Back filling the big hole I dug with my credit card

PiggyBankShaker

Cheers Aesop!

[Deleted User]

Hi there both, stove installation day must be very close now.......
Hope you are well, sounds as if youve been as busy as ever.
We are busy here too, more stuff on e-bay, struggling til payday........
Just cakked in to say hi, really hope to get going again on my diary

PiggyBankShaker

Haven't been on for another few days as everything just seems so busy at the moment. I wanted to do a diary post as I have so many things swimming around in my head and it really helps to get them down. The last couple of weeks I've been putting a lot of brain power into my business idea. As I said in a previous post I registered the company name, got insurance, bought the domain name ready for a website, made a bit of a start on the site and started getting quotes for some of the products that we'll be doing. I've made enquiries about a local 'hot desking' serviceand worked up some branding / logo ideas. I'm trying to get my head around costings and the process of invoicing. And sorting out banking services too, although annoyingly I missed a call today from Barclays

I want to record why I'm doing this, what it means to me. ATS and I have both touched on my post-natal depression, it coincided with a time when there was a lot of professional expectation on me. I had two jobs and I couldn't cope with the pressure. I'm good at what I do and I think I have a good skill base and natural talent but teh last few years I haven't been able to manage with pressurised situations due to my illness.

Even now, the job I have that I got 3 months ago, only works because it is part-time. If I was doing this job 5 days a week instead of 3, I could cope some of the time but not all the time and I don't know what the personal cost of that would be for me and my family. ATS didn't work full time for about 2 and a half years because he had to help me cope so much. Things are better now, but they are still so far away from what others perceive as 'normal' - not that that matters in itself.

So, back to the business. I know I'm good at what I do, but I find the pressure of other people's expectations too much sometimes. If I work for myself I can manage my workload in such a way that allows somewhat for the workaholic bouts and the funks that I find myself in sometimes. But its more than that too, its about acheiving a lifestyle where we can spend time with the kids and together as a family but still enjoy a decent standard of living. Before my illness there were a few months where I was earning £37,000 a year but that was with two jobs and untold stress and anxiety. I think I can achieve that level of income, with have the stress and half the time.

I haven't got things out as much as I wanted to. I need to think some more.

Be back soon.

AllThatStuffIsJustStuff

Once again I am sitting down to try to do a bit of work at 9pm and am too tired. I feel like all I've done today is clean the kitchen and chase around after the kids. Admitedly that is because that has bee about 80% of what I have done. The rest being cooking and bickering with PBS lol.

Anyway, Not a lot to add to what PBS has said. I too share the frustration of working for bad bosses and feeling the pressure of it. When PBS was earning 37k I was also earning 22. During the four or five months that we had nearly 60k annual income our debt rose and we were both miserable and unhappy, I have literally no idea where the money went. Now we are earning just over half that and we are eating into the debt and are generally a lot happier and healthier too. There are still tough times. We've not had a great couple of days but we are doing ok.

Last weekend was very nice. My nephew came to stay. In the past we might have though about the attractions we could have taken him to or gone bowling or to the cinema. But instead we barely spent a penny on entertainment. We did a few bouts of berry picking and then made the resultant jams, pies and crumbles. We also spent a lovely Sunday afternoon with firends and their kids having a bbq in the woods up in the mountains. Completely relaxed, totally free and much better than any of the pricey things we could have done instead. And the virtuousity of not spending any money just made the lounging by the campfire all the more soothing.

Anyway, PBS is out atm so going to try to do a bit of work for her/our latest business operation.

AllThatStuffIsJustStuff

The day has finally come. It is actually happening. The stove is literally being installed as I type. I'm so pleased.

I'm especially pleased as I was almost yesterday going to make a post saying how the bad weather was getting me down as it was holding so much stuff up. It still is holding up all work on the back yard including the play fort, and holding up the roof repairs, but it isn't holding up the valliant stove fitters. Absolutely delighted

chevalier

Yippee to the stove fitting. I bet it will be lovely to have a snug house. Nice one
chev

PiggyBankShaker

It's in! I almost didn't mind writing huge cheque either!! Woop Woop!

Aesop

Yay :j to stove!

and hugs for you too. xx

Aesop

free listing on ebay this weekend people!!!!

although not sure if this is helpful to you, but thought I would let you know.

PiggyBankShaker

Wow that came around quick didn't it. Thanks Aesop. We've got an ikea bookcase that cost £100 new to list so I'll find time to do that later...

Our house is currently a complete state. Ou plan all along has been to do the floor once the stove was installed. So we had a lovely evening with the stove (so totally worth the wait - it is brilliant) and then we took out the old horrible carpet and demolished th minging 70's wood and glass divide between the living room and the kitchen. All the downstaors stuff is either squashed in the kitchen or squashed upstairs.

Tonight we are priming wit pva solution and tomorrow we are laying the first coat of self-leveling compound. The floor is so uneven it'll probably need two though.

Then monday - in theory - the first block of parquet should be going down. We'll lay one and let the adhesive harden off so that we can lay the others off it without them sliding around all over the place whilst the adhesive is still wet.

Before that though we have to grade each block by height, clean the bitumen from at least the tongue and grove of each block and give each one a preliminary sanding. So not much wok then...

Once we're laying we need to aim to lay 4sqm a day to get the job done in a quick enough time that I don't go mad with the unliveable state of the rest of the house.

I'm really excited but also really really daunted too. It's a big job and my anxiety levels are quite high. I'm holding on to the image of teh finished floor in my mind to keep me going. I know it will be worth it, but it's a long road to get there.