Cherry takes the reins

Cherryfudge

Nothing spent yesterday. This morning I'm tidying up beginning-of-month payments.

I had already made the main mortgage overpayment for September and as the agreement between me and DH is that I pay an equal amount to savings, I've transferred that now, rather than at the end of the month. This is based on the surplus that I know from past months is viable, and I also have gift-aided charity donations set up to go - so they are factored in too.

I note I am ahead of the banks this morning as the regular payments haven't gone anywhere, not even the mortgage one, but it has to be through by the end of the day (or they are in trouble!) so no worries.

Then the milk bill came - £8.76 - so I've paid that too.

Following several weeks of surplus housekeeping money, I'm still waiting for the trend to change! In fact last week I accidentally made the last mortgage OP/savings contribution of August before taking out housekeeping money so only spent what I needed rather than taking out cash for the week - result!!! Instead of £40+, I spent £8.??. Then DH overspent by about £5. So it looks as though we saved about £26 over the week. I'm delighted! Will go for £30 this week and see how it goes.

Tonight will be MS too as J and L have asked us to tea. I'm a little concerned about this as J had a fall-out with DS2 while we were away. L popped in yesterday and it turned out he's been avoiding calling in as the comment from DS2 had made him feel unwelcome though he thought (as I did) that it had been said in jest. L, DH and I had a really useful chat in which I think I managed not to say that J had overreacted. We talked about their relationship with DS2, who isn't the easiest person, and how it's possible he can't project what the effect of his speech and actions has on others is. He's also the least mature of them - but then he's younger. I've never had a serious fall-out with J but I feel for DS2 in this circumstance and that she's carrying baggage from childhood as well as more recent difficulties, hence she reacted out of proportion last week. Anyway, I may be able to get her to myself for a few minutes before DH arrives, which at least might give me time to take the temperature of things.

Work-wise, we had a quiet weekend and I sorted out a few glitches with my rota. I also had a couple of useful conversations about wider issues affecting work which might give me material to inform what I bring to the October session (the one I really didn't like the thought of).

Other things to do today - buy goldfish food, do some decluttering, contact a couple of people about the reunion, get the opticians to have another go at my glasses' frames (they are creating a permanent sore), contact the roofer who still hasn't turned up, get out cash for carpet fitters tomorrow... probably other stuff. The house is a tip again (still) as books and furniture are half moved out of the lounge till the carpet goes in, but it might mean I can find a few books to pass on (never easy).

Cherryfudge

Something I forgot to add - we are now paying under £10 a month mortgage interest! Isn't that nice

Cherryfudge

A few bits and pieces of spending today, but I got totally side-tracked into cleaning in our room and moving a few things around, then went looking for the magic ceiling paint that helps prevent mould (no success but I now know where to go) then A came round to lend me his hedge trimmer and then it was time for our meal out with J and L. We had quite a nice time, certainly it was good to see them and I think a useful conversation though it will take time and quite a lot of working through to get them and DS2 in a better relationship.
When we got home we moved the lounge furniture out for the carpet fitters. What's the betting they won't come till four o'clock?
DH and J are both trying to persuade me to have a rest for a few days so I won't be worn out on holiday... I'm tempted but if I don't go I lose two days' work there and it will be harder to go back next time. On the other hand two days isn't long - eight hours of it is travel, so realistically I'm talking about 16-20 hours of work that I could do while there.
Spending:
Household (new dehumidifiers for wardrobes) £2.00 (I tried to order a small electric one similar to the one I got DS2 last year but they are nowhere to be found).
Housekeeping £9.59
Household £2.00
Stationery £5.50
Pets £4.75
MS:
Wombled 11p
Free tea at J and L's (and very nice it was too)
Decluttering:
One piece of post and a plant to J, a book to a friend, a rawlplug, an oddment of lino and some damaged wallpaper to the bin.

Today I'm thankful for positive contact with J and L, a nice clean corner of the house (just the one) and identifying a book that I don't want and someone else might enjoy.

in_need_of_direction

The mortgage interest figure is great. Do all wardrobes need dehumidifiers? I use one in the wardrobe closest to an exterior wall and the amount of liquid horrifies me

Cherryfudge

I suspect it's those by an outside wall or in an unheated room, INOD. The one in our room is by a wall that gets a lot of condensation, and I put one in a wardrobe at Mum's old house too as I keep some old clothes there for when I do mucky jobs - that wardrobe gets slightly musty when the heating is off. I think some of it is to do with how often the clothes get used.

I agree with you, it's alarming how much liquid collects!

Cherryfudge

A spendy day today - carpets fitters have been, lounge is carpeted, money handed over, furniture reinstalled. DS2 has been home but wasn't well enough to help. I woke up to him calling in sick to his placement... DH thinks it could be gastroenteritis. Certainly tummy bugs don't usually last this long, but he can eat toast and ice lollies now without doubling up so he's thinking of work tomorrow. It does concern me that he has to have so much time off. Some months ago it was migraines, which seem to have gone quiet but he missed a lot of placement then as well.

J is happy: her car was on its last wheels so she's getting rid of it and has a car loan through her job and a very handsome vehicle is now parked at their flat. She needs the car for work so this is probably a good option for her. She also surprised us last night with the news that she's applied to start an MSc. It's been on the cards for a long time, just the timing hasn't been right, so as 'the boys' come to an end of their studies, she's possibly going to start hers again.

I'm on about day 4 of a diet - reaching my maximum weight again made me take it seriously - and am now at the stage of dreaming of bread buns. I have discovered that a small cup of very hot chocolate at the end of lunch is a great comfort as well as helping my calcium levels. I've also been reading a thread about wartime recipes which probably wouldn't ruin my plans to lose weight if taken in a wartime context but there's no one to impose rationing here except me. However, some super MS stuff on the thread - if Brexit limits some imports and we have to base our diet on potatoes, I know where to go for recipes. I've no idea if that's he case, by the way, just that Britain grows a lot of spuds.

