Keeping up appearances.......

smallholdingsister

Happy what about ebay for second hand taps?
I am Alchemilla BTW. X

HappyNow

Christmas! I love it! I do agree the shops start it too early though, 1st December would be fine. Having said that, I start early in my head nowadays because there's a better chance of coming across bargain 'just-the-thing' presents, rather than the last-minute expensive jobs! I live my life by YNAB now, so I have budgeted for Christmas since May at £50 per month, meaning a £400 maximum spend. I know that's still a lot, but it's a fraction of what was spent pre-2011 and I'm just about OK with it. Just!

I have already bought Mr H's Christmas present (Sarah Millican tickets for us both ) so unfortunately he won't be getting a tap this year. I would be more than happy if he were to give me two though - although I definitely want them early! We've had to disconnect the hot water completely now so all hot taps are dry, which is a shame as they have only just started giving out HOT water after all these years .

HappyNow

Dolphin1 wrote: »

OH and I are off from next Friday too. We are spending most of the week at home and doing things locally but we have got a couple of nights away too. I know you want to get the bathroom done but I hope you manage a bit of proper time off too especially if it's the last of your leave and autumn is coming. Can't the bathroom painting wait for a wet autumnal weekend?

You and I always seem very tuned-in with our time off . I hope you are going somewhere lovely. I suppose we could leave the decorating until the weather turns, but to be honest we both quite enjoy it and there's no money for a night away or anything more fun, so we might as well get it done. The paint and other bits will cost £70 so not TOO bad - there's no YNAB money to pay for it though, so it will be a temporary hit on the overdraft until payday on 15th.

joeyjimbles wrote: »

I have just spent an inordinate amount of money on underwear and socks for my boys, when did they get so pricey I wonder? I don't normally buy en masse, usually replacing a few here and there or buying when I see some on offer/reduced but both of them needed new supplies; some of DS2s bore a 4-5 age ticket and he is 11 and starting secondary in 10 days time, some of DS1s were bordering on translucent and indecency though he swore he only used them for rugby which wasn't particularly reassuring given the short shorts they wear! Even at supermarket prices it was a heck of a cost though I did remember TCB so hopefully a few pennies will wing back to me. Still hopefully that's the last of the back to school costs.

That's one difference between boys and girls I think. I can always thrill Miss H by giving her underwear for Christmas. Master H not so much! He still gets it though! But yes, by the sound of their old undies your boys really couldn't wait until December!

smallholdingsister wrote: »

Happy what about ebay for second hand taps?
I am Alchemilla BTW. X

That's a good idea. First though, Mr H has taken the old one to work today (no Bank Holiday for him ) to see if there is anything he can do with it. When he first took it apart he said it definitely couldn't be repaired, then we looked at the price of new ones and he decided he would have a go! He's an engineer not a plumber but 'transferable skills' and all that . I will see what he comes home with.


I wish I could post a photo of our kitchen tap that he 'mended' a few years ago. It's a chrome mixer tap and the spout part just dropped off it one day (we're on bore hole water and it's quite corrosive, we're not just unlucky with taps!). He took it to his man-shed and welded a piece of copper pipe onto the main tap part, and added a 90 degree copper elbow so the water flows downwards into the sink. It works fine and looks strangely good. Rustic and inventive. Miss H says that when we eventually replace it (or die!) she wants it!

HappyNow

Tomorrow is the start of Super September - or Suptember as us cool folk call it . It would be lovely to have company, but no pressure if you don't fancy it. Just two targets for me because they are big:

1. Finances. Keep up the MSE pressure because we're heading into the colder weather so the coal bills will start, and I have failed to budget for that in YNAB so far . Also the horses will need more bought feed. And the tree man will be coming at a cost of £600. Oh 'eck
2. Myfitnesspal. I'm going to use it for the entire month, working on 1600 calories per day. That's a good-ish amount and should be do-able provided I am sensible, which seems to be my weakness!

Dolphin1

HappyNow wrote: »

You and I always seem very tuned-in with our time off .

Yes, we do seem to be . We try and spread our time off evenly through the year so usually it's March, June and September and sometimes in November if we have any days left. It also means we can avoid the expensive school holiday periods.

Dolphin1

Update for yesterday...

1) None eaten.
2) Meal plan not done but shopping coming today so will do one using what has been ordered and what is in the fridge and freezer again.
3) No spends on other people.
4) Face & neck moisturised.

Honey_Bear

HappyNow wrote: »

I have already bought Mr H's Christmas present (Sarah Millican tickets for us both ) ...

Love it. :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

... so unfortunately he won't be getting a tap this year. I would be more than happy if he were to give me two though

Would two be within his budget? :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

We've had to disconnect the hot water completely now so all hot taps are dry, which is a shame as they have only just started giving out HOT water after all these years .

Now that's just :mad:.

Honey_Bear

I will be joining you for Suptember if that's okay with you. My goals are the things I am still struggling with:

• No computer after 9.00pm;
• Lights out by 11.30pm
• Five fruit and veg a day;
• 15 minutes flying a day, sticking to the new schedule: Monday: Dusting/dewebbing; Tuesday: Kitchen; Wednesday: Floors; Thursday: Bath/shower room; Friday: Windows/Paintwork;
• Drink two glasses of water a day, on top of the 4 fruit teas and at least a pot of decaff coffee.

That should do the trick.

Honey_Bear

Happy, did I read that right, that you are sticking to 1600 cal a day? That sounds like virtual starvation to me. I cut out the hobnobs last week by having finished all the ones I'd baked for OH and lost 2lbs. *sigh*

joeyjimbles

I've done 15 days on MFP so far and it definitely helps keep me accountable. I even turned down a potential dinner invitation yesterday because I know that if I go I will want to thoroughly enjoy myself and throw calories and caution to the wind and would rather not go if I feel restricted (I've been back and forth on this one but feel happier just not bothering). Its only two weeks but so far, so good.