Drawing a line under the debt. Take two.

savingholmes

We have a tall round scratching post that the cat can also use as a perch - that was a good buy. Cat bed - waste of money - they won't use. We bought a 3 day automatic feeder for if we wanted to leave the cat home while we had a weekend away. That has been worth the money. You will need a cat carrier to take it to the vets. If you just do dry food £5-10 pcm. If you do wet food as well then that is likely to be closer to £20. Our cat insurance on a 5 year old rescue was about £13 pcm with Mr T. Boarding if you go away is about £9-11 pcm round where we are. We buy very little litter and now use a washing up bowl for what we do have as we strongly encourage the cat to do its business outside. We fitted cat door to the shed and because we have a dog we actually have a cat door into the kitchen from our hall as we couldn't fit it on any of our outside doors as they weren't suitable. We wanted the cat to be able to escape if it needed to. For a while we used a stair gate to protect the cat from the dog when we weren't in. Hope that helps.  

Honeysucklelou2

Catching up on your diary DAL - very impressed with all the decorating you have been able to do. How is your daughter coping? My DD3 had little to no work set from school as she is in Y11 but the local sixth form college has now set learning projects online for those starting A levels in September which I thought was a good idea.

Drawingaline

Thanks for the cat advice. These will be pedigree cats, so indoor only unless we stay out and cat proof the garden. They are a large breed, and people say that cat trees are a good idea so they can get up high. The trees normally have sleeping platforms so will probably hold off buying beds. They won't be allowed into our bedroom (I have strong opinions on animals in my bed) but if the kids are OK they can go in with them. Our bedroom will be the only room they won't have access to. I need to clear out the conservatory where there will be lots of space for a big cat tree, hopefully one litter tray can go on the landing, one in the conservatory and one in the hallway. Food wise they will be on a particular brand and it's best sticking with this to begin with, but hubby works for a company that have a pet website as part of it so his discount would apply. So would probably bulk buy from there, but they do a subscription thing too.

Hsl2, the girl is doing barely any work now, her A levels are two art subjects and another one that doesn't really have a corresponding gcse. She has watched some films for that one as outlined by the college, but the art section hasn't been updated as of yet. 

savingholmes

If you have a bookcase or even the back of a sofa they will climb those anyway. 

Drawingaline

SH I imagine they will love my 'library' then!

Yesterday I cracked on with the back garden. Mowed the lawn, sowed some seeds in the bare patches, hopefully it takes. Moved the trampoline and resisted the weed membrane after pulling down all the ivy from next door, pegged down the weed membrane this time and put the trampoline back. I want to get a rotary washing line as our post is coming out of the ground, it has a lean. But a rotary one would neto go into the middle of the lawn, so would need to take it out when not in use. May see if the hardware store has one when I go and get more stones for the front bed I dug out. 

shoppingobsessed2020

I leave my whirly gig up all the time,  when it’s not being used for washing monkey boy uses it to make the goal post.  I just fold it down.  Having gone through a few I’ve found the best was the most expensive.  An 80m barbrantia,  but it’s still like new 5yrs on,

Drawingaline

Our garden is tiny, so taking it down would be helpful. Thanks for the tip on brand. 

bd80s

well well well you have been busy! I was feeling like I'd been productive until I read your updates digging an entirely new bed is commitment  
I think most people have covered the standard stuff for the cats but don't forget the wormers/flea treatments, there's different ways you can get them but they are one of the more expensive ongoing costs …….
at least the kids are getting a little bit of work done to keep them occupied, I'd be getting a much free labour out of them while I could especially if you're digging the garden out and stuff...….but this is also why I should probably never have children even if I wanted them  

Drawingaline

I do make my kids do stuff like that! They complain bitterly 😂 I only dug the bed out as the handan didn't get back to me. Finally found his reply in my spam box which is wierd as it was a thread we had been chatting over a few days. Anyway will organise the washing line with him I think.

Hubby went back to work today, not impressed with that I think, he struggled this morning to get back up and running. 

Weekly shop done today with the girl. Am trying to rein in food spending, running the freezers down as they desperately need defrosting, so need to get everything in one so I can do that in the next week or so. 

Nothing really changed on the financial front. Everything ticking over. Just sent a small donation to a fundraiser for an African school choir who visited the boys school in Jan, they are really struggling atm. I basically rounded a few categories in ynab so it really was a small amount, but that's all we can spare atm. 

bd80s

haha, well done for making them do it though, is it even a childhood if they don't complain about stuff their parents make them do????