Prosperous soul in the making

Honeysucklelou2

What a good idea to use obelisks instead of garden canes!  The clematis sounds beautiful. Well done on getting below £22k. It is so motivating to drop into the next bracket isn’t it?

EssexHebridean

Love the idea of the obelisks too - you might even be able to grow something up those for year round cover just adding in peas/beans at the right time of year you know. We've got Broad Bean seeds to get planted but not enough compost currently which is annoying as they really need to be getting underway now. might try just planting a few straight into the ground to see if they do anything I think - we probably have enough compost left in the bag to be able to do those with just a small handful added to each planting spot to give them a boost. 

Fingers crossed on the uni accommodation thing - you'd think they would have given an idea by now at least what the plan is - and at least there should be a discount on the standard even if they can't write it off altogether because of the room - after all he's not making any use of the infrastructure that goes alongside it.

savingholmes

Hi HSL and EH
Yeah I thought the obelisks were an inspired option - they certainly look beautiful - even while empty. They weren't the best quality - and the 4th set had a piece missing but I just asked DH to make it one tier lower so that worked out. I can't wait for the little growths to show through. I planted some peas direct in the ground yesterday with just about an inch of so of extra compost covering them. 1 of 5 W***o pots I ordered turned up today in a huge cardboard box.  Some spray on moisturiser arrived today from S*drug - the box had been ripped open but the contents were still inside. Presumably whoever ripped it was disappointed with the contents and left it!

Really need to cut back on spending though as I over-spent last month - on food, art and gardening! We did pay £1480 off debt  so that will have contributed to my perception of over-spending. I need to redo my budget - as by yesterday I was O/d and had spent £ on a CC - however this was more than covered by my EF. I spent on my CC as I was worried in case the people I bought from went bust. DH is understandably not happy with my spending.

Thankfully the sun is shining here so plan to get back out in the garden later - cultivating the newly uncovered planting area - adding some compost - watering it in and deciding what to plant in it. DH has already taken the dog for a walk. His sugar and BP was brill today again - mine not so much but I ate badly late last night. I may try to do low cal today and see how I go on. I want a good result tomorrow!

savingholmes

So I have re-worked our budget assuming we pay for DS's uni costs in full - that way any benefit can go to CCs if it materialises - we expect to have an update from the uni by around the end of next week. Because of this - we intend to keep debt repayments at the low end this month - and save the difference. That way if our chairs were able to be delivered next month we would have the £ to pay for them. For each month the delivery gets put back though - will probably use at some of the £ to pay down CCs rather than letting it all accrue so I don't see the £ and overspend.

I think my job should be safe - and even if it wasn't there's a healthy redundancy pay scheme in place. As long as I keep my job we'd manage or with redundancy £ we could manage for a number of months if required. DH is worried about his job - however the CC true minimum payments (rather than ones we've fixed) and the revised mortgage minimum payments are low enough that we'd survive (by cutting back significantly) on one wage. I nearly applied for a job a few months ago where I would have been a temp worker but on more £ - as you can imagine I am so grateful now that I didn't. 

savingholmes

Well today is diet truth time - drum roll please - I have lost 5lb and 0.6% fat percentage (so hopefully I am preserving/building muscle). My BP was 127/67 with a resting heart rate of 67 down from 135/77 and 76 pulse a week ago - part of that could be understanding better how to use the machine and making sure I've been sitting at least 5 mins before I take it.  I didn't do 5:2 perfectly - but did try to reduce my eating on the other days to make up for it. Not tested sugar as DH busy. DH didn't weigh himself before breakfast but yesterday he had lost a similar amount. His sugar a week ago was 12 and is now 8 (one day it was as low as 7.1). DH is trying to do 800-1000 cals a day and eat far more low carb. His BP has really improved this last week too.

Yesterday I had the inspired idea to 'manage' my children and asked DS to sort out the kitchen and DD to help put my washing away. DS spent 3 or 4 hours really making a proper job of finding places for things etc. He packed my painting stuff up and put it in the garage, stored food away, put stuff in the dishwasher, washed up etc. He felt better afterwards too as he felt he'd been productive. DH was exhausted and slept for hours. He is still feeling exhausted today - I am hoping it is just because of the diet. I know its not his sugar as his sugar levels are improving and last night were around 7.

I did at least an hour and half in the garden - a lot of it was sitting down but still I made a difference. I took pics so in future years my memory of lockdown would be gardening rather than all the rest. The pink flowers of the apple tree against my newly turquoise shed look amazing. Plenty left to do. I didn't spend any new money yesterday so that was an improvement. I even dusted off my washing line and hung some washing out. I left it out overnight as it was still damp - so want to go and get it in now before they attract too much pollen. 

Our mortgage payment went out today - so officially over paid by £204 - however the last instalment was entered on our mortgage account as £206 at the end of March not the new interest only value of £126 from 1/4/20 (canny) meaning that we are not dropping our mortgage by as much as I'd hoped this month despite the OP. From May onwards we should start to notice more benefit. 

EssexHebridean

Can't beat the smell of outside dried washing! Everything goes out here whenever we can aside from towels which go through the dryer to just damp and then go outside to finish off - that was I get the advantage of the softness from the dryer with the  freshness from outside drying.

I take it with the diet thing what DH is doing is under supervision of a dietician as it's such an extreme low calorie plan? The extreme exhaustion should probably be reported back although I'm sure you will be doing - they may well adjust the levels so he eases into it a little more gradually, especially if he is still working normal hours at the moment.

Sounds like your shed and my balcony fence might be a similar colour - the fence is pretty much turquoise too - not a colour I would EVER have got MrEH to go for otherwise, but on this occasion it was needs must! 

savingholmes

Hi EH - like the idea of drier to finish it off! I know I should dry stuff outside - just mostly can't get through the back door for the 3foot high pile of washing in the way! I got DD to shift it yesterday. Will try to do better. Did I mention we are really missing our cleaner!

We aren't doing the diet under medical supervision - however - DH's sugars and BP were so high we had to do something as we didn't want him on insulin. Once he saw the dramatic difference dieting made to his sugars - he chose to go all in. There are positive studies currently that 800 calories a day for 12 weeks could reverse diabetes. DH though has wrecked his diet for the last few days as he's been eating way too many hazelnuts! He was eating them like peanuts! I've informed him of the error of his ways and confiscated them. He is now doing 1 meal replacement and 2 low carb meals. He is  just over 18st so plenty of room to play with. We are testing his sugars at least twice a day and checking his bp several times daily so think we are being sensible. Depending on whether we continue to see a downward trend in his sugar levels will at some point speak to the GP about lowering his meds. We are both off work on holiday this week - and then working from home so it was the ideal time to diet.

Chrystal

SH is OH doing the 5:2 as well?  If he is then he shouldn't be 'fasting' every day or it doesn't work.  His body will just think there's a famine on and store as much as it can.  5:2 seems to work because of the difference in the daily calories.  I have known people do every other day as fasting, but even that needs to be built up to.

Sorry if I'm teaching my granny to suck eggs, so to speak, but a bit concerned about OHs tiredness etc.  X

savingholmes

Thanks Crystal - I am doing closer to 5:2 - DH is doing the fast 800 diet or close to.  12 week 800 cal diets are recommended on the Diabetes website - I have checked and the studies they reference are the same ones used in the books that goes with the diet. Well I went for my first walk in a while. I was faster than I was last time. I think using the garden as physio and losing even just 5lbs has made a difference so I am really pleased. W***os delivered 5 stackable plant pots in huge separate boxes LOL.

mark55man

well done SH - you've had a great week