Janey's Journey to Becoming a MFW

ljaneyr

What a tiring week! Teaching in a different key stage definitely has it's advantages but there are disadvantages too and I'm shattered!

Dog news
We've almost had him a week and have had two nights with no crying then two with quite a bit of crying. We also set up a web cam to film him during the day and again found confusing results. OH is away for a couple of nights and I couldn't bear the thought of listening to him whine and bark so I left the crate door open. I removed all cushions and objects I thought he might chew then left him to it. He came up to see me over and over again for the first half hour then slept soundly (on the sofa) so we both had a good sleep :j Todays web cam shows he didn't cry during the day at all so I'm hoping we have turned a corner (as long as you ignore the fact that he has destroyed one cushion and OH's flip flop ) :T

MSE news

• Can't update spreadsheets etc until new charger arrives. - Annoyingly I went to the PO to pick up a parcel and got home to find another red card so another trip to the PO tomorrow
• Lots of NSDs
• Sold a set of books on bay of e which need posting tomorrow - going to try collect plus

Exercise
Lots of walking! Trying to tire out the dog but it seems to be working on us instead.

To do

• Dog walk
• Washing
• Cleaning
• Wrap parcel
• Update RM survey
• Menu for next week

Feeling generally positive at the moment, although I have shed more than a few tears for those poor dogs in Manchester :(:(

Hopefully I'll have time to read some diaries over the weekend!

Janey x

Habibiboo

:wave:

Glad your new fella is settling in nicely, web cam during day sounds interesting! Also sounds like OH will be doing the flip flop hop from now on!

Hope you're ok and a little less tired this week. x

ljaneyr

Morning all :wave:

It seems I've missed a whole week! I had to cover someone at work last week who had a very scary family emergency, the kind that reminds you to cherish your loved ones. Anyway, the result of this was a full-time week at work which has obvious benefits for the bank balance next month but I was bloomin' tired! I've got an extra day this week too so only have today to get everything done.

Dog news
Is anyone still interested?? He seems to have really settled in and we still love him to bits despite a few chewed areas around the house!

MSE news

• A couple of NSDs last week while I'm at work.
• 5 loads of washing dried outside yesterday and this morning.
• It doesn't look like there will be anything left in the accounts at the end of the month and next month includes 2 weddings which we have to travel to London for! Only one night in a hotel though.
• OH has bought a new, very reasonably priced suit as his old on is too big. It looks so nice that we have decided to get the waistcoat as well so he can wear it to our wedding too! Yay for my newly frugal fiance :j He would never have considered this when we met!

Exercise
Still lots of walking! More than 40 miles so far this month. Martial arts and yoga going well too but my knee and back are still hurting from time to time. I have an NHS physio appointment in 2 weeks so we'll see what they have to say about it. The physio I was seeing before my holiday is a miracle worker but I can't afford it now on part-time hours

To do
[STRIKE]Hang out washing
L1dl shop
Make physio appointment
Rearrange hair appointment because I'm a muppet and didn't coordinate my work and home diary[/STRIKE] :mad:
Go to PO
Make a cake
Return unwanted items to N£xt
School work
Worry about the fact that we haven't really started planning the wedding :eek: This is ongoing :rotfl:

I'll hopefully have time to catch up with some diaries during the week!

Janey x

Habibiboo

:wave:

ljaneyr wrote: »

Dog news
Is anyone still interested?? He seems to have really settled in and we still love him to bits despite a few chewed areas around the house!
x

Absolutely! What did the webcam reveal about the blossoming relationship between new boy and old girl when you're not around? Are they getting on ok?

Good news about wedding suit, I guess you can still count that as planning, even if it was accidental!

Hope this week's less tiring. x

ljaneyr

Hi Hbbb :hello:

They're in separate crates when we go out at the moment and it will probably stay that way for the time being until he stops chewing. He destroyed a pencil last night and on Saturday he chewed the wooden end of a curtain pole that he found on the floor at my Mum's house :eek: He has also chewed a bit of the wall and the corner of the carpet - good job our house is a 'project'!

They get on really well though. They have even been found in bed together He follows her around, lies down near her and even licks her ear if she lets him! She is so relaxed with him in the house which is amazing. Our main fear was that she wouldn't accept a new dog in the house as she has snapped at other dogs that come in, but I honestly believe she is happier with him there. They play-fight (although not as often as he would like) and if he gets too much she tells him where to go in the way that only a Jack Russell can!

We're really pleased about the suit and not just from a money-saving perspective I was almost worried to suggest that he wears it to our wedding too, as it will already have been worn twice, but he was fine with it. My Mum pointed out that loads of people hire suits which have been worn before.

Anyway, enough procrastination - I've got a cake to make :wave:

ljaneyr

Hi everyone :wave:

Sorry I've been away for so long but it's been crazy here I have tomorrow off work :j so will try to do a more detailed and MFW related update then.

In summary:

I have a few things to moan about (no change there)
:)Things are generally OK
:eek: October has been a very expensive month and all of our accounts are empty or overdrawn and we still have one more wedding to attend.

Does anyone know where I can find some spare cash? Any money trees about? :rotfl:

I'm so looking forward to catching up with you all!

Janey x

ljaneyr

What's happened to my signature???

slowlyfading

I'm glad you're back

ljaneyr

Well, there is nothing like a bit of staring at spreadsheets to slow you down on a Monday morning!

I have updated my sig with the current totals but I'm finding it a bit confusing have savings targets, whilst spending from the 'pot' if you see what I mean. Our renovation savings are increasing but we've started spending on the planning side of things so the actual balance doesn't match up with our savings progress - confusing!

I think I need to set aside some time to 'renovate' some of my spreadsheets too...

Anyway, so savings are generally going in the right direction except the emergency savings which is going in reverse! Thanks to needing yet another new laptop lead :mad:, a congestion zone fine :mad::mad: and replacing the dishwasher. But I know that's what the emergency fund is for...

Our joint account is overdrawn in the general spends column because of spends associated with going to a wedding nearly 300 miles away, as well dog training and insurance etc.

OH and I have decided to really knuckle down and spend as little as possible into December but it's going to be tricky with another London wedding to attend! I may need some encouragement with not buying stuff over the next couple of months!

Hope you all have a good week!

Janey x

slowlyfading

You can do it I think the time leading up to Christmas is the hardest in terms of trying not to spend more - it just needs a bit more planning and then it'll be okay. Hope you have a good week x