Sh*t creek - is now in my rear view mirror...!

Irenadler

Skint_yet_Again said:

I think it’s good to take stock of what you have but we each have our challenges in life so don’t feel you have to compare to others. I don’t know how I would ever cope with what you have been through and are still going through with your illness. I think you have done remarkably well to come so far 😊

Aw, thanks Skinty, sometimes I feel like a moaning minny (no offence to any minny's out there!).

LONG POST!
Trigger alert: on a darker note, I had two choices, to choose to die or to choose to live... I was at the point a few months back where I wasn't actively choosing to die, but, not actively wanting to live, if that makes sense? Now, thankfully, I actually don't want to die, I want to live, so I know that's progress!!! 
 
And that's finally made me sit up and look at the mess my finances were in.... Otherwise referred to as a lightbulb moment. In my case it was the whole lit up singing and dancing electric power station wake-up call....

Positive note: I have actually managed to join two survey sites at long last! I went for 2 of those on the best of surveys guide: Prolific Academic and i-Say. My longer term plan is to try and earn something towards a certain winter celebration for the family and a few choice friends.  That meant having to set up a Paypal account too. So many firsts....

There's a little hold up on things with the savings account side, but, I know this will be starting soon. My plan (I actually am starting to plan properly, that is a huge step for me), is to set up a standing order, at the end of the calendar month (as I get 'paid' U.C. around 22nd of each month). I want to save £100 a month but think that's too ambitious yet. So I am going to start at £50 in case my brain goes 'off the rails' again. Then if there is any extra each month it's going in savings. So my simplified workings out:
 Monthly:
£100 for utility bills (will increase if I manage to get work as lose assistance with CT & W)
£50 for saving (Emergency Fund first)
£200 supposedly left for all spends (Vet, dog needs, food, cleaning, repairs/maintaining home/garden)
£50 for 'set asides' (e.g. annual house & contents insurance, green waste bin, dog's worm & flea stuff/vaccination booster)

That should leave a tiny buffer of £9.09 as the U.C. is £409.89. Which I am going to let build up so there's something there in the current balance.

Irenadler

MovingForwards said:

I had to do an internet search to find someone with similar hair colour, would never have heard of her myself 😂

Ahhhh, I've don't the mallen streak with my current look, as I do naturally have it if I don't do my hair. Lasted about a month or two then I just went back to colouring all of it. How I've got any hair left after what I've done to it over the years is anyone's guess.
I know I am getting old using that as a reference...!   Yes, my poor hair is a lot thinner than it was, and a lot comes out when it's washed, so I am taking that as it needs less chemicals thrown at it....Let me be your future warning!  
Saving isn't an instant thing, like spending is. There are rough days / weeks, but equally there are good days / weeks. That's what it's like to be human, but we learn and evolve. 

Definitely agree it's not coming naturally. Even though as a little 'un I used to be the saver in the family. It's not like riding a bicycle, and it's not 'all coming back' either....

One day, I will be a saver, and actually think of myself as one.

Irenadler

savingwannabe said:

Hello Ren i am catching up and am on page 20 of your diary. I agree with everyone else that you managed to buy meals and £58 is only twenty pounds over the average budget so it's not too much at all. You must not be hard on yourself as you are entitled to treats now and again. I will catch up later in the week and hope you are fine. 

Hey Swan!
No worries, it's all there, waffling, super spending (the shame) and all.... I think you are being very kind with the 'now and again treats', erm, it seems to be every time my purse comes out.... 

Getting there...

Irenadler

Doh! Meant to say my tiny buffer should be £9.89.... can't even add up! Mental note: this may have contributed to my financial shennanigans... ha!

Irenadler

Wow, I am on a mad rambling mode today...

A relative has invited me out to a garden centre trip today, and taking me, very generously in their car. Which to a lot of you will not hold much excitement, but, given I don't get out that much apart from weekly family visit, weekly supermarket, daily dog walk, and the rare local charity shop, is very thrilling. Unfortunately the bank balance is looking very small. And garden centres are my secret nemesis. I have never gone in without coming out with something, usually plants, usually then wondering where the heck I can plant them when I get home.... Gah! I should have made a feeble excuse, but, I really want to go. Cannot remember the last time I went to one.

