Giving every £ a job

Sun_Addict

From experience, when you can no longer say this time last year it gets easier. You’ll never forget her but it will become easier. I still think about my mum every day 21 years since I lost her.

savingholmes

I think crying pent up tears is an important release valve - so sometimes will even watch sad films to help me cry if I can't let go naturally... It's important to grieve - you can't move on without it sadly... 

So sorry your manager didn't handle the appraisal well. Sounds like they broke every rule in the book...

Blackcats

Thank you SA and SH - grief is so personal isn't it?  But we all need to let ourselves grieve in our own way and in our own time.  I'm just realising that I need to take my time and do it my way.  

I think I was trying to do too much sorting and organising at my mum's.  I've realised it doesn't matter too much if the pile of phone bills going back to1992 get shredded now or in a few weeks.  My mum's paperwork is well organised but I don't think she's thrown any of it away for years.   Her personal things like clothes, jewellery, books etc aren't doing any harm where they currently are so I can spare myself a bit of very raw pain and return to them at a later date.

week 46 countdown - the week passed quickly although there were times at work which reminded me exactly why I'm counting down to freedom and walking away from ridiculously time consuming meetings about nothing important.   Can you tell that I'm feeling very disengaged from work?  I'm surprised how annoyed I still am about that mid year review debacle.  I'll re-watch the episode of The Office when David Brent is doing appraisals - that will remind me how to do air 🤣

Relaxing with a new crochet project this weekend.  Prosecco chilling and a nice quick and easy chilli prawn linguine for tea.  

savingholmes

Good to pace yourself and find options for a good laugh

Blackcats

I'm on annual leave this week with the added excitement of a few days away.  Self catering so I'm still counting the food spends in my budget apart from any luxury items which can come from holiday pot.  

Had a delicious ice cream oyster from the ice cream van on the beach today.  I reckon that the coconut, mallow squigyness  of the oyster shell completely beats a plain cone.  Not sure how to spell squidgyness but it auto-corrected to squid genesis which sounds like an interesting concept.  

joedenise

That's what I always have when I have ice cream from the ice cream van @Blackcats!  Cant beat them and like you say so much better than a plain cone!

Sun_Addict

I don’t like ice cream cones but I do like oyster shells 😋 Not had one for years.

foxgloves

Awww, oyster shells from the ice-cream van. What a nostalgic memory of my 1970s childhood. I loved them!
F 

[Deleted User]

Hope you are enjoying your week off!  I have never had an oyster shell from an ice cream van but feel I am missing out and intend to rectify this as soon as possible!

How are you feeling at the moment? 

I also think there does come a point when you disengage with work and it's definitely time to go.  Not long now!

Blackcats

Glad that there are fellow oyster lovers and Rebecca you really need to try one.

my break from work has re-charged energy levels and really focused my mind on freedom.

Steps towards retirement -
chosen to bring date forward to 30th June so there are now 40 weeks to go 🥳.
worked out a fairly accurate pension prediction 

money saving steps
Participated in Sept grocery challenge and came in under my budget, helped by using £37 of L's vouchers 
still listening to a series of books from Audi*le that are included with my membership
claimed back some of my built up credit from gas/electricity supplier just in case they go bust.  Will keep the refund safe in case the bills go up but I'm pleased with the credit I've built up by being careful with usage

Back to work tomorrow and I'm going to try hard to have a bit more focus on my own health and well-being - get out for a walk, keep hydrated (with water as well as copious cups of tea), a healthy lunch away from my computer screen and some stretching and moving throughout the day.  Let's see if I manage all or any of it!