezers and cupboards fairly well stocked, will do a restock of tins and pasta on payday (next Friday) but apart from bread, milk, fruit and veg we should be ok. Chucked a chilli in the slow cooker this morning, only had a small pack of mince so have bulked it out with a veggie haggis that has been in the freezer since Burn's Night 2014!!

Anyway that's about it for now, gotta do some work,

Take care

321 xxx

3_kids_2_jobs_1_dog

Hi All,

So the new boiler is in and I've had a hot bath!!!! The house is in chaos though as he has also put thermostats on all the rads etc!! I'm quite glad the weather forecast is not good for the weekend as I can try out the heating and clean/tidy the house without being tempted to get out in the sunshine!!

So we have managed to find the cash between us to pay the heating engineer but it has wiped out any savings we had. I have also been told I will probably need a further op soon (2.5 years on and still not sorted!!!) so I need to build up an emergency fund quickly whilst also making a dent in the debt.

Payday today and my payrise has kicked in - yeah!! :j So I have paid the balance of the boiler, put the payrise element into my savings (as per my plan, save the extra pay for the duration of my 6 months probation, after that it will be going into debt repayment), I also hope to make a snowball payment of £300-£500 but am waiting to see how a few things pan out this month so the money is put to one side for the moment, full on snowballing will definately start in May as per the plan. I have received £40 from Topcashback and also returned some clothes that I had purchased but realised I didn't actually need/want, that was another £90 back to me. No luck with the Ebay items yet but I am willing to let them 'sit there' for a while.

Small shop tonight to restock the cupboards, probably be about £50 but I have a £6 voucher to use. The rest of the month will be frugal, just buying the fresh bits!

Healthwise I have an appointment with my consultant on 7/5 and will probably be facing another operation. I have been told by the nurses I am doing everything I can but in the meantime I am seriously upping the amount of protein I eat to try and kickstart the healing process to avoid further proceedures, fingers crossed it works. With my new job and the fact I wont get any further sickpay this year I really don't want another op!

Well that is it for today, will be back soon

Have a great weekend

321 xxx

dawnybabes

Nothing like a nice hot bath.

Did the moisturisers sell ?

3_kids_2_jobs_1_dog

Hi Dawnybabes,

No, they've not sold yet unfortunately, but I am quite happy for them to sit there for a while. They didn't cost me much and I can always use them myself if they don't sell!

Nice to know someone is out there reading my ramblings!!!

Not much to report from the weekend, had a big roast yesterday and enough leftovers to make a couple more meals from (chicken and ham pie tonight and probably bubble and squeak on Tuesday).

Did my shop but it was nearer £80 than £50!! Never mind should be ok for a while.

Repainted the lounge walls whilst the furniture was out for the heating engineer and put the furniture back, need to do the same in our bedroom but cant find the paint so will need to get some more! A couple of tiles need to be replaced in the bathroom now that the boiler is up and then I will repaint the ceiling and wood work in there. Dining room needs some repainting too and I think the old paint is still ok so will just give it a new coat. Hall and stairs also need freshening up and again the paint should be ok. Planning to totally refurb DS2s room in the summer, already have the carpet in the loft (leftover from hall and stairs), will re decorate and hopefully get him a new bed in August. I want to get as much of this done as possible before my next op. The kitchen desperately needs doing but this is a longer term project as it all needs ripping out, ceiling re plastered, floor levelled etc and new units!

Got to go as at work but will post again soon.

Take care

321 xxx

3_kids_2_jobs_1_dog

Hi All,

Just a quick update.

Saw my consultant yesterday and I am having quite a major op on monday, I think it's going to have a big impact mentally as well as physically and, quite frankly, I am dreading it!!

Financially its not great, all my savings are gone from the previous ops and having the boiler replaced and I won't receive sick pay apart from SSP!

Work wise it might be ok, I am due to open a new service but the refurbishment of the building hasnt been completed yet so hopefully I will be back at work before we do open!

