The Road to Financial Security

Pushkin

Cold is now officially stinking, been awake since 6 with blocked nose and bad chest - grrrr :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad: Still these are signs it's working its way through my system. No real social plans til Monday so will chill out this weekend.

Last day of Christmas shopping yesterday and apart from DH and DS's stuff pretty much all presents are wrapped as well.

Have gone over budget on presents but not so that I'm overdrawn. Need to try and stay away from the shops as I do do into desperation buying mode where I feel the need to get stuff to bulk out number of presents etc.

I know its all way too indulgent but part of me thinks that's what Christmas is for.

Best get dressed and get the hound out.

QB_Wolf

Hope you feel better soon, coughs and colds do seem to linger this time of year.

I need to get up and out too :j

Pushkin

DH is a happy man. £ky are giving away tvs to people who get their new Q system. We got it a few months ago before they had the incentive. He rang them up & had a bit of rant so they have now sent us a tv!

If I had my way it would be sold unboxed as brand new but no sooner had it arrived when DH had it unpacked and installed. Old lounge telly will go in the den and the current den one can be sold - think I'll be lucky to get £30 for it such is the throw away society in which we live.

Still I think this freebie has made DH's year!

amycool

What a great freebie! We're constantly getting rude remarks about our small TV but it doesn't seem worth spending so much money just to be able to see a larger screen. I'd like to get one for free though.

Are you feeling any better yet?

Pushkin

Hi Amy - hope you are well. I still have the cold and very irritating tickly cough but am definitely starting to feel better. Very pleased that I have still managed my 10k steps every day despite feeling rough - the cold air has helped unblock my system!

Busy day yesterday - haircut in the morning then met a friend for lunch and had a walk - she insisted on paying which I struggle with so will have to reciprocate next time we go out.

DH and I are planning a trip to a local National Trust house to take the dog for a good walk - they even have a dog cafe at this one with free dog biscuits - I love it!

Apart from petrol and maybe a cup of coffee (and cake if feeling indulgent ) should be a low cost day.

amycool

Hi - weirdly, since starting the diet, I've been feeling pretty well! Although now I'm just doing a fast from 6pm-12pm and eating rather too much in the other 6 hours...:D I've told DD not to kiss or hug anyone until after Christmas. :rotfl:

What do you use to count your steps? I'm pondering getting a fitbit for my birthday (hopefully in the sales). I'm slightly kicking myself as last month Sainsburys were selling them half price, and I would have got my mum's 10% staff discount. Darn.

We've made such good use of our NT pass this year - well worth the money, and even better as we got ours as a gift.

Pushkin

Hi Amycool - I do have a fitbit to count my steps but there are apps you can get on smart phones and I think the iphone actually comes with one built in. I stopped using the phone to count when I got obsessed and was taking it everywhere including the toilet and ended up dropping it down the bowl - an expensive mistake!

DS has finally finished school and my cold is just about gone :j Today we are driving up to London at lunchtime, going to have a mooch round Harrods and then have tickets for the Peter Pan comedy tonight in the West End. Really looking forward to it.

Pushkin

How quickly I become lazy and greedy without routine - I am averaging 9 hours sleep per night and eating my body weight in chocolate, cake & crisps each day. Almost looking forward to going back to work and back to soup week (but not quite! ).

I thought we had been fairly modest with our food shopping but am in that place where we don't have anything to cook a healthy meal with - all seems to be cheese and chocolate! So DH is popping to the supermarket so we can have roast tonight and test our new steamer.

Went sales shopping yesterday and stocked up on diffuser sticks for the year. I wasn't out long as sadly had both DS and DH with me and they are not fun and never want to stay very long.

Have ordered a new microwave (£89 reduced by £40) as when cleaning the old one I found rust on it - I think its about 15 years old so can't complain.

I have just thoroughly cleaned the main bedroom which is disgusting and needs full redecoration (but thats a subject for another thread) and the dust buster is broken so need a new one of those as well, always get a bit of a spending mood on for household things at this time of year - I guess the marketing does work.

Need to make some financial targets for next year and sum up how this year was - won't get annual mortgage statement until end of January but I have a fair idea of how it is.

amycool

We did a veg shop today too! One cannot live on Family Circle alone.

My eating has gone a bit crazy too. And DD has been letting us lie in until 8, which is lovely. 9 would be better!

shala_moo

Hi Pushkin, Just having a massive catch up on everyone's diaries!

Sorry to hear your company is so incompetent! Sounds like where I work.. when will they learn (or care) that the threat and uncertainly of redundancy doesn't help morale of the office!

Hope you had a lovely Xmas and Happy new Year to you and the family xx