Cherry takes the reins

Cherryfudge

Off to work on Mum's house for a few days and trying not to spend, spend, spend! Need to replace the washer there (no laundrette and it looks as though we won't be able to sell until at least next year) - and we are having to take our vacuum cleaner each trip so a cheap one is tempting... as it is I'm going to see if I can get a cheap duvet as I'm fed up with the sheets & blankets. Endless fuss! However delivery on cheap duvets almost doubles the price so I'm nipping into town before I go...

I have paid the most enormous electricity bill there - thankfully that came from the estate but eventually that will be my and my sister's inheritance so I need to change energy suppliers. That will have to wait till I get back though.

See you in a few days! (Sorry to those whose diaries I haven't yet caught up on: I AM reading, really I am, but there's so much!)

Cherryfudge

Quick update: saved a bit of money today!
Cheap double duvet for £8 instead of £9.50 + £5.95 P&P online.

I looked at duvet covers but decided against as I could add a sheet for now.

Then went into a charity shop for something to read and came out with a duvet set that matches the room, for £4.50, plus an autumn top that I have absolutely no need for but looks nice. (£3.00).

Also sun cream: £3.

Now I have a train to catch so must go.

Cherryfudge

Back home as of last night with some more spending to confess to: there is a big Primarni on the way home...

In better news, I've been running and it's really helping with my weight. I also found some 25 y.o. photos of myself at Mum's - gosh was I slim! Comparable to DDiL - wow! Not sure I should aim for that again as it probably won't look right now I'm older and now that I run I'll have more muscle so that will weigh more... it was a bit of a positive stroke, though.

Also good news: the clock I inherited is back from the menders and is ticking contentedly for the first time in decades. Such a lovely sound. And talking of sounds, I have just solved the query about what makes scrabbling noises on our bay window. I'd always assumed it was noisy birds but I've just seen a squirrel run along the sill less than six feet from me! A grey not a red, but still a squirrel. I've not seen one in this area before.

19th
Spends:
Clothing £3.00
Household: £12.50
Housekeeping £1.20
Gift £7.25
Toiletries £3.00
Train (to claim back) £57.10
MS stuff:
Took a flask instead of shelling out for coffee. I really enjoy this tradition now: no more waiting for the trolley!
Confession time:
Got locked out and had to ring someone for a key! Thankfully there was help in the area or I'd have had to buy overnight accommodation while waiting for another key holder who was scheduled for the next day! Bought a bottle of wine as a 'thank you' for taking them out of their way.

20th
NSD
Worked on Mum's house and had a lovely run.
Salvaged a better fish tank pump than my own from Mum's. Saves a few pounds and/or lots of time.
Did agree to a pay for a couple of extra hours of work on the garden which will be £20 from the estate.
MS stuff:
Had a conversation with a neighbour about some trees that the electricity company needs to cut back - this is done periodically for free and it appears they may be happy to do a drastic cut not just a trim. One of these trees is a conifer that's grown far too chunky and heavy for its location and really needs to go: all I have to do is have a chat with the fellow from the electricity company who contacted the neighbour. I'm doubly hoping they will take the bushy bits and leave the heavy wood (with persuasion) as then I can use the fireplace for free over winter! That does partly depend on finding a chimney sweep in the area while the summer prices hold...

21st
Spends:
Housekeeping £3.60
Holidays £3.00
Clothing £34.50
MS stuff:
Sale at Primarni!! £5 off leggings, £2 off tee shirt, £7 off sweatshirt.
Found a travel pillow there for £3.00 which is very comfortable and a good deal cheaper than the £25 ones I've seen at the airport!
Very tempted by a bag for summer use but nothing was perfect so I decided to keep going with what I have - saved £8-10.
Confession time:
Didn't need to go shopping at all and because I spent the extra time there I bought lunch out.
One item on my receipt I can't account for. Thankfully only £1.50 .

Most of my clothes items are undies and running stuff: I didn't need the sweatshirt but it's cute and will be useful for work or running in colder weather. Slippers to wear when staying at Mum's house are not strictly necessary but saves me carrying my favourite ones every trip. Running leggings were on my wish list for winter and I didn't spot till later that they'd been marked down to £3!

