Money-shuffling towards mortgage freedom

savingholmes

Sorry things are tough. Hugs

MeandO

Thank you Mrs_Money_Penny and Savingholmes xx

This week feels very much like swimming through treacle but I'm still plodding on, one foot in front of the other. 

I had some more upsetting news yesterday that my Mum had been 'ambulanced' into hospital again with more alarming symptoms, it's just one thing after another.  I just don't know how she keeps going, but I'm so thankful she does.
As a result of it all, my sister phoned me and we had a nice chat which was lovely. It sounds daft, but we don't often talk on the phone and I don't hear from my siblings much unless I'm at 'home' visiting, so it was a lovely change.

Today has been pretty non eventful so far other than my new garden table arriving and me paying the balance for it off the credit card. I'm not putting it in the garden yet until the fencing and gates are up (who knows when?!) as it is not secure presently and could quite easily go walkabout. Still no response from the fencing firm, I'm really disappointed in them as they have done such a good job on the garden so far and promised to return to do the fencing within a week or two. If I don't hear from him by early next week I will start looking for quotes for someone else to do it. I have a horrible feeling anyone else will be a lot more expensive though.

Mrs_Money_Penny

So sorry to hear about your Mum. So annoying tradesmen can be xx

MeandO

Thank you Mrs_Money_Penny xx 

Well, I made it to bedtime and am tucked up in my bed and DS is sound asleep and snug in his. 💕
He is going away on a residential trip soon so I’ve given him a little lesson in packing tonight and we have started to compile things he needs to take. The list we have been given is a bit much and I don’t intend to go out and buy three pairs of  ‘quick dry walking trousers’  for a two day trip, but I may have to stretch to buying a waterproof Mac type coat for him, just because I don’t want his school coat to get wrecked. I have a £15 voucher for sp0rts direct so will hopefully be able to get something there at the weekend, although will check our drawers first just to make sure we don’t already have something suitable. 

Tonight I made some sausage rolls for OH’s Dad from some sausage meat OH gave me yesterday. Whilst the oven was on, I cooked some breaded chicken which needed using from the freezer for my tea to make use of the space.  DS had some fresh pasta earlier and I boiled the kettle to put the water in the pan rather than heating it from cold on the gas hob. I boiled a bit too much and so put the rest on a flask for a cup of tea later on which I’ve just had now, a few hours later. I’m really trying with these little energy wins, I hope they help. 

I was tempted to put the heating back on for a while earlier (it’s been off for over a week now) as I was so cold, but just put a warmer hoody on instead and instantly felt warmer. DS was toasty too so I’m glad I resisted and left the heating off. I think I may have to relent if this predicted cold weather comes in soon though.

Drawingaline

I am going to have to weigh up heating or tumble dryer this coming week I think. Clothes won't be able to go on the line as easily, the air is really damp today, so will need to dry them somehow. May cave with the heating because at least then the house is warm too. 

MeandO

I feel your pain Drawingaline, I think I'm going to have to use one or the other too this week. There's definitely a cold chill in the air today compared to the last week.
I have washing on now as the weather is OK outside today and I'm going to attempt to line-dry it. I was over the moon that DS actually came home from school clean one day this week so I have saved on a washing machine load! Usually I have to wash his school hoodies the night of school as we only have two and he invariably comes home filthy and I have to send a clean set of uniform over to the ex for DS to wear Fridays (as the ex doesn't supply any...)  but Monday he was actually CLEAN so we could get another day's wear out of it! I refuse to buy another branded hoody, considering he'll only be at this school for another few months.
I also managed to turn up two pairs of new school trousers I bought a while ago with some wonder web yesterday. I have my darling late Nan's sewing box despite not being a natural at sewing, and was overjoyed when I opened it yesterday to find a ream of iron-on hemming tape. I sent a silent thank you up to her, she saved me from sewing despair and probably a few tears last night.

I finally heard back from the garden company who are going to aim to get the fencing done in a few weeks time. No news on a price yet though, that bit I am dreading. In fact, in attempt to keep the cost down, I have been outside with the rake today, trying to level the ground and remove the stones for grass seed instead of turf, but the ground is rock hard and absolutely full of stones, rocks and chipping and very uneven. I think it may be a bigger job than I am able to tackle on my own at the moment - I have had plantar fasciitis for some time which is really painful and now problems with me knee - I don't know which is more painful at the moment. I may have another go of the ground outside later though, anything to save money presently.

I've attempted to tidy up the utility room and a couple of kitchen cupboards a bit today. I still have a big dehumidifier and various other bits belonging to the builder in there which he is yet to collect as is having van issues, but it's making it really tricky for me to get to the small freezer I have in there. There are a few items that I need to take to the tip (typical I find these things now the skip has been removed) and generally need to make it easier to access things in there without having to move X and Y to get to the cupboards etc. It is not a well laid out space at all and is very makeshift with old kitchen units having been shoved in it, but it will have to do for now as I can't afford to do anything else with it.

MeandO

I received a reply from SSE earlier stating that, although they acknowledge my final meter readings were wrong (despite having a smart meter), it is under the threshold for them to do anything about it. I'm not impressed. 
Ovo are still saying I am in debt despite my most recent meter readings not being taken into account so I've just topped the account up by £100 to reduce the hassle and be in a positive balance. They're doing my head in. I also requested an in house display as I never received one and got a really vague reply saying that the 'industry has halted the distribution of them due to an error' - whatever that means. I can't help but feel like these energy companies are fleecing people on top of the already massive hikes in prices. My energy bill has gone up by £35 a month despite me being in the middle of a 2 year fix. It correlates with having the smart meter installed which makes me very suspicious.

Since my last post this morning I have removed the external cooker hood vent (I just had installed) and changed it for a new type with an insect screen and without the moving flaps, so doesn't make a noise in the wind. Even DS noticed the noise. I've also put up two security lights, one I had from the old house, one my parents kindly gave me at Christmas. I'm glad to be confident using power tools and DIY savvy although feel like I've lost that a bit the past couple of years. I need to get back into doing things myself more, although have to say I struggle on my own sometimes.

I have tea planned for tonight, just need to cut some potatoes and veg. My freezers (I have a fridge freezer and a little upright freezer) are looking a little empty now and I'm struggling to make meals with what I have in as it's all a bit random. Tomorrow I may go through them and write a list of everything that's in there and then plan on what to fill them with. I haven't found any good yellow stickers lately, especially meat and fish, which is how I used to stock up. I find YS stuff still very expensive but won't battle with crowds of people for it and tend to only look if it's not busy. I feel sorry for the shop staff when people are crowding around them. 

savingholmes

You sound like you have a lot on. I hope you get to relax a bit while DS is away. I sympathise on the lists they send out. I can remember once even having to buy jeans as DS was between pairs but needed them for a charity event at school. It can be so frustrating.

MeandO

Thank you Savingholmes xx Yes, the trip itself has cost close to £300 and there's a leaver's party which has cost almost £50 so the last thing I will be doing is buying things he'll only wear once!

PiggyBankShaker

Wanted to drop by to say hi. I used to read your diary years ago, and have recently come back to the land of MSE. I read your recent posts and it does sound like isolation is taking its toll on you. Are there any online activities you could take part in? My writers circle have online meetings and I know the are book clubs online now too. Maybe a way of easing back into socialising?