Debt and Caring

WelshmansDaughter

Throwback: A Return Trip to Paris for £3.50

I used to have a lot of fun moneysaving. Back in 2013, taking the bus long distance was not the ride on a travelling bin it is now. Megabus did UK wide £1 fares and £5 fares to France. If you were willing to travel in say October, you could nab a seat on the overnight bus to London then hang around Victoria Station to get the morning bus to Paris. 22 hours or so all in, it raised a few eyebrows in the office I was working in at the time. Nobody else saw the fun in it nor the appeal of the cheapness, down to the princely sum of £3.50 thanks to Clubcard vouchers. 

In 2019, the same journey cost me around £40. I had preferences. I didn't want to arrive in Paris at night. I was getting another bus from a different station to Cannes. I wanted to spend the day in Paris. I got National Express (going up in the world) instead of Megabus. There were more choices of bus company from London. 

The first trip seems like it was more about the moneysaving and the journey rather than the destination. The second one was all destination. Exploration versus investigation. The first trip I happened to go to the Musee Rodin. The second, I went there deliberately with the purpose of drawing and looking at how the statues were carved.

If I was just looking at the bottom line, the first trip would be hands down the winner. I didn't enjoy the bus journey back at all but I had fun wandering around Paris for a week. The second, I did what I specifically wanted to do. I took time. I had objectives (for lack of a better word). Not bad, not worse, just different.

WelshmansDaughter

savingholmes said:

It's also a handy barrier to socialising - as it's too messy to have anyone over...

I might be a bit chicken and egg on that one- I've never liked having people over. 

WelshmansDaughter

Cleaning the living room today I think which involves mostly picking up dog toys and dusting. The room is long and has a dining table at one end so that's where the staging area is. Babysitting lady might be coming round tomorrow and don't really want to look like I live in a pig sty.

My room is getting untidy again so that is also on the agenda. I think I've maybe had enough of the mattress on the floor experiment. It doesn't look like we will get a hospital bed soon for Dad, apparently we are 100 on the list 🤷
If babysitting does go ahead then I might buy a cheap bed frame. 
I'm on hold with debt repayment at the moment until my flat and garden are cleared up. That has to be the priority now. 

WelshmansDaughter

I am in trouble with the dog. It's 11 am and she hasn't had breakfast 🤷 I've taken advantage of teacup being away and snuck her bowls into the dishwasher. 
So far have:
Ordered a second green bin

Cleaned the mantelpiece and photos
Done dad's laundry

Dishwasher
Cleaned up after the recycling bag fell over

Emptied said recycling

Had a bit of a moment cleaning the photographs and panicked wondering who was going to be responsible for all this stuff after my parents no longer need it. 

badmemory

WelshmansDaughter said:

Had a bit of a moment cleaning the photographs and panicked wondering who was going to be responsible for all this stuff after my parents no longer need it. 

I guess that would be you!  So deal now if you possibly can.

WelshmansDaughter

@savingholmes

WelshmansDaughter

I remembered that I had already told my brother it was going to be up to my sister and him. 

Cleared out one of my digital hoards. My camera had 1529 photos on it 🤦‍♀️ Now it has 38. 

My phone camera is another story. I have no idea where to even begin.

I think my next project is going to be my room rather than cleaning the house. I have an image in mind that I'd like to work toward. If the babysitting work goes ahead then I'll buy stuff for it. 

savingholmes

Could you put a wanted request for a bed on FB...? Look for 'buy nothing' and 'freegle' type groups.

Keep going. You are doing amazing.

WelshmansDaughter

It's definitely on my list. I was thinking also charity furniture warehouse because my design includes a chair and potentially a lamp. But that is well down the project list. 
I filled a bin bag ( one of my trip bags) with stuff for the charity shop. Another one of my insights- I keep stuff in case someone needs something fixed. 🤦‍♀️

savingholmes

Making fabulous progress.

I am on the slow version currently but still progressing. I used to have a constant charity bag on the go. I need to restart that