Putting furniture back took quite a while so I only got to the shops late but this included a healthy-ish walk across town to buy a special paint to keep mould at bay on our ceiling. It's not cheap but the rooms that have already been treated with it are keeping in better condition. While I was out I had a message to say one of my friends couldn't meet tonight and as someone else had a prior engagement we called off our evening. I confess I'm quite tired and wasn't really ready to go out!

I mentioned yesterday that I was in two minds whether or not to go to work on Mum's place for a couple of days but I've decided against it. I'll just have to find the time somewhere else. As it is, I've been asked to cover a shift on Thursday which I'm happy to do and it will add about £22 to the mortgage overpayments (plus a similar amount to savings). That's roughly a tenth of the amount needed to get us under £2,000... I'm a bit obsessive, aren't I?

I really do have a lot to do at home - today was principally about the lounge carpet and trying out A's hedge trimmers. The front hedge isn't brilliant but it's reasonably neat now. I went to look at the back hedge and got distracted by blackberries so I've picked nearly a pound to freeze. There is more room in the dining room now that the lounge bookcase is refilled, but still far too many books. You'd never think I gave one away yesterday, to see how many are left.

Spending:
Household £50 (carpet fitters) + £18.00 (paint)
Housekeeping £11.79
Medical £0.60
MS:
Remembered to get painkillers at W!lkos, where they are cheap.
Extra shift on Thursday
10th coin savings 30p
Decluttering:
12 spiders from the lounge (they think they have a right to move in just because it's September. Don't worry, I caught them in a long-handled soft duster-thing and dumped them in the garden). Lots of hedge clippings. Two lots of meds finished. Two out of date loyalty cards. One broken peg.

Tonight I'm thankful for a nice new carpet at last, the loan of the hedgetrimmers which saved a lot of time and DD having a nice new car.

VelvetFreak

Hi Cherry, sorry it’s been a while since I stopped in. Yay for new carpet you must be pleased.

Honeysucklelou2

at getting distracted by the blackberries. You just have to seize those moments in September before the blackberries are all gone!!

Cherryfudge

VelvetFreak, yes, I keep admiring it as I go past.
HoneysuckleLou2, and the greengages, and the damsons.

I am busy looking through diaries so I really ought to go and do something useful. Some of yesterday's laundry didn't dry fully so it's out on the line. The plan for today - which is a very beautiful day and nice and fresh - is to wash the sofa covers (putting them back on is a nightmare) and the bedding.

DS was all set to go back to work today but his stomach is still upset. I think this started before the weekend so it's time he saw the doctor, and in fact he's edging closer to that. He says he'll walk down to make an appointment later - pointing out to him that appointments tend to get snapped up soon after nine got me nowhere. If he doesn't put in enough hours at this placement though, it will affect his starting date for his new job.

What else needs to be done today?
I've promised myself to find a handful of books I no longer want.
MrsSD of the decluttering thread has suggested I go through the cutlery drawer and the pen pot for easy wins.
Start painting the bedroom ceiling.
Finish using the hedge trimmers.
Research the study material for the coming term in our home group (that's the Tuesday one that didn't meet last night).

Talking of study, I signed myself up for a course in food as medicine, starting in November, and story writing, starting in February. It think I'll enjoy both but I'm not sure I was wise to commit myself so far in advance.

Cherryfudge

I made a little bit of progress on the above list... it's been showery today so the hedge trimmers didn't get used but I did some tidying up in the front garden before it went dark tonight. Nothing that involved wielding electric blades in the gloom, though.

Having started to look into the study, I decided against one that someone had suggested... not sure where we are actually going yet though. As for checking the cutlery and pens for things to declutter, I've obviously done them as I didn't find anything to go apart from an old plant label. I've not quite managed a handful of books but there are three that I just need to check DH doesn't want. It's a start.

The bedroom ceiling didn't get a look in as I used the bed surface to set out items to photograph so I could sell them. I've loaded seven up on the local F@cebook marketplace but no interest yet. If I don't hear anything then they might go on 3bay after our holiday. Listing always takes ages but the idea was to clear a bit of space. I also went to a local shop that sells 'better' clothes on some sort of commission basis, but they were shut. I'd hoped they might sell a coat and boots that are too small for me but nice.

I used going out as an excuse to try to make DS2 a doctor's appointment but they had nothing available till the end of next week. I explained that he's been ill for about a week already, so she said she'd get the on-call doctor to ring him. When I got home the doctor had rung but DS2 hadn't picked up! He's been out for a walk this evening as he's been stuck in his room all day, and when he got back he was worried about not having enough protein as he's mainly been living off toast. We had a discussion on sources of protein and he discovered there is some in cream crackers, so at least he's not worrying about that any more (and probably has crumbs in his bed).

J came round for the first time in a while. She needed some stuff from the loft, so that's a few items moved out - though some may have to come back when their weekend guests have gone. she has her new car and it's incredibly smart. I don't think I've ever been in such a young vehicle!

Other than that I've played on the computer, done general housework and chased spiders. Why do we get so many at this time of year? I'm getting good at catching them on my extendable duster and chucking them out humanely. That's a long way from the terror they used to inspire.

Spending:
Housekeeping £5.18
MS:
10th coins 2 x 20p
Cheap muesli instead of the usual one - looks okay.
Efforts in the selling line, though no result yet.
Decluttering:
A plant label, some garden tidying and ten spiders.

Today I'm thankful for not being as scared of spiders as I used to be, and also for a semi-productive conversation with DS2 and for J visiting.