Take it to the Mattresses!

Grand_Benders

The walking has been a bit of a fail the rest of this week. Had a bit of a slump day yesterday and didn't get anything done. Just couldn't muster the energy or effort, and it was raining.

Stayed awake too late last night reading forum posts so had a wee lie-in this morning. Weather was still a bit rubbish (but not raining) so I didn't go out. In order to make up for my complete inability to get off the couch yesterday, I attacked the kitchen today, and filled in a form that I've been putting off (for work sick pay policy). Done now, and feel tons better.

I've got stew in the slow cooker, for tomorrow dinner and for freezer, and I've made curry with leftover chicken from last rotisserie chicken, for tonight's tea and tomorrow's lunches.

Been looking up bread recipes and may take my scooter into town tomorrow to get bread ingredients at Aldi and have a go at making my own completely, rather than packets of mix in the bread maker.

NewLeaf_2

well done on the paperwork

PinotGrigio41

Interested to hear how the bread turns out GB. I must confess my bread maker is looking rather lonely and dusty this year, it hasn't seen the light of day once.

Maybe your bread making will inspire me to dust it down and it give it an airing ! x

Grand_Benders

I was clearly on a roll with paperwork and being organised. I have to confess, while I was absent from here I didn't really keep that close a track on our finances, and didn't update my Accounts Tracker app at all. So I sat down on Thursday night and reconciled our bank statements from September onwards (!) and entered all cash expenditure (I had a huge pile of receipts). I only had to guess about £40 to get us up to date, so put that to 'meals at work' as that's most likely.

Did a count yesterday of various jars (£2 coins, 20p coins, loose coppers) and updated them on my app too, so I am back to knowing where every penny is.

Had to go shopping yesterday for some last minute stuff for a family celebration today, and tracked all expenditure on the iphone version of my app on the way round the mall (even my £2 Thorntons Ice Cream that I shouldn't have had but enjoyed anyway). Then went to Aldi and picked up some essentials and bread flour and yeast so Monday I'll have a go with that.

Next week I need to get back on top of the budget and DMP and work out how to cover the huge gap left by the loss of my salary. :eek: but for now it's family party time (and I can't tell you how much we need this as a family after the last few months).

grannyx2

Hello honey, nice to see you back, sorry life is tough at the moment.

Granny x

Grand_Benders

Thanks Granny. Nice to see you too.

Grand_Benders

Back from family party, which was joyous. Stayed in a caravan last night and the wind and rain were pretty brutal so didn't sleep that well. Had some nice quiet time with my sister's adult twins today over a leisurely lunch and marvelled at how grown up and independent they are. They're 28 but I still see them as my babies . Had a lovely surprise last night as my cousin I grew up with (like sisters) who I hadn't seen for 4 years came up from 'down south' for the party and our hostess kept it a surprise.

Had a wee bit of an emotional meltdown this morning, which I'm putting down to lack of sleep, caffeine withdrawal and dehydration, and absolutely nothing at all to do with my two glasses of red wine last night because a hangover on 2 glasses of wine would be ridiculous!

Had an easy afternoon and a nice scenic drive home to our kitties (still thankfully speaking to us after leaving them overnight), so all ready to attack the week.

Walk in the morning (or the Leslie whatshername YouTube thing that NL posted recently) then bread making, crockpot yoghurt making and making a start on my Employment Tribunal paperwork. Nothing too taxing then lol

Have a great week everyone. X

Grand_Benders

Today was my last official day of employment. Just waiting for final pay to hit the bank then submitting my Employment Tribunal claim online.

I've had a fairly up and down week. Had one crazy day of uber-productiveness, followed by one less so and then two completely UNproductive and 'down' days. All over the place.

I'll post over the weekend with odd MSE stuff I've been doing, since I haven't really posted much on that score since I came back.

Hope you all have a lovely weekend.

NewLeaf_2

where is the walking update. dont be down

Grand_Benders

I've been all over the place and having some difficult times with this tribunal still lingering. Added to that, having to deal with ATOS assessment paperwork, that part of my life has been pretty rubbish, so I've not been on here much.

However, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, work-wise. I have been nurturing some contacts within the pottery world, as this was the career I realised too late in life that I should have pursued, and I have now managed to line up a part time job working for a potter, with the possibility of applying for a part time apprenticeship with him too (funded by an external organisation, hence having to apply). It's all incredibly exciting, and I get to turn my hobby of the last decade into a new career. Earning about a third of what I was before, but doing something I love.

It means lots more money saving will be needed, and our DMP monthly payment has had to be massively reduced (from £825 a month to £70 a month and not even properly leaving provision in our budget for annual things like insurance).

The house is going on the market soon, and we're going to look for a house about 30 miles north of where we are now, closer to where my new job is, where the property is also considerably cheaper. Working to the assumption that we only get back what we paid for this house in 2007, we will have enough equity from the sale to buy a 2 bed flat outright, no mortgage. This cuts down our monthly outgoings by nearly £900, not taking into account that our council tax will also go from band F to band B or C.

So, just doing some odd jobs around the house right now to get it ready for market, and then fingers crossed it sells quickly.

That's my update for now. Back soon with more news hopefully.