Cherry takes the reins

Cherryfudge

17th June MoneySavingStalwart, today Forumite.

What did I do to deserve these promotions?! I must have hit some sort of milestone.

Cherryfudge

It's been a  productive day today: the post brought a notification that HMRC owes me £60.60, which is nice. It will go in the general fund, which I've been dipping into again.

This morning I did, then undid, a load of crochet. There was an error about 40 clusters of stitches back... (sigh). I call it character-forming.

I've also conquered the ironing pile, done a small mend on a new top (since starting to listen to Youtube videos on traditional sewing skills, I could suddenly see all sorts of short cuts and shoddy workmanship even if I couldn't do as good a job myself) and sorted out my sewing threads.

H invited me out for lunch with her, baby N and her Mum and they wouldn't let me pay. We managed to spread it over two cafes as the first one was out of interesting cakes! N was her usual mixture of enchanting and winning friends, then crying loudly if things weren't going her way. What it is to have no sense of perspective! I've also seen photos of the 'best dress' for her to wear to J and L's wedding and the 'standby' dress because she's a baby and as likely as not will need a change of clothing. Both dresses are sweet but the 'best' one is outstanding. Of course after seeing those I managed to buy her a couple of skirts on the way home... though they were in the sales and won't fit her for some months so she can have them to look forward to.

I also needed more bits and pieces - clothing and makeup - for the wedding so there's about another £50 gone. The lovely lady who does bra fittings told me to take the slip home to try with the dress and return it if not right, which I really appreciate. Good job the shop is local!

Makeup - well, the mascara I bought the other week that's supposed to be waterproof would run in the Sahara, so in the interests of not having artificially dark shadows under my eyes, I bought a different one and will now try out how it copes with sweaty days. It was on a 'buy two get third free' offer so I have two new eyeliners as well.

I'm at work for about five days starting tomorrow, and already looking forward to days off together again! I've been a little bit too busy to get the most out of these, but I'm still pleased with how yesterday's meeting went.

Spending:
Housekeeping:£10.41
Clothing: £31.08
Gifts: £12.98
Toiletries: £19.98

Things I'm thankful for tonight: time with H and co this afternoon, summer sun, raspberries from our garden for tea, helpful shop assistant, finding what I wanted right away.

Cherryfudge

Another hot day so I've been indoors most of the time apart from watering the plants. I slept till 10.30 when DH took a break from WFH to check I was still all right. It was due to my dozing off in the bath last night then being awake till about 2am!

Last night I also did a quick clean of the gold fish tank as he (the fish) was telling me the oxygen levels were getting low. Clean filter and half change of water has fixed that but the tumour on his eye has been growing again and is manky - I will spare the details! While he sheds this layer the water is going to need changing more so I've set up some to stand and get to room temperature. It still doesn't seem to bother him and the rest of him looks healthy.

Yesterday I bought a watermelon which is one of the most summery things I know but I'm the only one who likes it so I'll take some into work to share. It will be hot there this afternoon.

I've also been looking at a couple of online things which I saw recommended on the frugal thread: Home — Frugal Queen in France and (49) what vivi did next - YouTube Which I'm hoping will inspire me to spend less!

The other thing has been trying out lots of aspects of the outfit for the wedding - the new bra actually doesn't fit with the neckline but is such a perfect fit that I don't regret buying it. I'll probably take the slip back as, while it's a great fit, I've never missed not having one in that colour... we'll see. The wrap I have if needed for day wear is good if worn as a scarf not a shawl - the shawl look is just a mistake in this case! Sadly, my lovely new bag is whiter than the rest of the white things, but will match the shoes and I don't think all attention will be on what I put my phone and tissues in. Hair is definitely going up because that works. Shoes still have to be retrieved from the loft but I'm putting that off as it's so hot up there. I need to wear them around the house as my feet are less flexible now due to arthritis and might not cope all day in heels! I do have a similar pair which are lower so no more shopping needed there.

Time to get ready for work.

tunathe_cat

hello, long time reader, can I suggest some slippers for when the wedding photos have finished. also some posh tissues there will be happy tears. sniff tissues I used to pre covid buy in garden centres. are you having a button hole flowers or corsage.

Cherryfudge

Hello and welcome, @tunathe_cat, slippers are such a great idea! I might even go on the wedding Whatsapp to suggest it to to the bride, bridesmaids and groom's mum.

I had to Google Sniff tissues - aren't they sweet! I will certainly been taking tissues though I don't know if I can get hold of these particular ones  between now and the wedding.

