Preparing for the biggest move of our life

bellevie

No spend day today. I was planning a trip out for a couple of work bits & some jumpers.

I decided whilst drifting of to sleep, as I want to loose some weight I will hold off and reward myself when I reach my target.

Im at the top end of my 'acceptable BMI' and starting to feel uncomfortable. Clothes wise I am a 12 in most places, M&S and Next tend to have generous sizes to I am mostly a 10 there.
My issue is, I am short so when I do put on weight I really notice it quickly.

I did loose all the weight, then gradually over the past 6 years I have fluctuated, dropping a lot when I worked on my feet, then creeping up again when I got back into an office.

So, I have committed myself to start with, 30 minutes of exercise once DD is in bed every day. I have a fitness Wii disk and today I found some Zumba clips on youtube which was quite fun.
I would like to join one of the exercise classes round here, but that would mean getting a childminder and more expense, so for the moment I will make do with what I have!

There is a gym close to my work, in my 20's I easily managed to get to the gym before or after work but I cant now because of childcare so I am wondering if I could squeeze it in a lunch break - cost permitting?
For the short term, I am planning on going for a 15 minute walk during my lunch break, try to build up my daily steps!

New wardrobe here I come!

bellevie

Day1) managed my 15 minute walk commitment - had to go and book DD's half term session as the leisure centre so took my chance.

I've just had tea so will wait for that to go down and DD to be in bed so I can concentrate on the exercise.

A bit glum today, October half term cost £115 - I could have sworn it was on my spread sheet as I worked out the cost weeks ago but it wasn't! So I have had to transfer money from my emergency pot to cover it, otherwise I would go overdrawn once my utility bills & afterschool fees go out over the next couple of days.

Grrrr:mad:

bellevie

Relatively good day today. Then I noticed one of my brake lights have blown again!

Thankfully I do have 2 working middle and right hand side. So I am going to pop to the garage before work in the morning, get the blown bulb replaced. I will ask them to show me how to replace it, and on my lunch break I will pick up a few from Halfords so that I have spares to get home safely if this ever happens again, it makes me so jumpy worried that the remaining bulbs will also blow and someone will not see I am braking! I will ask them to book it in for Saturday to investigate what's causing it.

It has helped me to make up my mind though. I can't handle the stress of relying on my car for work, so I will let my overtime come to an end and stick to the office based role I have been given rather than apply for the others that might come up.

At least until I am in position to easily resolve car issues that occur.

Even the office based position, its not the best with where I am living because DD's school and my work are both in different towns. So I need to make a decision to move closer to her school, which is on a bus route to work - relatively long but a route none the less! Or I need to move DD to a school closer to my current house so that it cuts out a bus / train.

It would make sense to move closer to her school, but the area is so so so expensive. We would be back in a flat again and paying out more per month.

I could move her to a school closer to our homes, the two closest have no breakfast or after school clubs.

The 3rd closest does but is quite a walk away which could be hard on DD if I didn't have a car for a few months.

Whatever route I choose they all require money so I really need to get cracking now.

MuffinTops

Hello Bellevie,

There seems to be quite a bit going on with you. That's a great idea getting them to show you how to change a brake light so you can keep an eye on it and do it yourself in future.

That's a real dilemma on how to solve you and your daughter being in different towns for school and work. Hmmm! To be honest, the way you've written it, sounds to me like you're actually better off doing what you're doing. That's the lesser of the evils?

How are you getting on with the home exercise plan? I absolutely need to do the same thing myself. I've got a few DVD's and YouTube on my TV so there's absolutely no excuse. The reason I haven't yet? Well, that's pure laziness!

I hope you're feeling a bit brighter today!

MTx

bellevie

Hi MT,

It was a good idea but it didn't go to plan! Namely I didn't think to ask until I was in the office by which time it was back! It was free though, and I will still get some spare bulbs for peace of mind, I watched a youtube video I think once I have done it I should be ok.

The garage said if they go again soon they will investigate further but otherwise they will assume just bad luck.

I do think, if I can keep a car on the road what we are doing now is the best of both worlds for now at least. It makes no sense to spend a few thousand on fees, advance rent, removals etc, I might as well just replace the car.

I didn't do any exercise at home yesterday but I did walk for 45 minutes on my lunch break.

I've got youtube via the wii and I found a zumba clip, its only about 10 minutes long but I use it as a starter to my sessions to get my heart race started, I enjoy it!

bellevie

No spends today, I took a pasta mug shot thing to work which kept me going surprisingly.

Yesterday at the shops I picked up my brothers birthday present, a photo frame for a special photo of us with our mum that I have created - somehow we never had a picture of the three of us, so I used 3 separate pictures of around the same time to make one in black and white, it has come out really nice and I love it. I also got him a fragrance from Next which I think he will love, or at least my sister in law will!

