Cherry takes the reins

in_need_of_direction

mine go on avios as being in NI means if we want a holiday, we generally have to factor in connecting flights

Onebrokelady

Sun_Addict said:

I always spend my Tesco Clubcard vouchers on magazine subscriptions, saves me a fair bit 👍

That's a good idea for those of us who like a magazine SA

Onebrokelady

Cherryfudge said:

Hiya OBL,
Thanks for the nice comments. I only tried once to edit my post a second time and the edit thing simply wasn't there.
 I might try again some time as the new format forum may still be in Beta, who knows.
So... I did the sleep at work last night and it was okay. Six hours of kip, passable. I'm back on shift this afternoon. Came home to a Valentine's card propped on the computer (DH knows where to find me, LOL) and a letter from a PPI attempt to say they hadn't found anything. To be honest I sent in a few claims and some have just timed out because I got too stressed to look at them. This is the main reason I'm not a financial wizard!  
This morning I spotted Martin (we don't have the sainted Martin emoji any more - this is definitely a retrograde step ) or someone else at MSE has put an article about expiring Clubc@rd vouchers. I got anxious just opening my account (why? I mean, why? But that's what happens) and discovered I have plenty of in-date loyalty points and none about to expire, so that's okay. I noticed I could use them for D£nby which is worth knowing as we have a set and one bowl is chipped. They are so expensive, but super-durable. I also collect vintage D£nby: there's a range called Homestead which my parents had but which ceased production in the 1980s. However they are so super-strong that you can still pick up pieces (at near current prices sometimes, LOL) on 3bay. I doubt loyalty points will buy those though.
Anyway I don't have to spend them yet, so one source of stress deferred.
The new rota is out at work so I've picked up a couple of extra shifts but I haven't gone mad... I also had some annual leave granted so I will get days off when I wouldn't normally. DH and I have booked a couple of London days in March: split tickets to save money and a hotel further out which is also lots cheaper. I'm planning coffee and snacks to take to save cash. I hope to take my trusty travel kettle with me as a belt-and-braces approach.
I noticed I didn't do my MS list the other day, so here's goes:
10th coins into savings = 25p
£2 coin into savings
I also decluttered 7 pieces of paper from my bag.

Ahhh I see,I've only edited a couple of times since the new forum arrived,I hadn't noticed that the option disappears after you use it 😊I don't like that there is also no button to return you to the top of the post anymore and you have to scroll up ( im just being lazy though 😂)

supersaver1000

Just noticed that the edit button comes back again if you refresh the page.  Or leave the page and come back.  Not sure if that has just happened today, but I have been able to edit my posts several times now.

And definitely agree with the having to scroll back up to the top of the page again being a pain.  

Cherryfudge

That's useful, thanks, supersaver: I always need to edit at least once.

I hadn't noticed about scrolling back up and had wondered why it seemed a long way to the top of the page. Now I know.  

I missed posting last night as our Internet went off but mysteriously came back on in the early hours. I only got 4 hours' sleep but work was pretty quiet due to the weather and I didn't have to be shift lead (that's tomorrow) so it wasn't too bad. DH and I went to visit DFiL this afternoon: he was asleep at first but woke and had a drink. He was very thirsty. The staff are having trouble getting enough fluid into him due to his lung condition that makes him cough a lot when he drinks but he managed half a glass. He was trying to talk sometimes but most of it was unintelligible as his voice is so weak and he seems to be either hallucinating or having trouble focussing: he reaches to nothing or beyond the item in front of him. He's also having trouble with his hearing aids but when DH got one working a bit better, DFiL could also communicate more clearly so at least we were a little bit useful.

After the visit we got some groceries (£7.25 overspend but that includes a chicken so there will be some left over for during the week). It had been showery and gusty during the day but as we came out of the supermarket about 5.30, Storm Dennis hit hard. Good job we were parked nearby and could go straight home.

I fell asleep on the sofa after tea and woke to water coming through the bay window roof in several places. This lasted for maybe 10 minutes with us dashing around with buckets and towels. In that time we collected four litres of water, and there's 3cm standing in a container out of doors that I emptied yesterday. Then it all calmed down again; mild and breezy. I know there's more forecast for tomorrow though so the buckets are left in place!