Yes. I have a now not so secret vice. "Hi, my name is Ren, and I am a plantaholic. It all started with a small cactus I was bought as a child, then, before I knew it, I was buying seeds and furtively planting them in the parents garden. Now I can't help it, I have to get my fix wherever I can. Gardener's World, Beechgrove, garden mags, books, I have to do it as often as I can...." The shame, the allure, the joy... 

Damage limitation: 

I am NOT taking the bank card.
I am raiding the 'stash cash', but, giving myself a generous £5.
I am not eating a meal there - most of those cafes in these places are expensive.
I am only doing the morning, not the whole day, as I dread to think what could go wrong - 'future delivery of x number of plants?'
I plan to really enjoy looking around, but, try not to spend! Good luck with that one...
I will look at the 'reduced' section, if only to stem the violent spending urges and might rescue a poorly plant...

Seem to spend a lot of time, thinking of damage limitation.... Still, tomorrow is 'pay day'. No. My brain is already saying to me 'But think of the money that will be just sitting there tomorrow'... No, no, no and more no.....

MovingForwards

If the cafe is anything like the ones up here, they have to book people in advance.

You can do this. £5 will buy a few things! It got me veg seeds and onion sets.
I know what you mean about spending, I opened the first page of one of the magazine's I was given and straight away was on-line looking to see where I could buy something. A few pages later and I'm looking for something else on-line. Found both but then backed away as I need to save.

Enjoy the time away from your usual routine, you can't put a price on that even though it's free. A change of scenery will do you good.

Irenadler

MovingForwards said:

If the cafe is anything like the ones up here, they have to book people in advance.

You can do this. £5 will buy a few things! It got me veg seeds and onion sets.
I know what you mean about spending, I opened the first page of one of the magazine's I was given and straight away was on-line looking to see where I could buy something. A few pages later and I'm looking for something else on-line. Found both but then backed away as I need to save.

Enjoy the time away from your usual routine, you can't put a price on that even though it's free. A change of scenery will do you good.

Thank you! 

Irenadler

Well, I survived the outing, and spent the grand total of £5. Talk about sticking to a budget for the first time ever....

Had a great browse around, even with temptation everywhere, looked at the poorly plants (reduced section) and talked myself out of buying:

75% reduced damson tree (was £40)
Bucket loads of cute dog related giftware (mugs, name tags, amusing signs, kitchenware, coasters, and blank cards)
Attractive preserves with the funny names, like 'Gardener's rest chutney', 'Flaming hot mango spiced what-not', 'Diabetes-inducing bramble-fied jelly'
Christmas stuff  items which you would normally buy for winter festivities.
Plants, more plants, and even more plants.
Golden raspberry - very difficult to resist.
Jostaberry - even harder to resist. I mean, come on, twice the size of normal blackcurrants?
Blackcurrants!
Thornless blackberries. Which seducer of wallets invented that one?
Herbs (reduced section)
Flower bulbs (sobs quietly - it isn't fair!)

Must. Resist. Glass. Baubles. Hand-hewed by Nuns in the Far East. And priced at a whopping £16, what the heckers like?

That was easier to resist. Garden centres should be re-named as seducers of pockets. Just as many gift shop items as there are plants now. Totally proud that I did not go into the shop that advertised a 50% off sale. Didn't even press my nose on the glass, because the danger signs of 'bargain' that floated into my brain...

Anyway, after much happy tired wandering, found the grow your own section, and settled on the less fun but totally more practical and value for money options:

50 onions sets (Senshyu yellow, claims to double up as spring onions for young growth too) £1.99
2 garlic bulbs (Topadrome French, soft neck apparently early harvest AND good storer) £2.99

Actually, I am UNDER budget by tuppence! There's a first...

Really thinking hard about what to get, what was worth buying, best value for time and effort. I use onions and garlic so much for cooking it would be fantastic to get these in and growing.... thank you to a certain someone for that top tip....
 

Irenadler

Forgot to say that my lovely relative insisted on treating us all to a meal, so we voted for the cheapest place/best value supermarket cafe near to us. Only £5.20 for a vegan breakfast for me, and 'normal' breakfast, scampi and chips for them. Bargainous and tasty.... best day out I have had for a long time, even if I had to actually exercise self-discipline, and try to ignore all those folks with trollies piled high with plants....   

Skint_yet_Again

You did great ! Ignore others with overflowing trolleys they are probably buying on their credit cards !!