Aiming for a debt free life on latitude 60.2100° N

Marru

Hi Marietje. First was to get a job, then was to find a school and house, then to get permit from court to get my daughter out of UK. I was lucky as my new employer was willing to wait for me and extended my starting day from two months from signing the contract to four months. Also I was lucky as my new hubby has been supporting me all the way and we have been using most of his savings to be able to move. To pay for removal, deposit for house, deposit for car etc. And as for being back IT IS GREAT!!

I still somethimes struggle with the languages, English when I am at home and with my mother tongue other times. To make matters worse I have been reading in Swedish. Today we went to library and I did get a book in English to read while I wait for my next Swedish book.

It was minus 20 yesterday. And as it is so dry and there wasn't a lot of wind it didn't feel too bad. I was at a client and one hour job stretched to six hours. As it was due to the information being patchy and not reliable client was very happy despite it having taken so long. It is all good for my self esteem and obviously for my part of reaching the budget.

Talking about the budget, I really need to finish it as DH is spending too much for food. We are literally eating his savings. And this week one of the dogs needed proper dental overhaul which didn't come cheap.

DD is doing last bits of her homework and tantruming. She can say the weekdays but can't write them and now is kicking a fuss when I am telling her to go and find them from her books. She really needs to find the information herself and not rely for me to - literally - spell it out for her. The incentive is to finish watching a dog film when she is finished but even that doesn't seem to work at the moment.

I am at awe for Memory Girl who is managing with £100 crocery budget per month for herself and two growing boy. I get lunch at work so it should help a lot. But DD is at the moment a big eater despite her having lunch as well. Anyhoo, it is Saturday so sauna night, bliss. And I treated us with nice Perry to have after while watching New Tricks on telly. It can't get any better.

Aesop

Hi Marru, good to hear you are settling back home.

One thing to remember is that Memory Girl is not a big meater so that helps her budget a lot and she does have a fantastic stock cupboard built up over time and with effort.

My issues with a food budget is lack of freezer and man who had to have meat at least 7 days a week. I can get away with serving him with fish a few times a week but he won't eat cheese, so his sandwhiches usually consist of some meat item.

Marru

Today I have been thinking what ifs. But that is very pointless and silly. I was wondering what my life would be like if I had come back here when DD was three. She would have learned the language before going to school, none of the expensive court cases would have happened. But on the other hand there are some people I would have missed meeting with especially my DH. But as I said all pointless and best just get on with things as they are.

There are some good news. I have lost four kilos in last two months. I feel loads better but don't really look any different. Also my back is loads better so I really hope the migraines are now part of the past never to return. Today I met with a personal trainer (part of the package when I joined the gym) and she gave me some excercises to do. I will have another meet with her next week. I think I will buy some weights to train at home and then go to the gym for the group sessions (yoga, spinning, pilates, zumba etc). Then when spring comes and I can start doing Nordic walking (and do zumba and yoga with DVDs that I already have) I can resign my gym contract and save money and still keep fit. She says.

Oh and we have this free newspaper and once per week the column is written by one of the readers. I submitted a little text there and this evening they called me and asked for a bigger picture of me to put on the story. So I guess this means that my story will be published on Monday. That will be 100 in the kitty. How cool is that!

Ok DD is shouting from downstairs. I need to get her sorted. She should have been in bed fifteen minutes ago but on Thusday evenings she has her English lessons so it gets always late until her tummy has been satisfied and she is ready to settle for bed. So better go...

Marru

Thursday was last day of my trial period, woop woop. And it has been pretty busy at work so it has been good. Quite difficult cases lately but that has kept the grey matter in action.

Also good news about DH. The law has changed from starting the year and my income is not calculated for his unemployment benefit. Woohoooo!! Now he is going to language course and after that an employment plan is going to be made. I am so relieved as like I said earlier we are literally eating our savings so this money is very welcome.

Today I have finished first pair of curtains and hung them up. Need to get a picture here. Also been ice skating with DD and DH (got skates for him from sales) which was good and DD loved it (and it is free as ice rinks are here in every school's sport ground and they are for anyone to use outside school hours.

