A Thread for After Debt?

Mort

rising_from_the_ashes wrote: »

but the water has gone up again.

Rant warning .... Water is one of my real "agro" areas - no option of a meter here and it's based on your CT banding ..... I pay the same for my water as the family of 2 adults & 3 teenagers a few doors down ... yet I must only use a fraction of what they do:mad: rant over

I know what you mean, water charges in the UK are a real mess. Before kids we used to live next door to a family of 4 whose use of water was phenomenal compared* to ours. In later life we became that family of 4. Now we are 2 again I am thinking about a water meter.

*We were in the middle of a terrace of three and they were at the top end of the sewage line. There was a sewer blockage and the other neighbour was getting effluent coming out in her garden. They were asked to hold back on using water but in the hour or so it took me and a mate to rod the line they must have flushed half a dozen times and put the washing machine on as well. Nice people - not.

Can't believe this is the first post in over 24 hours. Where is everyone?

SOT2011

:wave:

I've been trying to focus on my assignment so dropping in to read but not been posting much. It is quiet, isn't it, but we all seem to post in fits and starts on this thread.

JG - I hope Eliza is all better?

My next water bill is due soon, I'm on a water meter, was £27 a month but as the last six months will have been just me using it, I am hoping that it will drop a bit more as ex-OH did love his power showers and used to drive me potty switching it on before he even started brushing his teeth!

I've also had a bit of a budget juggle, I think I have managed to find a spare £20 a month that is going to let me book the dog walker for another day each week. It is money well spent for me as it takes a bit of pressure off me but also the dog really loves the dog walker and it means I can finish earlier and spend more time with the dog in the evening.

I have to check my tyres in the morning as the tyre light came on on the way home today, I had a look and they all looked ok, but obviously that is not good enough to keep me safe on the roads. Luckily the service was not too expensive last month so there is some spare budget left from that if there is something wrong.

Keeping my fingers crossed.

SOT x

JulieGeorgiana

Eliza is getting much better. Ends up she got it when we visted the in-laws on Sunday, because FIL went down with it on Monday and SIL on Tuesday at the same time as Eliza. Only SIL is 36 weeks pregnant and the dehydration caused her to start having contractions, she was taken into hospital and put on a drip. She is better now and on 'bed rest'!

The S&D stops after 24 hours, but both still feel rotten, which would explain why Eliza tires out easier and is clingy when tired! So we are not going to baby group today and just resting it up

I don't know what to do with myself I've been resting for three days with Eliza, i'm shattered and don't feel 100% so I am enjoying the bliss and actually wating DVD's (I only watch TV when ironing!)

So tomorrow we have friends over and then we are going to 'Messy Church' where the children get messy play time, after we get fed (pizza tomorrow) and then a puppet show and a bible story, all for FREE!!

Sunday is Mothers day, Eliza's godparents are coming for dinner, and bringing a HM Rusks recipe (made with a dough) for me to try for Eliza. I have decided that when she is ready, I am going to do baby led weaning (which means using handheld food not purees so she can feed herself, which gives her more control, and makes for less fussy eaters. Also teaches them to chew before swallowing) so I want to make as much of her food as possible, and rusks are great because you start bland and then build it up by adding fruit etc as she gets older!

I have been doing my spreadsheets (My Child Tax Credits stops next month) and my food shopping lists and menu plans etc! Now I am better my food costs more because I am cooking using more ingredients. I know the cost will go down eventually, its just because I am building up my stores again! But still, I am struggling to stay in budget...

With the Christening next month I have my BF from Norway visiting and I need to buy her Gluten Free food, and then i am feeding 10 people (Godparents and family) HM curries... but the meat alone is £16!!! Then add that my BF doesn't want money towards her flight so I bought get some cognac... so I am £80 over my food budget for next month!!! But if you take away the extra expenses I am in my normal budget so I don't feel so bad about it, and I found the money!

Ref. Water meters, I used to save a fortune on one, I have been nagging the water company for 5 years but I couldn't give them the info they needed to install... 8/9 months ago they did the whole village (as we are a water stressed region) but I still didn't get one! I complained and it ends up as I am in a Maisonette they were not sure if I was on a joint water supply with upstairs!

