Second Time Lucky

amycool

Firegirl wrote: »

I was really scared of driving - and I mean really scared - I had 4 instructors altogether. And my lessons spanned over 10 years on and off! My only tip which I wish someone had told me is just don't stop, no matter how much it costs or how hard you finding it just keep getting lessons until you get it. I passed 3rd time lucky at 8 months preggers...... Avoided emergency stop!!!! Lol. Good luck and you WILL get it in the end! Promise!!

After my first few lessons I was thinking, "This is literally impossible" but luckily my instructor is lovely so I wasn't dreading the lessons. 2 of my siblings started learning and then stopped and it's such a waste of money. I am certainly going to keep plugging away until I get there, and hopefully with some private tuition from my husband (if he ever lets me off the industrial estate) it won't take too long.

How bizarre that you managed to pass whilst so heavily pregnant! I guess it gave you the motivation to do it.

amycool

The woodwork is underway. It's going to cost about £200 but it'll make the area look a lot nicer and give us some good storage. Haven't had a quote for the gate yet.

I've realised recently that I've become a non-shopper! In the past, if I was going into the village to collect a prescription or go to the post office, I would tend to have a mooch around the charity shops or maybe treat myself to something edible. But now I just have no desire at all to buy anything. The only problem with this is that it also works for gifts. It takes a colossal effort to bother to buy people things, especially if I know that they don't really need anything.

The one exception to this is Scrivener's bookshop. It's amazing in there.

Right, I need to get off my behind and pot up these courgettes. They're bursting out of the pots. Annoyingly, there's more frost forecast so they'll have to stay inside.

No sign of the squashes germinating yet.

amycool

£41.02 payable on TCB! Hooray!

Always tempting to get 5% extra by getting an amazon card but seeing as they don't pay their fair share of tax I try to avoid them.

debtfreeoneday

Wow, been busy in here!

I get the stress over the damp, we had damp too caused by something else and it made me so miserable.. thankfully we've resolved it near enough now!

Great news on OH and DIY!!! I think a little wonkiness adds something.. DH has just finished the space in the gardens for our two and I love knowing we made it and they do too.

I've done the same as you with surveys, binned loads and only done OP, IPSOS and YG now. oh an panel-b as the others as you say were too little were what felt like too much time!

amycool

This week I am being inadvertently MSE by trying to be less of a greedy pig.

Since turning 30 (in January!) I have been getting porkier and porkier. This wasn't bothering me (I'm still a healthy BMI) until the prospect of having to buy new clothes started becoming a reality. I hate clothes shopping with a passion and so I've finally reached a point of wanting to eat healthily.

Luckily, this has coincided with a glut of lettuce in the raised beds and my radishes being ready for picking. So lots of free salad this week, combined with cheap stuff like kidney beans and new potatoes in the Super 6. I've also managed to avoid the biscuit tin and have just been having an ice lolly (8 for 89p!) for pudding.

If I lived on my own, the food bill would currently be very low. Of course, OH can't fathom not eating as much as one possibly can. :rotfl:

In spendier news, we've bought a new bed for our future-child, with a pull out bed underneath in case of sleep problems (or more optimistically, for sleepovers ). It still needs to be made though. I need to put the old sofabed on freecycle today. People keep suggesting selling it, but seeing as it is stained and missing a few screws, I doubt it'd make anything!

I had a very up and down driving lesson yesterday. We went to visit my Mum, who lives on a good estate for practising driving. Lots of hills and junctions and mini-roundabouts but pretty quiet and 20mph. So we got there, swapped seats, and I drove pretty much perfectly around the estate, feeling mega-confident as I drove down my Mum's drive. 15 minutes of chatting later we set off for another practice and simply hearing the words "you'll have to be quick because I need to get back soon" from my OH left me a useless wreck! I stalled before I even set off, then stalled twice at a junction. With every stall OH got more tense and I stalled more! It just goes to show that nerves can definitely fail a driving test. I feel a bit like I'm not improving at all at the moment and can't imagine ever being good at driving. I guess I just need to push through and keep going. And maybe buy a new car.

It looks like I'll be making a smaller overpayment this month, or putting less in the savings account. Hmmm...I really want to see the total starting with a £60... soon.

debtfreeoneday

Easier said than done, but put everything and everyone else out of your mind when driving..

I'm also on the healthy train like you as of tomorrow.. been putting it off all year.. have joined MFP to help me keep track.. effective I'm told and free!!!

You're over 10% already and doing fab!!!

Firegirl

Keep going with the driving..... Just don't stop. When you pass your test you can stall as many times as you like it doesn't matter:0)

debtfreeoneday

^^ what she said ^^

I still stall now!

in_need_of_direction

Me too. I hate driving but it opens up so many opportunities.

amycool

Thanks so much for the replies! I forced myself (and my OH) back out for another drive today. We started on the industrial estate to practise edging forwards and try to relax a bit, then he drove me to a hilly but quiet area, although full of parked cars. Did a few hill starts and tight corners and then drove home! Hooray! :j Felt great afterwards and so glad I went out so thanks for all of the encouragement. When you see other people driving everyone seems so ruddy capable and it seems unobtainable, but I'll just keep going and hope for the best!

Grocery bill was a bit lower this week as we didn't buy crisps or chocolate puddings or beer. I was going to avoid the biscuits too but OH couldn't face a week without chocolate digestives. I have been so very restrained this week and apart from a small slice of cake last night (eurovision party - would have been rude to say no!) I haven't had any of my usual puddings. So far I have lost 0lbs 0ozs, which is baffling to me. I must admit I always used to doubt people on TV who say they eat healthily but don't lose weight because I used to be able to lose half a stone in a week if I put my mind to it. Not anymore! If I haven't lost any by next week I might have to start calorie counting. On the plus side, even if I stay the same weight, I'm eating much better food, which must be doing me some good.

Just to prove that I should in theory be losing some weight, before I started eating healthily I was regularly consuming 2 or 3 small chocolate bars (like a Penguin) a day, plus anything up to 15 biscuits!! I had a chocolate pudding every week. Plus cereal bars. I've pretty much cut it all out now and I'm eating slightly more fruit and veg (already ate quite a lot). Oh well - my trousers still fit at least. :rotfl:

I have lost some pounds today though...money pounds. We needed a sideboard for the dining room as the kitchen cupboards are tiny and we need the space for food really. I was tempted to buy new, but thought I'd browse ebay instead and found a gorgeous art deco sideboard for less than the cheapest new one I had seen. It's solid oak and is coming at the end of the week.