Hope is not an Effective Financial Strategy

Cheery_Daff

Another one here prepared and willing to drink Baileys (well, in my case usually the supermarket own brand version - Irish Meadows, or Pastures, or Delaneys, or any one of a number of knock offs) out of any available receptacle, with or without ice

Still exceedingly impressed with your decluttering! And excellent overpaying news, well done you! 

I am another confirmed fidgetter I'm afraid. And a pen-chewer, and 30 odd years of various strategies has never cured me of it, and now I've decided that I just don't care I sit with a Rubik's cub just under the screen in online meetings, or a bracelet with a load of big wooden beads, and it's great. I can very much see how a small person dropping their pencil on the floor every two minutes, whether deliberately or not, could be quite infuriating though! 

debtfreeoneday

Great work on the decluttering SJ

Suffolk_lass

Valentine or Mother's Day gift perhaps? Here is my suggestion...

Greying_Pilgrim

Well done on surviving the school week shangaijimmy.  We've achieved better balance here too.

Have a good weekend.

Greying X

shangaijimmy

Suffolk_lass said:

Valentine or Mother's Day gift perhaps? Here is my suggestion...

Outstanding suggestion! Mrs SJ birthday is in Feb. This will be perfect off the kids.

As for today. We've been a bit lax and not had the washing machine on for 2 days, so we literally have a mountain to get through so that was started at 7.30am! But in the best news, namely house reclamation I've had a reorder of DS2's clothing storage and managed to eliminate half a charity bag worth of stuff that Mrs SJ bypassed last weekend. He's got that much stuff they'll never notice!

I then ventured into DS1s room and cleared the top shelf in his wardrobe which was like a window to the past! So everything is down but I've not yet sorted. There are 3 spiderman wall transfers that we never ended up using and they have gone on the local facebook group. Someone will snap them up as they are fabulous. As I was doing it I added 3 pairs of jogging pants to the decluttering charity bag, well past their best and seeing as he got 2 new pairs off Grandparents a couple of weeks ago I figured they were fair game for charity. Net result is +1 in my favour!

In the break I ventured out with the little uns and pooch for 40mins. Wow it was windy, so windy there were times DD couldn't pedal and I had to help her with a little push. Back for lunch and an update on here, next is a cup of tea and a jam doughnut! And then I'll make some decisions on the shelf items.

shangaijimmy

Busy afternoon...I've had another 35min dog walk which was horribly and bitterly cold. Then I bathed the dog as soon we got back. As promised I've sorted out DS1s shelf. 2 'games' to DD, 1 to DS2, 3 to charity, 1 jigsaw to charity and 2 games to the bin. I also got rid a load of hangers that are too small for the clothes and a broken halloween trident! I then added a halloween costume to charity bag alongside a pillow case.

Next was the teddies that we have accumulated over 12 yrs of children... We have a bin bag full for charity and have easily retained too many, but bit by bit they will be leaving the house. I just need to have the charity shop open again!!

Karmacat

shangaijimmy said:

 I just need to have the charity shop open again!!

Oh no!  I was going to ask you where all the decluttered stuff goes!  I have a couple of chairs that are overflowing with stuff that's ready to go ... 

You've done so well to get out twice today - I'm not getting the worst of the weather today, but it sounds awful.  Stay warm  

shangaijimmy

I have an ever increasing pile in the garage ready for delivery to charity. I know they'll be inundated with stuff as soon as they open as well, so my pile may stay with us a bit longer. As long as its out of the house and in the garage I'm happy enough. The clothes I have been leaving in drop off bins that salvation army has on our local coop car park, and there is a 'books for kids' bin at the recycling centre so that bag is in the car for when drive past (and there's no queue). 

There's a birthday in our house today so cause for a cake and celebration. My folks are popping in for cake, candles and a photo before heading back off. Such a shame, as with it being a Sunday in normal times our house would have a been a day long buffet with a procession of visitors, some fleeting many for a while. I'm just preparing (mentally and physically) for my Sunday long run, which is 10 miles this week. So once everyone is up and presents are all opened I'll head out. Its very cold still but that doesn't bother me, and I'm just grateful that there's no wind.

This afternoon I have the pleasure of our end of month accounts to reckon up, shuffle some cash around and update my spreadsheet. But for now I've OP'd our purchase round up pot which this week was a miserly £1.50.

debtfreeoneday

Happy birthday to your household today. 

edinburgher

@shangaijimmy - very much agree with you on the "why the heck didn't I get more steps for all this decorating lark" comments! From memory, the only reward I got from my old Fitbit after decorating 60% of our current home was paint splatters on the case that I could never get off. Still, a nice occasional reminder that I wasn't completely useless at painting when forced to do so.