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

jwil

Sorry to hear about your brother CBC

mummytogirls

Enjoy your Saturday jaunt HHOD xx

HairyHandofDartmoor

carbootcrazy wrote: »

Sorry not been around much but have just found the time for a catch-up of all your news. Sounds as if everyone enjoyed the Christmas and New Year get-togethers:j, It's so lovely to be with family members at those times.


I empathise about the trying to eat up the unhealthy festive foods:T. I thought I'd cracked it as we don't 'do' much of a Christmas/New Year but I did have a few extra treats in but they'd pretty much all been consumed. Then OH went shopping on Wednesday for a few bits to save me going (always a bad thing:rotfl:) and came back with 3 packs of 6 mince pies for a total of £1 that were on clearance:eek:. That's 18 pies that we didn't need but OH is always keen to snap up a bargain!!! They are going down very slowly, they'll probably be around until February at this rate as I've vowed not to eat a single one.




I was thinking of you, HH and your BIL as my SIL phoned me on Tuesday to tell me that my brother (3 years younger than me) has been diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer. He had had treatment for bladder cancer and was doing well but it has spread to his lung. I'm baffled as to why it wasn't discovered until such an advanced stage but he wasn't showing any symptoms until very recently when he had problems breathing which he put down to the long and lingering chest cold he'd been having. Was never a smoker so just goes to show lung cancer can strike anyone however healthily they try to live:(


He's at home and as an operation and radiotherapy have been ruled out by his consultant he will have to rely on chemo. They have given him 'months' which is such a blow but apparently he is to be given Immunotherapy (which is something I'd never heard of:o). His first course is on Friday. Apparently it is used widely in USA but not so commonly here. Any extension of his life will be a blessing. Apparently it gives a few extra months, it isn't a cure.


We hadn't been particularly close in later years, the fact that he lives about 300 miles from me being a major factor, but I'm planning on making the trip to see him as soon as my lingering cold is gone. Infections from visitors is the last thing he needs right now. My old car is playing up and as I'll be going on my own I might check out train travel instead. Money (more like the lack of) is a bit of an issue at the moment though:o


I hope you enjoy your charity shop and coffee treat. HH. Take care

I'm really sorry to hear about your brother Carboot, that's awful news . I know what's it's like because I lost one of my sisters to pancreatic cancer three years ago. She was only 53 . It's a good idea to go and see him, you'll be glad you did later on.

HairyHandofDartmoor

Nicnak wrote: »

Is it your usual Saturday this morning? X

mummytogirls wrote: »

Enjoy your Saturday jaunt HHOD xx

Thanks . I had a good jaunt but I'll be glad when the sales end :mad:. Last January I liked a tablecloth which I didn't buy as it was £25 :eek:. Today I was magnetically drawn by a sale sign and saw the exact same tablecloth reduced to £12 and eight matching cloth napkins for £8, reduced from £25. Before I knew it I was at the till buying them :mad:. Still it will cover our shabby table when we have visitors and will be be cheaper than buying a new table . I paid £20 for the lot instead of £50 :T.

I also bought a calendar for DS3 for £5.99, refuced from £9.99. Then in a charity shop I saw two small white star shaped bowls for £2.49 which will be perfect for nuts or olives at our Christmas party next year. The bowls are microwaveable and dishwasher proof too :T.

Then I spent £9.89 in Mr T on bananas, satsumas, a fruit pot, cheese and eggs. So quite a spendy day in all .

It's really hard to stop spending money once you start and sales signs are really hard to walk past .

I did drop off a rucksack of books, some place mats I hated and some other odds and ends at the charity shop though, and I enjoyed my latte and didn't buy any food in Costalot :T.

I've tidied up my underwear drawer and put some laundry on to wash. Now I'm having a break before I clean out the furry moron, empty all the bins and put some towels on to wash. DS3 uses a clean towel every day :mad:.

HairyHandofDartmoor

jwil wrote: »

Happy new year HHOD, just had an epic catch up! Your 2017 was really successful.

Congrats on the decluttering, have you checked out the Kon Mari way of folding clothes? It saves so much space!

Hope 2018 is a good one for you! xx

Thanks jwil . I hadn't heard of Kon Mari until I read you thread so I'll read up about her. I'm really in the mood for de-cluttering at the moment, so I'm trying to blitz the whole house before it wears off :rotfl:.

HairyHandofDartmoor

I've done most of my jobs for today :j.

- Clean out furry moron DONE
- Empty all bins DONE
- Put rubbish in wheely bins DONE
- Wash laundry DONE
- Wash towels
- Tidy underwear drawer DONE
- Put dishwasher on DONE
- Sort out more clutter to drop at charity shop DONE

I'm having a rest now and it's DH's turn to cook dinner .

HairyHandofDartmoor

Tomorrow I want to:

- Wash more laundry
- Put some stray Christmas bits in the void
- Go through the clothes stored in the void
- Wash bay window in living room
- Wash living room curtains & nets

Washing and drying DS3's shirt ready for his shift is important, and I really want to clean the window and put the Christmas bits away. It's going to be another busy day :j.

mummytogirls

Brilliant bargains though HHOD. I reckon it was fate that drew you to the sign today!!! I desperately need a new table cloth as kids have drawn on ours but I seem to keep forgetting!!!

Well done on getting your jobs done xx

HairyHandofDartmoor

Thanks MTG .

My eating has been quite good today :T. I've had:

Breakfast - porridge with skim milk
Lunch - Cheese sandwich & satsuma
Snack - banana & slice of toast
Dinner - DH is cooking pasta bake
Drinks - tea with skim milk, water & skinny latte

I'll have some cider tonight but that's my Saturday treat and my first alcohol in 2018 :T. I've got 13lb to lose :mad: and I'm hoping to lose 1lb by next Saturday which is my weigh day .

I've also done 12,898 steps and 27 stairs so far today whi h should help .

mummytogirls

Meals looking good today HHOD, enjoy your cider xx