Dancing in the Rain

doingitanyway

So, my garden is so overgrown the lawnmower is not possible. I needed the strimmer. I nearly threw my strimmer away as it wouldn't work with the cord gone. I then decided I could just replace the spool. Today I took the spool out so I could go to a DIY store and replace it. I looked at it and thought 'I can fix that.' So unlike me to think that.

I looked at a youtube video and it had enough wire. It just needed re threading. I did it!! I just tested it and it works! I saved my fares £5, the cost of the product, the inevitable coffee out, and my time and the boost to my self esteem is great.

Off to do the gardening!!

Go :money: me!

in_need_of_direction

Love that. I'm just starting to do stuff after years of avoiding it cos I'm not a practical person. So far, I've hung a picture albeit from a picture rail, no drilling required. I am determined and stories like yours help.

RosaBernicia

Go you DIA

I also vote for using your china - when you are DF and in your next house you can have it on display and use a different cup every day of the week. Nobody else can say what brings you joy so just enjoy it!


Rosa xx

doingitanyway

The garden is looking SO MUCH BETTER. It is not finished by any means but regular gardening sessions should see it finished some time next week. My aim is to sit and have a cup of tea in the garden on the May bank holiday. I am very pleased about the garden as I had thought I needed to pay someone in to get it back to a manageable level and then I could manage the upkeep. Wrong. Just like fixing the strimmer myself sometimes I underestimate myself.

Yesterday I had a spending binge. :eek: £20 in MnS. I spent £1.60 on a bunch of flowers that were £16 and got YS food. Where I went wrong was buying crisps £2 and wine £7.50 and £3 bus fare as I didn’t walk. In future I will go to MnS with just £10 in cash so I am not tempted to make poor choices. I will take a ruck sack and at least walk to MnS even if I feel tired and need the bus back.

However, I saved on fares to the DIY centre and the part I would have bought so I am not going to beat myself up.

Gratitude for yesterday
Blackbirds and Robins joining me in the garden
The orange of a blackbird’s beak
Bluebells
Being strong enough and well enough to do the garden myself

Today

WFH
I hope to do at least 1 hours gardening
My first load of washing is humming in the background
Burning sage, grapefruit and peppermint
Making meatballs and spaghetti with salad. (All YS!)

Happy Tuesday!

DIA x

doingitanyway

Electricity and gas bills that have been estimated have been read and following my readings I owe them £75.

My statement came for my debt and I have the figure wrong it is higher than I thought by a few hundred pounds. :eek: I get paid next week and I will then update my signature.

I have become complacent. I am overspending. When I get paid I will do the envelope system and will be allowing myself £75 a week. £25 for travel/£25 for food and £25 for pocket money.

I edited my shopping due on May 3rd and removed wine, posh vinegar and a second bar of chocolate. I saved £10 and the bill is now £55 for the monthly shop

I got a stupid quote that included ‘clean up’ and ‘raise ladders’ The quote disguises it is merely one tile needs replacing and is charging £80.00. I’m going to seek out a new quote.

I have added in my additional work but I will still be £1,750.00 short of my DF date in December 2017. I plan to start paying in whatever I have left over in my weekly budget.

I am going back to NSDs. NSDs for me do not mean planned spending. They mean spending nothing. No money or debits being spent at all. I am going to start as of now not spending on Sunday, Tuesday, or Wednesday.

There, that is me. Socks well and truly pulled up.
I hope your day was a good one reader

JoJoC

Wow, that's a committed post if ever I read one! I'm nodding my head along with most of your points...I need to seriously pull my socks up as well, but I need to think more about how to do this and how to make it work for me.

Well done on removing those luxury items from your monthly shop! Maybe you could reward yourself with the wine and chocolate at the end of the month if you manage to stick to your spending goals?

doingitanyway

JoJo thanks for stopping by and reminding me about the value of treats.

The chocolate was a second bar. I still have Montezuma orange and geranium chocolate in the shopping basket However, I do think I need treats otherwise I get miserable and I want to enjoy the next 8 months and not suffer unduly. I have a tiny pay increase £25 and I was going to use it to go to debt but I've changed my mind I'm going to create a fund in a jam jar of £25 a month for 'treats for **** it days'

JoJoC

That's a great idea! And just think, if you have none of those days for a while you could save it up and have an even bigger splurge guilt free.

Your no nonsense post inspired me to attempt to get my S**T together so I've make about 40 lists on my diary to try to keep me right. I need to do something, right now there's just too much going on.

That chocolate sound divine! I have a snickers in my top drawer which im currently avoiding.

doingitanyway

After thinking about it most of the day I have decided I need to increase my additional income streams further. They are looking for staff willing to do at least 3 or 4 sessions a month in an organisation not a great distance from where I live. They have a reputation of being good employers. The pay is reasonable and it will bring in enough income to meet my shortfall of £1,750 and keep me on target for debt free by December 2017. I will apply.

If I get it, until the end of December 2017 I will be doing:
--a full time job
--3 hours teaching once a week
--4 Saturday's teaching over a 6 month period
--4 Saturdays or Sundays a month.

This seems achievable when written down and since I am not having any major holidays I can use my leave for regular breaks.

I might not get the job but I have to try as I will be pig sick if I don't meet my DF target.

JoJoC

No one can say that you're not putting in the effort DIA! There's no harm in applying and then if you're in a position of being offered the role, you can properly weigh up the options.

Your DFD is December 2017 and actually, that's not a long time away so if you feel like it's all getting a bit too much then you can give something up at the end of the year (or get yourself straight onto that four day week that you've been craving!).