Finally Debt Free After 34 Years, But Still Need to Live Frugally

Fidelia

Sun_Addict said:

……….. If anything good comes out of this pandemic it will be not to take things for granted.

So true, Sun_Addict!  It's funny isn't it how it's the small,  seemingly unimportant things in life that we've missed the most when they've been taken away from us?  I think this pandemic has changed most people's perception of what really matters to us.

Have a good weekend, everyone.

HairyHandofDartmoor

Thanks all of you @Sunshine_girl2 @elizabethhull @milann @Fidelia @beanielou @Onebrokelady @Sun_Addict

Sorry I've been awol.

HairyHandofDartmoor

elizabethhull said:

I agree with what's been said about the little things - a visit from DD2 and DGS, a coffee with a friend, go & stay with DD1  - it doesn't seem much to wish for 
I know I've posted about enjoyable silly games with DGS, but I'm really NOT a 'children person', and I've had to work quite hard at the relationship. I hate the thought of the months we've lost and having to, in some ways, start again.

We have an appointment for our first vaccine tomorrow. As DH is a couple of years older with a relevant health condition, it would not have surprised me if only he had been called, but, amazingly, common sense was in operation & we go together. It is in the town centre equivalent of the middle of nowhere ie no bus stop & no nearby parking !! Where we CAN park I will find difficult to walk from, but I shall just put on my glad rags, dose up on Tramadol and waltz there !!! It's a beginning......

It is sad that some of the little things in life that we enjoy, like coffee out and seeing a friend have become illegal during this pandemic. It needs to be that way to control the virus levels, but it's very unnatural as we are such social creatures.

I hope your vaccine appointments went well and tht you feel a bit safer now .

HairyHandofDartmoor

milann said:

Hairy we had an email about the twice weekly testing. Although I’m not in school I still get the school emails. If I do go back to work at the end of February I’m hoping it won’t be too long before I can get the vaccine.....but it could be a while away. It’ll be like going back to a totally different job...so many staff changes and new COVID rules since I was last there. 

Yes your Saturday saunters and visits to your step dad seem a long, long time ago. 

Did your son go back to uni or is he still with you?

School is a very different place at the moment with the social distancing, constant hand sanitising, school staff in masks, small class numbers, children behind rows of desks, no assemblies, no school trips, no peformances, etc. Despite all this the children we have seem happy to be at school. I hope you can go back Milann.

DS3 is still at home with us.

HairyHandofDartmoor

Fidelia said:

 Long time no post, HHoD,  so I hope all is well with you and your family.

beanielou said:

Hope all is well.
Enjoy your weekend HHD.

elizabethhull said:

beanielou said:

Hope all is well.
Enjoy your weekend HHD.

I concur.
Hope there is time for relaxing.

Sun_Addict said:

Another one here who’s looking forward to the Saturday saunters being back on. If anything good comes out of this pandemic it will be not to take things for granted.

Thanks all of you

HairyHandofDartmoor

Sorry I've been awol from my diary. January has been a tiring and stressful month 😔. The first week after Christmas we had to organise DS2's birthday, the following week we were finishing preparing our (very late) accounts for the accountants, the week after that we had to do a vat return, this week we've been dealing with queries from our accountants and renewing our working tax credits. Anything to do with accounts and vat completely stresses me out 😔, so I haven't had time or energy to post on my diary.

I'm actually very annoyed with myself and DH for leaving it all to the last minute 😡. We've had since 1st April to prepare the information the accountants need. Part of the problem is that once the accounts are completed we get a bill from the accountants and if we don't have the money available to pay the bill then we don't want to get our accounts done yet. Then it gets to the stage where it's so late that we have no choice but to hand over the paperwork and we feel stressed that it won't be done in time. We need to prepare the information earlier and set money aside to pay the accountants and then we can get the accounts done sooner.

I'm determined to gather the paperwork together and do the spreadsheets in my school summer holidays this year. At least that way our part will be done and when we can afford to pay the bill we can hand the information straight over to our accountants. 