I will report back as soon as I feel well enough.

321 xxx

3_kids_2_jobs_1_dog

Hi All

Well I had my op and sank into a total depression, didnt leave my bed for 3 days, couldnt face even turning my phone on! Did nothing, no tv, no magazines, zilch!

Am slowly clawing my way back to normality, returned to work yesterday but was sent home at 13:30, ended up in a heap on my kitchen floor last night sobbing my heart out. I feel really disassociated from reality and uninterested in what is going on around me, depression I suppose!

Financially, I have not been paid for the two weeks I was off (just received SSP of c£60 pw!) so that is a bit of a blow and the reason I am back at work so quickly, that plus pressures of having a new role and a new service to open. I will not be able to make a debt repayment again this month due to reduced pay (last month it was the fault of the boiler).

I have done nothing money saving these past two weeks but I have spent quite a lot on clothes and underwear to accommodate/camoflage my new shape! This has upset me too as the clothes I am now wearing are not really to my taste and I don't feel like me! I was going to sort out my wardrobe (pack away winter clothes and the things I cannot wear at the moment) but I got too upset so left it!

Hubby and the kids have been great, very supportive, and I will get through this but didn't expect it to hit me like this, I think it is the culmination of two and a half years of treatment that hasn't worked and then the speed of this operation occuring, just need to get my head round it all!!

Enough doom and gloom, I will be back in a better frame of mind, promise!

321 xxx

Doobop

A lurker here, but just wanted to wish you all the best on your recovery, I'm not surprised your head is reeling from everything that's gone on. Be kind to yourself, and don't worry about the debt for now, when you're feeling better it will be much easier to tackle

3_kids_2_jobs_1_dog

Hi All

Thank you Doobop for your kind words, I am slowly crawling out of the pit I was in, thanks to supportive family and friends and antidepressants! My GP is arranging some counselling for me too so that should help.

My wound (which is a good 20cm) was healing well, just 1cm not knitting together on one day, then three days later when the dressing was changed 6cm x 2cm was gapping open, I was horrified! I am now being treated by tissue viability specialists and have a kind of pump to put negative pressure on the wound, fingers crossed it will work.

Financially things are not great, I have managed to get by this month with reduced pay, plus I am not able to see my 'little lady' to get my pin money. I have put a few bits and pieces on my credit card, some necessary and some frivalous to cheer myself up and make me feel better. Payday again on Friday and I should get full pay, so £500 going straight off of my credit card debt, plus another £150 from hubby. I am also trying to rebuild an emergency fund after replacing the boiler so will try and put a little bit in there too.

Well thats about it, no ground breaking, money saving, tips to pass on I'm afraid:rotfl:

Have a good day

321 xxx

Doobop

So glad you are getting support, anti depressants really can be helpful and sounds like the counselling will be good too. Well done for getting through the worst.

3_kids_2_jobs_1_dog

Thanks Doobop, I do feel better and more positive about things and the 'pump' seems to be working so fingers crossed!

It was payday on Friday and I managed to pay the £500 to my credit card plus put £300 in my emergency pot (cleared out by my long periods of sickness with no pay and having to fund a new boiler!!). I know the thinking is that you should repay debts before saving but I just want to rebuild my emergency funds to a fairly modest £1000 in case of unexpected car bills etc.

I haven't done a large shop this month as the cupboards and freezer are all fairly full so I will just do top-ups as and when needed. I have splashed out on some wine due to Morrisons 25% off deal but at about £15 for 6 bottles (£2.50 each) I dont feel this is too extravegant!

In have also succomed to the TSV on QVC for SBC Gels but as I use these all the time and I will get 4 deliveries, each with nearly £200 worth of product, for £33 a time I think that is pretty:money:!!!

Right that's all for now, off to walk my dog and enjoy this glorious weather:cool:

Take care

321 xxx