My 25 Months Challenge

StripeyTightsSpottySocks

Well progress has been made and i've done extra things such as emptying bins and sorting recycling etc.

Think i need to focus on clearing and cleaning can follow another day Except for pots and washing up etc.

Just had an ok lunch of pasta and pesto - i didn't really like the pesto though and i've the rest of this jar to use and another one :eek: It is food and edible so i'll just have to eat it

Weekend was as busy as expected and has left me very tired today - but i must get on with the above jobs to make the rest of the week / next weekend easier.

Spent £4 towards items for tea yesterday - i wasn't happy to do it but Mr Socks wanted something more treaty and to buy the ingredients would have cost even more. I didn't buy some other things i was going to get so should really even out.

StripeyTightsSpottySocks

exhausted but determined to keep plodding on! 1 bag left to do in kitchen and a few bits on the worktops as well. Moved a couple of things into cupboard which meant a quick sort out in there - really the cupboards need emptying and a clean - they are clean but i like to do this every so often.

Just had a bowl of leftover veg - hopefully i'll still be hungry at tea But was hungry now and decided veg that was leftover would be a frugal and healthy choice :A

So a few more pots to do, washing still ongoing and i'll tackle those few bits before starting in the living room.

Utility is an eye sore but is out of the way and we need our main living areas to be a bit better. It is hard struggling with low energy I used to be constantly on the go and now i am worn out after doing a few jobs - partly why our home has, frankly, got into a bit of a mess

i really want to check my account as well so i must do that soon

StripeyTightsSpottySocks

Well i pushed hard and got the kitchen cleared :T Yeah! Go me

I have made a tiny start in the living room but energy levels are at practically zero and Mr Socks plans have changed so he is home earlier than usual. Is it just me or is it harder to get things done when there is someone else there all the time

I spent some money at the weekend £12 in a massive clearance sale and got a good haul of stationery for that. And the items i got made me so very happy and i used my little bag of change which has just about been used up now. But a very good 'pick me up' for the price - i could have spent more if i'd had more time to look. I was glad i had the cash for this but then when i bought last of last week's shopping yesterday (about £9) i did think i could have used bag of change had i not treated myself :think:

Washing has all been done and moved - i have a part load in but waiting until there is a full load for that to go on :money:

Parted with a top which is nice but i don't *love* - was 50p charity find and i've worn it 2 or 3 times now - i'd normally try and get more wear out of things but space is now at a premium

Met up with friends at the weekend - one was saying how they'd already been shopping for clothes for our xmas night out. just had a cheeky look online - it is easy to be tempted by the very nice new clothes - i have lots (shhh too many ) very nice clothes - from the charity shop so not the chance to get the very up to date specific things but that's ok. I have decluttered quite a few clothes recently and that is good too - buying in charity shop, i sometimes think something is ok only to find it isn't just right when i come to wear it and obviously i can't return things there.

Ok, tea is waiting to be made so i should really get on with that now and i'll try and chip away at the living room dumping ground too

& i need to make a minimal shopping list for food this week - it's never very reduced as cats food is a set price and whilst i try them with the odd bargain i find they can be very fussy - unlike me with the pesto i'll be persevering with :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

savingholmes

HI Stripey - very impressed by all you've achieved - especially parting with your beloved books. I have had to stop going to charity shops - as it apparently stops being a bargain when I run out of space to store it and consider buying storage - who knew? I need to get back on the decluttering band wagon - but not sure when I will. I did part with a bottle I had decorated, lights and a card this week - and asked my DD if it counted She said it did but was nowhere near enough as I had got out of the habit of letting 3 things go a day.... I think she will get me back on track soon - so much admit I'm waiting. I have thrown out a few stained clothes - but struggle to let things go too.

savingholmes

Hope you manage to create more energy soon. Have you ever looked into 'spoon theory' and different kinds of spoons needed for different tasks - it explains a lot. So for example, I have to be very organised at work but its as if I've used all my spoons for that at work and have few of that spoon if any left by the time I get home etc... Perhaps G00gle it... See if it speaks to you.

StripeyTightsSpottySocks

Thank you savings - i will take a look at that

StripeyTightsSpottySocks

Well i am glad to finally be able to sit down - there are plenty of jobs to do but, unfortunately, these won't be today

I'll start with the bad and then move onto the good - my preferred order when given a choice although the good news never seems to make up for it :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

I was feeling very sad yesterday and thought 'none of my boxes are bringing me any happiness / peace' boxes being the different categories in my life so eg home, work, relationships, family, health..

i think i'm going through an early menopause - sorry if TMI - if i am, or if i'm not, the symptoms certainly aren't helping anything either.

But then one of my gorgeous little cats snuggled up to me and they are definitely 'a box of happiness' in my life :smileyhea

And then i thought about how nice it will be to post on here some of my thoughts once processed. So, one of the other good things is this forum and the optimism and supportive community it gives

So whilst all else is crushing me it is nice to have some good things and to realise i have them too

However, I need to feel I can breath properly so some things do need to change. And if they change gradually, and with repetition then that may help those changes to stick Some will be harder than others - I've still not found a satisfactory way to mentally / emotionally deal with the unpleasant family situation Answers on a postcard? But i can start some things and if they go well then that may help other things to?

I am not going to tackle everything at once but i'll just jot down a couple of thing now and go from there.