We don't have any tax to pay as we didn't earn very much from the business, even when you take my school earnings into account we haven't earnt enough to pay tax. I hope the business does better this year, but with the effect the virus is having on the economy I'm not confident that it will 😥. Which makes us very reliant upon my earnings at school.

Anyway the accounts and vat return are done now so I'm hoping that February will be a much more relaxing month 🙂. I just want to be able to focus 100% on going to school and doing a good job there, and doing housework and food shopping so that my home life runs smoothly.

HairyHandofDartmoor

The last week at school has been good, apart from two days where we had pouring rain and strong winds 🌬🌧☔ so we had to keep the children indoors at lunchtime. We had two days where it was sunny at lunchtime and it's really pleasant on those occasions being outside with the children and watching them play in the sunshine ☀️. In the classroom we seem to have quite a high proportion of difficult children, but they tend to be the vulnerable ones that have complicated home lives and complex emotional needs. It's good for those children to have the stablility of school, but it's very tiring for the school staff to manage their behaviour and keep them learning.

I have to take a lateral flow virus test at home twice a week because I'm school staff. Well, that was a stressful experience 😱! I asked DH to help me do it. He had to stick a swab down my throat and rub both my tonsils (which made me gag 😩) and then stick the same swab high up my nose and rub it around (which was so uncomfortable it made my eyes water 😩). It takes half an hour for the result to appear and then I have to email school with the result and enter also the result on a government portal and give them the number of the test. No pressure then! My test was negative so there's about a 40% chance that I'm not infected 🤣 (they're not very accurate and only pick up virus levels if they are quite high). It's quite a stressful thing to have to do twice a week 😟, but I feel like I have to do it. We were told that it's voluntary, but I don't want to get a reputation for being difficult and at least it will pick up some potential infections among staff.

I've found out that school will be closed at half term 🎉🎉🎉, so I'm very pleased about that as it will give me a complete break from all the virus measures and coping with difficult children 😃. Hopefully I won't have to self test for the virus at half term. I won't be able to go anywhere apart from the park or the supermarket so I'll probably be desperate to get back to school after a week 🤣.  But it will enable me to get on top of the washing, ironing and cleaning, plus I want to help DH tidy up the office as it's a right mess in there 🙄.

This morning I had to go to Mr M and get some bits that we'd run out of. I was very grateful to get my 10% school discount as it saved me just over £6 and we're short of money at the moment. DS3 said he would give me some money towards the food he wanted, so I was pleased about that as our food bills have definitely gone up since he's been at home.

The rest of today I want to finally unwind and do lots of washing. I hope everyone in Diaryland is have a good Saturday 🙂.

jwil

Enjoy your weekend and glad you've got half term off.

Glad all the accounts are done now.  I think your plan to have them all ready, even if you can't send them to the accountant for a while, is a good one.  

The tests are awful.  I think now we have some vaccines, they need to put all the scientists on to focussing on the spit tests  

elizabethhull

Wow, we've had a bonus double post from you !
What a lot of stressful things to have to cope with, and, regrettably, they're all part of current everyday life. My husband was an accountant so although he takes tax in his stride, I know a lot of his private clients hated getting stuff ready, were never sure they'd done it correctly & so on.

I dont know how you're managing with the testing, as I did it once and couldn't touch my own tonsils without repeated gagging. Perhaps it gets a smidge easier with practice ? What about all those people who had their tonsils out as a child ?

Our vaccine was a lovely outing !!!!!!
We picked our way through ice and slush, with fogged-up glasses , trying to determine where the kerbs were ! But it was all a beautifully smooth and well-run procedure,  and only a bruised feeling for about a day after.

HairyHandofDartmoor

jwil said:

Enjoy your weekend and glad you've got half term off.

Glad all the accounts are done now.  I think your plan to have them all ready, even if you can't send them to the accountant for a while, is a good one.  

The tests are awful.  I think now we have some vaccines, they need to put all the scientists on to focussing on the spit tests  

Thanks Jwil . Yes I agree that spit tests need to be the way forward 🤣 .