Keeping up appearances.......

HappyNow

Update time. It's been a mad few days at work and Mr H is doing his extra work hours (12 hour days and both weekend days) so I've really just focussed on keeping all the plates spinning. That's my way of justifying my terrible update:D

• Financially I haven't wasted a single penny (chocolate's not waste, right?). I don't have a single penny. The overdraft is up at £378 even after the rent has gone in, but it will be paid off next Friday from our wages and my challenge will then be to get right through to 15th June in the black. I'm not even sure if that's possible - depends when Mr H's overtime gets paid - but I will have a good go. Still some more spending to do (horse food/petrol/essential foods) so the o/d will be even higher by Friday. I'm not beating myself up about it because it was all outside my control (except the holiday, but that was booked in good faith!).
• Healthy eating. Whoops. I have been power-eating chocolate. Cadburys Marvellous Creations and Boost bars to be exact. It accounts for £4.20 of my overdraft. I felt down and I needed it, so I bought it and ate it. It helped bring my spirits up so I'm not even sorry. Well I am a bit, but too late now! I promise not to do it again though :rotfl:. Other than that the diet has been OK and plenty of water drunk.
• Not done brilliantly for sleep. Last night the dog wouldn't go out for her usual poo at around 9pm because it was raining too hard. Unsurprisingly she then woke me at 2 am because she was desperate! Took her out then couldn't get back to sleep. The previous night I stayed up until stupid o'clock watching the BBC1 election programme, which was ridiculous because I had to get up at 5.30 for work. I will be in bed by 10 tonight I think.
• Spring-cleaning not done, but the house is acceptable overall. More kitchen cleaning scheduled for today if I can keep my eyes open.
• Sit-ups. Nope.

HappyNow

desperate2save wrote: »

This looks like good reading with a cuppa! Subscribed!! X

Hello desperate2save, thanks for dropping by and I hope you enjoy your cuppa . You are very welcome to join in any time you feel like it x

Honey_Bear

Thanks Happy, it's always helpful getting another persepctive on things. The dog loves, loves, loves strokes, cuddles, tickles, leaning into people and gazing up at them adoringly, and when the strokes are over is quite happy to go to sleep in his basket - or anywhere else there is a fleece on the floor. (When he's super-happy he flips himself over on his back and squiggles from side to side - so I know when he's de-stressed.) He is the happiest dog I've ever had so I think the cumulative strain of what had happened to him leaving his old life, being bullied and then put into kennels was too much for him and that grooming thing was the last straw. However, my thoughts are that once a problem has occurred the trick is to nip it in the bud so that's why I'm working on it, although the vet's opinion yesterday was that this isn't, actually, the dog that was described by the vet at the rescue centre - he's absolutely fine as far as she's concerened. (That may have something to do with the things I've been doing with him!)

His digestion still isn't quite settled and despite being flea'd relatively recently there's some scratching going on, so my guess would be that is how is stress is currently manifesting and if I can get him stabilized within a fortnight of arriving I'll have achieved as much as I can. Fingers crossed.

The meal for ten went well and although I find it very hard work, I made life as easy for myself as I could by using spag bol, gooseberry fool and spiced baked plums from the freezer, pasta and oven roasted fresh mediterranean veg for the vegetarians and healthy eaters, so this time I didn't try to cook two different meals. Lots of French bread, a huge cheeseboard and the use of a hostess trolley helps. It had to be very quick and easy because the group had to be in and out within an hour and a half, and some late arrival stragglers were also due that had to be fed in a huge hurry. I'm getting cannier about feeding large numbers and I wouldn't do it if I didn't get a lot out of it myself, but I'd never want to be a caterer - this is hospitality.

Honey_Bear

HappyNow wrote: »

Update time. It's been a mad few days at work and Mr H is doing his extra work hours (12 hour days and both weekend days) so I've really just focussed on keeping all the plates spinning. That's my way of justifying my terrible update:D

• Financially I haven't wasted a single penny (chocolate's not waste, right?). I don't have a single penny. The overdraft is up at £378 even after the rent has gone in, but it will be paid off next Friday from our wages and my challenge will then be to get right through to 15th June in the black. I'm not even sure if that's possible - depends when Mr H's overtime gets paid - but I will have a good go. Still some more spending to do (horse food/petrol/essential foods) so the o/d will be even higher by Friday. I'm not beating myself up about it because it was all outside my control (except the holiday, but that was booked in good faith!).

You had a series of shockingly expensive unexpected hits and you paid them from the 'give' in your system. I know it's hard and very depressing seeing all the red in YNAB but this is huge progress on where you were when you started the journey so cut yourself a bit of slack.



The holiday is something you've both earned and it was booked in good faith, plus which it's happening when you're half way through, and that's when a lot of people just feel overwhelmed by the debt-busting and go mad, so in my opinion, much as it sounds as though it goes against what you're doing, I think it was and is essential.

• Healthy eating. Whoops. I have been power-eating chocolate. Cadburys Marvellous Creations and Boost bars to be exact. It accounts for £4.20 of my overdraft. I felt down and I needed it, so I bought it and ate it. It helped bring my spirits up so I'm not even sorry. Well I am a bit, but too late now! I promise not to do it again though :rotfl:. Other than that the diet has been OK and plenty of water drunk.

When I gave up the booze the blogger who encouraged me enough to keep me going was very clear - when we are changing our habitual behaviour we need a reward every two days, and smart people plan those treats and look forward to them. Yours is chocolate - I think you should allow yourself more than £4.20 randomly and I think you should chose those treats as an indulgence for yourself and stop feeling guilty about it. If Mr Happy is still allowed an occasional random bacon sandwhich he's got something too. Well done on the water.