Cherryfudge

I mean to say thanks for the Clubcard ideas. I am quite tempted by the magazine idea, but I can't be trusted with magazines as I rarely get rid of them! I also found when I had a subscription that I'd have back copies still in the wrapper.   I had thought of putting vouchers towards eating out or travel, but never got that far. Too often I've just spent them on a 'free' grocery shop.
There's a shop near us with a permanent offer on some D3nby basics so I need to check prices. If I can combine the shop discount with the vouchers it will mean a worthwhile saving for replacing single items. However it won't keep on top of the vouchers unless we have a smashing time!

Cherryfudge

Yesterday's money (14/2/20)
Spending
Housekeeping £6.66
Gifts £4.49
MS
Cheap cappuccino sachets
Bought supermarket fish in breadcrumbs, thus saving calories and cost over chippie version today.

Today's money (15/2/20)
Spending
DH and I joined forces with our supermarket shop and went over budget by £7.25. I think I contributed £5.60.
MS
Remembered to get Nectar points (I don't often shop there).
Research done on switching energy provider - doesn't fully count until the link to the switch is working and used by us, of course.
Bought tinned marmalade to make at home: I used to do this to save money and it was nice but again, doesn't count until put into practice.
Was running late with my lunch at work when someone offered me banana bread so I made do with that and now have a work lunch ready for tomorrow.
8p left in change from housekeeping so that's going in savings.
I'm fairly sure I can trace much of that £7.25 overspend to DH, though I'm not guiltless. A bought cake, a ready meal, frozen roasties… these are all more costly than cooking from scratch and while I hope he will do a bit more if this after he's retired, I can't blame him at present. We will be working on M's old house from Monday to Wednesday this coming week so I'll try to take frozen homemade soups and not buy bread in the village deli. Every little helps.
Decluttering
An envelope, and the last of a bunch of flowers I bought in the week before Christmas! They were amazing: I think originally there was evergreen foliage, a sprayed-gold branch and red and white chrysanths. The gold branch and the white flowers have lasted till the last few days with a few tiny fairy lights among them. Such a blessing.

And talking of blessings, not having to shift lead this morning was definitely one. So was time with DH and being able to see DFiL, and the storm not being as bad (so far) as the forecast made it sound. Also flowers from DH yesterday: yellow tulips are in a clear vase and bright pink carnations are in a white and silver jug. The houseplants all got a dose of rainwater after the roof leaked, and they seem to have perked up from it!

Cherryfudge

NSD today. I am very thankful to have escaped the worst ravages of Storm Dennis: conditions in Wales are terrible aren't they? We had a drop more water through the bay window roof but nothing too bad.

I was asked to swap to the early shift at work and it went okay apart from forgetting I was starting fifteen minutes early, and turning up at the usual time. I don't think the waking night staff was very pleased, especially as she'd just taken a call from another member of staff who had had to divert due to flooding. The odd thing is, I knew I was starting early: I'd set my alarm half an hour early and got everything ready the night before as I know I'm useless in the morning. Then when it came to it I just felt I was okay for time and it wasn't till I was on the way to work that I realised I should have been there already...

Other than that I had a fairly quite afternoon. DH visited DFiL again and this time DFiL was more with it and they managed to have something of a conversation. Then A and H came to tea, DS2 emerged from sleeping off his nightshift and we all had roast chicken and chocolate fudge pudding before putting the world to rights and playing Taboo. When they'd gone, I had an attack of MS-ness and put all the bits of left-over chicken in the freezer, while making a big pot of chicken stock and a lot of marmalade. I would have gone on to banana bread but DS2 wanted the kitchen to make Scotch Pancakes.

Tomorrow we're off to work on Mum's old house but aren't setting off till after lunch as DH has various admin things to do for his Dad and the forecast is for more high winds in the morning. I wonder if it's worth going but I will try to make it so.

Tonight I'm thankful for a nicer lot of weather than we'd expected, time spent with family and a dusting of white blossom appearing on a tree in the lane behind us.

VelvetFreak

Sorry but I had to laugh at you being late even though you woke up early and everything This is absolutely something that I would do.

Sun_Addict

Glad DFIL was more with it.  Oops to being late for work - you were probably on auto-pilot and didn't think about the earlier start.