Five Year Fix, Five Year Plan

Merlin's_Beard

Definitely a patient @south_coast and not me!

I've got some bulbs coming up! Only a few yellow crocuses so far, but there are some green shoots popping through elsewhere as well. And some of them are survivors of the Great Digout when the building company came and turfed up half my border when they redid the pavement.

Another 30 minute run completed, trying to be consistent and up the pace here.

Financially not much to tell - doing quite well with the surveys thanks to catching a few high value prolific ones.

Sleep is doing a bit better (not perfect but better).

savingholmes

Good you have survivors in the bulb dept. I have some grape muscari (purple flowers) where I literally have a long line of clumps - I reckon - could be as many as 50. I may try and dig some out after they've flowered and move some to other parts of the garden.

Merlin's_Beard

@savingholmes I'll have to wait and see if any of these shoots are the muscari - only the crocuses are giving me flowers so far.

Productive weekend, really - thanks to a to do list. My problem with things is that they either get done right away or not at all unless it's written down. But the house is clean(ish), shopping is done, I'm prepared for the week, the cat is sorted.

The lighter days are also a massive help in getting me out my winter slump as well - at my worst, I struggle to get going and start doing anything by midafternoon on my days off, but I've managed to be productive by lunchtime this weekend.

Have booked off most of my holidays for the year - we're not allowed time off at the same time as anyone else in our role, and with the number of us that means the calendar fills out pretty fast.

Social plans have also been made - 10 days of racetrack volunteering booked over the summer, and a fancy night out for charity with work people paid for.

Birthday presents bought for godson and brother, as well.

Sitting and watching Call the Midwife and Drive To Survive this evening while browsing local landscapers and their social media.

Merlin's_Beard

Three quotes booked in for the garden over the next week - eek. Hairdressers also booked, so that's all my phone calls for the month sorted.

Booked to go see an astronaut talk, which is exciting. Happened to coincide with one of my weeks off, so I thought, why not.

And ordered some shorts off the internet for a large amount of money, but hopefully from a sustainable/ethical/good quality brand that means that eventually it's the financially sensible thing to do as well.

Second electrolysis session - have to say, minimal regrowth, which is good, though what was left still needed blasting quite hard. Hopefully should be able to go down to a 15 minute session next time. Also got a landscaping recommendation from my electrolysis, so I guess always be open about your plans!

Financial round up for February:

Surveys: £110! Very happy with that, managed to get some high paying ones from prolific that were also pretty interesting as well.
Cashback: £72 - still mainly Scottish Power govt rebates
Overtime: £52 after tax and deductions, which pays for me to go see an astronaut.

Food spends closer to £170 this month... not great, could have been worse especially as it includes a takeaway or two.

Book update: 6 bought, 1 book read (the Master and Margarita - Russian classic, very strange. I think it would have been a better book if I'd understood what the hell was going on). My reading has been atrocious.

Sort my home out fund stands at £1961.90 after all the spending for the month, fully expecting to need that and more.

savingholmes

Nice on the extra money.

You are doing better on food spend than me... 

KajiKita

Hello @merlinsbeard 😊 I have found and read your thread! 

Wow, you have had a busy, hectic few months. Bravo for the self discipline on the financials - you are doing really well. I have survey revenue envy - I want to be a vet now!! 😂 I can’t even get an invite for Prolific!

How’s the garden coming on and when is the first track day?

KK

Merlin's_Beard

No Eurovision tickets - boo! Does not spending £100 on them count as MSE? Got as far as choosing seats but then they'd all gone except single hospitality tickets.

@KajiKita -  welcome! The garden is still in the process of getting quotes - will hopefully have something to compare by the end of the week. Got one (not particularly impressed by the guy - everyone else had more suggestions)

Track season isn't kicking off until April at my local track, so nothing for the next month. I hope this week's cold spell is IT as far as that goes, more experienced guys like to talk about April meets getting snowed off and the wind being so biting you can't feel your face.

In other news, feel absolutely dreadful today. Crawled through work yesterday (shorter day) but had to sit down in front of the oven today while my food grilled for 10 minutes. Covid lateral flows are negative, but it's been rife over one work site recently, so I'm not sure how much to trust that. Nothing off my to do list, about 90 minutes sleep last night. If anything, feeling worse every day instead of better!

KajiKita

You sound a bit overdone. I recommend easing back as far as you can (I know you will still want to work due to lack of sick pay), vitamins C and D, echinacea, lots of fluids and as much rest / sleep as you can get. 

Bad luck on the Eurovision tickets 😊 It’ll be a good night wherever you see it from though 😉

Trust your instincts on the garden contractor - I had three quotes for taking out some trees and shrubs here (house warming present from my mum! ❤️) and I didn’t go with the cheapest person as I didn’t trust him to listen to what I actually wanted him to do. The team who did come in, did *exactly* what I wanted and I was really pleased with what and how they did it 😊

KK

Merlin's_Beard

KajiKita said:

You sound a bit overdone. I recommend easing back as far as you can (I know you will still want to work due to lack of sick pay), vitamins C and D, echinacea, lots of fluids and as much rest / sleep as you can get. 

Bad luck on the Eurovision tickets 😊 It’ll be a good night wherever you see it from though 😉

Trust your instincts on the garden contractor - I had three quotes for taking out some trees and shrubs here (house warming present from my mum! ❤️) and I didn’t go with the cheapest person as I didn’t trust him to listen to what I actually wanted him to do. The team who did come in, did *exactly* what I wanted and I was really pleased with what and how they did it 😊

KK

Don't worry, have taken the day off work and have slept it away! Not planning on going in tomorrow either, could be flattened by a determined guinea pig right now I feel so weak and wobbly. Friday TBD.

Am definitely going with the contractor I like best on the garden, not the cheapest. I've had 2 out of 3 quotes back so far and they're both within about 10% of each other (£5200 and £5600, although the guy that gave the second quote has suggested indian sandstone might fit better with a wildlife-y cottage-y garden rather than porcelain tiles, which would make it a £4600 job - any opinions on that, or experience looking after of those, welcome!)

Third guy has sent me a picture first so have sent it back with corrections and will await his response.

savingholmes

I like Indian sandstone - but obvs not seen the tiles you are thinking of for comparison. 

Hope you get well soon.