Prosperous soul in the making

savingholmes

Had an okay day so far. DH and I went with pooch to an NT place but the weather was drizzling, then cold then too hot so we didn't stay long. I took him to his fave pie shop and he ate there at lunch - and I got some chips from elsewhere plus a pie - but wasn't struck. DH has gone to bed so birthday steak is late!  Planning a fire pit later with our new lights. It was raining earlier but stopped now. DH's car also has an oil warning light - so there seems to be a problem since the oil change a few weeks ago - but we don't know what.

I made the mistake of nipping into M&S for some birthday food and spent way too much! I picked up a bra while I was there too - as I recently had to bin one where the wire was coming out. I am struggling against a mindset of... 'Get it now while I can' as if the virus peaks again I will stay in. I've only just started going out again the last 2-3 weeks... It was the first time I had been there since mid March. I have a haircut next weekend - and I have a feeling he wears a visor not a mask - so tempted to ask him to wear a mask while he does my hair!! Don't think it will go down well though... 

DS will hopefully be paid tomorrow but they have stopped all his work with zero warning as they are not getting enough money in - so unlikely to get any board at the end of August!! Boohoo! Need to get back on plan - but the potential hole of £ from DS is a blow. Let's hope he uses his time well to develop the other side of his business that he's more interested in. I also hope he hasn't pre-spent all his money!

MovingForwards

Can DH reach under the engine to check the new oil filter has been screwed on properly and the sump plug too? Has he checked the oil level as usually they need topping up again after a few weeks as the oil circulates.

If you are in a mask and hairdresser in a visor it will be sufficient as he will not be facing you for long, if at all. Mine was behind / to the side of me 95% of the time and I've had a fringe put in.

I'm sure DS will sort something out, he has found ways so far. Redo your budgets to see where you can trim a bit.

savingholmes

Re the car - we think the garage messed it up when they changed the oil - he's been back once already - there's no oil leak, smoke or bad smell so we think the oil is collecting underneath - and that the mechanic didn't fit something correctly. He's going back with it tomorrow. DS then wants to borrow the car and go away for a week once he's been paid and just have some time to himself. TBH I think we'd all like the break! 

Re DS - I was trying not to rely on his £ just irritating really - as he's dictated food element of the board and we bought a bed - so not in profit yet LOL. It will slow our £ plans down - but the kitchen is doing that too. I just have to see the kitchen spends as an investment for the future - it's not like I've gone extreme. Hopefully DD will finish painting the sides of the cupboard doors tomorrow. I just want to get them back up. We can then touch them up in situ.  The exciting bit will be when we get the new drawers in for the tin cupboard. The extra matching drawer to the original we are putting in - DH didn't quite get it level - so needs to have another go - then needs to do the other one to match. Good for DD to see that few are perfect first time though.

DD's friend has suggested she applies for a job where she works - it pays £8.32 per hour - and currently can be done from home so she is quite excited! She needs me to help her do her CV.

savingholmes

Well after all my excitement over the larder drawers - we couldn't get them to fit. One of our 500mm units has had its back brought forward so it can't fit them in. Sadly it looks like it will cost me at least £18.40 to send them back!! Worth it though as it cost £120. I am also sending something else back that is defective that I spent £8.99 on so that will help offset it.

DD and I went and spent hours walking around Ik3@. I spent more but got solutions for more cupboards so think it will balance out. I bought DH a side table / laundry basket (wire frame with wooden lid) £15. 4 x 500mm wide baskets for £3.50 each. Only 1 will fit in our 500mm cupboard - unless I stack one on top of the other - so planning to put them at the base of the 600mmm wide cupboards. Some black letter wire trays that if we can put them together we hope to use in the kitchen cupboard £8 each x 2. and 4 x £13 black wire baskets with a middle separator and a handle. We also bought some wooden cultery trays and a knife holder for our future kitchen cupboard drawer.

I got the Ik3@ kitchen people to work out the full list of what I need for my new appliance cupboard - so planning to amend my order with the B n Q place accordingly. He said that stuff was delivery only. I also finally managed to get a parasol base so will ring Ik3@  Customer Services for a refund on the other one that only part arrived. It's been over a month and they still hadn't sent me a replacement. My costs for that are due to rise so I need to compare the order price list but much better to get something the right height

savingholmes

DH did successfully fit the B n Q drawer that I bought to what was a blank drawer front. It is a very snug fit but got it in after several attempts. Now we understand more why. I got a few stand type things that I am hoping to put under the sink to create more storage levels despite the mass of pipes in there stopping other solutions. I may spray the white baskets I bought black to match the others assuming we can get them together. DH has struggled with the letter tray as did I so it isn't as simple as it sounds LOL.

savingholmes

Hurray - DS has been paid. That's a relief. He's renegotiated money for this month on the basis he would rather buy his own food directly. I think that will save us money as so far - with last month being a 5 week month - and him being quite demanding it has been very expensive!! He originally negotiated £40 off if he did jobs but he hasn't been doing them. Given I had already bought this week's food for him when he sought to renegotiate I agreed he should pay £300 not the £250 he was offering. (it was originally due to be £400-440). Given I know he has been paid £2.5K+ today I don't think that is unreasonable - particularly given we may need to fund him if he doesn't get more work in. I can now go through the grocery order and strip out his expensive choices though so that's good. 

badmemory

Just make sure that when he says "Mum if you are going shopping will you pick up **** for me" that you hold your hand out for the cash.  Got to love DSs! but sometimes they do need a reality check.  Why is it that you always have to remind them - well about anything really.  I always think they get worse once they get older.  Mine at 13 did his very few chores once asked - by the time he was 15 I became a nag.  Puberty has a lot to answer for!

MovingForwards

Phew, thank good DS came through and it will work out better with you not subsidising his expensive diet. 

Got my fingers crossed for DD.

I'm so sorry to hear the kitchen didn't quite go as planned, but your new and improved ideas sound great. Do let us know how you get on with the undersink space improvement, as it is such a waste of space how they are done; that's one of the reasons I want a handmade kitchen when I get mine done, plus wanting cupboards which go to the ceiling.
Your kitchen is going to look so good when you have finished the transformation 🤗

badmemory

My kitchen is only 6 foot wide & I am hoping for floor to ceiling shelves with sliding doors in front.  Just hoping I can find someone that will do that without trying to tell me what I should want!

jwil

Shame about the larder drawers, everything else sounds like it's coming together though.

Glad DS got paid as well