Debt Reset....

CRANKY40

The HT was doing his work experience today - he goes once a week - so a small lie in and then I went to bring late friend's bin in once I'd dropped him off. I called to @sd@ after that to buy the HT some underwear and also some bits to make birthday fairy cakes for best friend next week. Came home and the washing that I put on before we went out this morning was ready to go in the drier. I have looked after person for the day tomorrow so leaving it on the clothes maiden isn't an option. 

I had lunch with best friend and then we liberated the potatoes (that we grew in buckets) before they drowned. Three quarters of a bucket full of spuds wasn't a bad haul considering that they weren't in for that long. We also saw the resident fox who obviously doesn't mind being out in daylight as we also saw him in day time during the summer. It was cold and wet so I came home after putting food out for the birds. The HT also finished early but the game that he bought with some of his birthday money came out today and was delivered just as he reached home...there won't be any sense out of him for the rest of the day. 

I concentrated properly and I've finished my Christmas shopping with online orders. I allocated cash to my two great nephews and to my great niece's accounts so that's done too. Just the game of "being in for the deliveries" to play now although if any of it comes through ordinary mail I have an agreement with the postie about where to hide it. I have stocking fillers for the HT and he's having cash as his main present which is slightly boring but so easy for me. Thankfully our days of getting up at 4am to see his presents are well and truly over. 

Best friend has repotted my Christmas cactus for me which probably means no flowers for the next couple of years at the very least.....my mum used to get excited if hers produced as much as one flower. We used to think that was hilarious but like so many other things, I understand that now I'm older 🤣

Take care all of you 😊

EssexHebridean

I have a "confused cactus" - sometimes it flowers for Christmas, sometimes Easter, and sometimes it ignores all such conventions and just flowers because it feels like it - right now is an example, it's currently sporting a profusion of colour and looking rather pleased with itself! I've had it over 40 years - it's spawned various new plants for people over that time  and generally speaking survived some remarkable periods of neglect (by me!), thankfully those periods of neglect plus a strict limit on its demands for repotting have also kept it at a manageable size! it was last repotted a year or so ago though and doesn't seem to have been traumatised by the experience. 

Christmas shopping. Yes - we need to tackle some of that. I need lists from Mum and MrEH - he needs to check what his parents might like and I suppose I need to write myself a list as well! 

CRANKY40

@EssexHebridean yes, best friends cactus is also an absolute mass of beautiful pink flowers. I don't rate my chances of either of mine producing any this year.

Blackcats

when my when my mum died myself and my children were very wary of becoming custodians of her cactus - it wasn't that we were worried about caring for it but because of its rather rude size and shape.  

Sun_Addict

We have a cactus (not a Christmas one) that’s well over 40 years old. Occasionally it produces an enormous pink flower that appears and disappears in a matter of days and smells divine. It originally belonged to Mr SA’s grandfather and he passed away in 1983. 

EssexHebridean

Blackcats said:

when my when my mum died myself and my children were very wary of becoming custodians of her cactus - it wasn't that we were worried about caring for it but because of its rather rude size and shape.  

This made me snort!  

CRANKY40

Total debt at month end is £1799.99. Looked after person may have been found a residential living place and if he has then my job will finish at the end of December. I'm thinking that next month I should probably just pay off the rest of what I owe from savings so at least any money that comes into my bank account is all mine. 

Blackcats

Well done on reducing the debt to the point you could pay it off from savings - it's good to have that option.
do you have any thoughts on what you might want to next year if this job ends?

CRANKY40

Thanks @Blackcats. My first priority is to get the House Troll through the rest of his college days which will take until the end of June next year. I take him to college and collect him afterwards but I'd like him to learn to drive once that part of his education is done. He wants to do an aprenticeship after that so fingers crossed that he finds one.

I'm thinking that I may look for a part time job - probably in accounts work as despite my brief foray into the cafe kitchen and care work, I actually prefer working with accounts. The other option is to claim my civil service pension early which would mean that we have enough to live on (just) if I stop work altogether and if the HT doesn't find an aprenticeship straight away. 

CRANKY40

I've done it. I've just paid the rest of my debt. £1698.73 moved from my emergency fund and paid to debt. I have £1600 left in my emergency fund. The HT will be happy when I tell him - he's known since I started my debt free journey that we were paying back debt that was accrued during my non-working years.

If I'd claimed PIP for the HT earlier the debt possibly wouldn't have been there but all the diagnoses only really fell into place during the last year of his high school. Anyway, I can't go back and change it so it is what it is. Thanks for the support, the encouragement and the suggestions and ideas from those who are still on their debt free journey and also those who are debt free but remain frugal and inspirational.