Botanical blunderings on a budget - good life starts here.

Keiss_21

Thanks everyone for your kind words and hugs...virtual ones are the best ones at the moment!

Went back to bed for a few hours, so feeling a bit better, especially now I have my TENS machine on. DH brought DS2 home at 1:30, so now he is making me my lunch...HM soup, bread and cheese, yummmm.

Even managed a walk down to the greenhouse with DS2 just now, a bit slow, but not too bad....better than trying to bend or sit down/stand up!! A glorious day here, got DS2 to open up the greenhouse, Lucifer still there and not nibbled, so will get him parcelled and posted soon, though maybe next week as I am taking things easy atm!

Will make a decision about the fairs over the weekend...you're right Maty, best to give myself more time. No need to bribe DS2, just asked him, and he is happy to help!! :eek: he realy is a lovely boy/man (18 and 6'2", so a man really! ).

The soup has arrived, so need to stop and eat, have a good afternoon xxx

Pippilongstocking

Oh keiss well done on the ds and soup and everything - and thank you for the offer of the lovely lucifer - only when you're ready - the strawbs up here are parked in the tunnel ready for whenever you're happy to have them.

Today

done budget - I think, even with worst case scenarios for everything I might have a 'spare' £500 for debt busting - which is half the wage from the recycling place - so it makes perfect sense not to live too squeakily at the moment and have a 'wee' relax.

I've even upped our food budget to £300 - £200 for normal spends, £50 for stripey store cupboard spending to be saved til a trip south and £50 for a treat once a month like a meal or a takeaway.

I've accounted for Ds leaving home next year and will save £60 a month plus a bit extra when I have it to put towards his cost of halls - we've done a deal whereby he saves for the year til he goes (he's got £380 saved, 900 EMA to come until he leaves school) so I've told him if he can save I'll match it. He's rubbish at saving. But, fairs fair. If we do that he'll have more than enough when he goes away - we did a crude budget, spoke to the college he prefers and got the accomodation cost £100 (no food!) a week, needs to pay for 40 weeks - therefore thats £4k up front we need to have.

As when he gets his EMA I don't give him an allowance (his half of his CB) - then if I save the CB anyway, its not leaving me out of pocket iyswim.

Talked to ex oh - I know, I'm a fairy tale believer - but thrown a ball in his court and said OK these are the costs, you've enough notice - how will you help.

Pigs able to fly and all that.

OK so budget vaguely done - time for a cuppa I think.

Debts currently stand at
Captain cc - 1800
Lucifer cc - 800
Overdrafts - 2000 (£1000 in each)
Penguinchop - 2145
Tax man - £1000

7745 + pesky student loan (£14k)

Priority paying off regime - hit hard CC, then tax man, then penguin, then ODx2 and if I've energy think about the student loan

at 500 a month - that will be 15.5 a hefty month to pay it all - hmm need try and beat that I think, want it paid in a year maximum. There I've gone and committed to that now - hmmmmmmmmmm.

I feel a new challenge diary coming on.

Karmacat

Wow, Pippi! Thats very, very impressive! Ex-OH had *better* help, or we'll be round ....

You're doing so well!

Keiss, ouchie, ouchie, slow recovery is the order of the day, I think.

Lemon_Tree

sorry to have missed your first day wombling free Pippi, glad it went well.

Keiss sending you gentle hugs and hoping for a speedy recovery, my puddy cats send you some purrs as well.

Pippilongstocking

Hey LT I know you've tonnes on your plate with the house etc and the evil job

I hope you're good

I saw one of the barn cats today (Domino) and waved hello to her, obviously she ignored me!

xx

KC thank you for the offer of the gang round! x

Lemon_Tree

how are your bogof kitties? and peedie? and the little stripy ones? and most of all the mighty stripy one of wombledomness

Pippilongstocking

Morning LT - bogoff kitties appear to be well I think - they look fat enough when the leap over the fences anyway - they only get minimal feeding as they've supposed to earn their keep but seem happy. I dunno if I like no cat in the house, I know they can be aloof but I do like cats. Anyhow I look at them out the window, which is fine for now.

The stripey ones are ace, boychild about to finish his personal statement for college and done a saving budget with me
Girl child - wrapped up in muscial practise for xmas, experimenting with make up (not much but funny to watch her develop and its very sweet)

I'm OK - tired, but then agian I've only had one cuppa - more wombling tomorrow and a pile of paperwork emails to do today!

Thanks for asking.



Ok plan for today - raining, not the weather I really wanted today - I want to go gardening.
Bank to do
CC's etc
Rejig budget again
Hens fed, collect eggs later
Try and figure a children in need plan - the tv here doesn't work and we always watch it
A few emails to do
We need milk, but not much else I don't think - fridge full of grub but will raid the freezer
Freeze bolognese which made the ohter day into portions
DW to empty

I need to rejig my Friday as saturday is now a work day - so must make sure I don't take out a pile of grub to cook, when I won't be here!

Aside that - hmm - get out for a walk and do some work from home or if it clears in garden - either way I can bank a few paid hours today which will be grand.

I hope you have a lovely day - off to check the banks!!!!

Karmacat

Sounding okay, Pippi, but you still sound like you feel you've a mountain to move ... I'm glad you're going to be taking time out today to watch Children in Need - at least, I hope you'll *manage* to watch it!

Pippilongstocking

KC I'm trying to adjust and not give myself a hard time - I did almost nothing yesterday (work wise)

The weather isn't helping - I'd made a plan to do budget have time with ds yesterday and the day was rotten to begin with then lovely when we were in the throws of a budget session - then rotten again.

I feel like if the weather fairies would be kind, I wouldn't feel behind with paid gardening work - but maybe I'll just go into town and work anyway = the garden is walled and sheltered - a bit rain won't hurt. But, it will mean I can't cut the grass.

Hope you're good - when does your mail arrive? (Whistles innocently)

Karmacat

Oh! I'd better another job to the list then .... because the postman arrived while I was in a session yesterday, and couldn't go to the door ... then he put a parcel note there! I know what you've been doing :kisses3: Thank you! I'll go later on this morning, when I've got dressed, I have paid work from 4.30 onwards...