NOT BUYING IT! 2015 - A consumer holiday

Happy_Home

((((((Weesmiler)))))) take care of yourself.

emslovesmickey

Sorry to hear of your loss weesmiler. I have to admit it annoys me that businesses can quantify the amount of time you need off purely based on how immediate the family member is.

weesmiler

Thank you folks. Sorry to dampen the mood, this is a happy and hopeful ship!

And although I am so saddened and upset by his passing, my grandad was a wonderful 94 years of age and lived in his own house til the very end. Slipped away peacefully in his sleep. It is all we could have hoped for for him.

Weesmiler xx

edwink

Hug from me too Weesmiler x

Coulddobetter

Hugs Weesmiler :grouphug: sorry for your loss.
Could do better x

Bobarella

Primrose wrote: »

I have a disgustingly tatty navy quilted anorak i wore on my honeymoon about 48 years which is now only suitable for grubby gardening chores and fence staining. I look like a tramp in it but it is far too sentimental to throw away.

that is incredible Primrose. You can't tell me anything from Primark will still be around in 50 years.

purpleshoes_2

Very cold here and has been for over a week now, a little fresh snow tonight but didn't last long, I am sick of the cold, Im used to it living in Scotland but I don't like it.

Bought my euros yesterday, got 60 for 48 pounds. Today I did my Tuesday trip to the supermarket for the reductions, got 24 items for £3.76, one item was a quid, washing up liquid so did ok on the reductions, got lots of baby spinach for a penny, a bag of parsnips for 10p, some carrots for my mum's rabbit, some stuff to feed mr fox, the urban fox she feeds (plus his partner), its always a bit hit and a miss what you get but I never go on a tuesday and leave with nothing. Im in town anyway as I do my bootcamp on a tuesday evening around that time, so I'll offload some spinach to my mum as well as carrots and a couple of bits of lettuce for the rabbit too.

My fitness classes are going ok, Im in a tiny hall which holds around 12 max and I had 11 last night, I pay £10 an hour so I made a bit of cash, Ive been breaking even and a bit more for a long time so its nice to see people turn out in numbers and stay with it.

I have to say hoovers drive me bonkers. I got a vax pet performance one a few months ago and its excellent (when it works) but its very temperamental. So today after pulling my hair out for a couple of hours I cleaned the filter in a vax thats years old and used that instead.

I may get a henry hoover but I'll wait till the vax conks out. Ive also cut down on charity donations. I gave far more than I could afford over the last few years and I hate chopping the direct debits, but I need to pay debt off first and then I'll restart some. I'll donate as well to charity shops. What also cheeses me off is how many times Ive been phoned up asking to start ones Ive cancelled again and I understand some charities really need the money, but one contacted me a few weeks ago asking me for a minimum 12 quid donation. I said I couldnt afford it and I cant.

All I can do right now is continue giving my cast offs to local charities, buying the odd item from the shops, Ive kept two on, one to the brooke and one to water aid for a few pounds each. My mum has also done a cull on her direct debits to charity, shes given an awful lot over the years and she's kept the ones on that she feels are most urgent but some had to go.

Ive also cancelled my tablet thats on contract from vodafone. I mistakenly thought when I took it out that after the two year period it would be mine to use and it is, but its expected that you keep paying for it. I can think of better things to do than pay 15 quid a month indefinitely for a tablet, so Ive got a free sim from vodafone, the tablet is now out of contract and I can swap the contract sim in 30 days time for the free one Ive also got a tablet I bought from ebay for 29 (because the other one was repaired more often than I care to think about) and that will do anyway should the vodafone sim not connect me for some reason.

Ive also told vodafone that when my phone contract is up I wont be renewing, terrible signal, Ive had awful customer service. I can hardly connect and make a call these days the signal is so poor and Im going to buy a handset and get a sim only deal from another provider, so that should be around 16 quid a month for unlimited calls and texts which will do me.

Ive got 15 things listed on ebay, whether they will sell is anyones guess, but shoved them on anyway. Ive also organised a clothes/books/magazines swap meet through the meet up group I run.

Its my birthday in 10 days time, not a big birthday (46), but I'll be sober as I do a bootcamp the day after and no way could I even attempt it with a hangover. My brother is going to get me 2 bottles of wine and I'll try my best to hang onto them until bootcamp is over mid march.

I dont drink much these days at all, its funny how your habits change. A couple of years ago after a very rough few years I treated my body like a toxic waste dump. Id be lying if I said I didn't miss a glass of wine or two, but its bound to be saving me money as well, I also don't eat crisps often anymore either, honestly there are a few vineyards and crisps companies who are probably teetering on the edge due to me cleaning up my diet.

I have a subscription for virgin wines and if you put money into the account, every 3 months they match what you put in, so if you pay 20 quid a month, they credit your account with 20 quid (you cant remove it, can only spend it on wine). I never ever had a dud bottle of wine from them, but what I do now is save it up all year (I only pay 5 pounds a month now) and buy a case at christmas and give it as presents.

Alcohol is ridiculously cheap in the wetherspoon in my home town and Im sure in many other places, just over 2 pounds for a pint of lager or cider, the food however isn't, everytime they revamp their menu they hike the prices up.

Theres a restaurant in my home town that does really nice Scottish food and its 7.95 for a 3 course lunch, massive portions and if you can't finish it, they'll box it up for you to take home.

I see a trip coming on for my birthday, just don't tell my bootcamp instructor

Hope everyone is doing ok and if you aren't, hope things pick up soon

Pauline

Busymumofthreeplusdog

weesmiler wrote: »

Hi all,

I've had a NSD today, but under the worst circumstances. My grandad died this afternoon, so I cancelled dinner plans. I work for a council and they don't consider grandparents to be immediate relatives, so I'm only entitled to one day off for the funeral. My gran also died 11 weeks ago and I rushed back to work and ended up completely burnt out and not coping after a few weeks, so I will be going to doctor tomorrow to see about having some time off now. I'm 21 weeks pregnant too, so the added hormones don't help.



I'm still feeling inspired by everyone, ive definitely been more mindful of any possible but avoidable spending xx

So sorry for you loss. I think that's appalling that you don't get more time off for Grandparents, after all your mum or dad will be grieving and need your support. Take care of yourself.

Busy x

nursemaggie

:grouphug: Hugs Weesmiler sorry for your double loss.

Hope everything goes OK tomorrow Candygirl. :grouphug:

[Deleted User]

Karmacat wrote: »

I had to send some money abroad (an investment gone badly wrong) and remembered a previous mse member told me of a company called Transferwise. They seem to be a genuine company, I've been monitoring them for ages, so today, I took the plunge. No fees (because it was my first use of them) and the exchange rate was better than my bank by nearly 5 cents a euro! That really adds up.

Hi glad you used Transferwise my eldest grandson works for them and he says they are the best in the business
JackieO xxx