A Year in the Life of...

[Deleted User]

Hope you enjoy the BBQ tomorrow  
I can sympathise on the grocery budget front - I've been trying to rein mine in, but I'm still spending more than usual. It's hard enough just being me - you're doing so well catering for you and LMG. I thought an online shop would help me, but it's not actually making a difference to the budget, apart from being able to get more bulky things (like 2kg of cat food) rather than carting that home myself. 
I can also empathise with housework, or lack thereof, as both me and the cat are shedding hair, so we're letting the tumbleweeds of hair float past on regular occasions. I just try to knit and avoid it for a bit longer

girlatplay

I hear you on the hair shedding.  LMG and I both have long hair.  My hoover states on the box "anti hair wrap" yet our hair is wrapped around it like a normal hoover.  I cut it out about a month ago and it's only been used 3 times at the most since then 😳 but it's back again.

savingholmes

We have increased our costs by a similar percentage if it is any consolation. Sorry money is so tight though. Hope things improve for you. Do you need to ask DD to contribute more?

girlatplay

savingholmes said:

We have increased our costs by a similar percentage if it is any consolation. Sorry money is so tight though. Hope things improve for you. Do you need to ask DD to contribute more?

Maybe that's just how it is right now then.  Hopefully I'll be able to rein it in a bit once everything calms down and we get a bit of normality back.

I can't ask her for more.  I already take 25% of her normal wages and now she's furloughed it's more than 25%.  She has offered a couple of times but I've said no.  As long as I'm still able to afford my hairdresser then I won't take any more.  My hairdresser is my only luxury that comes out of my salary so I would cut that first before asking for more and I'm not at that stage yet.

What I need to do is pick up a few extra hours at work.  I work 20 hours a week and I'm sure I'd manage (health-wise) to up that to 25.  When they first employed me they suggested that there would be scope to increase hours further down the line but there have been a number of staffing changes (including my own boss leaving) and now it is very much based on whether or not there is a business need.  I think the fact that I take two flexi days a month and still lose hours when carrying forward to the next month (we can carry forward only two days) goes some way to showing business need but not everyone is in agreement.

It's fine for now but when everything opens up again I'll need to rethink the situation.

girlatplay

We had the BBQ at my sister's for her birthday yesterday.  It was such a lovely afternoon.  The sun was out, it was ridiculously hot and it was such good fun, like old times but without the hugging 🙄
I felt really relaxed which was so good.  I don't remember the last time I felt that good.  I never realised I suffered from anxiety until recently and yesterday was a lovely treat away from myself, if that makes sense.  Probably not, I know what I mean.  I hope to have more days like that.

I'll have to start meal planning for next week soon.  LMG goes to the shop on a Monday morning so I get it ready on Sunday night but I like to jot down ideas before that.  She knows the money situ and has suggested we have risotto again next week that we have the ingredients for, plus we had one portion over of each of two meals from a couple of weeks ago so we froze them and have agreed to have them next week too so it's just 5 evening meals to think of and buy.

beanielou

Do you get working tax credit?
Have you looked into it?
Do you get DLA/PIP?
Sorry for all the questions xx

girlatplay

I don't get WTC because I earn too much.
I don't get DLA or PIP because I don't qualify.  I'm a bit closer to PIP but because I'm able to manage most of the time I can't get it.

On a brighter note, I have been the most well that I've been in years since I started working from home!  No public transport.  I still have my health issues but I haven't picked up everything that goes round like I usually do.

beanielou

  Good news on your health being better 😀. Happy Friday 😊 xx

girlatplay

1st of July then.  This is day one of week 15 of being at home.

Thought I would give a mid-year update.

My debt position at 31st December 2020 was:
- I/O mortgage outstanding balance £87,540
- Personal loan outstanding balance £5,669.02

At 30th June it is:
- I/O mortgage outstanding balance £87,410

- Personal loan outstanding balance
£4,557.02

That's £130 off the mortgage and £1,112 off the loan.
All extra payments to the loan have stopped for now while I get through a 50th and 80th birthday (bf and dad) and a 50th wedding anniversary (mum & dad).  This won't be overly expensive but I want to have funds there to play with just in case.

So, COVID-19 hit, as we are all fully aware.  This affected my plans somewhat.

The only thing I have really stuck to is drinking plenty of water.  Everything else has either been done half-heartedly or not done at all.  I certainly have not gone outside every day but my health is very good (for me) at the moment and I'm sure it's because I'm not getting on public transport.

I am under supervision of the dietician at the hospital and I have managed to gain 9lbs since 6th April which for me is brilliant.  I think it has a lot to do with having a better routine due to working from home so not just skipping lunch because I've worked late, and also LMG being home so preparing and eating meals together instead of her eating at work and me having a piece of toast because I don't have the energy to cook. I still have about a stone to go, which I might not manage, but if I could manage half a stone that would take me back to the "normal" range for my height.

My only concern right now (apart from the usual niggly work stuff) is that I haven't done much studying.  I have struggled with focus and I'm panicking that I'm not taking it in very well.  My line manager is starting to get on my back about it (it is work related and they are paying for it) and that is really not helping.  I'm trying to avoid talking about it and when she asks me how much I'm studying I'm giving vague answers.  We thought LMG was going back to work on 24th June and I thought I could get myself into it again when she's at work but then she got furloughed again so she's still at home.  It's not in any way her fault, it's just that I don't like leaving her on her own for too long.  It would be fine under normal circumstances as she would be going to work and out with friends but I worry for her mental health when we are stuck in together.  I just do my morning of work then we have afternoons together, unless I get stuck at work!  I have had 4 flexi days in the last couple of months where I haven't told her and pretended to be working so that I can get some study done.

If you read all that, thank you for reading 🙂

savingholmes

Hi GAP I read it. A friend of mine has similar medical issues and has been the healthiest she's been for years during lockdown as no-one is bringing germs in. I get your reasoning on 'board' too. Glad you got a break going to the BBQ. Hopefully things will improve.