So close, we can smell mortgage freedom!

Cheery_Daff

Ooh, you've been very productive, well done! Good work on sending off POA forms - I felt a lot better once they were done. 

Restaurant sounds cheerful 😊 what a nice thing to have on your list 😊

rtandon27

👏👏👏 Hooray for the POA submission!

Mine was invaluable a couple of years ago - I think there should be a course in schools about all these unknown life skills that are needed in the modern world!  My Grandfather was an accountant and I still didn't have adulting financial acumen until a few years ago!

themadvix

Afternoon all,

Thanks Cheery and RT - it is definitely good to have ticked the PoA forms off the list - hopefully now I can stop thinking about 'what happens if', which is a pretty miserable thing! I need to encourager les autres though - Mr MV, but also Mum, Dad, Sis, Uncle, In-Laws... the list goes on. I definitely think young people should be aware of this stuff RT, but I'm not sure they'd really pay much attention - I know at that age that mortgages and pensions seemed like ridiculous things to consider, let alone wills and PoAs. At 18 everyone thinks they're invincible!

Restaurant was indeed cheery, Cheery! They do themed evenings, so might be tempted to try one of those another time. And will take Mum one day too.

Cambridge pay arrived and has paid cc with some to spare. This will be allocated to a savings pot - probably for Disney (in excellent news, quite a few are full/have been closed as funds have been used - PoA, Mr MV's birthday present etc.). I've realised I've got some birthday money sat in a savings account that hasn't been spent yet (birthday is beginning of Jan, so I think I've eked that out long enough!) - am going to send it to the mini greenhouse fund as my current greenhouse has fallen apart (a plastic covered job). I have my eye on one similar to this: https://www.diy.com/departments/wooden-framed-polycarbonate-growhouse-with-waterproof-cover-and-25m-repair-tape.

Work still quiet. Have been doing some data entry bits for Cambridge, but not feeling inspired. Instead have been cleaning windows! I was incorrect in stating it was a steam-powered machine; rather it's a handheld vacuum for the water and a spray bottle with a moppy pad attachment. Very, very good though - cleaning the windows has been a dream! I wouldn't buy one if I can borrow one (frequency of window cleans might now reach twice a year instead of once every 2 years?!), but definitely a game changer. Loving the library of things and delighted to see I'm not alone - they received £400-odd from the charges for local firework display parking - and I think those parking got to vote on which charity got the money, so clearly it is valued!

Need to pop to post box and I'm waiting for Mr MV to be out of a meeting before I can do his window/get him to help me remove a blind, so I might do that next in the sunshine. Pub later, but it'll be dark by the time we walk down there. Tomorrow we're off to Mum's to do her fencing - she got a ridiculous quote and in a fit of enthusiasm, Sis, Mr MV and I said we'd do it and save her a fortune.... Hoping it's not too cold!

MS things:
* Clicks and HW
* Comps entered
* A couple of PA surveys (might even make minimum payout this month)

Gratitudes:
* Sunshine
* A library of things
* It's Friday!

Have a good evening all!

Cheery_Daff

I have so far failed to convince anyone else to do a POA (well, not anyone in my family anyway). My mum wants me to run a session for her friends (!) but seems to not want to actually organise this, or want to do her own until we do this,so I'm not holding my breath 🙄

I have pointed out that I have done my duty and made their lives easier, and if they want to annoy me by leaving me a more difficult job, and make it harder to know what they want, then that's a risk they'll just have to take! 

themadvix

Oh dear Cheery! That’s not great. Very frustrating for you that you’re organised so it won’t be a hassle for them but no one has reciprocated!

Cheery_Daff

Frustrating, but it's better this way round. I'm the organised one, so I'll be fine dealing with the admin and bureaucratic nonsense that would accompany any lack of POA for any of them, but they would find it difficult - which is why I've made it easier for them by having one. One less thing for them to worry about if a horrid time should happen.

(Shame they can't extend the same courtesy, but I'm choosing to assume that it's because they all know how capable I am 🙄😂)

I'm joking being grumpy about it, of course. I know it's hard to face up to making decisions about this type of stuff, and I've only just got round to it myself of course so I'm like a recent ex smoker evangelising 🙄😂 But they've all agreed it's necessary, all said they'll do it, I've helped them all log in (well, just talking about my mum and Mr C now) so they have an account - so they just need to fill the damn form in... My mum's coming to visit soon so I'll encourage her again then.

