Cherry takes the reins

Sun_Addict

Some brilliant bargains there. The dress will give you a great incentive. I need to get back on the wagon for my next holiday. 

Cherryfudge

The diet hasn't started too brilliantly as I somehow managed to include three chocolates! The rest has been okay though.

We walked down to church this morning (DH is being sponsored to walk 300,000 steps during May) and the service was lovely but I was quite tired walking home. We cooked the YS chicken bought yesterday and it was delicious - and accidentally extra frugal as we forgot to buy potatoes so were forced to see what we had in. DH had a random potato which was for some reason in the fridge, and I had sweet potato wedges. Also plenty of veg so both healthy and filling and loads left over for other meals. Afterwards we watched the DNA family history program which is amazing.

DH was out this afternoon and I promptly went to sleep, just when I was thinking the Covid after effects were going and I could get back to exercise. At least I've rested and had a quiet evening knitting (another swatch) and playing on the computer. Incidentally, the computer has vastly speeded up again! I think it's the installation of Windows 11 that's made the difference. It also randomly turned itself off at one point and when I restarted it, it had reversed some changes in the way the screen presents which had disappeared the other day. I don't know what it's playing at but if it's on the way out, at least it's doing it fairly gracefully.

Nothing spent today. Not even further trawling websites for the dress for the wedding.

Things to be thankful for this evening: weekend off and chicken dinner. And the computer righting itself!

badmemory

Are your computer things happening Wed night Thurs morning?  If so it is the updates.  Mine seems to lose the number lock then it comes back next time I turn it on.  It has only been doing it the last 2-3 weeks though.  Weird!

Cherryfudge

badmemory said:

Are your computer things happening Wed night Thurs morning?  If so it is the updates.  Mine seems to lose the number lock then it comes back next time I turn it on.  It has only been doing it the last 2-3 weeks though.  Weird!

I can't be sure as it's an old computer and always takes ages to boot up. It's usually DH who switches it on to warm up while he gets breakfast so my finger's not on the pulse. However DH doesn't like waiting for updates to install and it was after I gave the go-ahead for the new Microsoft Edge that he commented how much better it was. Then it was after it switched itself off on me that it put right the problems I'd had with the screen!

Today has been quite productive as I sorted through my winter clothes and bagged the thicker ones up to go in the loft. I'm ditzy, though - I was surprised to have got through them all quite quickly and it was only later I realised I'd not opened the wardrobe at all!

A small bag of things has gone to charity, but I then bought an old book on needlework and crafting while there so I've not gained much extra space. The wood wormed planter has gone back to the shop and I've got a refund: the assistant had to ask for advice because she'd already given me an exchange for the first one I bought, but the man she called for advice knew that wood worm destroys wood so there was no problem.

There was also a rare trip to the library as they've switched apps and I was having difficulty using the new one for my midnight borrowing! It appears my membership expired recently which might explain my difficulties but not how I can still read magazines on the old app! Anyway the membership is up and running again so I hope to explore the app if I stay awake long enough tonight. Some grocery shopping has also happened, and I've collected my prescription and got some helpful advice from the pharmacist (I find them very useful). Apparently over the counter indigestion medication is a milder form of something I'm prescribed anyway so there's not much point me paying out for them.

DH also had a helpful pharmacist in another chemist: he was going to get a year's worth of pre-paid prescriptions but she told him he will get free prescriptions soon due to his age so a year's worth would be over paying. I think he's gone for three month's worth.

And it rained hard last night, and this morning, and this lunchtime and after tea we even had a tiny bit of thunder and lightening. Yet it cleared to warm and sunny in the afternoon! One of my many umbrellas has become too sad to use: I had a reasonable amount before I inherited Mum's and now I have basket full which I don't like to waste! I googled for uses for old umbrellas and quite like the thought of converting the fabric into a shopping bag...

Spending
Book £3
Housekeeping £13.67
Refund £21 (garden)

I've done over 10,000 steps today and am getting sleepy but it's not as bad as yesterday. Odd... I was chatting to someone else about their post-Covid experiences yesterday and it seems to affect us all differently (if at all).

Tonight I'm thankful for plenty of rain after a rather dry spell, errands being out of the way and a new book to explore. Also DH saving a lot of money on his prescriptions thanks to the chemist.

Cherryfudge

A seriously spendy day today - but I have the dress to wear to J and L's wedding! I think I looked at every dress sold in the city and in the end went back to one I'd seen early on. I've also bought another dress because DH liked it and I can see myself wearing it, and a top just because it's such a nice fabric (and no I didn't need either of the latter but I think one will be worn on J's hen do).

