My journey to a debt free life

Onebrokelady

milann said:

Fingers crossed the wage  deal goes through for you (and my ds) I think you all deserve what you asked for, after all most folk were paid for being furloughed whilst you were all in the thick of it. I think a lot of people who worked flat out, risking all the covid germs have been treated terribly. Give everyone a proper wage, attract staff back and save money by not having to pay agency workers. Right I’ll jump off my soapbox now 👍

I agree, everyone who worked through it is now being treated terribly. It's not over for us either Covid is still causing problems and now we have a massive rise in Norovirus on top plus dealing with the backlog it's relentless at times 

Onebrokelady

Cherryfudge said:

@milann - hear, hear! I can only imagine the ongoing stress as those who are left in frontline posts are coping with less: less income when set against the cost of living, fewer experienced colleagues, not enough downtime to recover...

The ongoing stress is huge. We have less staff because good people left due to not being able to cope anymore. Loads are off sick still with Covid and norovirus, there is an increase in long term sickness due to Covid and the workload has just increased  massively. Moral in my hospital is at an all time low. There are wards with 30 patients on them and only two members of staff overnight which is not safe and exhausting. Plus it's an ageing workforce with a high proportion of those being women going through the menopause with all that entails 😟

Onebrokelady

Sun_Addict said:

It’s outrageous the amount they are willing to pay agency workers. Hope you get the rise 🤞 I also had to work through the pandemic when others were paid to watch Netflix. 

Thanks SA I hope we do too 😊

Onebrokelady

Had a lovely day with DD2 today. We went to Ikea and got the bits she wanted. I was very good and didn't buy anything but I did pay for lunch as it was my turn. Her router arrived so she connected up her internet which has made her very happy 😀 she plays games online with several friends so was missing it. 

The flat she is buying has communal heating called district heating and she got her bill today to tell her how much the direct debit needs to be and it's  £51 a month 🙀🙀🙀🙀which includes the system being serviced once a year. Her whole flat is electric with electric radiators. It's also very warm so she has hardly put the heating on. I am so jealous 😀

I came home to two letters. One was my amended council tax bill which is now £145 instead of £191 and the second was from my housing society telling me about my rent increase. It goes up every year based on the retail price index which is 13.4% so normally it goes up by about £3 this year its gone up by £28 😟 so I gained on my council tax but lost on the rent. I've looked at my budget and it's really tight. I still don't know how much my water is going to cost but it will be less than I'm paying at the moment. Obviously the energy bill will still be huge until the summer when I won't use my heating but I am going to seriously struggle until the weather warms up. I can't afford to pay my debts that's for sure. I am going to speak to them next week now I've got the bills in that I was waiting for but they are going to have to accept a much smaller payment.

I am seeing DD1 and the DGSs tomorrow so that should be fun. I have to go food shopping and she wants to take them to the library so I will probably go there with them first then go off and do my shopping.
 I need to get planning my meals so I don't waste money. I've already realised a loaf of bread lasts me a week so I'm going to split it in half and freeze half so it doesn't go mouldy. Im thinking I will make a macaroni cheese tomorrow as I'm craving something cheesy 😍😍 I used to buy the instant microwave porridge sachets but bought a bag of oats instead and just make it in the microwave, it takes two minutes longer but saves me loads of money. I've got some apples that DD didn't want so I'm making something with them too .

Cherryfudge

How are you, OBL? I hope things are going okay.

I’m another fan of bags of oats: microwave porridge for a quick meal or overnight oats for a work meal: perfect.

I_Love_comps

I have just read your Diary @Onebrokelady.  I am glad your pain full joints are being managed .
I have a close relative who is in a Nursing Home with they have been in there for 5 years.  It is very sad watching them decline. They call dementia the long goodbye. 

Onebrokelady

Cherryfudge said:

How are you, OBL? I hope things are going okay.

I’m another fan of bags of oats: microwave porridge for a quick meal or overnight oats for a work meal: perfect.

Sorry Cherry I've been busy 😀 it's all good here today so hopefully will stay that way for at least a few days 🤞

Onebrokelady

I_Love_comps said:

I have just read your Diary @Onebrokelady.  I am glad your pain full joints are being managed .
I have a close relative who is in a Nursing Home with they have been in there for 5 years.  It is very sad watching them decline. They call dementia the long goodbye. 

I'm sorry to hear about your relative, it's a horrible cruel disease that's for sure 😟

Onebrokelady

I've been busy over the last week but can't actually remember most of the things I've done 😀
I spent last Saturday with DD1 and the DGSs who were ok for most of the day but played up at home time 🙄 it was nice to spend some time with them though.

 Then Mother's Day which I spent with DD2 she came over here and we took B for a lovely walk then she made me afternoon tea which was lovely. I got three books and a book voucher which is the perfect present for me. The Books are Hagitude, The witches Of Vardo and Amongst Our Weapons. I've nearly finished Hagitude and have just started Amongst Our Weapons which is by one of my favourite authors Ben Aaronovitch. Hagitude is by Sharon Blackie and is a non fiction about women in later life ( 60 ish) it's really good and goes into myth and legend about elder women.

Unfortunately on Monday I was ill so couldn't go to work which is a real shame because I've not been off since December and was aiming for no sickness for this year ( unrealistic I know but I can dream 😀) it was a tummy upset so not pain related.

Tuesday Dad came home from hospital which was upsetting because he kept crying because he thinks he's a burden. I told him that seeing as he has spent our whole life looking after us it was now time for us to look after him. He thinks mum is angry with him but I told him that's just the way she is with everyone but of course he won't remember so gets upset all over again. My sister came down yesterday until tomorrow so I've left them to it. Carers are going in three times a day and mum says it's going ok so that's good. I'm going up on Monday but I'm texting mum everyday to check they are ok.

Wednesday was work and the less said about that the better 😤

Thursday I met a friend for coffee and popped into town to get some keys cut for mum and dads house.

Today I've been at work and it was a much more pleasant day. I took annual leave at 2pm because it was quiet and I needed to go to my gp surgery to sort out my repeat prescription. I tried to email it last night but it wouldn't send for some reason. I have now done two weeks at 10mgs of my steroids and so far so good. I will go down to 9mgs in 10 days time so 🤞it's ok.

I came home after the surgery visit and did all my housework so I have a free day tomorrow and I think that's me caught up 😊

Cherryfudge

You've been busy! I hope the tummy bug has gone. It must be better if you then did all your housework.

It's sad to hear your Dad is upset. I hope he doesn't remember that in between times. It seems as though the input from carers is going okay, though?