NST November: battening down the hatches!

apple_muncher

Fmess - soooo glad you've got yourself a decent mattress. And just look at your debt repayment - a massive 40% - well done you! :T:T:T


Today I am grateful for getting to where I needed to be on time every time, for dd and I dressing each other up as Christmas trees (yes, Christmas box of decorations is down from the loft, as of this morning!), for dh being on the mend, for chatting to my mum, for roadkill!

mothernerd

Life in the slow lane is suiting me very well, on the whole. Have taken all appropriate pills (including the stabbing myself in the stomach ones to prevent blood clots), eaten quite well and healthily and spent some time sitting and walking around and some on the bed. I did the first scary walk down the stairs in the middle of the day.

DS3 has done the things I asked him, moving my perching stool into position so that I could wash and dress myself, fastening my shoelaces (not fussed about shoes on the bed and it's so simple to be able to slide across and be ready to go as soon as I stand up if I need the toilet) and re-filling the empty 2l water bottle so I have plenty to drink. He came to rescue me when the food items I was gathering in a plastic bag fell out through the missing side and brought my grabber upstairs this afternoon so I had a wander round picking up pieces of paper (could only get some) and a packet of pills which had fallen off the bed).

Wrote a list of things to do but only phoned mum, DS1 and DS2 to tell them I was home. Otherwise read, caught up on a couple of threads, did a few puzzles and a little tidying - the way I have the room arranged is working as I have been able to sit in front of a pile of papers and go through to locate bits I needed without any stretching or stress.

Think I might have made a mistake with the Estate Agent - had a re-directed letter from another agent but the cooling off period has passed (did briefly wonder if I could make a case for extending it on the grounds that the day of my operation and the two days I was on morphine drip shouldn't count due to 'capacity' but that may only apply to 'consent' and I would have had to do something by close of business today). They have to find someone to buy it, to claim their fee and can't force (or badger) me to sell at less than the minimum we have agreed so won't worry until I am in a position to do something about making alternative arrangements.

I did make a significant food bank donation at the SM when I did my mega shop and was gathering other bits as I arranged the kitchen but they haven't gone to the library yet. Will work on getting DS3 to do that after we tackle the washing and fresh veg in the kitchen - I can sit and chop and peel the carrots and parsnips but he needs to bring my perching stool downstairs and move things so I am sitting in front of the table.

Also should confess to something that might be a want or a need. When I did the little Arseda shop I asked DS3 to put 2 pasta bowls in the trolley - they are plain white and were £2 each. I have a T & G Green Domino pasta bowl and I love it for making salad meals in. Was thinking if DS3 will sort arrangements I could sit at table and make 3 large salad meals, cover with cling film and leave in the fridge, so he can bring me one upstairs for each of the next 3 days. Missing my fresh veg hit.

DS2 came after work with another bottle of water, chocolate and a puzzle book. Seems everyone's sons are the same - one of my fellow patient's had had a row with her's, not sure if it was because she was still in hospital so he had to walk her dog for a further day or because she would be unable to walk his dogs whilst he was at work. Must come as an add-on to their total inability to see housework jobs.

Have been thinking about this weeks mini task and am going to ponder on it. The move should have put my regular bills to a lower level and there will be a few rebate bits to come. Have put my Christmas money from mum into the bank and don't expect any problems before January. I know some of the deals I got last year expire in mid Jan but with no real income stream for the next 3? months I don't want to push extra money at the debt and leave nothing to cover future standing orders. Will ponder extra income but not going to fret about it if there isn't much/anything I can do for now.

Could possibly do more surveys but I never qualified for many (think I might be a non-consumer by modern standards) but may need another couple of weeks - played one of my regular games today, at one of the lower levels but still slow, same with puzzle book, had to put in extra clue before making progress. They are only different ways of passing the time - although I do worry about telling the dog chef that it's 'only a game' every time we/I fail to complete a task, he looks like it's the end of the world.

Today I am grateful for hot water (lovely new boiler), for puzzle books and fresh drinking water - an everyday luxury unavailable to many of the world's people.

speakingofart

mothernerd - that sounds far more productive than my yesterday, which seemed to involve me running around chasing my tail! Very quick check in as I'm on my way to work early so I can go to uni tonight, feel rubbish still and have to spend all weekend writing an essay. ARG! NSD today hopefully, had to put money in a colleague's card yesterday so bought milk and fruit to last me as well.

£43.00/ £150 groceries till 15th December
£40.85/£60 petrol till 15th December
£28.75/ £36.70 spending money till 15th December
NSDs 7/20 (till 30th November)
11/20 exercise sessions (lunchtime walks, till 30th November)

thriftylass

Good morning.

