Pay Off Before Lay Off!

pink_poppy

The Swedish candle is fab!! I looked at a 'Bushcraft' website which had step-by-step instructions. Completely beyond our DIY capabilities so I'm impressed (& a little bit envious) that your DH managed to make one :T

Habibiboo

pink_poppy wrote: »

The Swedish candle is fab!! I looked at a 'Bushcraft' website which had step-by-step instructions. Completely beyond our DIY capabilities so I'm impressed (& a little bit envious) that your DH managed to make one :T

:wave:

Yes, I'm lucky, if we got stuck on a desert island he'd be able to do all that survival stuff for us ... whilst I sit and chat to the birds probably! Might be worth giving it a try though, easier to do thanit looks, the only sticky bit was getting it to light, but I think that was because it was such a windy evening, the matches kept getting puffed out! x

Habibiboo

:wave:

Hope everyone's good. Busy day, total energy flag now, so hot soup and early night in the offing!

MFW actions:

Little bit of work on spreadsheet and frugaldom for rest of month sorted, am trying to keep on top of the little things as issue with money has arisen ... see below!

Failed to get to Nationwidthways on my way back from meeting as blowing a gale and tipping down and I was already miserable from 40 mins round trip (walking) in the weather. Don't get me wrong, don't mind the walk but the weather causes me havoc! Besides, NW looked really busy and did not have energy to spare for standing wet and steaming in there! Docs are safe in bag for next trip out though!

Grey Cloud:

Slight issue with getting paid for certain work as wrong contract has been given as a "best fit" . It's not only not the job I'm doing, it also states that I'll be working from a base over 50 miles away! Mr Hbbb is a union rep and has banned me from signing it, no money paid into bank yet despite starting at beginning of April. No help from person who should be helping me, their advice: "oh! that? Just sign it, it doesn't matter" and no reply from HR. Hmmm.

Silver lining:

Mr Hbbb has renewed enthusiasm for MF quest and has applied to do GCSE marking in summer, to put towards mortgage.

Daily declutter:

Small bag of random bits dropped to charity shop on way to meetings (can't remember how many bits so will just count as one bag out) = 136 / 365.

List of bigger random items made ready to put onto Freecycle tomorrow in hope of weekend pickups!

:cool: Random ponderings:

Had a good read of NSK's May challenge in DFW threads and am worried that I'm not doing enough, despite going through an "all work and no play" kind of lifestyle at the moment. I'm not one for retail therapy so it's not like I'm feeling restrained in that sense, but I'm feeling a bit anxious about the money side even though we're more on top of it that we've ever been and I'm positive about my simple pleasures, I just feel ... anxious about it all! I think I'll have to sort myself a challenge for next week - meal planning or emergency fund focus just so that I feel an extra effort's being made. Is this just me in context of above grey cloud, do you think, or is it part of the MFW journey? Glad to have your input if you'd like to share!

OH says I just need to take some days off of work and get out in garden, spend time with dogs and other random critters, read a bit and knit something! He could be right of course (whether I choose to admit that to him remains to be seen of course though :rotfl:)

Simple pleasures:

* Knowing I was right not to have packed away winter jumpers yet, even though summer quilt has been on bed since weekend.
* Seasonal chills at bedtime will be offset by hot water bottle.
* Silly texts from far away son in middle of the day.

Hugs all around and TGI Friday tomorrow! x

apple_muncher

Sorry to hear about the anxiety, Habi. Hope you can find a cause so that you can work on a solution. When March was so busy, I found that the focus on bits of knitting was good, as the number mounted up.

NSD work well for me feeling good/smug/in control of 'stuff'.

Boo and hiss to wrong co tracts and unhelpful HR people.

Good luck to Mr Habi and exam marking. I do moderating for Spanish speaking, so am slowly getting up to my eyeballs - or should that be my ears - in it. Pennies always useful.

And may I suggest that Mr H may, just may, be right that you need some time off/out. But I won't tell him .

Take care and sleep well. X

ljaneyr

Hi Hbbb

I think sometimes being more organised with your money makes you more anxious about it, because you are always thinking about it!

Keep focusing on those simple pleasures and talk to the birds (round here we just swear at the seagulls!)



Janey x

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS

Hi Habibiboo, I agree with your Oh. Get outside in th garden, weeding, digging, planting whatever and just remember why you're doing it.

Fortune Smiles with her lilies and loaves is always right. This journey is scattered with fun, memories/treasured moment, sadness but overall a sense of energy and momentum.

Best wishes Tilly x

Habibiboo

:wave:

Thanks A*M, Janey and Tilly for your comments, what all of you say makes sense and is much appreciated.

