Life is a minestrone as the song says - my new diary

teapot2

Really much colder today, don't think the temperature got above freezing despite the bright sunlight. I went out to post the online sale so good to get that done. OTOH took a couple of bags of change to pay into the bank but forgot to take my card so just took the bags back home job for another day.... but also a NSD.

Got a few surveys on One Poll today and a 50 point you Gov one with an extra 10 point little one afterwards.

Just heard from my niece that it was -6 when she took wee one to nursery brrrr

teapot2

February to do list

Few financial things I'd like to sort out this coming month;

Check if changing the bank account/debit card attached to my online sales account will trigger re-verification :eek:. If it will then I'll leave things as they are and transfer the money out into another interest earning account. At the moment I don't earn any interest on the account it sits in

Check if I can claim PPI on OH's estate. Resolver advice is to ring the CC company, in this case LLoyds. I'll need to make sure I'm not feeling 'fragile' when I call as in the past I've become upset on the phone and not been able to talk - not helpful!

Open an easy access account that has decent interest. Think it will be a T S B Plus account.

I had a few NSDs in Jan but would like to keep a note this month and see how many I can manage.

'stuff'

Continue with shredding and sorting out OH's paperwork - he worked from home for 10 years and don't think anything was filed or shredded :eek::eek::eek: I've been going through the papers slowly but theres loads still to do.

I'd also like to sort out OH's CDs and check if any are saleable [he had loaaadds]. Also look for other items that might sell. Can chuck any proceeds at the CCs.

Realistically the latter part of this list will take a lot longer but I'll try to keep plugging away.

Work

I also have my post op. check up at the end of the month so will hopefully get the go ahead to start back at work probably in a phased way.

teapot2

Treats and fun

I use the bereavement allowance I get monthly to pay for coffees and lunches out with or without friends/family and I'll continue to do this until it runs out in a few months.

This month I've taken the money out in cash and will keep it in a separate purse to keep a better eye on what I'm spending.

Got a couple of friends coming to stay for a few days in the middle of the month so that will be spendy but good and lovely to see them both.

I'm beginning to be a bit more mobile now so depending on the weather it will be easier to go further afield under my own steam.

A few weeks after OH died, I decided that I wouldn't turn down an invitation even if I didn't feel like it, unless it was too expensive or something I couldn't physically cope with. I've kept to this and have tried to be proactive as well in arranging meetups. I felt it would be too easy for me to withdraw and I knew that wouldn't help my mental health.

beanielou

teapot2 wrote: »

Treats and fun

I use the bereavement allowance I get monthly to pay for coffees and lunches out with or without friends/family and I'll continue to do this until it runs out in a few months.

This month I've taken the money out in cash and will keep it in a separate purse to keep a better eye on what I'm spending.

Got a couple of friends coming to stay for a few days in the middle of the month so that will be spendy but good and lovely to see them both.

I'm beginning to be a bit more mobile now so depending on the weather it will be easier to go further afield under my own steam.

A few weeks after OH died, I decided that I wouldn't turn down an invitation even if I didn't feel like it, unless it was too expensive or something I couldn't physically cope with. I've kept to this and have tried to be proactive as well in arranging meetups. I felt it would be too easy for me to withdraw and I knew that wouldn't help my mental health.

All great.
So agree with the last part.
Our MH is so important

greent

teapot2 wrote: »

Hi greent, thanks for dropping by, I do remember your name as well from before. Thanks, I'll be interested to know how you get on with Circle when you get round to it x

Just to update you on Circle - I set up an account and cashed out from Pr0lific to there no problem (think it took 24 hours to 'arrive' but I thought I read somewhere that Pr0 don't send payments out every day) I then transferred from C1rcle to my current account - struggled to do that using my phone but it was super easy when I used my laptop instead :T - arrived immediately in my bank (and then 'twas transferred to my holiday fund! )


Great use of bereavement fund monies, btw :T

xx

teapot2

beanielou wrote: »

All great.
So agree with the last part.
Our MH is so important

Thanks Beanie, I still have my very down days but one day at a time and as you say 'keep plodding'.:beer:

teapot2

greent wrote: »

Just to update you on Circle - I set up an account and cashed out from Pr0lific to there no problem (think it took 24 hours to 'arrive' but I thought I read somewhere that Pr0 don't send payments out every day) I then transferred from C1rcle to my current account - struggled to do that using my phone but it was super easy when I used my laptop instead :T - arrived immediately in my bank (and then 'twas transferred to my holiday fund! )


Great use of bereavement fund monies, btw :T

xx

thanks for the update greent, much appreciated. Glad it was straightforward with Circle. Yes I believe you can cash out instantly if you set up Paypal that way but there are charges as you know. Otherwise I think Prolific pay twice a week.

Sadly I seem to have broken Prolific for the moment I've gone from regular studies sometimes two or three a day to one in the last two and a half weeks. I've emailed and my account is ok so not sure what that's about. I've got £4.50 sitting on the account so not enough to cash out.

Thanks re the bereavement allowance spends too

Karmacat

I was too slow to respond to Prolific for the first couple of things, and I don't get anything from them at the moment Now that SB is so appallingly bad, I might log on to the Prolific site and try and jiggle it up



Excellent use of bereavment money and attitude to invites, I agree - my sister decided the same when she was first widowed. And an elderly widowed lady, who'd also been widowed young, said to her "I've had a good life. Not the one that I imagined, but its still been enjoyable" - of course, that lady's husband had died more than 30 years previously, so that sense of perspective has gradually grown with time.


Teapot, was your OH employed or self employed? I know you said he worked from home, but that could still be either ... its just that if he was employed, maybe someone from their HR could help you about how to cope with his work stuff? Apologies if thats not appropriate.



Hope the check up goes well, but thats still a while away - you're still convalescent, remember

teapot2

Today was a NSD, must have been several degrees warmer today as no frost at all when I got up.

I was able to go out the back and fill up the bird feeder finally, the last few days the frost has been on the decking and its treacherous when its like that.

Did some washing and looked for recipes to cook with what I have, There's a block of Halloumi I need to use - yum.

One online sale this weekend so far :j

I've managed a bit of sorting out OH's papers but there's so much I get a bit overwhelmed and give up. I can't just recycle it as there is some confidential info in there so I have to go through it all. I've realised today that what might help is to keep going and shred a pile of 'stuff' or make a pile of charity shop donations and then donate!! All I seem to be doing is moving 'stuff' around and putting it in different piles but not actually doing anything with it . Ages ago I sorted out some stuff to put on Freecycle but its still sitting there.

So, tomorrow's job is to spend a few hours actually sorting some of the papers and 'stuff'. Hopefully writing it here will give me the kick up the bahookie to do it

beanielou

The other thing you could consider is secure shredding.
Collect the shredding as you go along & then you take it somewhere for them to deal with.
I have recently done this with confidential shredding for a charity.