Flowers, no, not for me though I have an artificial one to go in my hair. DD did show me a message from the florist ending with 'I love this bride' which I've told her to save for a 'memories of wedding preparations' album that I've said I'll fund.

Today was spent on the go, but thankfully this past week the post-Covid tiredness has been a lot less evident. I went to help with the church cleaning and got into various conversations so it ended up being three hours!  I've volunteered for a slot on the coffee rota as a one-off but I used to love doing it so there might be more to come. I also had a word possibly getting involved in kitchen cleaning: there's a small catering kitchen which hasn't been used much since lockdown and now needs a deep clean but after that it needs some input from food hygiene trained people. I won't be the only one who can offer this but as I have it and enjoy it I might as well be useful. I also nearly got drawn into a Hebrew class but really I can't commit to that!

Next I went to B&M which is quite near there and bought rather a lot of the low-calorie snack bars that I stuff in my locker from four o'clock in the afternoon! I also found a couple of toys for DGD: one for now and one for when she's a bit older. By this time it was getting late so I picked up a ready meal for work tea and went home, ate a sandwich on the hoof and set off for work, where I ended up being shift lead again as someone's off sick. A quiet shift, thankfully, and a new agency member of staff who seems keen.

I heard that a friend's husband has gone into hospital so I managed to text her in between times. So sad. I've known them nearly thirty years and they've been through illness before but this is palliative care. It's hard to take in.

This evening I'm trying to catch up after missing two days of crochet so the project is a bit behind.

Spending:
Housekeeping £10.29
Gifts £5

What I'm thankful for this evening: all sorts of things! Interesting and helpful conversations, gorgeous colours in the flowers at church and someone showing me the blue centre of an osteospermum, a shower of rain to cool the air, being able to work on getting to know a client at work again after some time, cheerful, helpful, hardworking, capable agency staff.

Cherryfudge

Another Saturday, another car boot sale! I got up late due to not getting to sleep till gone four so perhaps I missed some temptations. Today I spent 20p on a 1934 cookery book, intended for another set of difficult times. The money saving advice is current: pay cash and carry your shopping home, for instance. Just the other day I was reading advice from major supermarkets to shop with a  basket not a trolley, presumably because a trolley is able to take a lot of shopping whereas an arm will tell you when it's got enough.

I don't think DH bought anything so that was a very frugal outing!

I bought some bananas and DH got us fish and chips - the portions have shrunk considerably, which I suppose is good for the waistline.

Work has been fine: there was a shower so the air outside has been fresh this evening but it's hot in the building. Colleagues from Nigeria are struggling as much as the English with the humidity. I did get a couple of freebies from work as they are chucking out antibac wipes that are past their date and we've been told to help ourselves, in addition to which my PPE goggles are out of date (yes, goggles go out of date!) so I've rescued them for DIY.

I'm now only four rows behind where I planned to be on my crochet, so I think it will be finished in time for the wedding. I've also started a fifth ball of yarn, which creates a little bit of space in my stash, I also wore my contact lenses for the first time in goodness-knows-how-long. They were fine but I took them out after about five hours as I want to get used to them over a few days.

Spending:
Housekeeping £1.05 + fish and chips (about £8.50?)
Books 20p

Things I'm thankful for tonight: DH has replaced some grouting and picked a bowl of raspberries! My 'new' book which is very interesting. Getting some jobs done at work. Lovely red and orange sunset and the start of a good crop on the community fruit trees near work.

Cherryfudge

We are trying to lie low to avoid Covid, at least in the run-up to the wedding! Two people have now advised me just not to test but I can't not - even if I didn't have twice-weekly tests for work, I can't risk giving it to others. DH is on immunosuppressants and there will be elderly people at the wedding. And besides, I've had it and I don't want it again. Despite having it mildly, I was still easily worn out until about a week ago, which is a good two months of after effects.

Anyway, we had  online church to be on the safe side, and this afternoon I was at work which was a bit of an eventful end to a quiet weekend: I have a bruise but not a bad one. I suppose I benefit in a way as I can claim another fiver in overtime due to extra report writing!  

DH also has an injury. He was getting a gammon out of the cooker for dinner (loads to spare by the way, so a couple more meals will be had from it) when the oven door fell off and got him on the shin. There was some blood but no swelling so I don't think the bone is damaged. A close look showed the bottom socket into which the door fits had warped till it wasn't sufficient to keep the door in place. DH has straightened it enough to put the door back but I think it's only a matter of time till it goes again. We must have had the oven about twelve years which I suppose is not too bad: we replaced the previous one when a falling cupboard smashed the top!