My anxiety seems to have come to a head with a two day visit to Vomitsville, so I don't know if this anxiety has been down to "brewing something" as my nan would say. Taking it gently today even though I am behind with my work as a result of having to rest and sleep during day due to bathroom visits through night!

Nice to have a cheeky chance to rest and browse threads without feeling too guilty though!

MFW actions:
* Sealed pot #1 is now completely full, cannot sneak another penny into it.
* Old plastic sweetie jar now put into commission as sealed pot #2. Slot made in lid and all firmly glued into place - first offerings put into it. I'm not liking the fact it's transparent though, will probably cover it in something pretty so I can't see the cash inside, once I'm up and at it a bit more.
* Two NSDs - pretty good for a weekend!

Grey clouds: Being grot on a weekend, seems very unfair somehow!

Silver linings: Mr. Hbbb has been very kind (although he couldn't resist pointing out that he came into bathroom to check on me several times during the night as he was worried, whereas when he was in the bathroom in distress, I carried on sleeping...)!
He has just brought me up another flask of lemon and ginger tea and told me to stay put because I "look funny" :rotfl: Yup, feeling pretty hilarious too!

Daily Declutter: Freecycle list stalled as I haven't been able to see to this, will get on with that through the week , ready for next weekend. Hopefully I have successfully decluttered a few excess pounds of blubber over the last 48 hours though! Total carried forward 136 / 365.

Simple pleasures: Literally the view from my pewk pit (bed) is the magnolia tree outside the window which is now in full leaf. Now that we have the colony of house sparrows nesting alongside us, the tree is full of them hopping about and shouting at the magpies (and, like Janey, swearing at the sea gulls). So although I haven't spent any time with my other feathered friends, at least I've had some good company!

Hope everyone else is OK and having a good weekend. X

apple_muncher

Snuggle down, Hbbb, and keep warm and hydrated. xxx

ljaneyr

Hope you feel better soon Hbbb. It's rubbish being ill, but not so bad if you can relax and rest it off (while browsing on here)

Habibiboo

:wave:

Hope everyone's OK, not too many Monday blues around!

Up and at it today, although with some caution ... staying close to all relevant facilities, if you get my drift!

MFW actions:
* £50 grocery spend via Mr. T which should come tomorrow a.m. ready for me to prepare birthday tea for middle bobbin who's coming up with his family. Menu planned up till next Weds alongside this, to take into account (a) freezer stock (b) cupboard stocks (c) fact I want this delivery to mean no more food shopping for the rest of the month (save for OH's bread and milk as required). However this spend is ever so slightly off-set by going via Quidco and using slow stooze method with Mr. T CC.
* Paperwork checked and safely in bag for visit to Nationwidthways when I pop to town on lunchtime tomorrow (this is the plan, so long as there's no episodes of Vomitsville Revisited between now and then).
* Spent a ridiculous amount of time on SSS's thread looking at MF houseshaped spreadsheet during today's go-slow lunch break. Going to have to build me one of those!
* Small MOP made, hoping to pop another one over Thurs, client payments permitting, before they tally this month's interest on Friday. Really want this to start dropping.
* Downloaded YNAB 34 day free trial to see if extra budgeting boost is the bit I need.

Grey Clouds: - this is awful, look away now if easily upset by Mother Nature's survival of the fittest mentality ...

After all the lovely enjoyment of the baby birds cheeping away on the back of the house, one set of sparrow parents decided it was time for the fledglings to fly. Unfortunately the magpies spotted the action and came straight down ...
I moved from work room to work at kitchen table by back door after that, so that dogs would stay up the garden as deterrent whilst sparrows tried to rally themselves but I think we were too late for any proper rescue attempt. Sparrows have been beside themselves since and have only just come down to eat something.

Silver linings:
Door man turned up as promised to sort out slight issue with door (Mr. Hbbb called him back as he was slightly displeased with an element of the fitting). It turned out just to be a minor thing, one cuppa and he was done, so Mr. Hbbb has since declared himself very pleased with new door (or at least until he has to paint it)!

Daily Declutter:
Two parcels prepared for posting out tomorrow - will add to total then. Freecycle listing to do tomorrow too!

Simple pleasures:
Home made store cupboard soup for tea, although I was distracted in the making of it by door man arriving. As I got caught up in all that, I forgot to add the lentils to the soup, which meant it wasn't as filling as it should be. I apologised to Mr. Hbbb and told him my effort was one ingredient short of being a good soup and he told me he knew that when he married me!

Have a good evening y'all.