Cherry takes the reins

Cherryfudge

Payday, and the CC, on which I've been depending since accidentally going overdrawn by paying off a holiday without checking, is paid up to date. In other financial news, we have a bill for £586.73 to pay for the boiler repairs and service, and I've returned a kindle book, which I'm hoping has been refunded. It was a photographic reproduction which is fine for recreating layout but had to be enlarged so much to be legible that not all the text fitted on the page at once.

I also had an email reminder to renew the free insurance I have through the union, so I did that straight away.

The boiler repairs will come out of savings - good job we have them because that's massive and my wages will soon be hit by Council Tax, Energy and a few lesser predators.

Other things to pay this month will probably include another dress because realistically that pretty one I bought a little while ago for a wedding will still be too tight.

It's coming home to me that between cost of living increases and no extra pay, I need to go back to being careful if I'm not to dip too often into savings. Until this month, I've been living within my means for years. We do have both savings and inherited money, but I don't want to touch those until I have to. Actually, I may be frightening myself for nothing because the biggest difference is caused by putting a regular sum into a high interest account, which expires in October so it's more a case of being cautious over the summer if I'm to do well with the savings.

At some point I need to explain this to DH, who melts at the mention of money so perhaps I should just tell him I've worked out where its gone and he doesn't need to draw his pension yet. Bless him, he was saying he'd do that if I decide to leave my job, but while a life of leisure is tempting, I think it would be better all round if I continue to earn.

Talking of the job, I've been sent some more details and it's all looking rather real. My manager seems to think I should apply, and she must think its feasible, but it seems a bit crazy to me. I mean, I've never had any ambition to be a handyman! Gardener, yes, that's not an issue, I've been that before. Handyman? Um... Of course, it's advertised as 'person', and I'm all for equality, but realistically, male colleagues still try to help me if I so much as change a battery. I don't think it's a personal criticism, it's more that I must fit their profile of older ladies who will struggle to do things like this.  

Some of the things would be fine: I can keep records, do painting and basic decorating (thankfully there's no wallpaper in the place!), sort out dodgy connections, clean a drain, oil a hinge, replace fire door batteries, do mattress checks (believe it or not that's a thing), put up warning signs... I've even done the fire checks once though I'd have to brush up on those. I suppose I don't know what would be my remit and what is still contracted out (if anything).

This afternoon's dog walk got delayed s I had a call from the Jobcentre disability advisor, so now I have an appointment to meet with her in a couple of weeks.

And lastly, it looks as though DS2's flat won't be happening. The solicitor somehow managed to find cladding which nobody knew about and the mortgage company want a whole lot more deposit, which isn't going to happen. It's so disappointing for him, though we can see it might be difficult for him to sell eventually. I'm still wondering how cladding can be invisible, but there it is.

It also means we don't have a spare room and DH is going to have to break that news to Auntie, who is expecting to stay in June.  

Today's spending:
Housekeeping (in the form of meringues, cappuccinos and lemon curd because I needed comfort food due to change in the air) £7.40.

WelshmansDaughter

I am really intrigued by this invisible cladding now

Cherryfudge

WelshmansDaughter said:

I am really intrigued by this invisible cladding now

I couldn't comment - I've never seen it.  

For once the fields weren't too wet so we got to out first car boot sale of the year, but the world was reduced to a compass of a few miles by lowering cloud and faint drizzle.

DH found a remote control to replace a damaged one, then took the dog for a run while I finished my slow perusal. I found a bone china mug (M&S) and a Royal Albert cup and saucer. The mug is to replace one that cracked yesterday, and was only a pound. The cup and saucer were from a set. Mum had two and after she died, I gave one to DD and kept one myself. The one I found this morning was £10, which is cheaper than Ebay, and is now sitting on the piano next to its littermate, silently asking 'why are we waiting for the other ten in the series?' (Because they are £15+, each, that's why).

We then lost DH's keys and had to spend a while wandering round and asking, till DH spotted a chap in a high-viz jacket dangling some keys which someone had helpfully handed in. We don't know now where they were found.

Home again to warm up, put on dry shoes and socks and get fish and chips. DH suggested we try a different chippie, which turned out to be £2 cheaper and the food was quite good so I expect we'll go back there.

We had promised to do the cleaning at the church at 2, so we walked down with the dog but there were still a lot of people around from an event that was just finishing. I put in an order for a recipe book from the fundraiser. It was busy and the dog was scared of the hoovering and getting overwhelmed so I took her out to calm her down. We had a walk along the beck side where she found squirrels, so she was happy.

Additional spending: I spotted another dress for the wedding on Ebay - playing to caution as this is navy blue and can be dressed up or down. I really ought to sell some of those posh dresses I'll never wear again. I also saw that a book on my wanted list is on Kindle Daily deals, so there goes another 99p.

