The Mental Debt Struggle...

beanielou

Keedie said:

I do too @beanielou. I feel like I'm constantly grieving the old me and sometimes I genuinely forget that I can't do certain things so easily, until I have a flare up and I'm struggling. Or I get a jolt of pain or just plain worn out from not doing very much at all...

So so this. 

I hear you. 

We are stronger than we think. 

Fall down 7 times. 

Stand up 8. 

Japanese proverb. 

Keedie

My direct debit to Barclaycard came out today so that's another £250 knocked off and it now sits at £7,500. Yay. But more importantly, I'm at £10,000 even as my outstanding debt. 

I've been trying to sort out my driving licence and I photocopied the medical form that the DVLA sent me, but my brain was too frazzled to fill it all in, so I've made some scribbles here and there. And I'll have to neatly write it onto the actual form tomorrow and get it to the post office to send back to them.

I'm admittedly nervous that they won't renew the licence, as I've been unable to work for several months and I have gone back onto my antipsychotic medication (albeit at a much lower dose, but still). Although this time taken out has been to improve my mental health, I'm a bit paranoid that they'll see it as a setback and might not renew the licence. I need to raise an eConsult with my GP in the new year regarding my fit note, but also, in case the DVLA has not made a decision by then, I will need to ask for permission to continue driving during the assessment period once the licence expires on 14/01/2024, if I am waiting for a decision at that time. Fun times. 

But on a less pessimistic note, the decluttering is going well and I am finding more items to sell on, so that will come in handy. I've got way too much stuff in this flat it's kinda embarrassing! Most of it is hiding behind the sofa, but still, I know it's there. And the race is on to get the living room looking more presentable so that we can put the Christmas tree up on the 1st December. I also need to remember to buy my son's advent calendar, as I keep forgetting... oops.

beanielou

Well done on the decluttering~~ food for the soul 

Keedie

It really and truly is @beanielou! 

I also need to wrap all the kids presents as they're currently still in that massive box from The Works and in my hallway taking up space. So I want to clear the living room as best as I can so that I can put the presents under the tree. I also need to get some fairy lights for the window as it's rather bare and sad looking.

PennysIntoPounds

Very much sadly nodding along with the quote you posted!

Congrats on that debt-free milestone, you've worked hard to get there. Make sure to treat yourself to a glass of wine/fancy biscuit/lie-down to celebrate! The next £1 you knock off the debt will take you from five figures to four figures. That's massive, well done you x

Keedie

Being sick really does suck at times doesn't it @PennysIntoPounds? But I like to think that becoming disabled when I always used to be so active, has given me a level of patience and empathy that I might have otherwise lacked. And I'm learning to listen to my body more, and try to practice slowing down.

I didn't think of the 5 figures into 4 figures, that's actually quite exciting! My debt has not been under £10,000 in I don't know how many years, so yes I am ready to celebrate. I've brought my favourite wine Barefoot Pink Moscato as it was on offer in Tesco, so I'll be enjoying that on Saturday night. Yay me 😂.

PennysIntoPounds

It really does mate. I think I've got grumpier but that might just be age combined with natural inclination 😂

Good for you, chin chin for Saturday 🥂

And looking forward to hearing about what you unearth from behind the sofa 😁

Keedie

I had my tooth ripped out today by a very over eager locum dentist and I'm feeling rather sorry for myself... 😬. Cost me £25.80 as well, because my sick pay was £196 over the universal credit freebie threshold. 

I know it's all my fault as I eat way too much sweets 🤦🏾‍♀️. But my filling fell out in August and it took me weeks to get through to get an appointment, which they offered the 10 November as the earliest date as it was a minimum of 8 weeks waiting time. I explained that my mouth hurt but the receptionist said it's a routine appointment.

7 weeks later, I got a text message saying that my appointment was cancelled and it was rebooked for 29 November. I wasn't very happy but accepted it, but then last week they cancelled it again! At this point I stopped being polite and asked what they were up to. Turns out my registered dentist is having family issues and is not at work. She's not returning to January, and I told them that in the time I've been forced to wait and keep having cancellations my tooth is now infected. And I'd rather see any dentist than wait 4 months since I first contacted them, to actually see a dentist.

So I got an emergency appointment for this morning, and that guy had some weird nervous energy and was literally bouncing on the balls of his feet as he explained that the tooth had a hole from where the filling was, and it was easier to extract it than do another root canal, as he couldn't guarantee how long I'd wait between treatments for a root canal for an appointment as, "how long is a piece of string really?" Erm, what???

Anyways, he told me it would easy enough to just get rid, and he was humming to himself with glee as he numbed my mouth for the x-ray, topped up the anaesthetic and then proceeding to push on my tooth and yank it out. From sitting down in the reception to going through all of that and then being back at reception to pay and fill in forms took about 26 minutes!

I wasn't mentally prepared to be one tooth down today and that gauze I was biting on as I made the payment tasted rather funny, and I realised that I need a medical sinking fund to pay for these things. I hadn't even thought of the cost, and considering that they couldn't give me an appointment for a dental exam until 8 January 2024, with the same dentist who is a continual no-show, I guess I have time to put some money together.

I also got my car fixed this morning, but when I got there, the owner wasn't around and no one believed me when I told them that he said I could have it done for free. The mechanic literally zip tied the plastic back into place, which is the same thing he did last year after my road trip to Blackpool when the car had all those issues. He took the panel off and didn't pull all the screws back in so the plastic was hanging down. When I complained, they told me to come back and he zip tied it. I was left with one screw and the zip ties eventually wore off (I admittedly don't drive very carefully over speed bumps, but note to self to fix that). 

Anyways, the car has now been zip tied back together, which certainly won't last, and the owner took the only screw I had, and said he'd get the relevant screws I needed. So now I don't even know what was supposed to be under there... As he was doing me a favour, I went through his car wash, so that I'd be giving him something and the car wasn't really dirty but it looks nicer when it's freshly cleaned. When I went to pay for the car wash the guy handling the payments refused to give me my change as he said that it was for the repair. I explained that wasn't the deal, but he refused to believe me and I was running late for dentist appointment so I just didn't argue and left. 

Phew. What a day. But at least I got £70 of the money my sister owed me and I've put that in my Debt Buster pot, so there's £140 in there. So £110 to reach the £250 target and I can make a lump sum payment to my mum. The regular standing order my sister has to repay me comes out on 1 December and that's another £75 to go in there, so that will bring me to £215. Mr brother needs to get on top of his repayments and I'll have to do some surveys to reach the target before Christmas so that I can go into 2024 owing my mum a little less. That's the highlight of the day.

beanielou

Eeek to the dentist & the car.

PennysIntoPounds

Wow, that is quite the awful day. Sending lots of sympathy, and support to have a stiff drink/early night/scream into a pillow (try not to get blood stains on it 😁). Seriously though that is all absolutely dire. If you have energy tomorrow you would be well within reason to complain to both places. But if you don't, at least you've had two really **** things in one day, so it hasn't ruined another day?

That's really good payments are coming together to hopefully start the new year having given a chunk back to your mum. There might be some things lurking behind the sofa you could sell to get the repayment amount up sooner?