• Not done brilliantly for sleep. Last night the dog wouldn't go out for her usual poo at around 9pm because it was raining too hard. Unsurprisingly she then woke me at 2 am because she was desperate! Took her out then couldn't get back to sleep. The previous night I stayed up until stupid o'clock watching the BBC1 election programme, which was ridiculous because I had to get up at 5.30 for work. I will be in bed by 10 tonight I think.
• Spring-cleaning not done, but the house is acceptable overall. More kitchen cleaning scheduled for today if I can keep my eyes open.
• Sit-ups. Nope.

Do you think either of us will ever get to the stage of maturity where we don't stay up stupidly late occasionally when we know we shouldn't? The election results were fascinating so if I'd had the energy I'd have stayed up - OH did but that's a slightly different story. When he's away I have been known to watch Keeping up with the Kardashians until 5.00am (in absolute horror I hasten to add - I could not believe what I was seeing!) or read until the sun comes up. We can't be sensible all the time and I don't want to be.

Dolphin1

HappyNow wrote: »

Are the cake cravings getting any easier?

No, not really, I tried to satisfy the cravings yesterday with a chocolate mousse but it didn't work.

Dolphin1

HappyNow wrote: »

Update time. It's been a mad few days at work and Mr H is doing his extra work hours (12 hour days and both weekend days) so I've really just focussed on keeping all the plates spinning. That's my way of justifying my terrible update:D

• Financially I haven't wasted a single penny (chocolate's not waste, right?). I don't have a single penny. The overdraft is up at £378 even after the rent has gone in, but it will be paid off next Friday from our wages and my challenge will then be to get right through to 15th June in the black. I'm not even sure if that's possible - depends when Mr H's overtime gets paid - but I will have a good go. Still some more spending to do (horse food/petrol/essential foods) so the o/d will be even higher by Friday. I'm not beating myself up about it because it was all outside my control (except the holiday, but that was booked in good faith!).
• Healthy eating. Whoops. I have been power-eating chocolate. Cadburys Marvellous Creations and Boost bars to be exact. It accounts for £4.20 of my overdraft. I felt down and I needed it, so I bought it and ate it. It helped bring my spirits up so I'm not even sorry. Well I am a bit, but too late now! I promise not to do it again though :rotfl:. Other than that the diet has been OK and plenty of water drunk.
• Not done brilliantly for sleep. Last night the dog wouldn't go out for her usual poo at around 9pm because it was raining too hard. Unsurprisingly she then woke me at 2 am because she was desperate! Took her out then couldn't get back to sleep. The previous night I stayed up until stupid o'clock watching the BBC1 election programme, which was ridiculous because I had to get up at 5.30 for work. I will be in bed by 10 tonight I think.
• Spring-cleaning not done, but the house is acceptable overall. More kitchen cleaning scheduled for today if I can keep my eyes open.
• Sit-ups. Nope.

Sorry that you're finances have taken a bit of a beating lately but don't forget that you have paid off over £23k of unsecured debt since starting this diary and this is just a minor setback that you can recover from. With Mr H's overtime, you'll have the overdraft paid off in no time.

Dolphin1

Day 4 yesterday...

1) See above re: chocolate mousse. Was trying to satisfy my cake cravings but it didn't help. No sweets or biscuits.
2) Still no cake eaten but really wanted some.
3) Light off just before midnight but that's ok as it was Friday.
4) Half meal planned for next week. Will finish it off now and finalise my online shopping.
5) No spends on other people.

I have got a stinking cold so do not feel like preparing and cooking food. It is not helping with the meal planning because everything I think of seems bleurgh. Soup is the only thing that appeals to me at the moment.

Honey_Bear

Dolphin1 wrote: »

Day 4 yesterday...

1) See above re: chocolate mousse. Was trying to satisfy my cake cravings but it didn't help. No sweets or biscuits.
Worth trying a substitute, though.
2) Still no cake eaten but really wanted some.
3) Light off just before midnight but that's ok as it was Friday.
4) Half meal planned for next week. Will finish it off now and finalise my online shopping.
Progress!
5) No spends on other people.
Well done.
I have got a stinking cold so do not feel like preparing and cooking food. It is not helping with the meal planning because everything I think of seems bleurgh. Soup is the only thing that appeals to me at the moment.
*Healing vibes*

Soup, I now believe, is a superfood. As a child I could never understand why anyone bothered with it but whenever I want to lose weight it's where I start - homemade soup and bread for lunch. So, if you're feeling under the weather and it appeals,it's obviously the right food for you. Sorry the cake cravings are still bothering you and well done on resisting. It should get easier but in the case of cake I don't think anyone could give any guarantees. Every day temptation is resisted is a victory.

Honey_Bear

1. Another day of a mini-session of brushing, having decided that I need to introduce other things that are equally difficult for him to handle and not do too much overall each day. Today I left him on his own in the house for a few minutes and came back to find him waiting, alert but relatively calmly, in the dining room with his eyes on the front door. Massive, massive relief that provided I manage this very slowly and calmly I shouldn't come home to things being ripped up or an upended kitchen bin. Fingers crossed; separation anxiety is my last major concern.
2. Nothing on insurance again. Oops x 5?
3. Very cheesey day, leftovers, so very MSE but not ideal in the weightloss world.
4. Stayed up late reading online, which was fairly predictable given that OH is away.
5. A couple of loads of washing and not much else. I'm still recovering, basically.

Dolphin1

Honey_Bear wrote: »

Every day temptation is resisted is a victory.

To be honest, this is the way I'm looking at it too. If I can start eating cake as a treat rather than an everyday food then that will be a victory.