taking responsibilty to get me where I want to be

efes_shareholder

oh i just remembered some other news to share

last weekend I had a girls day out - NM keeps pestering me to see gf's and to be honest I probably should so after a bit of head scratching and costing up , instead of going in to town - we took a flight!

return flight to poland , ubers to city centre ,city tour , lunch , cocktails + £110 spend and a girls day we wont forget in a hurry

Humdinger1

Wonderful @efes_shareholder! Girlfriends are essential. Good to see NM looking out for you love Humdinger xx

efes_shareholder

day 9 of back in the office - its long and i'm shattered although i did manage to put a chilli in the slow cooker this morning …………..my boss has told me he is reviewing at the end of the month so roll on April

My washing , housework and diet/eatin plan is suffering

NM is at a funeral today , he has picked up a friend from childhood who recently got back in touch , we went for dinner at her house - I didn't like her , maybe my radar is off but I feel a bit uncomfortable about her - not sure why , I guess sometimes you just don't take too people.

We are still waiting on confirmation of when the car can be collected , its having a supplier recall carried out. the convertible goes tomorrow. a little sad about that but we don't need it.

The account doesnt look as healthy as previous months this month ,then I remember I have paid £175 for a girls trip in May ,£130 in birthday gift , £70 for birthday dinner and £290 in to my savings , the last being done somewhat tenatively as if I dont stay in the black I will need to recall some.

Have over paid the mortgage by £180 this month , £150 on the usual direct debit and an additional £30 from quidco gains , slowly I am sneaking the overpayment up and hoping that I do not notice it

plan is to clear the 0% cards , keep the PB at a max and then home in on getting the mortgage gone - there is 17 years on the term but the sooner I start , the sooner it goes - well thats my theory anyway

efes_shareholder

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81921061#Comment_81921061

it was great - recommend girls days out in another country if you live close enough to an airport x

efes_shareholder

day 15 in the office and I am full of head cold………………havent had a cold in forever. my supervisor has cried off and WFH but I decided to tough it out to prove a point , I also wasn't entirely sure how it would go down if I called in.

need not have worried , my manager has tried to send me home 3 times but seems pointless now I am here - HOWEVER should I not feel better tomorrow I am going to take the oppurtunity to stay home.

Didn't help that I walked to the local shops last night in the rain to get bread - anyway I will be having a bath and getting in to bed and doing not much else.

Life has been spendy this month , I still have grandsons 2nd birthday to go but did best part of £100 if not more on my daughters day in london - further advocates my day trips for girls days ROFL

should be able to limp to pay day in the black but used to seeing more money in my account at this stage of the month.

Our convertible did not go this month , we sold it on MW auction site for a good 800 less then it suggested we should get , the buyer has messed about arranging a time to collect and I envisaged we would have issues. They turned up trying to find fault in the car as any dealer would , the car is old but it is low mileage has FSH and not mechanical issues , they found what they tried to show me as a leak on a pipe which i shrugged off and told him its a 16 year old car

They went away , spoke to their make believe mechanic and then came back trying to low ball me by another 800 odd pounds - by this time i was tired off the whole process and had actually been re considering which car to get rid off as the sun is starting to emerge and this one goes topless. I asked him if he was going to buy the car at the agreed price to which he said no " fair enough" I said I won't waste any more of your time. As I locked the car he tried to engage further and asked me what i was looking for " what we agreed on the app" I said. He then said how about we split the difference and you knock £400 off - I scoffed , told him he had got my back up and the car was worth more to me to drive around all summer and enjoy then to let him walk away with it for next to nothing "keep your money " i told him and i'll keep my car and I turned my back and walked away.

Technically I do need to sell the car but I did feel rather pleased that my back bone is still in tact and although there were two of them to my one I did not allow them to talk me in to things and just walked away.

We don't "need" to sell the car , we can sell NM's run around first for next to nothing and have one final summer in the convertible

The new car is not yet ready.

efes_shareholder

ok so a bit of progress with other things…………………..

have had a day at home as had a very heavy cold which felt like covid - it isn't but it was horrible , supervisor down with it too. We will return to a WFH rota after easter , not as generous as I was on before but a 50/50 split between office and home so I really can't complain. I don't really mind coming in , its just when its all week its a bit of a shock to the system and upsets all routines.

Had a phone consultation with the specialist gastrologist at our local private hospital after a lot of pleading with my GP's - my stomach is still appalling and its dehabiliting at times , HOWEVER the specialist seems to be off the opinion that it could well be SIBO - I don't want to self diagnose however a bit of research it could most likely be , it also explains some Neuropath symptons that I have put down to menopause. The issues have been on going for close to 6 years which if it is bad bacteria in the wrong place is an awful long time to start really attacking your auto immune system. I have to wait to go in for a 2-3 hour breath test and should that be positive its a long course of antibiotics and potentially a complete diet overhaul. Ironically I am a self confessed ultra processed food advocate however alot of the things I eat for their health benefit are bacteria's dream - onions , sweet potatoes , whole grains , oats , green veg - potentially its having the opposite affect.

money is still a little bare this month , its been a paying for the future type of spendy month but we are still on track

quidco has come through with a £51 pay out so that is being allocated straight to my mortgage over payment - last month my interest was £30 less then the previous month so over the course of time its in my interests I am sure.

efes_shareholder

its going to be one of those months

the tv screen is bleeding and virtually unwatchable - its a pretty new set at 3 and a half years old but no warranty

NM and I have gone halves on a new set from costco

number 1 on new set criteria - 5 year warranty !!

Newstartforme

What a month ES . Really interesting that there may be an answer for your health issues but what a time you have been suffering. Is it a difficult illness to diagnose then ? Xx

efes_shareholder

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81930381#Comment_81930381

I'm not sure it is - the problem is I've been in a ever turning circle for the last 3 years of having a flair , contacting my GP , doing blood and stool tests , getting normal results and rather then investigate they put it down to IBS which they do when they can't find a reason.

Last time I spoke to the GP I said I was fed up with the cycle and I wanted to be sent back to the specialist as just because my cameras etc were clear in 2021/2022 doesn't mean they are.

10 minute call with the specialist and he seems to think this is the cause - I have a 3 hour test on 6th May which should diagnose or not however having researched the condition I will be amazed if its not a positive result - its incredibly frustrating to have suffered this long however I guess it just shows you have to be your own advocate with these things.

Newstartforme

I really do hope you get the treatment you need , that's such a long time to suffer , fingers crossed for you , have a lovely weekend xx