DH also got himself some jeans (needed) and we had a light lunch and later a coffee and cake to keep ourselves on our feet. Other than that we've paid for a day's parking but Mum's estate has gained £15 from selling five volumes to an antiquarian bookseller (rather proud of holding out for the £15 as he suggested £10 but I remembered DH had used his professional knowledge to select these books and they were probably worth more than that). It's not huge but nice to have a positive result.

This evening my friends were round so I've shown off the dress and one has suggested a place to get a shawl to go with it, so there may be more expenses. I had mentally set aside tomorrow for a trip elsewhere to search for a dress but now that won't be necessary so I might brave the loft and get summer clothes down.

I fully expected to be exhausted long ago but I'm not. Protein, hydration and vitamins seem to help!

And... after a few days of work's over-large houseplant being on our lawn, it's now potted on and all I've got to do is solve how to get it back to work!

Spending:
Clothing £247.00 (me), £28.00 (DH)
Parking £15.00
Data £3.00
Entertainment (lunch/afternoon break) £24.00 approx (and I remembered to collect loyalty points at both places and will have a few points on my CC from the clothes buying - not that that makes much of a dent in the expenditure).

So today I'm thankful for getting through the day with DH's fantastic support and not getting worn out, having a major 'frog' off my to-do list, having the money to treat myself for this special occasion, finding seats without having the regulation queue at our favourite little eatery, being able to have my friends round for a while this evening.

in_need_of_direction

While we all strive to be mse, you don’t want to spoil a memorable occasion by not feeling right in what you’re wearing. I’d say it’s money well spent

Cherryfudge

in_need_of_direction said:

While we all strive to be mse, you don’t want to spoil a memorable occasion by not feeling right in what you’re wearing. I’d say it’s money well spent

Aw thank you! It makes a big difference to be happy with the dress.

Things seem to be breaking down all of a sudden: the vacuum cleaner has started to smell of smoke when it's been running for a few minutes and now my phone has stuck on the logo screen. I tried using the computer to find a fix for the phone but it will only talk back to me once I've entered the verification code - which I can't see because of the screen! So I need to head for the phone shop. Glad I'm not off into another town to go dress hunting!

As for the vacuum cleaner, I don't know. I'll try simply opening it up and seeing if there's anything obvious...

Cherryfudge

I've not got as far as the vacuum cleaner but the phone cost a tenner to fix. Apparently it threw a wobbly because it's too full and took about five goes for the chap in the shop, who was very helpful, to get it restarted. While I was in the shop it looked as though it had deleted my photos (so thankful I have them backed up outside of iphone storage) but now that it's reinstalled the apps, I'm finding it's slowly reinstalling the photos. I've deleted a couple more apps so there is a tiny bit of wiggle room but I don't seem to be able to stop it storing my photos on the phone, despite having insufficient room there are loads on my cloud storage.

I did ask his advice on the storage and I can't add any to this phone... so I'm looking at getting a reconditioned one of the model above which I can do for £200 with a decent battery and double the storage. I wonder if I can keep this one going till Christmas and get that as my (very big!) present?

Other than this I've put the bagged-up winter wear in the loft and brought down summer footwear and clothing. Sadly, I know I'm too big for some of it but things like tee shirts can come back into service now it's nice and warm outside.

Sun_Addict

Every time I get a new phone I up the storage. I have so many photos and apps.

Cherryfudge

Sun_Addict said:

Every time I get a new phone I up the storage. I have so many photos and apps.

Very wise! I will certainly be looking at this but while the current phone works, I'm reluctant to replace.

I've just paid my CC up to date though it's not due for three weeks. I just don't want to risk charges on the cost of the clothes shopping I did the other day.

The £15 from book sales has been transferred to the Exec account and I've notified my sister. I have a feeling today is one for getting jobs done! I wonder what I'm subconsciously trying to avoid?

I had a look at the interest earned last year across accounts: just under £2. Nothing to write home about, apart from that once the situation changes with the inherited money, I will need to take action. The inherited money is stuck but hopefully not for much longer: my sister being an expat has complicated matters but its also given me far too long to check what travel payments I've not claimed from the estate. In other words, I've still got things to do and have put it off as a big job, so I can't blame my sister's bank entirely!

The Union's insurance company rang me this morning to process my free accidental death cover, so that's in place. They also tried to sell me further cover which is expensive but tempting. I've asked them to send me written details but it would be about a pound a day and includes various injuries whether at home or work for both me and DH. Knowing I have had an injury that would have qualified me for a pay out, and my work isn't risk-free, I'm inclined not to decline outright. It wouldn't pay out for just any injury though, and my work's sickness pay meant I didn't have to worry when I was mending after the accident, so I probably won't take them up on it.

Work has turned down my leave application for September - not sure why or whether I can appeal but it means we can't yet go ahead with planning a holiday for then. I'll look at the details when I go in tomorrow.

I had a look at my list of things to do and have actually achieved quite a lot without having done a single thing I set out to do!