We will get this debt down & the savings up

Makingabobor2

Just checking in again, as I don't seem to write much again lately.  I keep feeling "out of sorts" and can't understand why. Not physically.....although I do still have the stiff neck, so I went to an osteopath the other day, and she worked some wonderous stuff on it, not cured, but certainly helped.  She thinks it is from cumulative effect of looking down at phones, latptops, sitting at desks etc over the years, plus my posture is not so good and I do have osteoporosis which possibly doesn't help.  She said she is seeing more and more people with conditions like this, and its interesting how people think the problem is in one part of the body, where it actually comes from a different part and affects everything.  Anyway, I am now doing stretches to help and some online pilates for it it and have to go back to her next week. Yes it cost money, but we had the money in the appropriate pot (Teeth/eyes and body) and TBH I can't put a price on staying fit and healthy as I get older. 

So why else am I feeling "out of sorts"?  No idea really, I seem to be waking up in the middle of the night to go to the loo and always in pain in my neck, then it takes ages to get back to sleep, so that's not helping.
Just feel a bit fed up about some things and can't seem to get going some days. Think I am going to do a plan to include exercise, social activities, "to do" lists, etc, so that I feel I am not wasting days.  Also need to get up earlier, but as I haven't been sleeping well, I think that could be why I haven't been wanting to get going so early. 
 
We've decided we need to have a re-think of what pots our money is going into, so that is my job tomorrow when DH gets his payslip which will cover his new rise.  I feel like I am spreading us too thin and we need to combine some of the pots etc, and decide what is the most important.  We could just get all the debts paid off and have no savings at all, but personally I am not inclined to do that. So as long as we are sensible, I think we will be ok, once we have a new plan of action.  It is all about paying off debts ASAP, but still having money in important pots when needed.  So I will do a plan and post on here for approval. 

Yesterday I nipped to MW as I had a voucher for 20% off and am in need of a new zippy fleece, didn't have the one I liked in my size, so that was money saved there and I will look on V*nt*d and the Bay of E instead.   While I was out I nipped into Mr M, bagged a yellow stickered loaf of bread and a bag of parsnip reduced to 9p, which I used 2 yesterday and the rest in freezer.  Then this morning I dropped the plastic off at C00p and found a nice orange stickered packet of sourdough crumpets. Its very rare that our C00p had good reductions, so I grab them when I can, especially if its something that will freeze. 

Planted some rocket the other day that I had in cupboard, and was pleased to see that it is growing....very surprised as I've never tried rocket before.  Also put some water cress in, but that is not showing yet. The strawberries seem to have taken ok, so hopeful they will produce some good fruit. Also the raspberry and blueberry I planted last year, seem to be looking good, so fingers crossed for them as well.  Can't wait to start getting other stuff in.  Going to look online as there is a local lady who grows loads and sells plants, so hoping for some more cheap stuff from her again.  My friend gave me a lovely yellow primrose the other week as an Easter gift which is looking lovely. 

Bit more decluttering done, some waiting to go to CS and some in recycle bin as was old cards etc. 

DH has taken his motorbike for MOT today, and just messaged to say passed ok. So that's all good 

Studies are doing ok on P/fc this month, just a bit slow at approving these days. Just had a lovely £10 one, so now got over £19 waiting to approve. Already cashed out £15 this month. So fingers crossed for a good month.  Been trying not to spend so much time online, so not done many others lately, but I should try and do a few. 

Well, that's about it I think. Need to move and stretch and think about dinner, my plan said pie & mash, but I don't fancy pie, so might just give it to DH and I'll have a plate of mash and veggies. 

Have a good evening all. 

Makingabobor2

Oh, just to add, the mouse that DH spied the other week was actually a rat!  How could he confuse it???  Anyway, he has fixed the bottom of the gate again where it was squeezing under and I didn't put any bird food out for a few days, and we think its gone.   We do however have a lovely pair of magpies started visiting the garden, and what Google tells me, is a Jackdaw!  I didn't know what it was, so did the photo with Google Lens, and that's what it tells me it is.  It has been in a few days now, so must be nesting nearby.  

badmemory

How long do you sit at a "sitting".  My sister has a spinal problem & was told never to sit for longer than 30 mins.  she has found that to be true & she is also very particular what she sits in/on.  I obey my fitbit & do some steps every hour & I do find I stiffen up once I have done that last hour if I don't keep moving.

Makingabobor2

badmemory said:

How long do you sit at a "sitting".  My sister has a spinal problem & was told never to sit for longer than 30 mins.  she has found that to be true & she is also very particular what she sits in/on.  I obey my fitbit & do some steps every hour & I do find I stiffen up once I have done that last hour if I don't keep moving.

I try not to sit for more than 30 mins if possible. My favourite position if watching TV would be on the floor...lol. But often too drafty. When using laptop I'm usually at kitchen table, or sometimes upstairs where there is a computer chair 

Makingabobor2

Well, I need a good stretch and online exercise session now. Just spent a while at computer, sorting out finances. DH has his wage slip ready for tomorrow's pay day, so I was able to see how much extra his increase makes, after tax etc, plus he has recently increased the amount he pays into his works pension, which is a good thing.  
So I have sat and redone the savings pots/ transfers etc.
Decided to reduce the number of pots, so House, Garden and Appliances are now combined into one pot, and have increased the amount going into that, to cover things like window cleaner, tradesmen etc, as I found I was often paying window cleaner from my personal funds as i hadn't really accounted for it and saw it as a luxury.....but its really not, as we can't get up the ladder and do upstairs windows. Also at the moment we are putting extra into this pot as we desperately need new garden fences.  The current ones were put in when we moved here in 2007 and are really starting to fall to bits, especially the 2 gates. We've priced them up and hopefully that should be done in the next couple of months
The Dentist/Optician type pot is now expanded to include any physio, osteopath etc as well as the usual vitamins, prescriptions ( which DH still pays). So trying to put a bit more into that one, as I don't think you can put a price on your health.  
The amount going into clothes pot is now reduced as there is nothing we are desperate for and we can always use our personal funds if we have to. Will start putting more into that when there is more spare cash.  

