Curbing the ridiculous

QueenJess

[Deleted User] said:

QueenJess said:

Oh no - I hope you all get better soon. It’s impossible caring for sick DC when you are ill yourself. I’ve been caring for DD all week and got so run down that she’s given me her cold. I can’t win!

I think everyone is anxious with the crazy world at the moment. I’m limiting my news consumption each day so I am up to date but don’t wallow in it. I was already planning on cutting back this year as it’s likely I’ll be made redundant, but the cost of living crisis is now making it way harder. As with the news, I get overwhelmed with the bigger picture quite quickly, so I am concentrating on doing tiny little steps until they are habit and then finding some more. Hopefully they will add up to some savings. If not, then I’ll consider something more drastic!

I will definitely be planting more fruit in the garden and my salad seeds this year.

Oh no - such a tough week when sick kids and either you are sick yourself or you get sick as a result - hope you feel better soon.

Sorry to hear about the redundancy - do you think you'll be able to find another job easily?  What do you do for a living?

I do think the more fruit we can all plant at home (appreciate not everyone can), the better - the carbon footprint of some of the fruit in the supermarkets is horrendous

Well I was made redundant about 3 times during my pregnancy and saved at the last second each time by a different department who extended their use of me and eventually offered me a job (so lucky since I was 6 months pregnant at the time!). Since then I’ve not taken anything for granted job wise! I am working towards part time or if made redundant considering take a 2 year career break to spend more time with the kids whilst small, so been trying to live far below means for a while. Just need to cut down more this year and the plan was to cut back and save lots for a year (have to work until March next year to avoid repaying maternity leave which I can’t afford to do). However, it’s highly likely I’ll be made redundant before this based on what I hear.

I’m an accountant and in theory it should be easy to get another job, but I’m a bit of a specialist - it’s good in the sense that there aren’t many people with my skills, but harder to find a company that needs them.

I never buy fruit flown over here and so I love the summer when I can get more variety! I already have some fruit in the garden, but hope I can squeeze a bit more in.

[Deleted User]

QueenJess said:

[Deleted User] said:

QueenJess said:

Oh no - I hope you all get better soon. It’s impossible caring for sick DC when you are ill yourself. I’ve been caring for DD all week and got so run down that she’s given me her cold. I can’t win!

I think everyone is anxious with the crazy world at the moment. I’m limiting my news consumption each day so I am up to date but don’t wallow in it. I was already planning on cutting back this year as it’s likely I’ll be made redundant, but the cost of living crisis is now making it way harder. As with the news, I get overwhelmed with the bigger picture quite quickly, so I am concentrating on doing tiny little steps until they are habit and then finding some more. Hopefully they will add up to some savings. If not, then I’ll consider something more drastic!

I will definitely be planting more fruit in the garden and my salad seeds this year.

Oh no - such a tough week when sick kids and either you are sick yourself or you get sick as a result - hope you feel better soon.

Sorry to hear about the redundancy - do you think you'll be able to find another job easily?  What do you do for a living?

I do think the more fruit we can all plant at home (appreciate not everyone can), the better - the carbon footprint of some of the fruit in the supermarkets is horrendous

Well I was made redundant about 3 times during my pregnancy and saved at the last second each time by a different department who extended their use of me and eventually offered me a job (so lucky since I was 6 months pregnant at the time!). Since then I’ve not taken anything for granted job wise! I am working towards part time or if made redundant considering take a 2 year career break to spend more time with the kids whilst small, so been trying to live far below means for a while. Just need to cut down more this year and the plan was to cut back and save lots for a year (have to work until March next year to avoid repaying maternity leave which I can’t afford to do). However, it’s highly likely I’ll be made redundant before this based on what I hear.

I’m an accountant and in theory it should be easy to get another job, but I’m a bit of a specialist - it’s good in the sense that there aren’t many people with my skills, but harder to find a company that needs them.

I never buy fruit flown over here and so I love the summer when I can get more variety! I already have some fruit in the garden, but hope I can squeeze a bit more in.

Oh no, that's rubbish.  I really do hope that they don't make you redundant - or that if they do, you find something easily. 

Alchemilla

Hoping the Pearsons get well soon. xxx

Blackcats

Hoping you are all starting to feel better and that you manage a good night's sleep soon

[Deleted User]

Thanks guys.   DH seems fine now and I am A LOT better.  DC2 fine just snotty and DC1 same.  They did wake a few times last night but feeling better than I was so not as much of an effect.  I am now a faint positive for covid so hoping that by tomorrow or day after I'll be negative.  DH been negative for last 2 days.