Well, this has been a very long post: this I blame on rolling several days into one. Now I had better go and unpack, stick the washing machine on and generally do some work around the house.

Honeysucklelou2

Good idea to use the wood for the fire. Have you got somewhere to dry it out before putting on the fire?

Honeysucklelou2

At least, that's what we've done for a few months before use...

Cherryfudge

I was thinking about that, Honeysucklelou... there is a bit of room in a utility room and some in the garage. I don't know if that would be enough space. The garage is getting filled up with things for the tip or a skip but maybe we could leave a wall free for wood. At home we stack it (ironically) under some big trees but we think some has 'walked' from there and if we can use the wood from this particular tree they would be quite substantial logs which would need to be kept out of sight. I suppose the understairs cupboard might also get pulled into service!

Cherryfudge

NSD today.

I am trying to make long-term plans for the house involving letting it out but just starting to look into it, I can see it's fraught with difficulties and I know DH would have a melt-down if I tried to talk to him about it. He knows I will have to spend a lot of time there over coming months as there are various things to be dealt with, but of course he doesn't have the emotional attachment to it that I have. I can see the potential in it as a super let though whatever happens it needs serious money spent on it. I would love to do it up (there is money in the estate which could go towards this but any investment is a bit of a gamble) and really would enjoy trying to run it as an investment. However, it's too far away for me to manage it on a day-to-day basis. Maybe DH is right and I need to consider selling and investing in somewhere local. We did let out a house years ago which was not a very good experience, partly because our letting agents weren't very good.

MS stuff:
Staffing problem at work so I'm doing a longer shift tomorrow which means a little more money. There are tons of shifts needing to be covered but all are either on days I'm already working or at times when I have things planned.

parsniphead

You've been a busy lady since you got back from your Holiday.

You do have a big decision about the house and I dont think its one you can rush. Perhaps with a bit more time you can do what is right for you.

Cherryfudge

True... and just looking at local property prices I think DH's idea of buying locally may not be feasible either. Mind you, that's only at a quick glance.

For legal and practical reasons I don't think the house could be marketed until next year so there is going to be some thinking time. My best bet might be to spend some of that time looking for an investment property I can fall in love with over here, seeing as I seem to require that I love a property and that I need to be able to faff about making it nice! That might even mean I finally invest in driving lessons so I have more scope for a perfect property!

Cherryfudge

Haven't had much time to brood about the house, but I did notice that a property two doors down from us is back on the market! However, it would have to stay that way for a very long time if I were ever to think seriously about buying. My income isn't part of our mortgage assessment, it's assessed against what DH was earning many years ago, but I'm very sure I couldn't afford more than a tiny mortgage so my 'investment property', if it ever happens, is definitely going to wait for my inheritance. (That's if there's anything left of it by the time we finally sell).

Anyhow, that's all by the by. Day off later today... meanwhile I have managed two trips to the supermarket, only one of which was necessary. I went for a run this morning and am still feeling top of the world on the strength of it, but I'm doing a virtual step challenge with various people including a colleague I was on shift with today... extra trip into town, ostensibly for snacks, was partly about getting more steps in!

I've also been doodling through Ebooks on offer and spotted one I'd seen reviewed and which I was going to put on my Christmas list. It's currently £6 instead of £20 though... do I or don't I? It's very slightly work-related: surely this justifies getting it?!

24th
Spends:
Housekeeping £16.25
Clothing £3.00
Medical £1.90
MS Stuff:
Socks were half price.
Bought supermarket's own flu remedy - half the price of the branded stuff and active ingredients are the same. No one actually has flu, but I noticed we'd run out and DS2 tends to use flu remedy.
Huge box of delicious cherries half price too.
Peanuts for cheap, veggie protein after I've been exercising.
Confession time:
Socks. As if I need socks. Come on now... just this morning I was thinking that drawer is getting full again, despite successfully Marie Kondo'ing it not so long ago. Yes, they are black and my black ones are getting scarce, and yes they have pictures on that made me think of Ibiza, but I could have lived without them. I mean, it's not as if I haven't anything new, even... Just a great big bag of Primarni-ware all of 3 days old.
Short of time earlier so bought my favourite coffee for 50p more than I can get it down the road.
Bought a posher curry sauce than usual on the strength of it being on offer. Well actually, bought two...