Cherry takes the reins

Cherryfudge

...yet another for the to-do list and not much time to do anything more today.

Headlines say EDF is putting prices up for the second time this year. That's going to cost us a bomb. Short of chucking the children out and living under blankets ourselves, the easiest option is that bothersome (to me) thing of checking other companies and trying to drive costs down.

Might try a post-it note in the kitchen over the kettle mentioning the price hike!

Cherryfudge

Yesterday:
NSD
Went for a run.
MS stuff: carried on the honourable tradition of taking a pack-up to work. Shall I just assume this is a given unless I say otherwise? I also did a bit of MS stuff for work: we'd had an overdelivery of fresh food so I prepared some for the freezer and made a cake rather than let the stuff get binned (regulations won't allow us to keep it beyond BB dates, even if we are perfectly satisfied that it's safe. However, once cooked or frozen, it gets a fresh lease of life).
I put the note about the price of electricity by the kettle and am trying to put in only the water I need. Trying but not always succeeding.

Today:
No run, but a walk across town to buy cheaper Easter Eggs.
MS stuff:
Bought supposedly cheaper Easter Eggs (by 1p, I think. )
Used the opportunity to stock up on a couple of grocery items at lower prices.
Tea was chicken pie made with freezer ingredients except I gave in and bought mushrooms.
Put fresh mushrooms back and substituted tinned at a saving of about 40p.
Spends:
Housekeeping 3.17
Gifts (Easter eggs & choc) 36.30 :eek:
Paid my share of food bill from 2 weeks ago (not in this month's budget) 13.00 (Edit: Oh yes, it is! This plus the Internet shops are not looking good for the food budget).

Cherryfudge

NSD
No running either.
Finally got round to changing my bank details at work so I'm no longer at risk of defaulting on the mortgage if I lose my online banking details.

Cherryfudge

It's been quite a productive day!

Firstly we went to the car boot sale where DH treated me to a tomato plant and a cookery book, then I treated myself to a candlemaking kit for £1.50. It needs some more of one ingredient but I've wanted to make candles for ages and for £1.50 I wasn't going to miss the opportunity.

Later I sorted out some more financial stuff... the details for the new insurance need a bit more attention but at least I've started to go through it. I don't want to pay out hundreds only to find out I've unwittingly invalidated it.

No run today.

I've also been reading the sample version of a book on money that I'd seen recommended (in another book on money). Decided it's too expensive and the library doesn't seem to have it. Ah well, I didn't really need it anyway, I was just curious.

Then I wrapped up chocolates for various people to go with their Easter eggs, and decided to move a big bookcase to clean behind it. Impossible with the weight of books and papers crammed in there so I skimmed off the surplus and cleaned what I could before putting back... those I could get back in! . There's now a horrible pile of things that don't fit in and need to be Gone Through, though that won't be for over a week as I'm off to tackle more of Mum's house after work on Monday. One of my sister's friends has kindly asked me to dinner over there on Monday but I'll have had an early start and a four-hour journey and I really think I'd be best just chilling, despite kind offers of lifts and saving dinner. I need to say 'no' politely but firmly, I think, even though in other circumstances I would probably have enjoyed myself.

The book sample I read talked about how many millionaires are quietly rich because they simply don't spend all they earn. They live within their means and invest the rest. I did a quick calculation based on their data and reckon I am financially well behind where they would consider I could be! Never mind, I'm happy, talking of which, we've been watching 'Rich House, Poor House'. The message there seems to be that money doesn't buy happiness but that lack of money takes a lot of time and energy.

Cherryfudge

Happy Easter!

Today was supposed to be a no-spend day but my sister's phone needed to be topped up £20. Don't worry, she will pay back. Sounds like a threat but isn't.

Also I realised I'd left an ebay (clothes) spend of £4.94 off yesterday's account.

I will be away from the Internet from tomorrow till Wednesday night so I'll try to keep a note of spending.

Cherryfudge

Here I am back again.

A productive few days away, and I managed a run on one of them. My sister and I have sorted out our joint grocery bill (the internet shopping one) though it remains to be seen if I can untangle it in my head. She's also paid me back the £40 for her phone bill and £24 for groceries, and I in turn have paid £46.50 to DS who became our chauffeur for a few days, and £3.50 for some chips.

