From debt to freedom...

Cherryfudge

Good to hear from you again, I always get a bit concerned when people 'disappear', though obviously keeping your head above water is more important than writing a diary.

I hope you get a bit of a break, work-wise, now the new staff is in place. The extra money from extra shifts is a bonus but exhaustion is a high price to pay.

Talking of prices, that's an excellent chunk out of the mortgage! Well done. Is it really a year? Phew. A year's worth of making it your own, both financially and by creating an environment that works for you.  

janb5

Delighted to see you posting HSL and do hope you get some well deserved time for yourself.  Can you see a time when you can give one of these 2 jobs up or is that overly optimistic atm?

Love your updates about the gardening and the walks.

Sun_Addict

Good to hear from you although you sound super busy. Hope you’re managing to get some time for yourself. 

dawnybabes

Pleased you’re all ok, excellent result on the mortgage - must be so good to see it’s not all in vain ! 

Drawingaline

Hear you with the plodding money wise!

Honeysucklelou2

Thank you Lucielle, DAL, Cherryfudge, Janb5, dawnybabes and SA.

Had a fairly productive day yesterday. It’s report writing season for Job 1, so got 6 written yesterday. If I can repeat that today, that would be great!!  I also took some time to go through the finances and give myself an up to date picture of where I am at the moment. Certainly helps and made sure that my 100 squares were coloured in up to date. I find that visual representation really helpful.

I got out into the garden for a while and got the weeds out that had been growing between paving slabs and along the driveway. I try to make sure I get up all the leaves in the Autumn but much have missed a few late ones because they seem to mulch down into a perfect growing medium for weeds!! A good weed and sweep up has made it look much better. I had hoped to get out into the garden today but it is looking rather wet here 😕😔, so more report writing it looks to be!

savingholmes

Well done on the £5K cleared. It feels amazing after years of interest only - I had that too.

Honeysucklelou2

Thank you SH.

Today has been much more productive. A few months ago, whilst serving someone at Job2, a customer remembered that years ago I had gardened for a living and offered me some work. I explained that I couldn’t offer much time but would fit in where I could. I did some last October and set off early  this morning to get a couple of hours in.  I have to say it was relaxing, just weeding quietly!!

Came home and while the dry weather was here, I got cracking in my garden. Got the grass cut and my lovely mum helped me chop out some brambles that were growing at an alarming rate!  I’ve planted out cornflowers, Nigella, sunflowers and echiums. The pesky molluscs have been munching again and I’velost lots of seedlings 😤. I don’t want to use slug pellets with the amount of birds that are in and around the garden, so have been making homemade protection, using cut down milk cartons and some copper tape. I’m hoping that these measures will stop them.

Cherryfudge

Oooh, I have paid gardening envy . How beautifully relaxing. I'd imagine it's a good antidote to your other work?

Sympathies about the damage caused by the slugs and snails. Last year they ate all my squash seedlings, this year they are going for coriander, possibly because I don't have any squash. I hope your measures keep them at bay.

Spendless

Thought it might have been work pressures keeping you away. Possibly still a while away but one day you'll be able to say you've been able to reduce down to just job one. At least it's now  just one half term till summer break up.