Spend Nowt, Buy Nowt, Owe Nowt

XSpender

No email from H@ven, they have changed their notification to say they are only contacting people due to go Friday or Monday as everything is still open.  I will just have to wait until they contact me, I won't cancel as I will lose my money.  If the park is open we either go or move it to another (much more expensive week) in the summer and not to our preferred choice of accommodation.  Their site is now down.

I realised yesterday that the concert we are going to in June will probably be postponed too as there are many sporting events around this time being cancelled.   Unfortunately we paid a lot of money for a 'no cancellation' hotel room which we will lose the money on.

Not much to report money/debt wise, not much money left this month until pay day on 27th but we have enough of everything we need.  I went to the library yesterday and stocked up on books as they are closing on Saturday for the foreseeable future.  It is a volunteer led library manned by mainly older people.  DH wanted something from Asd@ last night and we were low on dog food and his favourite biscuits (the dogs not DHs).  I have never seen anything like it, no pet food, loo roll, meat, bread, washing powder and, believe it or not, no beer!  I didn't know that was an essential product 

DH is changing from a normal 5 day week to 3 12 hour shifts a week in work and manning his lap top the rest of the time from home in order to split his team in case someone catches the CV.  I am classed as home based anyway so no impact on our income for either of us except DH will probably miss out on his 1/4ly bonus as it is so quiet this month and targets are weighted to March.  I am thinking of a lovely list of jobs DH can be getting on with on his 'days off' 

I have been doing a version of The 0rgan1sed Mum cleaning routine and it is working well.  I'm not sure how she does it all in 45 minutes a day but my house is cleaner and tidier than it has been and I am on top of the laundry.  If only DH was on top of the ironing    I have more rooms to cover than she has on her weekly and Focus Friday plan but I can see how if you stick with it you would have less to do each week and I could add the conservatory into the hall and stairs day and the breakfast room into the kitchen day one week and the utility in to it another week.

Right, off to join my first teleconference of the day!

XSpender

Butlins and Centreparcs have shut their sites but H@ven have closed all entertainment etc but remain open.  They are offering 25% off if you go or can move to another week in 20/21 but it appears at inflated prices.  We will see what they offer us/if they are still open when we are due to go and will take the 25% off and still go rather than move it.  I think we could do with the break and apart from not being able to eat out what we do on our holiday (walking, beach, Nat trust sites, picnics) wont change.

I feel quite emotional tonight. It is hard to get my head around it all as I am sure it is for many of us  I am sad that my DS who is really loving school and his wonderful teacher will miss a big chunk of the year and I’m sad that he will miss out on many of the opportunities and experiences he won’t get to enjoy this year. I am sad I won’t see my Mum for months (not local) and if anything happens to my Dad (lives abroad) I won’t be able to get there and I can’t help out with practical things for either of them.  And I am sad for all the people who have or will lose their jobs, are having to work and worry about childcare, are not taking exams and are worrying about their future and those who are worrying about their health or that of their loved ones or who will be lonely or isolated  

I am lucky to be able to work from home with the schools closing but I hope my bosses will be understanding that I will have a child at home who will not be stuck in front of a TV/games console during all the normal working hours and that some of my work will have to be done early hours or later in the evening.  As long as my output is the same it shouldn’t matter.

DH shift pattern may not happen as a few of the team have self isolated and they may not have enough people to make it work.  

brizzlegirl

Take care XS, keep posting xx

Suffolk_lass

If you are finding the Organised Mum hard to follow, don't forget there is the old Flylady routines and thread over in OldStyle on this forum. I routinely do the five-minute bathroom job at the end of my morning visit - be it cleaning all the glass on the outside, the inside, the washbasin, the toilet, the mirror and surfaces, the floor - my weekly routine means everything gets done at least once a week, with a deeper clean when it starts to look as though it needs it. I routinely wipe the shower itself down after every use to stop soap-scum or limescale. I also always do the kitchen, utility and downstairs loo, with DH doing the dusting and vacuuming in the bedrooms, living and dining areas. DS came and did my windows yesterday as he has not picked up any shifts this week. So hard for him. I do hope he doesn't end up coming home to live. It isn't perfect but neither am I...

XSpender

I’ve lost my post so a quick reap!

I will have a look at flylady SL.  I have got back on track with organised mum today and will have some child labour to help next week   I’m not sure DH has even noticed the house is much cleaner and tidier although DS remarked it smelt nice when he got home from school.

H@ven are closing their sites so a full refund is on the way for our holiday.  DS school sporting event planned for July is going to be cancelled.  £200 back to us but I can’t bring myself to tell him yet, he will be gutted.  What was going to be such a great year for him has turned into a damp squib but at least we will hopefully remain healthy.

I have arranged some face time chats for DS as I am worried he is going to be isolated with no siblings and no one to play with but us oldies for the next few weeks.

A SE friend has lost all his work for the next 3 months   It’s such a worrying time for so many people.

Popped to the shop this evening for frozen chips and ended up with potatoes.  I am finding being in a supermarket is making me really anxious so DH is going to get anything we need if I give him a list. 

Suffolk_lass

Our holiday in the Highlands at the end of April has been cancelled and the house has refunded all but the deposit (we hope to rebook for next year) - we had two cancellable hotels and two no-refund ones, one of whom (a big chain) has refunded to us anyway - we will definitely rebook to use them next year, assuming we can go then. I sent personal messages apologising through bookings agent and had 3/4 nice replies. 

Similar things here with contract worker (DS) and SE, zero hours - all wiped out. Chap on radio was sacked by Brittania Hotels in Cairngorms on the spot and has lost his accommodation at the same time - hateful. Won't ever use that chain of Hotels. Ever.

Had the opposite here, went for potatoes, and got the last but 5 bag of frozen chips! I know what you mean about anxiety. If you have GF flour, look at the Jamie flatbreads recipe (he uses SR but plain works too) if the bread situation hits.

badmemory

Suffolk_lass said:

 (he uses SR but plain works too) if the bread situation hits.

If you google it there is a way to change plain to self raising.  I can't remember how & I've re-written all my recipes so I only ever buy plain now.  It was written by a famous female chef who was in America & didn't like what was in their self raising flour so adapted plain flour.  Saves on storing both lots of flour too!

XSpender

badmemory said:

Suffolk_lass said:

 (he uses SR but plain works too) if the bread situation hits.

If you google it there is a way to change plain to self raising.  I can't remember how & I've re-written all my recipes so I only ever buy plain now.  It was written by a famous female chef who was in America & didn't like what was in their self raising flour so adapted plain flour.  Saves on storing both lots of flour too!

I think you add baking powder and possibly bicarb but would have to google the quantities.  I've got GF SR but no plain.

apple_muncher

And don't forget to add xanthum gum to help it rise. I do a very good line in skinny flat gf cakes. Sigh!

XSpender

apple_muncher said:

And don't forget to add xanthum gum to help it rise. I do a very good line in skinny flat gf cakes. Sigh!

I always add an extra egg into a sponge cake and it works every time