Before I went (Monday) I spent:
Decorating stuff for Mum's house 16.50
Plants for Mum's house 3.00
Food 14.30.

Today
Spends:
SD card 6.49 (off p@ypal which is linked to N account).
Bumbag so I can carry phone and keys when running 2.99
Candles for DS1's birthday cake 2.25
Food 15.66 of which 4.80 was a birthday pasta bake for DS1, including 3 people who don't live in this house and 4 who do, i.e. entertaining. So food purely for this household = 15.88 - ((4.80/7)x4).

This is why I get mixed up about budgets.

Anyway it's set down for now and I need to push on and sleep. I have work tomorrow.

I've brought back some stuff from Mum's to 3bay. Pictures are taken and prices sorted, then I can't get my phone to talk to my laptop, and until I get the new SD card for the phone I can't install an 3bay app, so I've got not further.

The Executor Account still hasn't been updated - it was supposed to be useable on Wednesday. Sigh.

Cherryfudge

Very weary this evening so not too much philosophising.

No run (again) today.

Spends:
Housekeeping 5.13 Mr T is doing 2.5kg of potatoes for 49p - I couldn't not, could I?

MS stuff:
Took meal to work, dried washing on line... not a lot really but it's all the 'not a lots' adding up that, well, add up.

Big news - Mum's money has now gone into the Executor account. It looks odd, somehow. When I'm awake enough I need to draw together all the bits and pieces of money owed to us and the electricity bill and start paying people. It will soon begin to whittle down and until all debts - including the mortgage - are paid off, it's going to be about claiming expenses. Once the estate's finally settled, which may be years - my sister and I get what's left. I might have a different diary by then.

I mentioned to DH a couple of weeks ago that I wanted to put the money we've paid out and will get back towards the mortgage but he's not happy about this. He'd rather see it! However I was able to point out that he actually hasn't missed it and doesn't know what we have anyway. (His online banking's still not working). I think he's gradually softening but we're not there yet.

I've made a tiny, tiny bit of progress towards 3baying. I've got the SD card for my phone and the photos onto the laptop, so when I have time and energy I can start listing.

Cherryfudge

Something I didn't think to mention the other day: my sister has said I can have all of a certain range of furniture from Mum's house. I was given one many years ago and now I have its pair, a little wooden armchair of a rather good make. It had been gathering grime for goodness knows how long so when I got it home I took it onto the lawn and scrubbed it down. The varnish is threadbare so I invested in a fine sandpaper and now all I have to do is use it. That will be a project and I'm a terror for projects that only exist in my head, so mentioning it here will help me get down to it.

Once it's sanded I need to apply varnish, then it will look lovely in the lounge and at long last we'll have enough chairs in there!

I don't know what to do with the remaining 2 items, a larger easy chair and a slightly warped coffee table. I haven't even had a good look at them yet but from memory the coffee table has a fold-down flap so perhaps even with its warp it could be worth saving? That's if the warp is out of sight! If I can rescue the chair I've now got, it will be good training for the rest.

parsniphead

Hello Cherryfudge

I have just read your diary, you are so busy. I hope you get everything sorted soon.

I started C25k last year but struggled with hip bursitis. I really want to get back to it now. Are you finding it easy? I struggled but I'm overweight and late forties.

Cherryfudge

Thanks parsniphead, the 'getting sorted' feels like a long haul so a bit of being cheered on is very welcome!

I've never had bursitis so I don't know whether you'd be likely to get it again. I'm really enjoying C25K and haven't - so far - managed to injure myself or anything drastic. I think it's do-able, unlike any piece of running I've ever attempted before! I was thinking earlier that running at school has a lot to answer for. Because of that negative experience (always being the loser, always being the one who let the team down and got blamed for it despite trying my best), I've missed many years of fun, increased health and being part of a community. I'm actually quite competitive even with myself and the C25K has helped me not to overdo it and create the set-backs I've had before.

I see I'm older than you (54) and I'm overweight too so if you try it again you can imagine how much more youthful and athletic you would look compared to me plodding along behind you, often with a silly grin because I go off into a world of my own.

So I'd certainly encourage you to give it a go. Make sure you don't push yourself to go faster than you can sustain (it's not a race) and do a good warm up/cool down to avoid aches and pains later. Your body will soon learn what's being asked of it, even if at first it's a bit confused.