Finally I have a mortgage I can start to pay off!

themadvix

Thanks folks. I am feeling a lot better this morning (typical as I could do with the docs realising how unwell I've been!). Fingers crossed this continues though.

DH went into London last night for his birthday present from me *last* year - a night photography course. The photos look great! I didn't fancy going to sit on my own in a coffee shop for a couple of hours, so I stayed at home and Dad took me out for dinner

If I continue to feel okay after doctors' appt (and I'm caught up on work) I intend to do some out and about jobs, including some volunteering stuff. I've found myself becoming increasingly involved in supporting the District Commissioner where I run my Brownies as she seems to get very little support from almost everyone else and she's a thoroughly nice person without an agenda (which everyone else seems to have!). Maybe it's because I've never had a full-time 'proper' job, but I just don't get agendas and politics - why waste so much time and effort being obstructive! Sorry, rant over!

MS things:
* Take voucher for free yoghurt to WR
* PA survey yesterday
* SBs and VB poll

Gratitudes:
* Quality time with Dad last night (even if food was distinctly mediocre!)
* DH enjoyed his present
* Feeling better today

Jessy103

I hope you feel well enough to volunteer for the brownies vix, they'll be lucky to have you! x

themadvix

Thanks Jess - I am already a leader, it's just I seem to be getting more involved in the running of our building (which I don't even meet at!).

Had a good day yesterday - even visited my mum, who is also ill and did some shopping for her! Today am I at home, as DH needed fuel and I offered him my car. I could go out if I wanted to, but I don't want to pay for fuel!

MS things:
* Two loads of washing drying on the line in glorious sunshine
* Several PA surveys done
* SBs and VB bits done
* Daily comps entered - need to do the rest later
* Will be using discount code to book a pub stay for our visit oop North in December - £140 down to £105 (Lake District prices!), inc breakfast.

Gratitudes:
* Cup of tea and my book enjoyed on the garden bench this morning - was very restorative
* Getting out of the house yesterday, even if it did take it out of me!
* Nurse I saw at Drs was very understanding and has booked me in for a Drs appt next week, kept mentioning cardiology referral, so I'm glad they're taking it seriously. She did also say it could have been a virus, so fingers crossed that's the problem and it'll all go away!

try_harder

I was just about to say what a great few weeks you have had ,house looking lovely ,more competition wins and PB wins ,great day with all your friends etc ,etc then i got to the part where you have been very poorly ,i am glad you are feeling much better than you did but you definitely do need to keep at them as it obviously worried you at the time ,hopefully it was a virus they can cause some very strange symptoms my husband woke up one morning years ago and couldnt walk ,no pain just couldnt move it lasted about a week and they put that down to a virus .Take care now.

themadvix

Thanks TH - and that sounds like a horrendous virus your husband suffered, but it's reassuring to know that they can be quite bad and then just disappear. Bodies are funny things!

Am having a good day on PA - balance will be about £23 when it's all cleared.

Karmacat

Definitely - viruses aren't well understood yet, even though so much is known - understanding just isn't there.

So, I know what SB is ... but what's PA? And VB?

I'd better get going on my new phone ....

themadvix

PA = Prolific Academic (usually just prolific, but for abbreviation's sake!) and VB = Viewsbank - pennies for daily poll but the surveys can pay well and sometimes you can do mystery shops or dead letter drop type things (no effort, but they pay a £5).

Karmacat

Thanks madvix! My days of doing mystery shopping are over, but anything I can do from my laptop, or my new phone, I'm in

Busy_Mee1

Hi Madvix, just catching up on a few diaries. Sorry to hear you have been so ill and hope you are back on the mend now x

themadvix

You're welcome KC - I never do their mystery shops either, but the dead letter drops are brilliant - nothing even arrives in the post but you get paid £5!

Thanks BusyMee!

Am halfway through the money shuffle (half today, half tomorrow) and because we've skimmed various extras off of the accounts, I've been able to make a fair dent in the debt - yay! I'll post the figures tomorrow because being halfway through, they aren't up to date yet. In addition, we found £720 of sharesave scheme money we'd removed and forgotten about - I'm a seriously slacking MFW - and DH has added his extra pay from his pay rise to this - at the moment it's waiting to be OP... not sure what we're waiting for, but maybe to use it to finish the decorating - carpet and plastering.

We've got a busy and potentially expensive month ahead of us, but I'm determined that apart from the expected expenses we have a really cheap month. So below I've set out the things we're allowed to spend some money on/occasions when we *have* to spend money and if it's not listed, then the answer is no/take our own or do without!

* New handbag - I've had my *only* handbag for about 5 years and it's falling apart - I know what I want and it's £28 and will hopefully last just as long (I don't go in for handbag fashion!) - at this point it really is necessity!
* New trainers - DH and I are both in dire need - we both have holes in our shoes (a huge tear in DH's case) and have had little luck in finding replacements so far. If we see some that are reasonably priced and fit, we will buy them.
* This weekend - Sun-Mon is the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run and while we'll be fed and watered (to excess) for free on Sunday, we'll need to find some lunch on the Monday (we tend to take a lazy route back to enjoy the day off). I will take my thermos and fill it up before we leave the hotel and make sure we have snacks with us from home (have just made flapjack).
* Day trip to France - booked a £20 return, we'll have to pay fuel and for lunch and some (fairly limited) hypermarket shopping . Again, will take thermos and snacks to mitigate costs.
* Brownie trip to Cadbury World (so exciting!) - will take thermos/packed lunch and will only buy chocolate for Xmas presents (and survive on the freebie they give us! Shouldn't be too hard, most is wrapped in plastic so I don't buy anyway!)
* DH's birthday - present and card budgeted for and he wants to go to see Thor at the cinema - apparently it's out now, so no idea if it'll still be on by the end of the month! Will establish when he wants to go (Tues/Weds please!) and order a voucher from S&S.
* I promised to take a friend out for dinner for her 60th birthday - this may happen this month (fortunately she's always on a diet and doesn't drink, so a cheap date! :rotfl:). Will use a voucher if possible.
* Have also arranged to see uni friend on Tuesday - haven't seen her in a couple of years - will be lunch in Costa I think, if she confirms.

Otherwise, it's porridge (for me) for breakfast, daal for dinner (that's no hardship) and no treats! The freezer is full (we might need a few odd bits to make up actual meals) and I'll have a veg box coming this week so we should be good for some time to come. I'm going to aim for £75 on food this month - hopefully less than that!