Dancing in the Rain

doingitanyway

I cut an article out of Saturday's paper about council tax banding so I checked my council tax banding to see if I might appeal my banding, but no, they correctly banded me so no gain there

I need to buy some black bin bags, all of a sudden I can see so much stuff in my house that can be cleared out

I went for a swim but before I did I threw lentils, parsnips, turnips, thyme from my little herb bed and turkey bones in the slow cooker and like magic there was soup when I arrived home

I had a few hours airing the house. Every window in the house wide open. I heard the house say thank you

I was excited about Aldi opening and super 6 and now it’s here it isn’t that exciting. I guess it depends what the super 6 is and whether it appeals?

The house was a mess as I approached from the outside and a mess when I came in. I spent a few hours ironing, packing stuff away and washing up and guess what? It still looks a mess. I will persevere.

I need to prioritise the house. I know I don't have any money but I should at least be lining up workmen. I feel like I'm standing still and not progressing. I might change the format of this diary so it is in categories and I can see what I am ACTUALLY achieving. I get that I am doing the small stuff but I feel like I'm avoiding the BIG STUFF. Hmmm.

My bank statement is due any day, at least I can then update my signature

3 good things

The loose feel in my joints after I swim

I picked up a honeydew melon. I gave it a sniff and it smelt lovely. I’m surprised Jo Malone doesn’t have a scent called honeydew melon

A man was swimming butterfly stroke in my lane and another lady invited me to share her lane instead.

Back to create order from the chaos I am living in

Have a good evening my fellow debt busters
x

doingitanyway

There are special places that soothe the soul for me. Kew Gardens is one such place. I honestly think they should prescribe free passes to Kew on the NHS. I put the world to rights with a friend who needed her soul soothed more than me. She had a friend who died on a rowing bike at the gym this week. She had a heart attack and that was that She was fit and younger than my friend and the last time my friend saw her she was cycling away from her on a pink bike.

I took my friend a beautiful milk jug made in the 1960s in a pottery near to her new home. She loved it and I decluttered in a nice way.

I got back late so missed an international telephone appointment

There are so many plants that find a way to survive, some survive on fresh air alone. Really. Air orchids for example take moisture from the air and they survive. Plants that camouflage as rocks so no one eats them. There are other plants that survive by conserving water until the next rains. There are so many ways of surviving. I am part of nature too. No point me moaning about my 2 year struggle. I need to adapt and survive and I will

I was spendy

I spent for my next week's fares. I treated my friend to a cappuccino. I spent £11.50 in Waitro** and took out another £10 for tomorrow as I am working, as I took today off.

I don't regret my spends today. I needed today. I will pull it back for next week and aim for 3 NSDs in a row: Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

3 good things

Life. Just life.

Green and B****** 60% dark chocolate and ginger

Did I say life? Did I? Life.

I hope you are well
DIA xx

in_need_of_direction

Thanks for the wake up call. It's too easy to get bogged down in life to remember to live.

Orange_Ena

Hope you're ok DIA.

Have a great week, living life.

doingitanyway

in_need_of_direction wrote: »

Thanks for the wake up call. It's too easy to get bogged down in life to remember to live.

I know you have had your own loss recently so thanks for taking the time to comment x

doingitanyway

Orange_Ena wrote: »

Hope you're ok DIA.

Have a great week, living life.

I'm doing my best to live life as happily as i can. You've got to really haven't you? Hope your week goes well

doingitanyway

I fell asleep last night without posting. I did it, because I write it offline, but I forgot to post I want a full daily post so I am posting now and will do todays later....

So, I’m focused on food today I know, but it’s because I was starving most of the day

I got some veggies today reduced in Wait*ose. I already accounted for this in yesterday’s spends as £10 cash (I still have £3 of it left). I ignored all the reduced sausages although I wanted them. I knew if I bought them I’d eat them.

For lunch I had a tuna salad reduced from £3.49 to 99p. A lucky buy as I forgot to take my lunch to work today. I had a free coffee and an orange too (34p). Tonight I had some homemade soup (already in the fridge) and a half 69p Caesar salad with tinned Mackerel. It was lush.

I have some big flat mushrooms and a round courgette thing stuffed with cheddar (£2.49 down to 39p) so I took the cheese and wheat out and will make my own stuffing for all the veg… red rice, sun-dried tomatoes, feta and herbs I think…If I have that with salad leaves that will be healthy and cheap too.

The other money saving thing I did was read my book. It’s a book I already had, an unread present. I’m trying to read the books I already have or use the library

It’s cold where I am. I wanted to turn the heating on but I settled on a pot of tea and a hot water bottle

3 good things

Trains ran to time today so I was on time going to work and coming home too

Reading. It’s nice to get lost in a book

I woke up naturally without my alarm

DIA x

doingitanyway

I have been job searching on my day off. I need to up my income and as I like my permanent job I’m reluctant to change even though I know I could earn more. I thought of supermarkets as even though they don’t pay a fortune they do pay and it all adds up. However, the ones I tried all require a commitment of more hours than I can do along with a full time job.

I haven’t been feeling positive today. I’ve been worried about money and debt and feeling shabby. Tomorrow I will swim. Swimming always help with my mood

I have switched from coffee to camomile tea to relax me a little.

I decluttered a laptop bag and a set of place mats to my charity donations pile.

It’s less than 2 weeks to pay day so I can’t help planning...

This pay day will prove tough AGAIN because I’ll be paying council tax and I haven’t been for 2 months. This together with less pay by £130. I will be very much down on income. However, I MUST buy new shoes, tights, cut my hair, do my eyebrows and get my electrics sorted so going to make this work by severely restricting food. I need pocket money for Scotland but I'll save on food being away and I won't pay for travel to work either.

I'm having my first fast day tomorrow to lose weight but it will help keep my food bill low too...

I'd like to say I'll use the yellow stickers to get my food bills down but there's something about going to my local store with just that intention that depresses me. It's okay if I'm passing but going there just for reductions makes me feel like a bag lady. It doesn't make sense but it's true and it seems just as important to keep my spirits up as it is to find cheaper food. Actually it's more important if I am to survive this challenge...

I owe a colleague £40 as she bought a theatre ticket for me. It was way more than I would have paid but I was too embarrassed to say so. I must make sure that never happens again. I’ll enjoy the event, even though it's more her thing than mine, but I can find events just as enjoyable for a lot less... I'm not mean, really I'm not but her circumstances are different from mine...

That’s my day. How was yours?

3 good things

Camomile tea with honey

Weak sunshine, so much more pleasant than blazing sun in my opinion

I read my book in a sunny window of a cafe, one of my favourite things to do

DIA x

doingitanyway

It's funny how once you put something out there. Once you focus on it and state your intention to the universe an answer comes back.

Well there might be a job. It would be 21 hours which I initially dismissed out of hand, but I can work at home for the whole 21 hours so perhaps I shouldn't dismiss it. I found out through a friend of a friend and I'm well qualified for it.

I've realised that my major stress is commuting. On the days when I don't have to dress, wear make-up, find a suitable outfit and interact with the world at large I am much less stressed. However, I'm aware I would have gone from working 21 hours to working 56 hours. Is that mad? It feels mad written down. Would I make myself ill? I managed 21 to 35 without any issues but to up it to 56?

I don't want to waste everyone's time going for it if I don't really want it but it would make the difference of an extra £600 a month and I could still have Saturday night and all day Sunday as completely free.

What do you think reader? Am I crazy to consider it?
DIA x

beanielou

You could maybe consider it in the short term if you have a specific short term goal?