20/20 Vision (repaying a debt to my home and myself)

doingitanyway

I slept on my living room floor last night to avoid the scurrying noises of the squirrels keeping me awake. I expected to wake with aches but surprisingly no, I did not.:)

I got the window quote yesterday and it is so very high. I will call and see if I can get the cost down a few pounds. I only have 25% of the quote put away currently but I need to do this somehow and borrowing isn’t an option for me.:(

DONE
Washing dishes (none left now) :T:T
Healthy breakfast
Clearing and hoovering the hallway
Banking/reconcile

I feel as if I am spending all the time. I hate ‘frittering’ due to forgetting lunch or drinks but the intentional spending is due to getting organised. It is all to further my goals long term and usually to save money in the long term. Even my boots met my goal of looking less shabby as the boots I was wearing were fit for the garden really I’m embarrassed to say.

I think I am in hyper organisation mode because my sabbatical is coming up so it feels like I need to get everything in line, sort of like an end of year feeling.

Today I will collect my backpack and find a back up drive so I don’t lose my data if my computer crashes whilst I am on sabbatical.

Have a good day everyone

doingitanyway

in_need_of_direction wrote: »

DIA you can’t do it all at once. Trying is madness. You got one offs cleared this week. The routine stuff can always be caught up with. You are doing brilliantly.

Thanks INOD. My problem is I don't have a routine. I am forever firefighting. I am hoping that once I stop work I can work on creating a routine so this madness can stop. I should have this stuff sorted by now. I am middle-aged for goodness sake

greenbee

DIA - it's hard trying to do all this stuff on your own. I'm in the same boat as well, and there is always something throwing a spanner in the works. I don't have squirrels, but I think the mice have moved back in

I'm cross about this, as I know its due to the electrician moving a cable and not sealing round the hole. All the others had been done when the redid the insulation in the roof. So I've been out to the garage and brought in the poison - I'm not up to dealing with traps at the moment.

The good thing about getting quotes is that you know how much you need to save and can prioritise. So it's worth getting them done. You can always go back and explain to them that you can't afford it at the moment, but now you have a figure you'll be saving up (it might incentivise them to give you a discount, but will also mean they know you're not messing them about).

HairyHandofDartmoor

You'll be glad when you get the fascias done and the squirrels can't get in any more.

Look at your situation long term DIA and see how much you're achieving :T.

doingitanyway

Thanks greenbee good point about the quotes and how hard it is running a house/repairs alone. I appreciate it and sorry about your mice! And yes HH this won't be over until the fascias are done. The piecemeal approach fails as they just make new holes in other rotten sections

I didn’t pick up the backpack as I would have had to pay fares of £5 to get there. I decided to leave it until a day when I was already covered for travel with a weekly pass.:money: Got home and there was an email saying there was a delay and the bag would not be in until Monday. Tomorrow, I will get a weekly travel pass as I am due lots of travel. That saves money. I will pick it up on Tuesday instead.

I am due to do a 9 mile walk over the Christmas period.:T

I tried on some walking boots today. They fit brilliantly when wearing very thick socks but without socks too big. Not sure now as in the summer I would wear thin socks. On the other hand on long walks in the heat I guess my feet would swell? What do other walkers do?

I went to 2 supermarkets today and another place for a coffee. I am going to start monitoring my food shopping by using a food shop purse and a lump sum. I suspect my grocery bill is a massive overspend I might join a challenge on MSE too.

Today I appreciated my car and not carrying lots of things. I am starting to feel much more relaxed about driving too

I hope your Sunday has been enjoyable

greenbee

It sounds as if your fascias need to be your priority if that's what it will take to keep the squirrels out. Have you had a quote?

Mice will be fed later - I've got a tub of bait out of the garage while I've been tidying up in there and just need to open the loft hatch, get the ladder down and fling some food in for them to enjoy. I'm far too wimpy to do traps (although I will if they come into the main part of the house).

doingitanyway

greenbee wrote: »

It sounds as if your fascias need to be your priority if that's what it will take to keep the squirrels out. Have you had a quote?
.

Thanks Greenbee. The cost of the fascias exceeds the window as it involves scaffolding so it will have to wait. In the meantime I will do the window. I'll get a few more quotes for the fascias if I can get more builder recommendations. I'm working on it!

doingitanyway

Sat down and had a think about why I am always drowning under dishes. :mad: If I had a dishwasher it wouldn’t be an issue but I don’t and it is. I have an omelette for breakfast, so that is a bowl to whisk and a frying pan, cutlery, a plate, a cup for tea, another for coffee, teapot, cafitiere… Going to swop to boiled eggs and a piece of toast for a healthier start to the day AND FEWER DISHES.

Also, I rarely get the end of the dishes so not starting from a clean slate before adding to them. I insist on a clean cup for every drink even when it is the same drink! Stoping that now.

Also going to attempt to have all dishes done and the kitchen clean by 7pm. I eat early due to restricted window eating so this should be possible. SICK OF LIVING IN MESS. :mad: If this doesn’t work I will stop eating to keep the kitchen clean (not really)


Washing up X1,X1,X1
Old kettle packed away
Food waste bagged and sorted
Hob cleaned
Plants watered
Packed lunch made for tomorrow

Decluttered old magazines

My backpack is in, so off out to pick it up. If I can pick up YS goods I will but I have plenty. I’m going to allow myself £100 this month for food. I already have lots in so that should be totally doable

Hope you are all having a good start to the week.

RosaBernicia

Is it worth you getting a dishwasher DIA? There are tabletop versions if you don't have space for a full cupboard type one. (I look at them occasionally, then decide I'd rather spend the money on something else and continue washing up by hand, but I don't mind the mess and it sounds like it stresses you.)


Rosa xx

greenbee

I tend to try to cook one-pot meals for exactly this reason. But I do also have a dishwasher - and almost everything goes in it. Some people think it isn't worth it for one person, but TBH by the time I've had the odd clean glass/mug and done some actual cooking (pans, knives, ladles, cafetiere filters etc all go in) it fills up fairly fast. And there are slimline or even table top options (I don't like the idea of the tabletop ones - work surface is a priority for me!).

I have to admit I'm very lazy about emptying the cafetiere as it's such a messy job - and I take them completely apart every time (after working in a restaurant where clearly they hadn't realised it could be done and having to properly clean every single one...). So I've given in and ordered myself a nespresso - we'll see how I get on with it.