Keeping Going For My Furbabies

StartingAgainAt29

Hi everyone, checking in while I have the motivation!

Yesterday was the first day I scheduled everything I needed to do, and lo and behold I did everything on the list. Not sure if I'll keep doing it for every day, but certainly for my days off work where I have no structure at all I think it will be helpful. Day off tomorrow so let's see how it goes!

My appetite is fully back, and I've exercised a bit (yoga and walking).
I am properly broke now, after Aldi on Monday, and my mum had a shop delivered yesterday, and I owe her £19 for that. Might only be able to make one more extra percent payment at the end of the month, but it is what it is. This month has felt both short, and incredibly long.

I've made a fair few online purchases this month, and today is where it needs to stop. I've not put anything on the CC, but I've had to move money around from various pots, and it's unnecessary. It's mostly skincare and toiletries, because I'm very routine in what I use and it's the thought of running out that's scary, especially when it's not that easy to go and get replacements. BUT, I have enough stuff, certainly now I've replaced the items running low, so I definitely do not need any more. I did get a delivery yesterday and I'd bought a couple of sheet masks as they were fairly cheap, used one last night and it felt so luxurious! Skin felt amazing after. Shame no one is around to see it

So in that vein, I'm calling next month No Money May. I will give myself £100 for food, and £100 other spending, but that's it otherwise. I've let the superfluous spending keep going because I've been feeling low, but overspending makes me feel worse than the glow of receiving something, and I know that deep-down.

My car insurance runs out on the 1st May, my insurer wants to charge me £550 for next year, whereas the same company on the meerkat site says £380. I know it's a thing, it happens to me every year, but it's always a shock when it does. I can't get through on the phone atm, they say if it's more than a week until renewal to call back another time, tomorrow's it's a week so I'll call then to cancel and either resign up with them online, or go with a different insurer that's a similar price. I have £497 in my insurance pot so I have plenty. Any left over I'll leave in there I think, it means I have less to put in monthly over the coming year.

I checked my topcashback account yesterday, Photobox have cancelled both amounts pending? The transactions went through and it's not like I cancelled or made a return, I got both products! That's around £6, not a lot but I can't understand why or how they can cancel it. I've not had much luck with that site, feel like giving up. Can anyone recommend a different cashback site?

Plan for tonight is to do some yoga, have dinner, and then probably a zoom call with my uni lot.

That's it for now. Keep safe everyone

Wannabehousebuyer

Just found your diary and was really into it, and then realized who you were! I hope you don't mind me having a read. I started from the beginning - lock down vibes for you! GO YOU and well done  -

 Top cashback is the best site as it pays the most but it is very slow- quidco is another good one for you xx

StartingAgainAt29

@Wannabehousebuyer hello! Yes of course, welcome aboard the crazy train
I'l have a look at quidco, thanks! Will keep trying with topcashback I suppose...x

StartingAgainAt29

Happy Friday everyone!

Today was my day off, and I've managed to get quite a lot done....definitely thanks to the schedule my CBT trainer asked me to put together as part of my homework. I've managed to:

• Do a 3 mile run, and I actually had some stamina today! I'm using an app called Zombie,Run! that I used years ago when I first got back into running in 2016, found out about it on here funnily enough. It's really fun, even the free version, and the zombie chases definitely get those legs running!
• Hoovered the flat - not groundbreaking I know but I hate hoovering!
• Pumped up my bad tyre - I have run flats and one goes down so much faster than the others....this one was legit flat I think, a guy in Aldi got upset and wanted me to know about my tyre, I was like thanks but I already know....I'm a terrible motorist. So I pumped that up with a portable tyre-blower-upper (what are they called?) so it's all nice and pumped up.
• Called Hastings about my car insurance, and this is my big MSE update - they quoted me £530, but on the comparison sites Hastings were coming up as £390. I had to stay on hold for a while, and I was on the phone for 40-ish minutes, but part of that was the guy trying to get my price match for me so I'm not going to complain. And they price-matched it! Even he was surprised by how much difference there was. I've got 5 years protected no claims now which feels good. I have £106 left in the pot, so I'm going to put in £25 a month now to bring my pot up to £400 for next year. If all goes well and I am living at my mum's next year, she has a "better" postcode than me so the quote might be even lower. I was putting in £46 a month for the past year, so that's a huge saving!
• Minor MSE moment, I grated up all my cheese and put into a tub for the freezer I am going to cut up some celery in a bit and put that in the freezer too as it'll go off otherwise.
  