So they were supposed to visit on the day Eliza was born for an assessment... i cancelled the appointment, but they came anyway and confirmed that I am not joint and they can fit a meter (externally)... that's the last I heard about it! **Grumble Grumble**

We are moving now... but it's so frustrating as I know it would save me money, but I can't be bothered with the hassle!!

Right, I'm off to update the Church flower rota and find a place to buy church candles, then design a poster for an arrangement we are doing for Easter (we sold lillies to remember the deceased)!

Busy busy busy!

Eliza says hi x

JulieGeorgiana

Pps. I think I just made up for everyone else not being around for 24 hours!

LianneH

Hi folks

just popping into let you all know that the baby is ok. I went for an amnio yesterday and got the results today and all is well! off to celebrate with a curry and a pint.... of milk!

relieved, had the week from hell, im exhausted now!

Li x

rising_from_the_ashes

SOT2011 wrote: »

It is quiet, isn't it, but we all seem to post in fits and starts on this thread.

We do, don't we!:D I'm here ..... living quietly and trying to be good!


JG glad Eliza's on the mend & SIL too - must have been a really worrying time for all. :eek: to all the expenses .....
Mort glad I don't have neighbours like that!:mad: Still wish I could have a water meter though!

I must admit I am not at all MSE in my water use - I don't waste it for the sake of it but I use what I need/want to without any feelings of guilt (eg bath every night, wash the car regularly, garden in summer etc) .... give me a meter and that would soon be sorted;)

BUT I just have to say ......

Li that is absolutely wonderful news :j:j:j so pleased for you all & hope you can now relax and enjoy the rest of your pregnancy.

SOT2011

Great news Li

Shopping list done for tomorrow. Maximum use of store cupboard and freezer contents means the list is: milk, pât! for sarnies (got bread in freezer already), couple of cheap chicken pieces to cook up for the dog to brighten up her dried food and a bottle of "posh pop" to take to friends house tomorrow as I will be driving not drinking.

Submitted my end of module assignment earlier. Nearly two weeks early! So I get just over 6 weeks break with no studying to do before the next modules start. I'm all signed up for the transitional arrangements to keep the fees as low as possible, but have worked out I will still be studying till mid 2015 at the rate I am going, about 30 credits each 6 months! Keeps it just about affordable though.

SOT x

JulieGeorgiana

Li what wonderful news! I am so pleased for you xxx

SOT I've been told that gravy on dry dog food makes it nicer for them... if it's true (not sure about salt content) then it would be very MSE!!!

Rising she's not been napping today, and is grotty! I actually think she's teething too and her tummy is upset again and her skin is sore too! She's going through it... poor love!

But she went to bed before 7pm she was so tired out! Hopefully she will sleep through until 5am like normal

She has started to do this eyebrow thing (she can move 1 without moving her eyes or the other eyebrow) which is just like my FIL! Hahaha so funny when she does it

I was very MSE today... I wanted a take-away so I got the deep fat fryer out and made chips (we bought it for this reason... to stop temptation for take-aways!) Maybe I should find the money I saved and set it aside

rising_from_the_ashes

SOT2011 wrote: »

Submitted my end of module assignment earlier. Nearly two weeks early! So I get just over 6 weeks break with no studying to do before the next modules start. I'm all signed up for the transitional arrangements to keep the fees as low as possible, but have worked out I will still be studying till mid 2015 at the rate I am going, about 30 credits each 6 months! Keeps it just about affordable though.

Great news SOT!:D

I used to try to do something similar ....

*Theory* was - Weeks 1 - 3: working through the unit, Weeks 4 - 7: assignments & Week 8: rest before next unit.

*Practice* was - Week 1 & 2: errrrrrr Weeks 3 - 5: working through the unit: Week 6: looking at assignments "really don't understand this", Week 7: looking at assignments & panicking as "really, really can't do this" & Week 8: writing all 4 assignments within 2 days:o

Drove me insane .... for some totally illogical reason I seem to need to be at the absolute fixed deadline in order to produce anything - when it comes to this point, I manage perfectly fine to do them, yet had spent/wasted goodness knows how many hours the previous weeks not getting anywhere!

SOT2011

I have only really got the assignment done early because I took a few extra days off around my holiday for that specific reason and I have a list of things I want to get done round the house but they have all been on the "banned from starting till the assignment is finished" list!

It is going to be a busy few weeks cracking on with the jobs on the list before I have to study again.