Looking for the silver lining

*Robin*

please-let-me-be-lucky wrote: »

Good advice from Satchmo, but if you really need a chainsaw can you not hire one for the day?

Holiday sounds awesome Xx

Thirded! :j

Sun_Addict

Thanks folks - have literally just seen this and phoned Mr SA (he is out with carer) and suggested he hire a chainsaw. Phew! Although at the rate our garden grows we will need to buy something at some stage but this can be put off until next year. I had it all chopped down by a gardening firm last September and it's all grown back and then some. All I can say is we must have some very fertile soil! Have suggested to Mr SA that we get a gardener for a couple of hours a week but he's not keen - if he and carer can potter a couple of days a week at least it keeps him out of Costa!

DD is taking time off work to look after dog while we're on holiday so that's sorted. She's paid her board today so I've put it towards the Barclaycard, this is now sitting in a separate account until I've accumulated the full £300 to clear it. Need to find £125 by the end of the month.

Plan for today is to get everything out of freezer to see what there is and make a menu plan based around the contents. I also need to do my WW meal plan as I've got less than 5 weeks to lose a few pounds for hols.

All being well I'll be back at work Monday. Still not 100% but maybe 85%.

And Mr SA is already talking about going for a coffee in town tomorrow, he needs xyz........!!!!!! It's like having a toddler again. Told him there is a strict budget we have just booked and paid for a holiday. Will draw out cash tomorrow and when it's gone it's gone!

Sun_Addict

Day 10 of part 2 of 100 day challenge and I'm pleased to say I paid off the £300 of debt I wanted to and believe it or not, despite no exercise for 2 weeks, have lost 2lbs:) So very happy with that.

Mini challenge part 3 starts tomorrow and finishes 16 September. I've gone way ahead of myself and already paid off the £300 off debt for this part so I'm challenging myself to pay £150 off debt and another £150 in part 4 17 September to 27 September. Confused - so am I!! So basically £300 off by 27 September. I also challenge myself to lose 2lbs in weight in 10 days. I might have a go at the WW Simple Start while I've got the 12 weeks online subscription. Try and stick to it until I go on holiday.

We went into town today and although Mr SA tried his best I managed to persuade him he didn't need xyz... Although I don't have that much left in my purse to last until Wednesday now, but do-able. He was wandering around Debenhams picking up loads of stuff he "needs" and when I said "not at the moment" he said he would have to re-visit one day on his own. What a very scary thought! Once the debt is paid off I will be able to relax a bit with him but don't want to go back to the free range spending we used to have or we will end up back at square one. It would be nice to be able to put a bit of money away or buy stuff for the house.

Mr SA's carer managed to convince him he shouldn't even hire a chainsaw let alone buy one - far too dangerous. So they will persevere using the saw and trimmers. Phew!

debtfreewannabe321

Great news on the holiday! I'm super jealous!

Are you taking antihistamines now for the allergy? As for the pre-payment prescription card I'm sure you can claim back money already spent so long as you have receipts xx

Sun_Addict

Looking at the pre payment thing it looks as though you have to have already applied for said certificate to get your money back. Oh well. Inquired n Boots yesterday about being able to buy emulsifying ointment over the counter instead of paying £8.05 on prescription. They had just one tub in stock which I bought for a mere £3.92. GRR - why didn't the chemist tell me it was cheaper to buy over the counter? An added bonus by the way of all this moisturising is that I now hardly have a line on my face. Maybe this £3.92 cream is a secret miracle cream! Either that or the scratching has peeled off the top layer of my skin!

Managed to have a relaxing day at home today with the only trip out being to get a Sunday paper. Mr SA has taken a fancy to the Sunday Times (at £2.50 a pop!), reckons it keeps him in reading all week. By the time you've extracted all the supplements there are only actually a few pages of news. This is Sunday papers for you.

He made an attempt at pestering for lunch out which I ignored. Instead we had lunch in the garden in the sunshine using food already in the fridge/freezer.

Have made a batch of soup for work lunches next week - roasted some butternut squash, aubergine, red pepper, red onion and a chilli and blitzed it with a tin of tomatoes and some veg stock. Should keep me going 4 days. Not really looking forward to going back to work tomorrow, it was so nice pottering about at home, but I have no choice I'm the breadwinner now. To be honest I'll be fine once I get back into the swing of it and it's only 4 weeks until I break up for holiday.

Today is Day 1 of 10 day challenge part 3. Goals are:

1. Pay £150 off debt
2. Lose 2lbs
3. 10,000 steps a day
4. 7 minute workout x 2 three times a week
5. Stick to budget
6. Wine only allowed at weekends

Finishes Monday 16 September.

beanielou

You are on such a roll with the paying down the debt~massive well done :j

debtfreewannabe321

When I was at uni I had a subscription for the Times and Sunday Times, it worked out much cheaper. Perhaps you could look into that for a christmas present for him? I know te$co's clubcard deals often have papers & magazine subscriptions on there too.

P.s I am with you on the losing weight I weighed myself and have somehow put on another 4lb in the last few weeks!! I was already mad at myself for being slightly overweight and unfit and now I have an extra 4lb on top of the 7lb I initially wanted to lose URGH! xx

Sun_Addict

Back at work today. Spent most of the morning ploughing through over 300 emails that had built up. Had to smirk at a couple of them where the first one was asking me to do something by a deadline which came and went while I was off and then a second one which said they really needed x doing by the end of the day - nope not a chance I wasn't there!

Do I regret not taking the rest of the time off advised by GP? A big yes!

Feel quite stressed tonight, can't really put my finger on it. Mr SA has been a bit of a pain - I caught him with the stepladders setting them up to jump on the recycling bin as it was overflowing. Managed to stop him in time, could just imagine him getting stuck in the bin and me having to fish him out! Going to make myself a herbal tea to drink in the bath and try to relax and get some moisture back into my skin with the emulsifying cream. Skin feels very tight and itchy. I didn't sleep that well last night due to itching and a fresh rash has appeared on my stomach and back.

Moan moan moan.

please-let-me-be-lucky

Oh dear sorry to hear that. You really do have a lot* on your plate. Take care you Xx

* funny typo - I originally wrote log by mistake :rotfl:

debtfreewannabe321

Do you have any oats SA? If so put a handful in a pair of socks/old tights and put it in your bath. Give it a squeeze and it will help stop skin drying out in bath and itching even more. I used this method with the kids when they had eczema/chicken pox it works a treat. Also do you have any aloe vera plants? You can squeeze the gel out and apply directly to sore/inflamed areas. I forgot to say this before but you've just reminded me when you mentioned bath!