I think one reason I was able to do more was I didn't have my usual Thursday wine. I just didn't fancy it last night, didn't join the uni call either as I had a bit of a headache and just wanted to chill. Definitely feel better for not drinking. I don't really fancy it tonight either, which is suprising but I don't *have* to drink, I just like it. Not sure what I'm going to do for dinner tonight as I don't feel hungry enough for the scheduled fajitas.

Tonight I'm just going to chill with some NowTv/Netflix and my ebook on my library app. Got into a science-fiction book for the first time in AGES and I'm really enjoying it. Half of the chapters are about these huge arachnid-type things on their own planet as part of an experiement, and I HATE spiders but I actually start to feel empathy for them through these chapters lol. My ex would be reeling, he's so scared them I like the idea that they communicate through tapping their legs in a sort of dance, not sure if that's true IRL but it's a lovely idea. Didn't watch the 5pm conference today which is unusual, but actually I cba to hear about it all today. The same things being said over and over.

That's me done, work tomorrow so bracing myself! Fingers crossed it's not too crazy. Have a good weekend everyone

StartingAgainAt29

Morning everyone!

I'm feeling pretty good after the weekend, haven't seen a drop in my mental health which is good. Definitely think it's down to the scheduling, I didn't get everything on my list done, but I did the important things, so that's great. Seems like NW is trying her best to pull me down but I'm not rising to it today.

Saturday at work wasn't too bad, hectic towards the end but was ok. Was going to go for a walk after but decided to just chill. Didn't have any wine, did have a cheeky vodka and peach water though Sunday I went for a 3 mile run, not as good as Friday but still proud of it, especially considering how hot it was already at 11am. I mostly chilled then, did some of my CBT homework and some washing and hoovering. I joined the gentle yoga class at 4, it was a back opening one and OMG! My back is so open it hurts I really am missing my osteopath appointments. I cooked sausage, leek and cannelini beans pasta from bootstrap cook (added some spinach in there as well), and it made 4 massive portions which I'm really happy with. One portion last night, one tomorrow, and two for the freezer. My new normal is to go shopping on a Monday, but as I've got no money until payday Thursday I'm going to try and resist until then, even better if I can make it to next Monday. I've still got loads in the freezer and cupboards.

I sent a stroppy email to the management company last night, as the letter I got from them earlier this month demands a £62 quid deficit for last year. Ex and I only paid last year as we are planning to sell, the other people in the building still haven't paid, because we have no idea what they did last year and they can't show us. So I sent an email basically saying you had money off us in good faith, and now we're all in uncertain financial times and you're springing yet another charge on us. No doubt we will have to pay it eventually, but I'm sure they won't bother with any legal action right now. Just makes me angry how sh*t they are and yet we have to pay them.

Anyway. Plan tonight is to go for a walk with my zombie app, and I was going to put together an email for the company I booked Peru with. I've heard that emails are being ignored by travel companies across the board, but I want to know if it's being cancelled, or if ideally we can move it. I was going to renew my passport as when I was due to go out there my passport would have less than 6 months on it, but I was going to get my mum to take a new pic for me, and as I'm not sure if I'm even going I don't want to fork out for a renewal yet. I've been putting off emailing them, partly because I know it's going to be cancelled and that will be a blow

Have a good Monday everyone!

Wannabehousebuyer

Glad to hear you're feeling good- and well done for the runs- I genuinely couldn't run a metre!
I'm sure you can last out the shopping- its amazing what you can find in the freezer/cupboards- I get paid thursday too and i'm trying to tell myself i don't need to go food shopping- its not needed!
I would hold it out on the renewal- if we are stuck inside for another 2 months- its valid for another 2 months on the outside world! 

x

StartingAgainAt29

Hi @Wannabehousebuyer! The only thing I might need to go out for is treats for the boys (they have treat time at 10pm and between 9pm and 10pm they sit staring at me...no way I could skip it!!) some yoghurts and bananas. I have a small sainsburys I can go to if I need to on payday.