Good news in that I've nearly finished the crocheted shawl. I didn't do all the rows I'd planned as I tried it and it's plenty long enough. I've done much of the fringe this afternoon and hope to finish it tomorrow or on Tuesday.

Spending
e-book £1.99 (off a voucher)

Things to be thankful for this evening: no lasting damage from the incident at work and the help of a friend who held her ground and helped others of us. A useful talk this morning. Hot chocolate for supper.

Cherryfudge

Well, I'm writing this after midnight on 29th so in the interests of clarity I was at work on 27th and it was all very peaceful: two staff and one client! I got a useful debrief from management following the incident of the day before, and my colleague took our visitor out so I had a couple of hours to get on with a few jobs. Quite a bit of it I spent planting up the borders along the front of the building with donated plants, it makes quite a difference though the soil is builders' rubble on one side and mostly clay on the other so the plants are living off water and plant food.

I spent £2.05 for a half share in a small portion of battered chicken and chips with sweet & sour sauce - not the healthy tea I had planned but a nice change!

I did the sleep in at work but woke up about 5.15 and haven't slept since. Most of the day I've been dopey!

The 30th was a day off. I had a phone call from my sister who's currently in the UK and making steps towards readiness to bank her share of the money from our parents. This means I need to do similar but right now all spare focus is going on J and L's wedding. Just a few days now!

Dh and I decided to do something with the day so we went on a walk that a colleague had recommended. It was extremely windy and I was half asleep but the views were great. Afterwards we went for hot drinks and cake (not sure how much, about £12?) which revived us, then had a mooch round the town. It's not somewhere we go regularly. I spent 50p on a book from a charity shop, then we found a big homewares shop which happened to sell the same crockery set we have. It cost us £18.60 to replace a plate and a bowl that we'd chipped.

DH did a bit of shopping: four apples and four oranges from the greengrocer in our town cost just over £4! He went to the supermarket too for some basics but I don't know how much was spent.

This evening we got some housework done then a couple of my friends came round. I managed to spill my coffee on the sofa arm (same colour as the coffee!) and a cream curtain. I think I've got all the marks out... hopefully the smell too.

Things I'm thankful for: supportive management, days off, opportunities to pick up extra shifts, sunny evening to plant flowers in, finishing the project for the wedding (this on 27th), having a full set of china again, a good laugh with my friends this evening.

Cherryfudge

I was too tired last night to write up the day but I did two lots of grocery shopping and one of babysitting. The first grocery shopping was largely ingredients for baking for the wedding and a headband for DGD. The evening shop was to take advantage of L!dl coupons before they ran out.

Babysitting was an hour for DGD who is still recovering for what looks like an allergic reaction. I did get to do bath time and played peekaboo, but also got to do some pacing the floor when she decided things weren't going her way!

Today was training which was a useful session and quite entertaining, between very able trainers and some of us throwing in one-liners and a fair amount of exemplary stories which help the message to stick. Afterwards I did a slight detour to show a colleague where to find something in town, popped into a shop for another 8" baking tin and ended up buying tissues and (sale price) tumblers, then collapsed on the sofa and started to doze when I got home. Good job DH had dinner sorted as that's revived us somewhat.

Since tea, I've been up in the loft looking for the box with the shoes I intended to wear on Sunday but I can't find them. Perhaps they never went there, though I've found the box with the dress I wore with them. I also found DS1's wagon from toddlerhood which has been missing for many years (still up there) and two of DD's toy dogs which I'll clean up and offer back to her. Then I found some fabric and yarn I'd stashed some years ago and forgotten, so the yarn has come to join the more recent stash. Perhaps it's time to make a granny squares blanket...

I've also had a text from the piano tuner who's through here on Monday but rather regretfully I've said no. The piano needs a tune but I will need a rest.

Spending:
29th housekeeping £30.33
ebook 99p
Gift (headband) £2.25
Medical £2.00
30th Household £11.55

Things to be thankful for: a good training day, rain last night (I slept through it but DH says it was heavy and we needed it), finding old treasures in the loft (including balls of wool!)

Cherryfudge

I forgot to say we raided H and A's fridge (with their consent) as they had items that they can't use due to N's allergy. I'll try to get them something to replace what we took, but it will have to wait till I have some energy and a head in which not all roads lead to wedding.