Get a grip woman!

DiscountDuck

Fantastic news for your son, and lovely to hear about someone nice catching a break. 

Suffolk_lass

Aww, thanks everyone, so kind of you. 

We went away for another short break with friends for two nights, getting back lunchtime Saturday in time for DH to pack up and get to the bike thing he is at until this evening. I described it as a bunch of fat middle aged men sitting round in a field, putting the world to rights. He loves it but it's not really my thing. I go along sometimes (I like the other stuff at the auto-jumbles) but the not-all-that-great bands, playing too loud for me to hear the conversation. Hmm.

So last night I took DS out for a Chinese meal, in a restaurant. It was his first restaurant meal for 18 months (although we have had an occasional pub meal since July). I might pop over to the artisan plant fair this afternoon but I really need to get my head down and study. I missed the first of five online lectures and need to put some hours in - I was too late saying I would do it to undertake the pre-course reading so really need a full day at it to be there tomorrow without looking like an idiot.

I have reinstated the treats and entertainment line in my tracking spreadsheet. It does not include the camp site fees, which we paid in cash (£61), £2 for electricity at this last place, or the treats in my supermarket shop, which have just been in the bank reconciliation but excluded from the tracking spreadsheet. Well over £200 with three meals out now soI do need to keep an eye on this.

Just time for a quick read on here first, and find out what my nudging cat needs

Karmacat

Life sounds fun!  And how lovely to take DS out for a meal - good luck catching up on the course now.

LadyWithAPlan

Congrats on the DS job, sounds perfect as it gives him time and energy to also pursue his music. So having a steady income and some free time sounds like a great balance.

I am off out tonight to see friends for dinner and drinkis .. I know its a spend day .....but thinking of not drinking for health and money reasons

Suffolk_lass

LadyWithAPlan said:

Congrats on the DS job, sounds perfect as it gives him time and energy to also pursue his music. So having a steady income and some free time sounds like a great balance.

I am off out tonight to see friends for dinner and drinkis .. I know its a spend day .....but thinking of not drinking for health and money reasons

Thank you - I think he is exhausted - he and we, forgot how hard it is to concentrate for 11 hours - his shift yesterday was 07.45-18.45 with a lunch break which he came here for - a quick sandwich and a drink. That is the only double shift this week.

@LadyWithAPlan please don't feel guilty about building in some relaxation and spending. We work hard, play hard. I always like to enjoy a decent wine when we go out - on Friday with friends (5 of us in total) we had three bottles of good Frascati in an Italian restaurant between us - the perfect crisp balance to the food. On Saturday, DS and I had our Chinese meal and I drank Chinese Tea, while he had one beer - a good compromise.

Ah Frascati - a wine from my youth where it was the best white wine on a restaurant I worked in - really under-rated but it does need to be a good one. It seems to have fallen out of fashion but it can be so good.

My Tilly Tidies are up to £126.74, plus the £250 Skipton RS (3.5% for existing savers), £250 premium bonds and £25 PB win for DH on the £10k bond he bought in March from his drawn-down DC pension pot, so far this month. There are the investment dividends to add but our running total is just over £650 so far in September.

LadyWithAPlan

Yes it is important to enjoy life and relax the purse strings a bit. I am just aware I have a £100k  deposit goal ., I had a very nice dinner with drinks but avoided the cocktails before - I like my alcohol not mixed £60 but then I got the bus home!

 Your DH got his first £25 win from PB? nice. I bought £13k worth  last month so Oct is my first draw

Suffolk_lass

I have put off shopping at the moment but the list is growing. I might bite the bullet and go for a delivery instead of driving there given the apparent fuel availability issues. We have offered to insure DS on DH's car if he has trouble getting any - his commute can take priority over our meanderings. We can make do with what we have in for a bit longer. I'd better do my Monday morning sweep of the accounts (very late up this morning, these are normally done by 07.00!

Suffolk_lass

A bit more TT and my savings total is £149.45 in TT plus two RS and one PB purchase. £924.45 so far. I need to add in the dividends from the ISA before my total for the month is complete.

I don't really count the RS accounts as it feels like an accumulation to pay for particular things. The oil tank is going to be the biggy, with the company we are asking, coming to have a look tomorrow.

Suffolk_lass

Morries delivery (first time) is booked for this evening. Feeling ridiculously nervous! I've ordered 11 bottles of wine from next month's entertainment and treats budget - to be fair, they were on offer but it feels slightly reckless

trix-a-belle

Repeat after me 'the wine is an investment to my health, sanity and happiness' At least 1 bottle must be opened immediately after delivery to calm the nerves that it arrived ok with no ridiculous substitutions.

I'm wondering what is next to have a panic run on it, DIY stores and garden centres during lock down, toilet roll & pasta, now fuel stations