So now the main thing is getting rid of these pesky debts, which seems to be taking longer than I had anticipated, but is still going in the right direction. 

Had another bad night, after waking up at 3.30 and taking ages to get back to sleep. DH has said he will treat chips for dinner tonight as I am so tired, so I am not going to argue, he has sold a few bits on FBMP recently, so I'm sure he can afford it from his personal funds, and we only share 1 portion of chips between us.   
Speaking of FBMP, I have a few bits I think would sell, or maybe on V*nt*d, so another job for this week is to go through my wardrobe and get listing. 

Looking forward to the weekend, as although DH has to work, it is only for 3 or 4 hours a day, so we can still get out and do things.  Have to visit the in-laws though at some point, and you know what they are like??!

Well, I'm off to catch some sunshine in the garden for 10 minutes, although its still very windy. 

Makingabobor2

Well another day nearly done.  Went to L*d! this morning and managed to get some of the 8p and 15p veg, so pleased with that. Also some orange stickered bread, rolls and hot cross buns.  Had 15% voucher for salad leaves and a free bakery item (treated DH to a Belgian Bun as he loves them)
Also bought 2 lovely Geraniums and then picked up a Rhubarb plant from a woman in the village who I have bought plants from before. It was £4 and its quite big and healthy, so will be getting that planted over the weekend hopefully.  Was going to do it today, but by the time I'd put the groceries away, I then had to walk down the village to the butcher to pick up a chicken for the weekend....so much nicer that supermarket ones, and we can get 3 meals from it.  Also dropped off some more plastic at the C00p. 
I've hoovered, and just need to steam the kitchen floor.  Dinner is a shepherds pie from the freezer with veg.
Washing blowing nicely in the breeze, so should be dry, and was only washed on 30c. 

Cashed out £8.52 from P/fc yesterday, and still got about £17 waiting to approve. Just had one study so far today.  Still got to get round to going through the wardrobe and listing some stuff on V*nt*d.  Think I have a few good bits that would sell on there, rather than sending straight to CS. 

That's about it for now, so have a good evening everybody.  

Blackcats

Your changes to your savings pots sound sensible.  I tweak my savings pots quite a lot and I'm still not completely happy with them.  OH got new glasses today and I had a dental hygienist appointment last week so we've had a hit to our Health & Well-being pot.  I had just built it up to the level I wanted so I've sighed deeply and now need to build the savings up again.

Makingabobor2

Just a bit of a BH update.  Was hoping to have done some gardening, but weather has been wet and very chilly today, and now its stopped raining I really can't be bothered, so it will wait till tomorrow.  

So instead of gardening I have been doing a good declutter and clean of my side of the wardrobe and my bedroom drawers with the clothes in, still got the ones with non clothes items to go.  Found an extra 7 items to declutter. 2 were listed on V*nt*d and both sold within 90 minutes, so £18 will be winging its way once the buyer receives them.  2 more still listed and see what happens and 2 in the CS bag and one hoodie top being passed to DS. 

DH worked this morning and then when he got in he removed the bath panel ready for the plumber to put the new bath taps on, on Wednesday.  They are doing them at the same time as they come to fit the new downstairs loo suite.  We found we still had 1 roll of wallpaper so can use that if any needs redoing behind the loo.  The wall where the basin goes is painted and we still have some, but it may need a new splash back. Which is fine, as the one we have is horrible old plain white tiles. We've seen a nice off cut of floor covering in the local shop for £45, but they were shut when we walked by and not open till Wednesday, so hopefully it will still be there. 

Had a couple of P/fc studies first thing and got enough to cash out later, with a lot still pending approval. Also had 2 Y!*v* surveys yesterday and another one just popped up today, so will try and get that done. Takes a long time to get up to the £50 cash out amount with them.

Today's dinner will be using up some of yesterday's left overs, which was a lovely roast chicken dinner, and I did far too many veg as well as loads of chicken left.   Might do some hash type thing, which I always think is comfort food and easy, as I can't be bothered to cook properly with it being a BH.

Think that's about it, just been doing some more jigsaw puzzle, but it was starting to make my neck hurt more. Might do a quick exercise session before I have to get tea. 

Have a good evening everybody and lets hope for better weather tomorrow.

Blackcats

the weather weather here is much worse today than yesterday.  Chilly and overcast today.
well done on the decluttering and great to be selling some of your items.  

Makingabobor2

quick update today as I am rushing to get dinner going.  But had to tell you about my money saving, but annoying phone call I had to make.   Renewal came for our car breakdown cover with GF.  Last year, we paid £114, this year they wanted £132, or £145 if we paid in installments.  
So I went on the Comp*** the M**rk*t and found a price of £73
Rang them and was told they can't price match a comparison site, but he would look at the best discount he could offer.  Came back with a price of £105.  So I said, well in that case I might as well not renew, and just go on and start a new policy at £73.   His reply to that was......wait for it......if I looked direct on GF website, I may find a good price there as they are doing discounts on the website, and he is allowed to price match them, but not the comparison sites.  
So he stayed on the line while I had a look and I got a price of .........£45!!!!    I told him and he said, oh yes, he could see that and he could actually do it for £44.80!  So I checked all the cover was the same and paid up there and then. Now just awaiting email conf and new docs. 

My question is how??? Why??? Why don't they discount for loyal customers?  And how on earth can it go from over £100, to £45 for the same policy. 

The world has gone mad!