2016 - a year of change

lulabelle

back to work today. Barely slept last night, probably at the thought of work. Result = tired today and not motivated. When I don't achieve anything it makes me think I hate the job. And the reality is, if I got the push tomorrow I'd be gutted. I don't hate the actual job, just lawyers who are all, in my opinion, parasites.

Didn't get away with a NSD today. Boots needed re-heeling so £9.75. Then needed to get some lunch as we have not got stuff to make them this week - £3.30. At same time got 6 x salmon fillets for £10 (£5 as boy pays half) then spent £11.89 in b**ts on tampa, deodorant and some pregna care pre-conception tablets.

Spendy day.

Tonight is salmon I think marinaded in teriyaki sauce, probably couscous and we have some asparagus or green beans. Have to say am tempted by scrambled egg along side too.

Think tonight might be 8pm bed for me. Some idiot also rang our house phone at 4am this morning (god knows who) waking us up

lulabelle

went to bed about 815. slept really well but still knackered, so don't want to go in today. If I sold my london property, I could easily not work for 10 years but then would have no pension and it is silly not to work. Everyone has to work. So will plod on, hating it. Well, not hating it, just being frustrated by it and hating lawyers.

Today will not be NSD as we have no lunches this week so will need to buy a salad or sandwich. Tonight is salmon again. Last night's was lovely and we went with scrambled egg in the end.

Cannot wait until it gets to tomorrow night as then have 3 days off. Must work on my book this friday as that could (unlikely but you never know) be my way out. Sitting moaning and not writing certainly won't change things!

Seasidegal58

Was interested to read your post on the steroid cream for your hair loss. I suffer from this as well. Is the cream any good and do you have any side effects?

lulabelle

Hi SSG. Mine is called Protopic (tacrolimus) which is meant to suppress your immune system. I can't tell if it has worked. My partner thinks my hair has stopped falling out or it has slowed, and there appears to be a small patch of re-growth but, whether that is as a result of the cream (given I've not been very good at applying it) or because I've reduced stress levels, I don't know. Side effects: none for me - some people report burning or itching and you're not meant to drink alcohol as apparently it can make your skin flush, but I never had that problem. The cream is like vaseline though so a b*gger to get out your hair in the morning! Hope this helps! x

Last day of the week for me, thank god! Yesterday wasn't too bad and feeling ok about things today, but have had 10 hours of good sleep the last 2 nights - I think everything is easier to cope with when you've slept properly.

Wasn't a NSD yesterday as picked up some lemon sole and green beans for tea - we are trying to go more fish than meat as it's better for you. Plus sandwich for lunch so cost me about a fiver overall. Today will be sandwich and we need milk so not NSD either. Also had to pay £80 yesterday for a spa day this coming saturday for a friend's birthday and will be having to pay £15-20 towards her present.

Just looking forward to getting home tonight to my 3 day weekend.

Seasidegal58

Thanks so much for that lulabelle. I will look into Protopic. :T


Have a good day!

lulabelle

yay! working week over!

Ended up being a cheap day - milk only and that was out of cash the boy had given me for something we didn't end up getting the other day. So sort of NSD. Didn't have any lunch really - meant to go out at 12 but got caught up on something. Then had a call from 1-2. There was some left over lunch from a meeting in the work kitchen so got a small sarnie (as only 2 left and one looked rank!). Was really nice - beef, horseradish and gerhkins! But barely filled a hole. Tonight is salmon, sweet pot wedges and green beans as we ended up having the lemon sole last night. All from stores.

Tomorrow I really must go for a run and write. The boy and I are doing our big shop tomorrow night to keep us out the pub and also means don't have to join the saturday rush, so I will make a list tomorrow. Going to go through the freezer and see what we've got as reckon we can cut things down a lot by doing that. Know we have a fair bit in the cupboards too so might make up some random dishes from stores as far as I can.

I love thursday nights!!

lulabelle

got up late this morning and watched Unforgotten - naughty! But did go for a run with the boy - we ran for about 28 mins which, given I've not run in months, was hard, but I'm pleased with.

Boy treated me to a sandwich. Going to make a shopping list in a minute then once hair dried, make up on etc, do some work on my book.

We are in tonight - I'll cook something nice (though not sure what yet). Tomorrow is second viewing on a house we saw back in november - top end of budget so they'd have to come down a lot, it is also wrong school catchment area but we had a discussion about that - god knows if we can even have kids and, even if we do, it's going to be at least 5-6 years until they start school and a lot can happen in that time. So we can't pick a house purely based on school catchment. And it is a lovely house.

Then spa day/afternoon tea for friend's birthday which I paid for earlier this week so no spend. Tomorrow night will be in and cooking again. Sunday run in morning, then boys mums then might do a roast.

Hopefully we can keep the spending down to a minimum!!

lulabelle

b*gger, I forgot I have to order my parents some theatre tickets (told them I had done for xmas as hadn't had time to get them enough stuff) and mum said on phone before they hadn't come yet! Better do that tomorrow so another £50!!!!

Should be able to save a bit from budget this month though boiler in my london flat needed work which i think is going to cost around £300 so that will have to come out of budget. And cat needs another bag of food at £30 so will get that tomorrow, but we are not due to be "out" before pay day (well, boy is but that's his budget and his business!) on 20th so hoping can save a fair whack.

I reckon I think about money all the time, which is not helpful. I worry as literally every penny I have is going into this new house as I am selling my house so all proceeds from that going in, plus I need to use probably all mine, and some of the boy's (he has shares so I don't want him to sell everything since, given interest rates at the moment, it makes more sense financially to use my money rather than sell shares) for deposit and fees (we are doing 20% deposit though to get best rate) then I'll have no safety net.

In reality, my london property has about 320-350k of equity in and the boy's flat (currently rented as we can't sell it) has about 100k equity so we are ok on paper. I guess I just worry about not having "savings" but then like I say, interest rates are just rubbish so probably better to have it/put it in property.

I know I am in a better position that most so shouldn't whine, it's just cos I was really badly in debt for years and years, I don't want to go down that road again

joeyjimbles

I've just read all your thread, and well done you on all your changes and keeping going. How exciting about the new house opportunities.

When we moved when DS1 was tiny I did it based on Primary School catchments but a friend advised me very sensibly to also look at Secondary School catchments as that is often more important, and harder to change once they are older with established friends and working through GCSEs. As it turned out we left that area before he even hit Junior School but it did open my eyes as if job opportunities hadn't suggested a move then we would still probably have been in that house and both my boys are now in Secondary School. Certainly I checked out both levels of School when we bought this house.
I hope you find what you are looking for soon.

lulabelle

thanks JJ - worth thinking about both for sure. Thanks also for your kind words re changes I have made. I do feel so much less stressed now so whilst I get frustrated at the fact I am still doing something I'm not passionate about, it is, at least, better in that sense.

We did "big shop" bar meat and fish and that was £55. Reckon meat and fish (which boy will get tomorrow from mongers and butchers) will be about £30. So £85 between 2 which isn't bad as I budgeted £150 between 2 as we do spend a lot on food (we, or rather I, are trying to cut down).

The boy has kindly offered to do dinner so is making his signature tagliatelle with pancetta and parsnip (it's a jamie oliver recipe and if you've never had it I highly recommend it as it is AMAZING - but don't use smoked pancetta as totally changes the flavour and is not as nice) whilst I am trying to resist wine!!!!!