From debt to freedom...

Cherryfudge

I think it must be something in the air - DS2 paid his share of the bills this month though he's been living away since lockdown began. He also asked what he owes us from last autumn for car insurance. Perhaps your DS might get the hint if every week there is a day with no dinner on the table?

MeandO

I'm not sure if you've already done this, but would it be worth showing DS1 your bank statement, debt balances and bills vs income. If he sees it on paper it's no longer and invisible bill. 
Your 'tales from the allotment' and baking adventures give me, and I'm sure many others, such pleasure in reading. I am in awe of what you achieve HSL2. Sending lots of love xx

Sun_Addict

Another one here in awe of all the gardening, crop gathering and baking.  My DS had a real wake up call when he got his own place a few years ago, it made him realise just how much it costs to run a house and that what he used to pay in board was only a mere drop in the ocean.

Honeysucklelou2

Thank you Janb5,  Cherryfudge , MeandO & SA. Thank you for your kind words.

Jan - yes, most household jobs fall to me. The older DDs are getting better and through Lockdown DD2 has cooked one meal a week, which has helped. DS1 will hoover his bedroom but that’s about it.

MeandO - that’s an interesting idea, thank you. I haven’t shown DS1 any statements but perhaps if I did, it might help him to have more understanding.

Cherryfudge - might have to try the no dinner on the table idea, if the pizzas turn out to be a one off!

The weather has changed this week and it’s been much colder and wet. At work, we have all the windows and doors open to make the rooms as airy as possible but the flip side is that I have been cold all day. I’m thankful for the rain for the garden - the sunflowers plants  are looking much more healthy.

On Monday, the elderly lurcher had his stitches removed and was able to have the buster collar taken off as well. He is much happier now. I think he was struggling to get comfortable at night, but he’s much more settled now. He has more of a spring in his step 😀.
Paid off £110 off a debt yesterday so the figures are slowly going downward.

Its been a tough week with the ex but I have had a reply from the solicitor so need to spend some time today emailing and sorting out the next step. Other than that it looks to be getting work tasks done at home today.

janb5

So glad you have had a reply from the solicitor to your concerns and lets hope it's promising.

Delighted the lurcher is happier too snd he can enjoy life again!

savingholmes

Glad the legal side of things is progressing. I love your allotment, baking and walking tales too. You have a writing gift. My DS is going to start paying board from the end of the month. I talk openly about £ and explained how I'd broken down what I wanted him to pay. A share of utilities including BB, council tax, something towards the mortgage and a contribution towards food. I spoke to him about it from his first job in a chippy where we agreed an enforced savings plan. Now my DS is earning 'real' £ I am expecting him to contribute accordingly.

Honeysucklelou2

Thank you Janb5 and SH - Thank you for your kind words.

SH - It’s interesting to see how you’ve broken down the expenses so that your DS can  understand the figure you’ve arrived at.  I’ve explained to DS1 time and again about the council tax and tried to talk to him about the utility bills. He just doesn’t seem to see that water and electricity have to be paid for and are not free gifts from the utility companies. Will have do MeandO’s idea  to sit down and go through a bank statement. I made it clear tonight that it is his turn to provide and cook  tea tomorrow night. I think while he is refusing to contribute to his living costs, it’s the very least he can do.

I had to try and get a doctor’s appointment for one of the DDs today. It’s clearly been some time since I’ve done this. I rang up, only to hear a recorded message that appointments are no longer made by telephone 😲. Instead I had to go online to this system called econsult. Not quite sure of the reasoning behind this but I gave it a go. I clicked on the “help for my child” option which gave about 18 different ailments, none of which applied to my DD, so I clicked on the “generally unwell” option which took me to another page. Despite several attempts and reloading the page, it wouldn’t let me tick  a box to allow me to proceed forward. After much frustration I gave up and rang again!  Despite the difficulties, the doctor rang within the hour and I had a prescription for her, ready to collect. How blessed we are to have the NHS.

The best news of today was hearing from DD1 with a date to come home. Her degree work is almost finished and her tenancy agreement for her student accommodation runs out at the end of the month.  I have driven there and back in a day before, so hoping that her coming home is allowable. It will be so good to have her home.

I went for a run this evening. I can’t say I was full of enthusiasm but my overriding thought was that I didn’t want to lose any of the fitness level I’d been trying to build up over the last 6 weeks. Since going back to normal work hours, I’ve got out of sync with my 3 times a week habit, so am keen to get this reestablished.  DD3 came with me this evening and instead of turning around at the halfway bell, we decided to carry on  as the lane we were running on could be part of a circular route. It was lovely to catch the sunset this evening and the hedgerows are in fine form. The grasses are bearing  seed heads giving a more curved shape to the stems. The honeysuckle is creeping through the blackthorn and flowering everywhere and the dog roses can now be seen. The foxgloves  rise statuesquely  from the hedgerow while the cow parsley and campion grow profusely at a lower level - simply beautiful. There was quite a breeze this evening, which was refreshing as we were jogging along.

I got fair amount of work done from home and have a bit more to do tomorrow. Pudding tonight was Gooseberry meringue tart. I tried a new recipe which involved heating butter and sugar until it caramelises, adding the gooseberries and cooking until they have softened but not lost their shape.  The gooseberries were then scraped  into a cooked pastry case and topped with meringue. It was a good balance between sweet and sour.

janb5

Hi HSL-- you could have almost telephoned me for a chat last night as we were both awake at silly o`clock!
Do you think DD1 would help with DS1 once she`s home...slow drip conversations about how expensive things were at Uni etc?
I haven`t posted a cake recipe for some time so will post that later. 

janb5

Sticky toffee cake

125 g butter/ 4 ounces butter softened

250 g/9 oz SR flour

200 g/7 oz dates stoned and finely chopped

250 ml/ 9 fl oz hot tea

200 g/7 oz light brown muscovado sugar

2 tbls golden syrup

3 medium eggs

1 tsp bicarb. soda

 Icing

 100 ml/3 fl oz double cream

75 g /3 oz light brown muscovado sugar

25 g/ 1 oz butter

1 tbs golden syrup

Fudge chunks( optional) to decorate.

 Preheat oven 180 deg/160 deg fan/ Mark 4

Grease 8”/20 cm cake tin.

Put dates into boil add boiling water and leave for 10 mins.

Beat butter and sugar until fluffy, then whisk in the golden syrup followed by eggs, soda, flour and date mixture.

 Pour mixture into prepared cake tin and bake for 55 minutes/ or check with skewer.

 Leave to cool completely in tin.

 Spread icing over and decorate as wished.

 I often make the icing separately when I have excess double cream to save time.

 

 

 

Cherryfudge

How lovely to hear your DD will soon be home!

The gooseberry meringue sounds enticing. I think that might work for greengages too.

Well done on running even when you didn't feel like it. DH says he's never regretted running even on miserable evenings. (I'm not so hardy).