Journey to happy skinflintedness

saraih

Thanks! I got a small sack of seed potatoes off the market, but also chucked whatever grew sprouts in there. Every time they grow a few inches I stick more soil on. A whole bunch at the front look nearly ready now but a few have been edible for a while. No idea which did better so I'll have to be more on top of things next time

I want tomatoes and onions next time as well. Can't wait.

The wheelchair turned out really well, aside that OH doesn't think much of it. It's a lot easier to push that round than to stop every five minutes and have a rest. Pretty sure it's giving me a workout too

saraih

No phone calls today, from the agency or anyone else. I've got email notifications on the phone if I need to go out but it looks like today is a bust for any work.

Macaroni cheese for tonight I think. It was kippers for breakfast so now I fancy some early Red Dwarf

This is turning into a diary of what nonsense can be cooked from the cupboards when I'm skint, but no news is good news and hopefully we can get through to the weekend without spending anything.

When OH gets home I have to badger him into making a call to the DLA people. That'll be fun :rotfl:

Cashed out at Valued Opinions for £15 at Amazon and requested £5 Amazon from Swagbucks.

There is £8 odd in Slicethepie but it takes me ages to write a good review so I doubt that will reach £10 by next week. So much for £10 a day! I'm doing about £10 a week so far.

Relisted everything on ebay that didn't sell this time round and got rid of some serious tat on Freegle, they came to pick it up straight away so that's less rubbish for me to get rid of.

I did look into some other beer money sites but the good ones are full for my demographic and I really can't be bothered with the badly designed ones. Need to look harder for some other good ones.

Everything we buy gets scanned for Nielsen and finally got enough points to order the last mugs from there. The Nielsen points haven't been very good actually, Le Creuset mugs were the only things on there worth spending points on, all the rest can be had cheaper at TK Maxx and ebay (or the pound shop, with some of it). Now there are six I might give the scanner back and try for another company. Or I could just keep getting the mugs and sell them

Have to get the sewing machine out later and shorten my bedroom curtains. I rearranged the bedroom furniture and now they're covering a four gang extension. Not good. I'll try to just tack it so they can be taken down again when it all gets rearranged again.

This is going to be a long week. Onwards and onwards!

saraih

Another bust for work today so I tried to be productive and took two bin bags of son & heir's old clothes down to the shop that buys by weight. Gave him the money though. He got quite interested in the idea of selling some of his stuff, we had a think and he's got a lot of DVDs and books that are too young for him now. He still plays most of his xbox games.

I said he can keep anything he makes and gave him a couple of boxes to fill. It might give him a bit of cash for college and give him incentive to be frugal and take care of his belongings. Not that he has a lot, it's mostly computer/phone/gadgets and that all gets passed down to me when he's done with it, then I use them to death

Will have to have a look on more specialist sites because my books & DVDs have not gone great guns on ebay and his are quite expensive collections. Will look into webuybooks and music magpie.

The milk and cereal has run out but I said it was too much bother going out and getting more and they are welcome to go and get it if they want to, and suddenly it is not such an emergency :rotfl:

Asparagus omelettes and soup for lunch, veg curry and rice for dinner. I couldn't be bothered making chapattis so did a side of spiced potatoes. The fridge is pretty much empty now so I'll have to be more organised.

No money news today, it's still a welcome change not to be constantly harrassed

saraih

Picked up some cleaning this morning, just two hours but I was starting to think it was never going to happen. It's all money! And I found a book in the bin, you're allowed to keep whatever you find there as long as you tell the owner to check it's really rubbish Looks like a horror novel.

Result day tomorrow. I keep telling the son & heir that what's done is done and now is not the time to get stressed about it. Whatever happens it isn't the end of the world - either he did okay and can do his preferred course, or he spends a year resitting GCSEs. Not really a problem either way.

A pack came through from the DLA this morning, that's the quickest they've ever sent anything. I'm going to take some time and read all the notes and the MS Society guidance before trying to fill it in. It's to get some mobility element so I can save up to get OH a wheelchair. Renting is working out at £30 for eight weeks and a brand new one is only £140 on Ebay.

Still skint, still not spending any money. Haven't decided what we're spending the shopping money on from this week. Checked out the theatres and there's bog all on :mad: so it might have to be the cinema or a meal, depending on son & heir's opinion on the matter.

Quorn family roast and roast veg for dinner tonight. It's been left in the freezer because it takes too long to cook but everyone likes it. Tastes better with meat gravy on it

Also I joined bubblews after reading people's experiences here. Made $3 already and found some people who aren't just writing spam to follow. So far I'm just writing short lists of my favourite things, like books, sculptures, musicals and opera songs. Then got bored and wrote a list of my favourite tea flavors :rotfl:

Hope I don't get a full day of work tomorrow, I'd like to go with him to get the results.

in_need_of_direction

You need to apply for the care component too. Doesn't he need help with dressing etc.

saraih

Thanks, yes I'm just going to put everything he can't do on his own or that takes him longer down. We'll see what they say but I've been reading about appeals just in case.

ruby_eskimo

Good luck to your son on results day!

saraih

Thanks, ruby_eskimo! I'm just sat here waiting for him and OH to return with them

saraih

Right well OH decided to take the day as annual leave and go with the son & heir so I'm waiting for them to get back with news.

In the meantime I went to the supermarket and got cake, pear cider for the boys (he's allowed one on special occasions) and a giant curry family meal for later. Son & heir decided he didn't want to go out and would rather have the money in Steam vouchers. We'll have the curry, beer and watch some films together tonight instead.

Totally blown all the money now. Will do a grand totals post tomorrow because it's payday the next day so I want to know exactly where we stand for a fresh start.

I've still got the money needed to enroll at the college left. I should enroll in finance management while I'm there :rotfl:

saraih

Phew! son & heir has literally scraped through to get exactly what he needs for his preferred course. 7 Cs, 2 As, a B and a D. Doesn't reflect his level of work but he is notoriously bad at exams. The course he's doing is a BTEC level 3 with no exams, much better suited to him.

Also because he C'd English and Maths he won't have to go to college on a Wednesday - they set that aside for resits when people get Ds in them but good grades in the main subject. Great news all round and well worth the Steam voucher

Right then, state of the accounts day before payday:

BANK - 22 not sure of the pennies yet
PAYPAL - 12.01
AMAZON - 20
NECTAR POINTS - 27 not sure of the pennies

So according to the grand plan, that's £22 to the emergency fund and £12.01 to the bed fund. Amazon and Nectar points will stay where they are until needed.

I did give £20 in Amazon vouchers to my BIL, so that could have been more. The penny jar isn't worth counting yet.

The awkward thing to admit is that I desperately feel like spending that £22. Just because I've been good and I feel like it. Need to get it into the credit union sharpish, before I see a charity shop with my name on it.

Again though, very grateful for these small amounts that are better than I've counted at the month's end for years. It's in the right direction for once! mindful of Mr Micawber, "Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen nineteen and six, result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds ought and six, result misery."

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UNCASHABLE LEFTOVERS
bubblews - $5.68
swagbucks - 502
slicethepie - $8.02
yougov - 325 (:rotfl:)
valued opinions - £3.50
penny jar - less than £5