Stop the ride, i want to get off AGAIN!!

Ali-OK

That's fab to hear Rags, really pleased for you and you certainly do sound inspired and having that goal is a great start to your tenure. :T

Going on the few care homes I've visited some family friends in, things I really liked were:

- how homely it felt and lots of things out for people to do - magazines, jigsaws, books
- how friendly and approachable the staff were
- how personalised their bedrooms were
- how clean it was
- how relaxed an atmosphere it had
- regular events with local people - from school choir, to petting dog and exercise classes!

Really liked the way they laid tea parties on for each birthday and helped invite family/friends to them. We went to a 100th birthday party a couple of years ago of an old family friend and it was brilliant.

Don't know if any of that helps as I've limited experience of visiting and haven't been in the position to have to look for one.

natsplatnat

I echo what Ali has just said + good quality food!!

pennywisepoundstupid

Hi Rags, glad everything is going well.

Agree with everything that has been said above, the school I work in regularly goes around some of the care homes and sing/play instruments, it's lovely to see the old dears face light up, especially to the songs they know.

What about asking at the local college if some of the girls that are training can come and do ladies nails or give them a hand massage.

Get the WI/ Rotary club/local clubs to come in and do talks.

Take care PWPS.x.

ragstoricheswannabe

Thanks everyone. Some good ideas.

I have done my meter readings and uploaded them but not sure if it means credit or debit yet.
Have joined the energy club on here, and put in for a switch to possibly save £176 a year!! This should bring our direct debit down each month too.
Going to ring sky today too and cancel sports. I know I should cancel movies too, and it is on the tip of my tongue to do so. This should also bring that direct debit down too.

Didn't do so well on the weekly shopping, about £10 over budget. But did bulk buy cat biscuits as worked out cheaper and got loads of muller corners as on offer. Kids love them but only get them when it's a good offer. Also needed toilet roll so went to p0undstretchers and got 18 rolls for just over a fiver. That will last us ages. And we get the cat food from there as do 24 pouches for a fiver so it wasn't a special trip either.

Not where I wanted to be at the end of the month but still moving upwards. The phone bills have been moved to the day before my payday which is a b@gger as was just getting it back to not going over the overdraft with the mortgage. Oh well, will just have to be more careful with our money. Need to find a way to stay in budget with food, this is now my main area of over spend.

Help!

ragstoricheswannabe

Have cancelled movies and sport and the nice man on the phone added another fiver discount so reduced the monthly direct debit by £35. so once my gas and elec have been switched it should give me at least £50 a month extra to play with. Not bad really.

Have done my baking today, weetabix chocolate brownies, maids of honour, jam tarts and empire biscuits. Should keep the boxes going for a while.

Been thinking about my grocery bill and trying to find ways to cut it back. Yogurts are a must for the boys for calcium, ds1 doesn't have a lot of milk so use cheese and yogurts to boost his intake. Might start making little pots of jelly as well as at home if they are peckish, yogurts get hit first. Hopefully won't need to buy as many.
Meal wise we already meal plan and I bulk out the mince to do 2 meals. Have looked on the recipe link on here for some cheap ideas, it's just having time with both me and the hubby working full time. Might do some batch cooking for the freezer whilst I'm in the kitchen baking on a Sunday.............

Ali-OK

That's an excellent saving on the bills, Rags. Well done :T

I'm still put to shame compared to all the baking you do. Sounds lovely and yes, I think batch cooking and bulking out is the way to go if you can fit any more in your Sunday!

ragstoricheswannabe

Well, seem to be getting somewhere with my money, the bills account stayed within the overdraft!! Yippee! Luckily the phone bill hasn't come out yet or it would have gone over by about £30.

Have found a couple of work tops on eBay so will be sorting them out tonight now payday has been. These tops I can also wear at home should I not continue in this new role. Will also do March's budget later too. The only spends I can think of this month is clothes and my PIN number fee, so fingers crossed it should be a good month.

Have finally got my voice back, but it's now turned into an irritating cough!!! And it's always worse as soon as my head touches the pillow, typical eh?!

smarties84

Hi Rags, so envious of you and your baking - im so gonna give it another go - surely i can do it - LOL

Well done on getting your sky brought down, £35 is quite alot of money isn't it x

ragstoricheswannabe

Well i am now under £15K!!!! :D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

That is such a good feeling, need to pay £2k more off and we will be at the half way point. Its only now that it is starting to become less of a burden. We just need to keep spending under control as old habits show, complacency creeps in and then we end up back at square one. But we can see the light at the end of the tunnel (albeit very tiny and dim at the moment) and can actually look forward and make plans with how we want to live life, and actually have a life instead of feeling like we are just existing.

I am in my last week of my trial of the new job role, and things are looking positive for it to continue. Hopefully find out possible wage next week, but anything extra in my wage will be great as will bring my debt free date forward.

If it feels this good to be getting somewhere with the debts finally, how good will it feel to be finally free of it all together?!?!?!?!

Ali-OK

That's such fantastic news on being under £15k - bloomin' well done and half way is a great next goal to have. :T:T:T

It is easy to wobble off the path, but what a great plan with fingers crossed the trial going to permanent and the salary difference going to debt-busting.

Really pleased the trial has worked out for you. Exciting stuff :j

PS. Still waiting on Overnight Cake recipe :rotfl: