Get a grip woman!

Suffolk_lass

£40? That is unbelievable. I last had a gardener about 6 or more years ago and she was £10 an hour then to do weeding. I like to satisfy myself that they can tell the difference and don't dig out things I want to keep. With creeping wood sorrel (bronze leaves and little yellow fowers that make exploding seed pods) I do need help!

edinburgher

I believe they're a rellie of a friend, suspect it's just pin money (they're early retired)

Suffolk_lass

edinburgher wrote: »

I believe they're a rellie of a friend, suspect it's just pin money (they're early retired)

Ooh lovely. Getting someone to do weeding is THE hardest thing. We have loads of chaps around here who like doing the "big stuff" by which I mean slashing and burning, hedging, tree-work, landscaping and big mowing jobs. Almost nobody wants the things I struggle with (spending time on my knees after 30 years of sport is the worst) and weeding between plants I love.

I cannot tell you how many chaps have offered to dig it all out and re-do it all with new plants. It tells me they won't have the attention to detail I am looking for to revive the structure and content of my garden with lots of unusual and treasured specimens. I do intend using up to 4 of my veg beds as temporary nursery beds so I have somewhere to put things I dig up as I start to remodel.

I know this isn't your thing Ed but I have to pick it up and I can't face trashing my beautiful cottage garden at this point

Karmacat

I love your thinking for your garden, SL.

Suffolk_lass

Karmacat wrote: »

I love your thinking for your garden, SL.

Thanks KC, the amount you do yourself never ceases to amaze me. And it is clear you know your plants - especially edibles and medicinals, much better than me

Suffolk_lass

Ugh. How can it not be pay-day until Monday for DH and Friday for me?

Just a little positive buffer in the 2 C/A that will cover this weekend's spending. I made a mega chilli this week and we had some last night, I have frozen two pots and a third is in the fridge. Used Beef skirt as well as mince and thickened it with red lentils, and was able to use our own borlotti beans (it was warm enough to grow them this year). Roll on pay day (3 left).

I think I'll go for a freezer week this week, but I might just cruise the YS counter...

Suffolk_lass

Quiz night last night as a fundraiser for the library in the neighbouring Village. We have lived here 14 years and never been to their Village Hall before last night. It is big, with 30 tables of six for the quiz. We manage 16 for ours. It was £6.50 a head (which included the food - a ploughman's) and a round of drinks (including one for the hard-pressed barman) so £31.80 for the night out. My Cousin (who lives 20 miles away) invited us and we came a respectable joint third. His friend (former partner) has just rented a little place in that Village. They are a good couple together. I do wish they were together as she is lovely, but of course, it is nothing to do with me.

Suffolk_lass

Still edging towards pay day for me but DH was paid on Monday. Still need to shuffle that account and make my declaration for November to the "Save £12k in 2018" thread. There are some really impressive accumulations running over there. Off to check some bank accounts

Suffolk_lass

Pay day for me. So relieved. I decided tactically overpay the mortgage a bit more this month. I swept up the TTs that exceed the £10k emergency fund in cashable places, and paid that off, and I also skimmed off the leftovers from both accounts on pay-days, rounded both down to the nearest hundred pounds and whisked that into the mortgage account. And finally, our interest-only mortgage pays about £64 in actual interest now, but I set the payment to £500 so that it overpays a bit more each month. The total was just under £2.5k. It does mean the surplus is a lot smaller this month, both CAs are near £0 and the cash instant account is less than £500. At least there is no more DG payment - £397.96 extra to deploy in December.

Next month (December) will not be better as I deliberately budget loads of Grocery money to cover the dinners and other things I provide for people over Christmas (it is my pleasure to cook a good home-cooked meal for a number of friends and family, and we do this instead of presents for lots of them). My Aunt is nearing 90 and has come to us for Christmas with all her immediate family for the last 4 years. Modern families mean two of her children are no longer in permanent relationships, so having somewhere to all be together again (we all grew up in the same house, shared by 3 families) is a huge pleasure (for all of us, I think). They buy me a gift, but they do not need to. Materially I want for nothing and the small Christmas idea has resonated with me for some years now. I am also hosting New year again this year (I just hope the rats have left here by then ).

I was considering ending this diary as we have paid off all the debts except the mortgage now, but reading other people's meanderings (and my own pre-disposition to complacency and backsliding) means I am going to keep going.

enthusiasticsaver

Exciting times for you Suffolk. No more unsecured debt is wonderful and just the mortgage left. When does your DH retire? Next summer?