Keeping on the Straight and Narrow...

FootyFanDan

Indeed, we love the classic 80's / 90's films. I don't know if it is just a nostalgia view but everything just seemed so much better back then. I think daughter fav of the past films we have watched so far were Big and also loves Back to the Future films.

DancingInTheRain

Yeah I agree, love them! We also rate Ghostbusters, The Karate Kid film, Honey I Shrunk the Kids and recently introduced the boys to Drop Dead Fred too 🤣

DancingInTheRain

A day full of rubbish news for people I care about and a reminder that life can change in the blink of an eye 😐

I'm lucky to have a great support network, and to be part of this wonderful forum and am truly appreciative but for anyone reading this who needs someone else to reach out to please contact any of the organisations listed ❤️

DancingInTheRain

Today's PAD: £2 to M&S CC & £2 to Savings.

Debt total now £4858 (M&S CC £363)

FootyFanDan

I hope you are okay. Life is so fragile and it can be changed so quickly and in most cases so unexpectedly.

DancingInTheRain

Thanks @FootyFanDan I'm fine, there's been an unfortunate spike in deaths by suicide in the area I live recently and it got a bit closer to home yesterday. It's heartbreaking, especially as there's young children been left without a parent and, on the outside at least, you'd never have known these individuals were struggling so much 💔

On top of that, a young friend of the family has had a shocking and unexpected health diagnosis and we're all reeling. Waiting to hear the next steps for them too, doesn't appear to be life threatening at the moment thank goodness but obviously lots of worry and uncertainty there.

In more mundane news, today has been spent resetting my phone as it was running very slowly, seems better now but has been a bit of an annoyance logging into all my apps again and resetting or verifying endless passwords.

Had an email from Jam D0ughnut today as I haven't used the app since Xmas, they've added £2 to my account to tempt me back and a boosted rate on supermarket vouchers. Unfortunately they sent this about 30 minutes after I had returned from the weekly shop 😲 but moving forward, I'm going to get back into the habit of using it as it's a simple way of getting a few extra free £'s. Looking at the 'cashed out history for 2025 I earned £140 last year!

Also took some bags of small change to pay in at the bank today, total £12 so added this to the CC PAD.

Today's PAD: £14 to M&S CC & £2 to Savings.

Debt total now £4844 (M&S CC £349)

FootyFanDan

sending hugs. Sorry to hear about the family friend and hope for a positive outcome. We’ve got a hotspot in our area and when you hear that road is closed you know the reason and it’s just tragic.

u feel for you with the phone reset having recently gone through the process and it was a pain. I’ve also gotta do same with my work phone soon too but hopefully not as many apps to sign into

ohdearhowdidthathappen

Sorry to hear about your family friend’s illness, that’s a worry.

We live close to a railway bridge the locals (depressingly but accurately) call ‘Suicide bridge’ and also a level crossing often used for the same reason. It’s always sad when people can’t see another way out of their problems. I think life is getting harder for people and there seeks to be less access to help 😢

DancingInTheRain

Thanks both, it's just awful that it's becoming more common everywhere it seems and with all ages. There's been 2 young girls in our local area (Year 8) who have gone down the same route, it makes me feel physically sick to think that young children have these feelings and have felt that was their only option.

Our area had a safeguarding alert from the police this week about a Whatsapp group doing the rounds which is targeting children and encouraging them to self harm and worse. Utterly despicable - (anti)social media companies have a lot to answer for in addition to life generally getting harder.

In MSE news, I've been clearing out some old games and toys, donated to charity shops rather than trying to sell as just wanted to create some space. I've also picked up a 2nd hand clothes rail for £5 that I'm going to utilise to sort the kids wardrobes to create some V!nted bundles. Theory being that I'll iron the items, list them then hang them neatly to make it easier to identify them when they hopefully sell. Longer term I want to sort my wardrobe out too and do the same. DH will take more encouragement but he is working through his other stuff slowly so can't complain too much.

I've also got logged back in to all of my phone apps again apart from 1 banking app that is a donor account for switching so I'll need to find the paperwork for that to proceed but at least it doesn't affect any day-to-day banking.

Today's PAD: £2 to M&S CC & £2 to Savings.

Debt total now £4842 (M&S CC £347)

ohdearhowdidthathappen

I love Vinted, have sold so much stuff through them, the clothes rail will definitely make life easier 😊