Home
It is well documented I'm not happy with my home. Plan of action, to no doubt be extended, as well as being in no particular order.
Tidy each room completely (surface)
Once all rooms are tidy begin to clean regularly in an organised way ie week 1 windows are included, week 2 oven :eek:.. try a routine, write it down, change it round if it doesn't work
When cleaning regularly 1 (hidden) area to be decluttered / reorganised / whatever it needs
When coming to the end of the hidden organising, or maybe at any time note down jobs which need to be done in a room eg curtain rail refitting & new curtains. Do it on a spreadsheet. Use a header for each room, Note if I can do the job or will it need external input? Note an estimated cost. maybe an estimated time if i'm doing the task myself - it may be motivating to see a 30 minute job or i may see a 2 hour job can be chunked down into manageable parts
When all decluttering done go through each room with the list and make sure captured everything.
Then start to work on the jobs that can be done and highlight them off the list.
Ensure the garden isn't missed out
Keep an eye on the houses for sale in the area i want to move to

Money
Keep a tight control of finances
Keep food shopping low
Use what we have whilst still making sensible bargain purchases
Inventory and meal plan
Reduce mortgage and save money
Increase income


It is a start

StripeyTightsSpottySocks

Home
Surface / visual tidy was started in the kitchen this week. There are a few items in the kitchen which need to be re-homed at the moment. I was going to do this today but it will be tomorrow now - 5 things. Most were there the other day but i didn't 'see' them. Now everything else is gone i realise they are there. Not quick mostly but once done they are done

I have not added to what was already in the kitchen and made a real effort to maintain what i'd done - i'd call that a win :T

Property search done

Money
Food shopping so far from this week's budget £31.77 I still have about £15 of things to buy but the shops i went to weren't the best price for this. The £31.77 had a lot of things on i didn't have on my list - mainly due to reduced items But i'm happy with these as they were considered and will save us money and will be used Today i've made soup for next week's lunches -to be frozen once fully cooled. I've cooked a joint of meat to use in several meals over the next few days and i've also cooked the filling for a very large meat pie :T
I've resisted the allure of the breakfast run - despite being peckish and stuck to my packed lunch Some people buy breakfast, lunch and several coffees or tea / pop in a day - but that is what suits and works for them. We are all different.

I am really enjoying using up food and not wasting it - hence i've still got the pesto i don't like but will be eating :rotfl:

Todays food was:
breakfast - smoothie - Cost - free :T
Lunch - leftovers - cost - 10p? probably a high guess at that :rotfl:
Tea - Yellow stickered quiche - 59p
Supper - slices of ys fancy bread (usually more like £2 a loaf) - 4p (not even used a quarter of it
Drinks - water - from the tap - free
Tea & coffee - from sachets in the room on holidays - free
Rum - 50p? bought years ago for less than £10 the bottle (it was on offer which was the reason i got it) and i also got a discount - and it's only a very small measure :rotfl: I've no work now until Saturday and clearly know how to party :rotfl:

Bank account checked - urgh! i know the shopping spends will come off the balance but it's still disappointing when it does :rotfl: I need fuel tomorrow too so i really need to try and boost the money in the bank so i can get the bill paid and move on from it! grumbles..

other news?

i am enjoying being inspired and motivated by the diaries on here

i turned down a night out for several reasons - the cost, where we would be going (i don't like it and said this but the choice hasn't changed) i could be spending the money on something i'll enjoy more. But it would be nice to go out with friends though but we aren't that close

StripeyTightsSpottySocks

Today has been fairly good so far. I had an appointment this morning - it was a good thing i allowed extra time to get there (i was going to shop first) as it took almost 45 minutes to get there instead of the usual 15. I arrived on time to find they were running behind :rotfl:

Appointment had and in this respect i am very glad of the NHS, I will now be dealing directly with this section for one of my many small health issues :T This means i can now go back to the docs with one of my other issues when i can muster up the energy - they don't seem to like you going with a few things wrong with you all at the same time

Spends have not been as good - and there is more to come :eek:

£56.06 on a full tank of petrol - really, really hope this lasts until payday

Food:
£14.07 on budget for what was planned yesterday

£10.29 i bought a packet mix for 60p which i was glad of. i mostly cook from scratch but the ingredients for this 1 lot of meat was coming in expensive for all the recipes i looked at. This will hopefully be tasty and a good spot as it was on offer I also bought 2 packs butter - a better offer than buying just 1 next week and will last. A huge good quality foil - i would've needed to buy this next week on a special trip to this shop or paid more elsewhere and some pudding rice - guess what i'll be making later i have milk which needs using up and am very happy with this i also bought some bread rolls for 69p - after a lot of debate with myself :rotfl:After deciding not to buy them i spotted some roadkill on the floor £1.16 - it was too near people bagging up their shopping for me to pick it up (several people that is so not obvious where it had come from) so i spent the 69p as i saw this as a 47p gain overall :rotfl:

I have sorted and moved 1 of the 5 items in the kitchen :T
I have bagged up a pair of sneakers to part with :T
i have cleaned two items in the kitchen and when they're dry they can be moved :T
I've written a list for my last few bits of shopping needed for a couple of specific recipes and will be good to use up :T

savingholmes

Love your description of free money as roadkill! Great list... be kind to yourself too along the way