Get a grip !

Skint_yet_Again

The new fencing has arrived and I am now £337 poorer ! Looks great though, can't wait to get it put in next week.

The washing had dried on the line and I've made the bed for DP's arrival on Monday. Now need to get the xmas decorations out of the spare room and up in the loft lol. DS has said he will help tomorrow when he gets home from night shift before he goes to bed. My loft is very full and we have several shelving units up there. I'm going to get him to bring one down so we can arrange stuff in the "utility room" so its off the floor and hopefully make some space.

DS has agreed that I can recycle his old bike, so I am taking that to a charity in our community centre in the morning, which has a project that refurbs & sells old bikes as part of therapy. Once that is gone and his old broken car parts / car battery go up the tip there should be loads of room !! Maybe I can convince him to sell his other bike out of there too - he doesn't use it but that one was more expensive though, over £300 so it wont be given away for nothing and isn't safe enough in our little garden shed.

bobobski

Hi SYA, I've just caught up on your diary for the last few weeks - sounds like you've been busy!

I am so envious of your creativity in the kitchen. I used to love cooking, spending my Sundays in the kitchen making my own bread and trying out new recipes, but somewhere along the way I lost that enthusiasm and these days I only cook so I have something edible to eat so I don't have to be hungry. I hope your DS is learning from you, and in the meantime I'm glad he took you out for mothers day - good son!

I'm also very jealous of your garden - it sounds like it requires quite a bit of work but you're being good getting it all ready to enjoy when the weather gets hot. And well done for doing it yourself too - my lazy friend who bought a house recently is hiring a gardener without even trying to do any of it himself!

Well done for going to the dentist - it's such a hassle but you're being good looking after your teeth. I'm awful and haven't been in years as the cost puts me off but I don't recommend my approach! Fillings are annoying but will help you in the long run.

I empathise with the inside-out clothes - I once went to work with non-matching shoes! It's very likely that no one noticed though so I wouldn't worry about it.

Well done with doing so well on your March aims, especially losing weight and saving money at the same time which can be tricky. Do you think the doctor ordering you to do more exercise has helped? Also, any news on the test results?

Was the run-in at work with the aforementioned b***hy colleague? To be honest we spend so much time with our colleagues that the odd run-in here and there is to be expected. I think it's how we deal with the aftermath that's important, and by "we" I mean management too. However, in my experience management does not want to get involved in falling-outs with staff and turns a blind eye, which can lead to a general atmosphere of dissatisfaction... I hope that's not happening with you though, I think I'm just projecting!! How lovely to have two weeks off - I hope you have a great time and that the weather stays summery for you.

P.S. I'm glad you saved the frog!

P.P.S. Survival of the fittest human vs weeds made me laugh SW

Skint_yet_Again

Had to laugh at the odd shoes bobobski :rotfl:
The run in at work was over reasonable adjustments for my disabilities and thankfully that person doesn't sit near me now so I don't have to put up with the comments any more. I am like you I can take so much and stand my ground when I'm feeling strong but the snide comments were really starting to get to me. Doc appointment is Tuesday afternoon so hopefully will know more about results then.

I realised last night that the fencing merchant hasn't delivered the posts I ordered. Cant put the fence up without the posts ! Tried not to worry about it overnight and phoned them this morning and they said the person dealing with my order is off till Monday but they will get him to sort it then and deliver them Monday morning. That's ok as we don't intend to start until Tuesday at the earliest if the weather is ok. Will try not to dwell on it over the weekend or I will convince myself they are going to deny not delivering them or run out


Thick fog here earlier this morning but the sun is now shining. Have lots of washing and sorting to do so will be busy day. I've taken DS's old bike to the community centre and donated it with the chain hanging off and 2 flat tyres but they seemed pleased with it !!and had a nice walk in the sun. Am just having brunch (sounds posh, in reality a bacon butty !)and then I think I will cut the grass

Skint_yet_Again

I've waited in all afternoon for a parcel to arrive for DS between dashing outside to put washing out. That's just arrived so I am going for a walk in a minute.


I have checked the Co-op energy bill and it is correct using the meter readings I supplied.


Todays postman brought the renewal for my contents & buildings insurance up from £186.15 to £220.00.


