The Adventures of a Debt Defying Diva

RainbowBridgeReturns

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4734623

You will be perfect for the MS jobs, Sassy, as you will know what not to do! I enjoy doing them. Have you checked out the site on MSE? Page two of this link lists the majority of Mystery Shopping companies out there, with a little bit of information on each one.

This week has flown by, and I've not been as organised as I need to be, but today is a new day.... and Friday is review day.

Grocery Shopping - £53/£230 – 23%
DS Shoes and trousers - £34/£34 - 100% – bought quality trousers and leather shoes
Gym - £52 – 100% - Used it twice this week – Amber light – Aiming for three times
School hol spending with DS - £25.00 – Pot not touched school holidays start 14th February
My mobile - £11.99/£11.99 paid in budget
DS Mobile - £9.75/£9.75 –paid in budget
Hair DS and I - £65/£65 – both had decent hair cuts and had mine highlighted
Uncle and Aunt - £13.99/£30 – Took auntie out for lunch
Mum - £80.00/£80.00 – transferred money to mum

So for February I AM GOING to:-
STICK to the above budget religiously - Done
Only drink on a Saturday night - Done
Exercise at the gym 3 times a week(2)- 4 times this week to compensate
Cycle 150 km on my exercise bike – Not been on my bike yet
Average 1300 calories a day food intake – Done – Sticking to food plan
Declutter the house - one room a week, starting kitchen – Slipping
Earn £7.00 a day on the £10.00 a day challenge - £87/£210 – 41%

Overall, I am doing better than I thought!! I still have a tight control over my spending and eating habits, and I am ahead on the £7.00 a day challenge, with lots of little jobs in the pipeline.

However, I have not been as organised on the fitness or decluttering fronts, so the plan is 4 times at the gym this week and the kitchen and bathrooms decluttered.

Keeping pretty cheerful and balanced in what has been quite a stressful week. Onwards and upwards!

sassychick2014

Morning!

I've had a look at some of the MS sites and registered so hopefully something will come from there, thanks for the heads up!

I think you're doing really well with everything. If the only thing you've not managed is decluttering the kitchen & bathroom plus 1 gym trip I think that's a great week. Look forward to hearing you've managed them all next week.

Have a great day x

Busymumofthreeplusdog

Hi, been following your diary over the past couple of weeks and am now subscribing. Looking forward to the next posting.

sassychick2014

Morning hon

Noticed you've not been on here a few days and not sure if it's because it was the weekend or because of your uncle. Hope everything is ok xx

RainbowBridgeReturns

Hi Sassy, thanks for popping by and it is lovely to have a Busymumofthreeplusdog coming along for the ride. That is a wonderful name too. I feel exhausted just thinking about that lot of responsibility.

I had a very emotionally and physically draining weekend with Aunt and Uncle. He is still hanging in there ......

We had exploding stoma bags and blocked catheters and nursing support was very sporadic, so we just had to get on with it. He really should be in a hospice now as aunt can barely stand, she is so exhausted, but even if she was willing to let him go, there does not appear to be any spaces. She has been assured by the District Nurse that he will not live another week, but we have been told that before .......

Anyway, I had wine both nights, so I have broken my only drinking on a Saturday rule, but boy we both needed it. I also did not exercise and I am not sure what I ate. On a positive note I didn't spend anything.

I realise that it is life that gets in the way of all my good intentions, but this time, I want to hang on in here and work around obstacles. Tonight I am going to go to a body balance class and spend some time de-stressing in the sauna and Jacuzzi and tomorrow I will, hopefully, live to fight another day.

Onwards and upwards x.

in_need_of_direction

Sometimes you just need to go for the comfort option especially when someone else is relying on you. Take care of you

sassychick2014

Hey hon

You make sure you take care of yourself as if you don't you're no use to anyone, but I'm know you know that!

As INOD said, sometimes the comfort option is just what you need so I think the wine & everything else (that you remember) was ok this time.

You'll be grand, I've great faith in you x

RainbowBridgeReturns

Thanks guys,

I felt really refreshed after the body balance class last night and chilling in the sauna?

You are right about the need to take care of myself in order to look after others. I have fallen into the trap of neglecting my own needs to concentrate on those of others in the past, to my severe detriment, and I can't afford to do that this time. Balance is the key, but like all my other goals, not particularly easy to achieve.

Aunt and Uncle have one son, who is doing his best, but he lives near luton, whereas we are up in Scotland. He has had a very difficult few months, and I really feel for him and his wife, as they lost both her parents, recently, over the Christmas/New year period.

Her mother's death was completely unexpected, as she was 20 years younger than her dad, but in the stress of caring for her husband, who was very ill, she forgot to take her diabetic medication, for a few days, and died first, with him following a week later.

I expected to have put on a few pounds at the gym, yesterday, but I was very pleasantly surprised to find that I had lost 2 ounces, since my last weigh in. Every little bit counts. I am at that age, when every single ounce lost is fought for very hard, yet 5 pounds can go on in a week, if I take my eye off the ball.

I am going to aunt's this afternoon, after work, until tomorrow night determined to keep positive.

sassychick2014

Morning!

Well done on the weight loss! I have no idea how old you are (and won't ask a lady!) but it sounds like you're doing really well.

Your poor cousin's wife! I can't imagine how that must have been for her. I had 2 grandfathers who died within 4 weeks of each other but we knew about that as they both had the big C so it was kind of expected - but still hard. They're both very lucky to have you and I'm sure they appreciate everything you're doing for them.

Hope all goes well this afternoon. Have a good day! x

RainbowBridgeReturns

Thanks Sassy, I am 47, 48 in a few weeks, so approaching the big 50! Aunt and Uncle do appreciate having me around.

Uncle is a real sweetie and never complains about anything, in fact the phrase that he used most often, when he was still coherent, was "I can't complain, I've had a good life"

I am very close to my aunt as I spent a lot of time with her as a child, and when I heard about all the adventures you plan for your daughter, I thought of auntie, because she was always organising treasure hunts for us, or camping trips to the woods, or water fights, and created lots of lovely memories for a whole generation of kids.