Project Mortgage Neutral Begins

ajmoney

Moneyfordreams said:

I think use it to make your life easier or more enjoyable. All what you suggested are very reasonable, and functional. Do you have any fun requirements? I'm developing a list; decent headphones for the gym and good quality sheepskin slippers.  

Trainers that aren't falling apart   I think the fun/enjoyable bit is a great suggestion though as I don't do that very often so thank you.

Suffolk_lass

I used to say to DS - three pots - one that you are saving for ( eg car, 25%), one to spend (25%) and one for your future (long term savings 50%) - he still does it.

ajmoney

It turns out everything I was told on the travel insurance online chat back in the summer was incorrect.  I was told if I didn't accept the credit voucher offered by b@ it would invalidate my policy but because I have been offered a voucher I am not able to claim for the money until the voucher expires in April 2022 and even then they are unlikely to be able to process anything.  I am going to get in touch with b@ and see if they can help me out with a refund rather than the voucher but right now I am not very confident I will get anything back and in the current situation I have no idea how I will even be able to spend the voucher.  Deep breath and here we go, glad I tackled this job first today, then next might be easy in comparison...sewing patches onto a leather waistcoat for a friend.

ajmoney

4 days off from work with a plan in place because I am incapable of winging it

Friday - sew patches on jacket, clean house, baking

Saturday - price up washing machine and tumble dryer

Sunday - an outside day, sort the garage while ex's bikes aren't in it and do some gardening

Monday - horrible weather so it is a Christmas planning and prep day and possibly sort the cupboards in my bedroom.

I am reading a book that is really helping my productivity at the moment, let's just hope it lasts. 

I have just watched a youtube clip for sewing leather and I have everything I need apart from thicker thread so I am heading out to get some advice from a haberdashery dept.  Once I am set up I don't think it should take me long at all.

ajmoney

Patches sewn on with a lot of stress, they are not done as well as I would like but friend happy.  Email tennis going on with b@, I am not convinced I will ever get any money from anyone.  Part of my wishes I had waited as they probably cancelled the flights in the end anyway and there might have been a better outcome for me.  I will try and find a way other than booking other holidays which is looking fairly unlikely any time soon.  Maybe because I am not happy with how each of these tasks have been dealt with but I feel quite unsettled so abonding the other plans and going for a swim soon to see if it will help.  I have a chilli in the slow cooker so don't need to worry about cooking when I get back.

savingholmes

Glad you got an unexpected refund and that you plan to be kind to yourself with it

ajmoney

I definitely can't get a cash refund with b@ so will need to hope I can use £417.88 worth of flights over the next 18 months. I will see if there is anyone I know planning on booking with them as it might be possible for them to transfer me the money and I pay for their flights.

ajmoney

Undecided about going for a swim this morning, in a strange mood but I am sure it will help and I have an hour until I need to leave so time to make a decision.  My heating isn't working which is putting me off a little.  The pressure was really low last night and I assumed that was why it wasn't working, this morning I put my big girls pants on and worked out how to sort it out myself without having someone over my shoulder but it doesn't seem to have made any difference.   Ex is going to come over tonight to see if he can help, if not I will get in touch with the heating engineer tomorrow, I still have hot water luckily.

Meal plan done until Friday and will need a bit of organisation from me as I need to make soup etc in advance for my lunches this week.  I am going to do some of my smaller jobs now and then shop on the way back from swimming if I go, should leave the afternoon to do some of my outside jobs and then watch the grand prix while doing some Christmas planning. 

Suffolk_lass

Let's hope your heating is not a major thing. I always check the pressure on ours (we are oil here, so it is more susceptible to variations, apparently) about once a month and I don't think DH knows how to re-pressurise it - but it is a good swap for the cat's litter tray though, which is a "him" job 

ajmoney

Suffolk_lass said:

Let's hope your heating is not a major thing. I always check the pressure on ours (we are oil here, so it is more susceptible to variations, apparently) about once a month and I don't think DH knows how to re-pressurise it - but it is a good swap for the cat's litter tray though, which is a "him" job 

It turns out there is a separate switch on the dial for off - timer - on which I assume is for the heating only as the hot water has all been fine.  It is quite small, I had seen it but couldn't find anything in the user guide about it so didn't touch it.  Ex came over yesterday and suggested trying it anyway and lo and behold I now have heating, I gave the system a couple of hours to run last night and then turned it off as I was far too warm having been cooking all afternoon.  At least I got all that sorted before it gets really cold, I am now back to trying to wait until the clocks change.

Has anyone read Eat That Frog?  I started reading it last week and am implementing the techniques to see if I can work on my procrastination/anxiety over jobs although it turns out I had naturally started using some of them during lockdown.  He suggests putting tasks into 5 categories: must do, should do, nice to do, delegate, eliminate.  I can't delegate tasks at home but it is interesting for a different perspective on the jobs on my list.  I still make my list and then I separate the tasks into the categories and any category with more than one I put them in priority order.  I am not particularly keen on any of the must do jobs today but all 3 need to be done today; make tomato soup for Tue-Fri lunches, plan work masterclass, take ex to pick up bike.  The last is easy and won't be done until I get a phone call, tomato soup is the first one on my list but I am not sure I have enough containers to put everything in to freeze.  Off to tackle it anyway and then grab a cup of tea before I do the masterclass.  I also have 2 birthday presents to get and some baby shower gifts, I am hoping to get all this done before picking up the bike so I can get onto Christmas prep when I get back.