For my niece I got an art case from the works - love that shop!

I also picked up a pack of 3 boxes, like olden style suitcases but small, made of card to store various stationary items etc. It was £7 or 2 for £10 - I only got one set, but when I got them out I loved them so much I think my sister in law will too, so that will be a good gift for christmas. I will go back in there this week or next to make use of the offer, as DD has also requested some!

I am going to re-gig my budget planner. I currently just have a spreadsheet that is set to go on until the end of the year, its useful as I know how spends today will affect my 'low point' in a few months. It does however make it a little hard to know without checking my spreadsheet exactly how much movement I have eg for emergencies, one of spends, extra childcare costs etc.

So as I am paid mid month, I am going to create budgets for between pay days instead of calendar months so I can accurately plan spends, including how much I can set aside towards work on the car or Christmas childcare etc.

I had good intentions for exercise tonight, but l am suddenly feeling like I want to curl up under my blanket and chill out!

Wednesday night.....zzzzzzzzzz

bellevie

1 day left til we can STOP!

Good day today, no spends - well paid council tax but no actually lunch / silly spends. I took lunch to work with me.

I had 1 appointment that overran considerably, thankfully the next appointment cancelled so I was able to eat quickly before my last apt. The last apt left me a little worried, hopefully I will find out tomorrow that it was nothing to be worried about!

bellevie

Well we did finally literally just stop!

2 lay ins few household chores but nothing too hard, and few films, a nice autumn walk this afternoon, back in time for food delivery and a lovely shepherds pie.

My favourite kind of weekend

I included some things that I could take to work for lunch to minimise my unplanned spends.

To save on petrol & delivery costs I have decided from now until Christmas I will pick up gifts on my lunch break. I have a list in my purse which includes everything for DD and her cousins, so I can cross each thing off as and when I get it. There's a huge primark in town that I work in which comes in useful for kids pj's, slippers, candles etc.

Its also my birthday soon so I will be buying myself on behalf of DD a new watch I am not fussy on brands, so expecting to pay less than £20, if there is any left over, M&S have a perfume called butterfly which I love, they have a purse spray for around £6 which lasts well so that is in the back of my mind depending on my watch price.

My monthly pay should start to level out now, this month is the last overtime month, from November paywise I will move across to the new salary & working hours although my duties will be a mix of new and old until changes have been made in full.

I am not sure what this months pay will be, it should be higher than last month but after tax I am not convinced it will make a huge difference!

Time for my last chore of the weekend ironing......

bellevie

Busy day at work today.

I made a good start on Christmas pjs for dd's cousins sorted plus a couple of small things for DD and some wrapping paper. I will start to wrap dd's soon as she has started finding excuses to go rummaging around the house, and has come close to finding things!

I haven't decided what gift will be from Santa yet...cheeky madam every time I say something is too expensive, she says that's ok I'll put it on santa's list!

I bite my tongue as I do still want her to believe, I know it wont last much longer!

bellevie

£2 spent today in Greggs, I did bring a mugshot but was tempted on my lunch time walk.

A testing day at work today, things are chaotic because of the restructure motivation is down, people are to be honest taking advantage not doing their fair share, on top of that badly organised meetings pulling resources from already stretched area, I couldn't get hold of anyone I needed to which was very frustrating when I was the person speaking to clients who needed miracles but I just couldn't get the job done!

I'm already feeling a little emotional without work so I was close to being pushed to my limit today.

Its 2 years this month that my mum passed away. Today exactly 2 years back was the last conversation we had. I play the conversation over and over again - it was a good, normal every day mother daughter conversation, but what I could have said if I had known that just over a week later she would be dead, or should I have known? Did she know? Why wouldn't she tell me?

I remember her clearly wrapping up that call saying, don't ring me, I will ring you in the week. She didn't, and what with working it wasn't until the day she died whilst at work that it occurred to me I hadn't heard from her. I planned in my head, written on the back of my hand to call her the second I got home before I left for the weekend as I was due to go away for my 30th.

I got home to an answer message from her long term partner, he was sobbing so hard, but didn't say what just that he needed to speak to me. I knew something bad had happened by his message alone but I just didn't expect it.

Even now, for 1, 2 seconds I'll forget, and go to pick up the phone or remind myself to update her DD's latest achievement, or my promotion, or the stupid car playing up. Then his words hit me, and all over again I am back there, she has gone.

Being in different countries to start with, so not able to see her weekly I just didn't expect the force of grief to hit me as it did. Such a hole in my heart, that 2 years later isn't any closer to being filled.