Trying not to get into more debt

savingholmes

Good luck with PIP

I like the sound of jewellery making but already have too much craft stuff without adding another hobby. Sounds fun though.

nannygladys

I'm sorry to hear your knee is getting worse Toonie, and hope you have a positive outcome to your claims.
Nannyg

Toonie

Thanks both. I've been a little quiet as there really hasn't been anything to report. I'm waiting on information for my claims, so currently living off what little savings I still had after the varying periods of unemployment (I've been told my ESA claim won't proceed until I have a P45 from my employer). I know my CC debt will increase this time around as I just haven't had any chance to build up savings so will need to use it for grocery spends. My interest free period ends in July (I think) so I still have a bit of time to try and get things sorted.

I've got my appointment for orthopaedics at the end of next month. In the meantime I've contacted my local council and their adult learning service to see if there is any help I can get to retrain but due to staff absence across the council things are taking a while to process.

Yesterday DP and I went to Sainsbury for a top up shop and were shocked at the £43 cost. It's not like we bought anything ridiculous, possibly more store cupboard items than we would usually get from there (tea, dried pasta for DP, bag of frozen chips for the "I'm in no fit state to cook" evenings) which I guess is what drove the cost up but we didn't feel an Aldi shop was justified for the extra cost in the cost of petrol. This alongside other things all having increases of 10-50p on them really has an impact.

Tonight I'm making burgers for supper (bought wholemeal baps yesterday) and serving with salad and slices of tomato. Lunch was leftovers (had roast chicken yesterday). I'm making soup from the carcass alongside carrots and barley which will be my lunches for the next few days (plus at least one portion for the freezer).

Otherwise the only thing to report is we lost one of our large shrubs/small trees in the garden to Storm Eunice on Friday. Poor thing was an evergreen and took a real battering. We've taken some cuttings in the hope some may strike, but it's not the best time of year for that.

Toonie

Today I got cubed pork shoulder out of the freezer to make slow cooker pork and dumpling stew. It's been making me hungry since lunchtime! It's nearly time to pop in the dumplings. I think it will only do three servings, so two today and then my lunch tomorrow as there wasn't as much pork shoulder as I thought there was.

We're planning on doing a stock up shop on Sunday which will come out of next months grocery spends. Adding into the things I'm worried about I'm also chasing up my final pay from my previous job and the documentation to show that I am no longer working. This is really frustrating as I'm sure these people would not accept such a situation from their own employers and yet don't seem fussed about doing it to someone else.

savingholmes

That does sound frustrating on lots of fronts. Well done for doing what you can. Hope things improve soon

nannygladys

Toonie - are there any community pantries around where you live, we have one at our local church where anyone can go and for £4 we get a small bag of veg, a loaf and a choice of 10 items which sometimes includes frozen/tinned meat and fish, it's only open once a week though. We also have a food hub run by the local rotary club the food is free and includes bread and veggies mainly but you have to be there on time as it disappears very quickly! I find them very useful and can plan a fair few meals around what I can get. 
Nannyg

Toonie

@nannygladys I looked to see where the nearest one is as I remember there had been talk on one of the local community groups about one starting up. It's about 45 minutes away and would need two buses each way, which might be manageable if I can get a seat both times. It runs on a Friday and Saturday so I'll give the Friday one a go and see if I can get there and what sort of things they have.

I have finally been paid which makes things a little easier, I've portioned out the money into the account which pays the bills and popped the rest into m savings account (though the interest rates aren't great).

We didn't do a big shop after all as DP has a painful foot! He's not sure what happened and can't get his shoes on. So, I ended up popping to Lidl to get basics for the week ahead and picked up a small joint of gammon for tea tonight with leftovers being used for lunches. This month have spent £160.84 which is surprisingly good. I have found myself doing more small shops as I've had appointments to go to and prescriptions to pick up and so I've been utilising the fact that I'm near the fruit & veg market or Lidl.

nannygladys

I hope DPs foot feels better soon.

It's good there's a community pantry but you will have to weigh it up to see if it pays you to go on 4 buses, the amount of time it takes and hassle it of transporting your shopping back. You could try it once, but also check to see if you have to be a member. At one I enquired about you had to fill a membership form in and they sent you a membership number and there was a waiting list and then the one I am a member of I just went in and filled the forms in then and there, although just before Xmas they had also had a waiting list, I just don't you want you going all that way for nothing!!! At the hub it's completely free but it's first come first served, so you have to get there on time. Hope that's helpful info
Nannyg

Toonie

Thanks @nannygladys All good advice and info. I'll send them an email and check to see if there is anything I need to do. Even though it's a bit of an effort to get to, it's still in the same borough of London I'm in, and like you say I'll need to work out whether the effort of getting there is worth it.

Today my plan is to clean the fish tank as we usually do it on a Sunday but I wasn't up to the standing time it takes yesterday. I'll do it in little bits today. Then I'll do some baking as well (another casualty of not feeling up to much yesterday). I think I'll make some fruity flapjacks and a tray of scones. Supper will be beef ragu today as I bought some fresh egg pasta yesterday which I can have which will be a nice treat.

nannygladys

What sort of fish have you got? I find them quite relaxing but I would imagine there's a lot to do if they are tropical ones?

I have half a jar of mincemeat left after Xmas and was wondering if I made flapjack and somehow sandwiched the mincemeat in the middle as a layer it would be ok, what do you reckon?

Hope you're feeling better today, some days I'm super woman and others I can't lift a teaspoon, I think sometimes I just push myself too far, being classed as elderly I hate to admit defeat but some days you just have to. So take care and don't do as I do
Nannyg