Well I didn't do my walk last night, my back is still hurting from yoga, really feels like it's been opened up as if I went to the osteopath. Don't even remember doing anything particularly "opening" but the poses obviously worked!

I emailed the travel company for Peru, and they emailed back 3 hours later, which I really appreciated, especially outside of normal business hours. I asked if they were cancelling it or would it be moved, and they said the tours for July are still going ahead (for now), or I can move it to next July for the same price, or get a 110% credit for any tour on their books (I'm sure a refund is also an option, it's just not something I asked last night). I'm conflicted, because: the safest bet is ofc to move it to next year, but this was something I really wanted to do for myself (I don't have to explain to any long-time readers!) and I know I would be gutted if I moved it and I could've gone this year. I'm going to ask what the cut-off time is to move it, because maybe I could just wait and see what the situation is like in 1/2 months. If I go down this path though I'd need to get my passport renewed sharpish. They do have corona over in South America, so I was surprised they said it was still live, but I would assume they've done a full risk assessment to keep it going. Or do they just not want an influx of refunds? What would you guys do?

I've got CBT later, so better get down to some work...[redacted]
[redacted]

ETA - I sent £14 to my CC, so I'm up to 37% paid for the end of April, and £814.28. I wanted to be way below this, but ofc you make plans and God laughs!

Wannabehousebuyer

I would sit it out - even if we all go back to work- there will still be SD ( I assume), but at least you would know for sure,. I dont think there would be a deadline because if it actually does cancel you will be given those options again?. I am meant to be going away next weekend for the bank holiday for a hen do, i am trying to rebook and they said the cannot rebook for sept as they think things will get cancelled again! So we have had to rebook for october. ( SHHHHHH but i kinda wish we cancelled in, i am MOH and i stupidly said to the party that i would pay for the bride, so i would get a £650 refund between me and her! STUPIDITY) 
x

StartingAgainAt29

Hi everyone! The prodigal daughter returns

I'm not sure if I'm going to keep this thread, or start a new one, will have a ponder. I just wanted to check in with you all after my unexpected hiatus. The one thing I realised not posting on here is just how much help and comfort I did get from this thread/forum. I think a new thread may be nice.

So there has been a change with me, I'm not going to go into detail. The upside is, I have more free time now, and I don't have to worry about finances for a couple of months. I've used the time to start a creative writing course, and a short little course about cat psychology and behaviour, just for fun. CBT is going well, exercise not so much, but I've felt a little rough the past couple of days. I feel better now, I think it was mainly stress and adrenaline leaving my body. I'm taking it easy with tasks and exercise for now. The hospital has restarted my appointments, it was a bit freaky going in on Thursday and having to wear a mask and be escorted everywhere, but I am grateful as I know it's not really an emergency, but the appointments do really help me.

I haven't been as good at eating healthily, making batch meals etc, so I'm planning on heading to Aldi tonight to get a big shop in, and from there sticking to my meal plan which has fallen by the wayside (when you're stuck inside and the only thing you have to look forward to is food, sticking to a set rota I've found hard). I did have rump steak last night though, cooked it medium rare and it was DELICIOUS. I only have meat because my mum bought it for me, I will use up what she's given me and move back away from it though as I think my body felt better with less/very little meat.

When I look back, it's not actually been that long since my last post, but I feel in a much different headspace now. It's a transitional phase, and I'm going to have to be stricter on myself to enforce routine, but actually this is the first time in a long time I can just CHILL and do whatever the eff I want to do. So far today all I've done is read a bit, watch some Netflix and have a shower. I've been up since 9 and only had a shower at 12:30 so that shows how my routine is going so far

I haven't caught up with anyone's thread yet, I will do so over the next few days. I hope you've all been safe and well!

Chrystal

Lovely to hear from you and glad that you seem to be in a more positive place.  (((hugs)))