LadyWithAPlan

themadvix said:

...Small possibility that I may get some SE work from that direction in the future, and have been given some CPD (skills expansion) to think about - feel I need to take a leaf out of LaPlan's book and enrol myself on a course!

The more relevant or just plain fun to do courses the better for me!  Udemy has great and cheap ones to start if a local adult college doesnt

Well done on POA forms .. not done mine either..

themadvix

Afternoon all,

Agreed Cheery - and at least you know they'll be able to look after you!

Thanks LaPlan - I've had a look at Udemy now and there's definitely some courses that might be suitable. I think due to the nature of my work, I'm fairly resistant to learning in my 'spare' time (unless it's something fun like rag rugging!), so I can't say I'll be signing up right away, but it's there to bear in mind.

Had an exhausting but productive weekend. We fitted 5 out of the 6 fence panels and gravel boards Mum had had delivered on Saturday and cleared the beds in front of where they were going. The garden looks so much better for it (the old panels were crumbling/one had completely fallen down). There's more to do, but it will wait till spring. The man she'd had in had quoted £3k and wanted to replace the perfectly good concrete posts, so we were very happy to get it all done in 5 hours and quite a bit of hilarity was had by all. Mum offered us takeaway on Saturday evening, but as she had her friend coming round and we were all absolutely done in and in no way fit to be seen, we decided to head home. Takeaway was duly ordered - there was absolutely no way we were cooking, but £20 for 2 calzones, delivered, didn't seem awful (there was a voucher for £8 off). We are going for dinner at Mum's on Thursday instead. Yesterday I was cat sitting and when I got back I washed and serviced my bike (it was in desperate need) and washed the car (it had acquired bird poo on Saturday, so removal of that led to a decision to wash the whole thing). Also got the plants in ahead of the forecast frosts, Mr MV finally packed up a box for Ziffit - we now just need to drop it off - and despite not really wanting to, I went back to Mum's as Uncle was visiting and I'd not seen him in ages.

Main client has been sending work today, which is good as I needed a break/change from Cambridge stuff. I've also been to see the cat again (it's the hissy ginger that hates me) and returned some library books. Baked two loaves this morning and made Crank's tomato and lentil soup for lunch to use up an open jar of passata. Dinner tonight will be sausage and mash (real sausages for Mr MV, hm Glamorgan ones for me).

MS things:
* Clicks and HW
* Attempted several surveys (NV/YLive), but don't think they wanted me for any of them
* PA surveys - when all cleared, I'll be over payout for the month!
* Cats' food delivery arrived and put away - TCB and a savings scheme discount, plus an extra tin of their food courtesy of their points scheme

Movement:
* A bit of yoga this morning, and a couple of gentle cycles, but mostly have been recovering from the full-body workout on Saturday!

Gratitudes:
* Games in the pub on Friday evening
* Fencing fun
* A catch up with Uncle yesterday

Have a lovely evening all!

themadvix

Afternoon all,

Well a huge project for main client has landed on my desk, and with a relatively tight deadline too - not what I needed given I'm losing a couple of afternoons this week (or at least part of them) and I have an urgent Cambridge report to get sorted too. And on top of that, one of the team (for main client) has had a bereavement and we're still in the thick of stuff.... I envisage some late nights coming up, especially as I've also got a few planned days off soon.

It has been proper chilly here today and we had some lovely big snowflakes this morning, but they didn't stick. I've got an allotment meeting this evening - don't really want to cycle or drive! But it's a bit far to walk really. Think I'll see how I feel once dinner is eaten.

MS things:
*RM survey stuff posted
* Did a Trainpal survey earlier that will get us 20% off our Railcard renewal (due last weekend I think, so perfect timing)
* TV survey
* S&S barcodes submitted
* No R'ford order this week - I've a meal plan in my head until Sunday (inc. being out on Thurs and Saturday) and then we only need Sun, Mon, Tues dinners before the next delivery (as we'll be out for Mr MV's birthday on the Weds)

Gratitudes:
* Lovely to watch the snow this morning and not have to go out in it!
* We have heating and are warm and cosy
* Hopeful about meeting this evening - should be acquiring two new committee members, which are desperately needed

Have a good evening all!

EssexHebridean

The snowflakes yesterday morning were so pretty weren't they - as you say big and fluffy and lovely to look at! We actually had a few flakes in London just after I got into the office this morning too - that was just a brief flurry though. 

Excellent timing on the money off the railcard renewal!