Got a letter from my CC yesterday wanting to increase my limit from 1.5k to 2k. So first thing this morning I phoned them to refuse. The man asked :why? So I said because I don't need it and didn't ask for it. He acted rather surprised and double checked I was sure about this. YES. I only have it to book flights etc and for added security.

Today won't be and SFD as I'll pop to LIddle at lunch and get some fruit, bread etc.

EDIT: Spent £11 in Liddle on fruit, bread, cheese, salad bits etc. Should hopefully last till Sunday, when I guess we'll need milk for next week.

ilovetea

Hello. Hope people with colds and lurgies are feeling better soon.
Mothernerd,take it easy.


Tuesday was a Tesc* day £33.13. Shopping money going down fast. Shouldn't need much for the next few days.
Yesterday another NSD.
Today I'm not sure about but might go to the hospital.


Found £1.28 in small change in a drawer yesterday.Was it wrong to be excited!!!!.
Put it on one side to put in the building society next time I'm passing.Start of my £1,000 by May.

ilovetea xx

mothernerd

ilovetea I forgot to say, I would ask your daughters what they want. I know we all want a surprise (and a bit of us wants to still be 'you know who' for our children, however old they get) but I think if money is short it is best to spend it wisely.

I think I am fairly frugal, but sometimes I splurge in relation to the boys (find it hard to spend on myself) even though two of them now have a higher disposable income than I do. However as I have gone through de-cluttering it is amazing how many of the little surprises I bought just so they had something to unwrap, they have left behind. Last year I bought my eldest a phone cover with a holograph of a wolf because he had to give up his rescue dog as he could not find a landlord who would let him keep a dog and when he is in a position to get another dog he wants one with a lot of wolf in it. He left it behind after asking why I had bought it (he doesn't have that sort of phone - technical me?).

Over the years I must have spent a fortune on bits that I thought they would like or would make them smile and a lot of it was probably wasted effort.

DS3 has successfully averted today's crisis. We had a report from the Estate Agent to say that one of the neighbours had phoned them to tell them the old house had been broken into. having gone through several people we were told that the back door was wide open. However it was only the interior vestibule door, which DS3 neglected to close when collecting the phone and modem on internet switchover day.

I congratulated him on sorting his first crisis. He said it's ironic that it wasn't a crisis and that he caused it.

Have just had my first microwave ready meal - nothing special but I managed by myself until DS3 returned and then I asked him to bring it up here (was tired again by then - really need to make a good sitting down place in the kitchen (why couldn't social services let me have two perching stools?).

Not spent any money yet and don't intend to until I get the district nurse appointment.

ilovetea

Thanks Mothernerd. Neither of my daughters know what they want.One is rather frugal,"queen of money saving coupons" and plans meals for a month at a time. She has a wish list on Am*zon (which is similar to mine) Worry that she's turning into me.
The other one lives for today and hopes for the best.Something always turns up to help her out.

ilovetea xx

LoveaDove

Evening all,

Sneaking in quick before the forum down time- and also very quickly before 'The Fall' comes on the tele!

Thank you for the well wishes, I am feeling much more spritely! Definitely some odd little bug of sorts knocking me for 6.

mothernerd - So great to have you back on here! Great to hear that you are getting some help from DS3!

Had a little spend day yesterday as I'd run out of kitty food, so picked up a couple of Christmas presents whilst I lost a spend day, and also popped the fuel in whilst I was at it! SFD today!

Only at a measley 9Sfds- This is pretty slow going for me, although the lead up to Christmas is always tough!

Discovering money in a drawer or on the road is always- EXCITING! I nearly fainted once when I found 20p on the floor!

Have a great evening all x

Fmess

Evening all,


How are we all getting on?


Mothernerd - I am glad that DS3 has been useful and that you have had a ready meal.


Hope your long working and uni day went well soa


Today has been SFD number 10 and LTW number 10 too I have also managed to sell an item on Gumtr33, was asked to deliver and decided it was worth it to get rid of it and get the cash in my hand. Have paid it straight off the debt too so now I'm up to 40.5% paid off :j


Don't think I can possibly make my end of year target of being 50% debt free as I'd need to find another £1267 by the 31st December. However, I think I might be able to pay off about £800 and get to 46%. Hmmm need to get my thinking hat on, 50% would be a much nicer number!


Not much else to report on ponder on, however I have written a draft for the December challenge :j

apple_muncher

Ooooh, Fmess, exciting! Already looking forward to the dec challenge!


Today I am grateful for helping some neighbours by reversing their beast of a car into their garage - and NOT scratching it! - for egg and chips, for seeing some sunshine, for finding pale blue backing paper (think FROZEN blue), for mum phoning to say she had arrived.