Balancing not just the budget

RosaBernicia

I'm absolutely cream crackered.

Friday night and Saturday were both great. It's wonderful to have a proper social life again. And I'm really looking forward to going away later in the week.

But I spent three hours clearing the garden this afternoon and on top of the usual Sunday chores and going away prep it was perhaps a bit much. I guess it's a really good start though, I said I wanted everything pretty much done before I went away and that is now the case. I've shifted silly amounts of brambles and ivy and have several massive bags that will need disposing of later in the week. I've also reshuffled a storage box from elsewhere and have some ideas of what to do with the rest once I've got the bonfire bits done and had a bit more of a tidy. It made me rather sad to see the state of my plants, they've been basically ignored for two summers so they are all over the place and I've lost a couple altogether. But in a way it was also useful to get me thinking on how I want my garden to be, not just this one but in the longer term.

One of my Ama50n books sold, so that's about £20 coming in :T . No news on payment for new work yet, which is a bit annoying, but I know the manager is away for a couple of weeks so am hoping it will show up later in the month.

I haven't managed to do my professional body application or fully reconcile YNAB, and they may end up waiting til next week depending on how long it takes to finish tidying the garden. I did manage to book the event though - and that reminds me, I also need to book a hotel. I'll try and do that after the credit card statement date though.

Really don't want to go to work tomorrow but it's a short week, thank goodness!


Rosa xx

doingitanyway

I know you overdid it yesterday with the gardening and other chores but you have inspired me to tackle my own garden. I've decided against a gardener. I think I can wrestle back control, but I may get some garden quotes for landscaping ideas for the future.

Well done on Amazon sales too

Have a good week
DIA x

Tinkerbelle2000

RosaBernicia wrote: »

However I haven't been sleeping very well, partly because I've not been going to bed when I intend to and also because I read too late, telling myself that I haven't done anything else fun in the evening. That needs to stop. It will fade out anyway as the admin backlog gets cleared but I do want to get back into good habits there.

I'm also eating badly for similar reasons - I haven't even tried to cook recently when I've been doing other things in the evenings and I'd like that to change.

Sounds to me like someone needs to get planning again. My planner is making me so organised in every other aspect of my life apart from my finances. I am the same as you with going to bed and reading so I have a tracker which states a time that I aim to be in bed by and also what time to get up. I also have a meal planner for the week in there too. I just need to take as much notice of my budget pages as I do this one.

Well done on the clearout, and I agree that you sound so different in yourself now you are debt free. I can't wait for that day.

Tink xx

RosaBernicia

doingitanyway wrote: »

I know you overdid it yesterday with the gardening and other chores but you have inspired me to tackle my own garden. I've decided against a gardener. I think I can wrestle back control, but I may get some garden quotes for landscaping ideas for the future.

Well done on Amazon sales too

Have a good week
DIA x

That sounds like a plan DIA. I was amazed how much I got done in 15 minute chunks. As my garden is rented I can't really make very long term plans or major changes, but I intend to at least get it sorted so it's pleasant to sit in for the rest of this summer / autumn, and if I am still here next spring then I will do more.


Rosa xx

RosaBernicia

Tinkerbelle2000 wrote: »

Sounds to me like someone needs to get planning again. My planner is making me so organised in every other aspect of my life apart from my finances. I am the same as you with going to bed and reading so I have a tracker which states a time that I aim to be in bed by and also what time to get up. I also have a meal planner for the week in there too. I just need to take as much notice of my budget pages as I do this one.

Well done on the clearout, and I agree that you sound so different in yourself now you are debt free. I can't wait for that day.

Tink xx

How right you are Tink I keep looking at my Desire Map planner but haven't gone back to it yet. I'm going to have my weekend away to just completely relax and let some new ideas flow, and then I will get onto planning again.

I am still resisting looking at bullet journals while I have the planner but only just :rotfl:


Rosa xx

RosaBernicia

Dashing in for a run round the diaries and to check in here...

I've spent another half hour or so in the garden and cleared a difficult bit. That makes space to reshuffle things which will hopefully help it look less of a bombsite.

Also sorted washing and ironing, stuff for going away, couple of phone calls, and some random cleaning jobs I wanted done. Most things have been done as I cleared out the flat but there are a few that need sorting and I am determined that I'm going to come home from my break to a clean, tidyish and welcoming flat. So tonight I did cleaning the hob and a couple of other things.

I've finally had a reply about the new work payment and it should come through this week :T - phew - I was getting a little antsy about whether I'd be able to clear the CC as well as pay for going away, which is a bit daft as it's all OK on YNAB. I don't intend to be paying avoidable interest ever again . Ama50n sale posted, and I must do something about 3bay listings the next weekend I'm home as I'm really fed up with the stuff taking up hangers and space.

So all OK apart from the going to bed on time thing, but I'll work on that after the trip away, honest .


Rosa xx

moneyonmymindsam

Doing amazing - well done on the garden me too about fleabay your not alone there.


Sam x

Tinkerbelle2000

The good thing about a bullet journal is you only need a note book really.

Good work on the garden. My poor allotment has been neglected with decorating. I'll catch up this weekend.

Tink xx

RosaBernicia

I had a wonderful time away :T lovely people, fab music, good food. A vision of being able to move closer to having this all the time is beginning to emerge. I'm thinking of trying out Pinterest to begin bringing it together.

:money: wise, spends were probably OK. I haven't put it all in YNAB yet, but petrol was less than I expected and the cats shared a run this time which reduced their costs. I treated myself to some clothes as I found things I loved and that aren't really available locally.

I've been paid for the new work, and a friend has agreed to give me an intro-to-tax lesson in return for a nice lunch later in the year . I've also had an acceptance from Shop&Scan, and the clicker thing arrived while I was away so will set that up later this week. I keep receipts and use them for YNAB anyway, so am hoping I can find a way of doing it that isn't too much effort. This will add to my non-salary income. As would 3bay, if I ever get round to listing stuff :rotfl:

Bonfire session in the garden later in the week and then I can finish tidying it. I haven't decided whether to buy more plants this late in the year but either way it is already a whole lot nicer to look at and much more usable than it was. There's a little bit of paperwork tidying in the flat but that won't take long. I'm not going to bother going through my clothes again til the season changes.

I'm in a good space. Things are OK now, and have every possibility of being even better in future.


Rosa xx

moneyonmymindsam

WOW you sound great and all your efforts and home are coming together - Keep it up.


Well done on the garden and pleased you are happy with the flat.


Snap - am also guilty on not listing .