Our blinking boiler packed up last night so no heating/hot water.  DH went out to view and said there appeared to be no power to it.  Anyway, thankfully it's not as cold at the moment and the DC had an electric heater in their room so were fine.  Then this morning when we got up it had come on - bizarre.  We're still going to try to get someone out this week because one of the rads in the DC's room doesn't work and neither does ours, and the boiler is very old so we know we are going to have to replace it soon anyway - said to DH might be an idea just to get one in the spring anyway so that we are not it's hostage next winter.  However, because we are having works done to house soon(ish), not sure if that will need to be taken into account (i.e. whether we need a more powerful one if it's going to support underfloor heating in the kitchen/diner plus rest of house) and boiler is also currently in the utility (which is outside) and we are considering having an inside utility room.  Anyway.

The amount of rubbish the vendors left in the garden/outbuilding is quite disgraceful and going to cost quite a bit to get rid of.  I really thought they were decent people but perhaps not.  Wouldn't mind if we'd got a deal on the house, but we paid full asking price. I do really find it quite hard to let go of the HUGE mistake we made selling our old house when we did.  We should've stayed put until well after DC2 born.  DH says well you can't learn if you don't make mistakes etc but that doesn't make it better!

NSD today I think.  Unless DH has spent anything without telling me.  He filled our other car up yesterday and did a bit of a food shop plus got some things he needed for the garden.  We are still due to be on track budget wise this month which is good.

Not sure yet what I'm going to be able to do re work tomorrow - DC2 still snotty and will test him later but hoping he can go to nursery.  DC1 coughing at night but not really in the day and a bit of a runny nose.  Will try test him again but so far he's been negative so hoping he can go in too.  If so, I can WFH as can't go into office yet due to my tests.  If not, I think I will just have to try to work if and when I can but on my laptop downstairs so I can watch the kids because DH due to go back to work tomorrow.

Covid really is so disruptive.  We also start paying for DC1's extra nursery day from this week so hope he's able to go or that's a total waste!

moving_forward

Hope your new house problems stop now. We had numerous when we moved here and again had thought such a nice person when we viewed - again how wrong can you be. We were even told next door could be a problem family but we get along great as their problem was her too 🤣

Alchemilla

Order your boiler sooner rather than later as apparently there is a boiler shortage too (ours just packed up).

greenbee

I know I say this every time anyone mentions replacing a boiler, but if you're not doing it as an emergency replacement then (particularly given the current political and economic climate) it's well worth investigating solar thermal with ASHP and solar PV to help run it. It's really good for UFH as this tends to need lower temps for longer periods anyway due to the way it works. 

I certainly wish I'd done this, but my boiler was condemned in November just after I moved in. I did, however, move it from the utility room to the garage (oil boiler) to give me more space. My hot water tank is solar-ready, so if I stay here, I may one day get round to the solar thermal and PV so that when the boiler packs up I'm ready for air-source heat. Although then I'll probably need bigger radiators!

moving_forward

The bigger radiators are what put me off air-source heat as the ones we have already take up too much wall space!
 I wish we could take all the gas central heating out and go back to the storage heaters the house would have had when built.
Yes I know electricity is more expensive than gas but that will change as is starting to happen and we could then get solar panels when batteries are more able to store the power for when it's needed.
This is all pie in the sky dreams as we don't have the money to change things now but something to consider x

[Deleted User]

Thanks for the suggestions - I did raise this with the architect and she said the ASHP would be much more costly to run for this house.  But they are coming back mid-April so will raise again then.

Rather embarrassingly (for DH, not me), the boiler had not packed up.  We noticed the heating had come on yesterday morning but then wasn't working again in the evening.  I asked DH whether it was because it wasn't cold enough (i.e. there was a thermostat and it only kicked in when it dropped below a certain temp - as we had this with the house we were renting before the flat), so he checked, turned up the thermostat, it went "click" and on the heating came!  DUR!!!!!!  I do love DH and he is a man of very very many talents BUT this (we all know about the holes in the litter tray saga!)

I still think we will need a new boiler at some point this year but disaster averted for the moment.

Spoke to nursery - both kids allowed in so they've gone in today.  THANK GOD as we both need to work.  I have a call in a moment with a team in another jurisdiction - was supposed to be me and my boss but she is busy so it's just me and I am nervous as feel I have no clue what I am talking about.  My boss has widened my role this year to assisting 2 other jurisdictions and it's scary.  But is a good way to progress in terms of role and salary and if I do want to go FT, then there is more of a business case if I am working for 3 jurisdictions instead of 1.

£2.10 on painkillers as have period AGAIN - really need to go back to doctors re this as I have long horrid ones since having the 2 DC - convinced I am peri-menopausal.  Other than that, should be a NSD.

Yesterday wasn't as measured DC1's feet and they seem to have grown a whole size in a matter of weeks!  So ordered him new shoes.  Got canvas ones rather than leather as we are coming into warmer months so with delivery was £29.95.

DH just got his pay review and has had a 19% rise which is brilliant, esp after we're now having to pay for DC1 to have an extra day in nursery.  He totally deserves it and I am very proud of him.  Makes me worry a little less about everything that's going on cost of living wise and also less re the increased nursery fees (we also get some free hours from Sept which I think reduces the bill by £400 a month too).  He is celebrating by planting some shallots.