I realised I've not factored in any holiday savings: I was thinking of putting £50 a month on my travle money card but I need to do the sums first. There's still money in the old 'savings' account and it's earning interest there so it would be better earning interest, wouldn't it?

Spending:
Household £1 + remote control
Hobbies £10
Housekeeping ? about £8
Book £5
E-book 99p
Clothes £23.49 (no fashion on the ration coupons were hurt in making this purchase).

Cherryfudge

Well, it's been largely a damp April, with a fair degree of not-so-warm thrown in. It's rained most of today and the cherry blossom is nearly gone. On the plus side, everything is very green.

The dog isn't keen on wind or rain: when we let her out of the back door she stops at the edge of the concrete and looks to see if the grass is acceptable: if it's too wet she sometimes turns round and comes straight back in. Apparently when Dh took her for a walk this afternoon she refused to go far and turned back with alacrity when given the chance.

Dh will be walking a lot in May as he's doing a fund raiser. He's hunted out his step counter. The charger was lost but turned up in a jar of random things, thus saving the cost of another. Seems to have been a season for losing stuff: charger a week ago, keys and a jumper yesterday (found the jumper in church today).

It's been a quiet day: we put a few of DS2's things in the loft, in the hope of being able to use his room for a guest. I got some more summer clothing down and set aside a couple of bits to donate (I'm determined to make clothes space). I was sufficiently bored to polish some barley sugar furniture: it's a great faff but it looks better. 

I was so sad yesterday over the prospect of leaving my job that I've given it a lot more thought and decided I need to try it again. I'm not sure how well this will go, but I realised the most difficult part of going back in is no longer facing the person who assaulted me. That's a big step forward and perhaps it means I've made progress on processing the event. Of course if I go too early and there's any sort of set back, that will be undone, which is a risk. I just can't see myself doing the other job that's been suggested, though that's odd as I've actively wanted to do the gardening part for some years. The other side of it is working with a bigger staff team, so perhaps the gardening/maintenance would be better after all?

One spend today - another 99p e-book.

Sun_Addict

Do what’s best for you. Good idea to give your original job another go before giving up. 

in_need_of_direction

Could you go part time and just do the gardening element?

Cherryfudge

Sun_Addict said:

Do what’s best for you. Good idea to give your original job another go before giving up. 

Thanks - I think I need to. I was at a low point when everything crumbled and I know I'm in a better place now.

in_need_of_direction said:

Could you go part time and just do the gardening element?

Good question. I don't know! Perhaps that would be a good question to ask, as I'm fairly sure a lot of the handyperson aspects would end up being referred to electricians/plumbers etc. for insurance purposes.

Cherryfudge

A really important thing I completely forgot to include: I tried out my sound-reducing earplugs for church today and they really made a big difference!

I only needed them when there was music, so most of it was a 'normal' experience. An odd thing was becoming aware of how not just the ears but the whole body 'hears' things. I could feels the vibrations, which I suppose I can anyway but they are usually subsumed in sound. Then I became aware of the higher pitched sounds, which are rarely a problem for me, as a zinging vibration like a massive violin string vibrating above me from wall to wall. Very interesting - I wonder what was really happening?! The acoustics of the building definitely do odd things and there are 'dead' spots too, according to the music group (who can't hear what's happening in front of the stage) and the sound desk people who can't get a feel of the whole building despite being technically knowledgeable.

Definitely found something I can use in these little earplugs.

Cherryfudge

I'm inexplicably weary today, not sure why. We had a nice morning visiting Stokesley car boot sale. I don't know Stokesley and I'd never been to their car boot before, but we were obviously in on a popular thing as it was very busy.

DH didn't find anything he wanted, but I bought a couple of Body Shop hand creams for 50p each. They are a bit of luxury and will replace the 'nice' handbag hand cream I have at present, which is a bit strongly scented and may end up relegated to foot care.

I then found a couple of books for DGD (another 50p in total).

Lastly, in one of those stalls that looks as though they bought up boxes of oddments, I spotted a jug in a mixed box of 50p items. The woman said it was Imari but it's Gaudy Welsh. It was caked with grime but has cleaned up well and I did a bit of research which shows these particular jugs were made between 1820 and 1860. It will go to keep company with my Mum's Gaudy Welsh jug, and a similar one I found in yet another car boot sale.

So a grand spend of £2, plus £2.40 for parking and £4 entrance fees, which I think is overpriced but they must have been delighted as there were so many people there.

Small adventures aside from that have been grocery shopping (I admit we spent £3 on pastries between us), laundry and the dishwasher stopping work mid-cycle. DH is going to have a look at it when he gets in, so my next job is to finish doing the dishes.

Spending so far:
Parking £2.40
Entertainment (entry) £4
Hobbies 50p
Gift 50p
Toiletries £1
Housekeeping £15.09

Sun_Addict

Sounds like you got some great bargains from the car boot, especially the jug.