Did a quick quote with direct line & the same cover (with accidental damage, cover away from home & bike up to £500 already included, the same excess & voluntary excess of £50) is £178.20. So I phoned Nationwide but they do not price match only offer a loyalty discount down to £207. So I will vote with my feet and leave. I have cancelled the auto renewal and I will do a few more quotes before the renewal date at the end of the month before switching.


I've decided not to cut the grass today, it can wait until the fence is sorted as I don't want clippings tracked in the house.


Dinner will be piri piri spatchcock chicken. I bought a chicken earlier in the week in aldi and have a bottle of nando marinade from asda £1.99. I price checked the few things I bought in asda and got a voucher for £1.78 which will pretty much cover the cost.


I have spent nearly an hour trying to clean my iron. It is black with burnt on work trousers I splashed out and bought an iron cleaning kit for £9 but it is rubbish. I've just tried to call the number on my order to return the item and get a refund and explain its taking the non-stick coating off in some places and doing nothing on the rest, but the number doesn't exist. So I have tried to ring Kleenese but they are closed till Monday. The stupid thing is I've just checked the price of a replacement iron (asda) and its £4 !! That'll teach me to impulse buy - hopefully I will get the £9 back.

Skint_yet_Again

Lovely sunny morning - more washing to do today.

DS has just got in from night shift, had breakfast and gone to bed. I am on my second cup of tea.

I managed 2 laps of the pond yesterday afternoon (when does a pond become a lake ?) and stopped to chat to some of the neighbours on my way round. It has a managed wetland area and there's lots of wildlife. I saw a beautiful blue damselfly.

I managed to make good headway in the junk room yesterday and have now made a space for the shelving unit from the loft. Its bigger than I remember, so I have to shuffle round some more stuff today to fit it in. I shall leave any heavy lifting for DS when he gets up later. The boot of my car is now full of stuff DS has agreed can go to the tip. I will lay the back seats down and get more in ! Then all DS's work equipment can go on the shelves and out of the hallway.

I found a bag full of DS's old college socks (think black sports socks) which have been there a few years I think I was considering re-using them to clean the car / house as hand mitts but they haven't been used by now so they are going. I have lots of old bedding to be cut up into rags so am not short of cleaning cloths. I think it comes to a point where you have to measure up being thrifty with having space.

I am going to concentrate on the kitchen today. I am batch cooking some breakfasts later and need to clear the kitchen table of paperwork and other "junk" as DP's like to eat dinner at the table. We used to do the same but as DS has got older and we rarely eat dinner together the table has become a bit of a dumping ground.

savingwannabe

You have been busy today, walking, clearing up and kitchen. Weather was glorious in London today.

Skint_yet_Again

Sounds like you had a good weekend SW !


I think I will rename my thread - "Boring middle aged women does washing and cleaning whilst trying to save money" lol.


Anyway, the fence posts arrived at 8.30am this morning and then I popped to Aldi and got a few basics in for the week. I wasn't going to shop until DP's got here but thought I might as well as I was up early and avoided the school holiday rush later. I also got a large gammon, whole chicken plus 1400g frozen chicken breasts & 500g of 5% fat mince, 4 cartons almond milk, 2.5kg spuds, lots of salad, veg, mozzarella & goats cheese and stuff for freezer came to £43.32 so was pleased with that.

Got most of the kitchen cleared yesterday and DS put lots in the boot of my car to take to the tip later this week when DF can help with the heavy stuff.

Have got some batch cooking in the oven and the washing machine is on. Its sunny but cloudy and a cold wind here today but should be good drying weather !

A new cost-a-lot is opening near us next week and a bogoff leaflet has just dropped through the door which is good timing - we might use that later in the week when we go out.

savingwannabe

Your thread is like mine we always have housework which is good as it makes me do things. lol.

You have done sooooo much. Really well done am off to mop.

Skint_yet_Again

I suddenly have no hot water downstairs :eek:


I have googled and am hoping it is just a washer or something on my kitchen tap. Thank goodness DP's are coming today..... I will get DF to have a look at it. Mind you, last time they came my dishwasher broke so I hope there is not a theme developing here !!! The dishwasher only needed a new catch and I managed to get one online for about a tenner and fit it using a utube video. The upstairs taps are still getting hot, so will have to wait and see They usually arrive around 3pm but I didn't expect to have to put DF to work straight away :rotfl:

savingwannabe

Check the water pressure in the boiler too. I hope it is cheap to fix.