Also as it is Saturday it is traditional sauna evening and we have all been in there and feel pretty relaxed now. DH seems to have tea ready so better get my dressing gown on and go and have some tea. New Tricks (well seen in UK long time ago, so long that we have forgotten the plots) is going to start soon so that has become part of the Saturday tradition too. I think we are blending our two cultures and likes pretty well. This morning when DD was in the park with the neighbours and their kids and I was finishing the curtains DH was skiing.

Tomorrow really need to get on with some paper work. I did manage to do that tax return on time but now I need to fill in P85. And as it happens my last P45 has gone to the black hole of Royal Mail never to be seen again. Pooh!! Oh and I am getting child benefits backdated to first of October last year. That is a welcome money as well. Just need to resurrect my budget now.

Better go, food is ready, smells like sausages, mmmmm....

The_Dragon

Wow! It really does look as though the move was the best thing all round :beer:

Marru

My curtain making is not progressing. My filing project is not progressing. My getting things done is not progressing. But I did manage to sort out my wool stash.

Here it is:



So what has it eaten?

Here some fun yarn I bought from my sister in law. I am going to make a big cushion out of it.



Then quite recent purchase, destined for gardigan for me

Ok there is lots more but I can't for some reason resize the next picture and it is getting late. I need to be on the road before seven tomorrow as I have over 2 hour drive one way to see a client. So rest of the projects will be displayed when I get photobucket to bend to my will.

Marru

Sun rose today 7:02. Sun set today 18:04. Lenght of the day is 11 h 2 min

Yes it was very dark couple of months ago but when it starts getting light it really are getting lighter rapidly. It seemed that spring might be on its way until we had very cold weekend and then two day solid snow. All these temperature changes have made foot paths pretty icy and tricky to walk.

I am very tired in the evenings and not up to much. Weekends we do something as a family. DH has found an International English Church from here and meets up with them couple of times per week. They met up also during last weekend for a family fun day skiing and cooking sausages outside and I joined them too (I tend to avoid all sorts of Churcy things but that was just a social meeting so very nice.) DD had good time as most kids were bilingual.

I have found a knitting club that meets up every other Saturday in a wool shop nearby. It was fun going there with my knitting for a bit of a natter and of course for coffee and bun.

Talking about buns. I managed to squeeze into size 14 trousers. Keeping in mind that my wedding dress last summer was size 18 that is pretty good. Except that it really was a squeeze and I don't think I will wear them again until I have slimmed down a bit more thou. I haven't really lost weight (or my scale is lying) but I am definitely slimmer. Two more months in the gym, then I will cancel the membership and start my "outdoor season". I have found a 10 km race to take part but am bit worried if I should start running quite yet. Last time I had to quit due to shin splints so perhaps some nordic walking first to get the fitness up (and the strain to my legs, especially knees to minimum).

Anyway, DD is shouting downstairs and it is soon her bed time. Better go and round her up...

Marru

I carry on with the wool stash

So here cardigan for me



What is it that I can only resize one and then not the rest. Pah

Ok and here is the confession. Since sorting out my wool stash I have bought wool for little socs and hat for my colleague's baby (another ball of same wool just in case) and six skeins of wool for jumper for me. Not to mention the one kilo of wool I ordered for DH's jumper. Ooops.

Anyhoo. Silly old day today. I was on the training session and trying to do my work with left hand at the same time. Doesn't really work but we were all there and nobody to be on the call. I have my apprisal tomorrow and I should have come up with ten goals. I think ten is a bit too much I could probably come up with five but I do have some ideas. Lets see what happens. Very tired today, must go to bed soon. No it is not seven, it is later than that here.

Marru

Hope everyone has had a good Easter. Here picture of our decorations:



As it is very likely there is no green outside this time of the year (as is the case this year) we tend to grow a little green inside. Decorate it with mini chocolate eggs and little chicks. Also !!!!! willows are out now so they are collected and decorated as well.

Not much to report. Have had very chilled out Easter. Went on Friday to take my mum out for her birthday lunch and yesterday went to visit my brother. Today only thing I have done apart from eating and getting dressed is knitting. I have so many projects I would like to do and only two hands to do them.

But anyhoo, just came here to wish you a :easter:

:icotbaske

ETA Oh funny, the sensor didn't like my kitty willows

Aesop

HELLO catsnaperre1983.

What part of the world are you in that xmas is next week?

Also looks like you have been copying Marru's post?