We will get this debt down & the savings up

Makingabobor2

Happy New Year.   Well when I said we would start the new year feeling 1 day fitter, I may have slightly over exaggerated. We are still really struggling with this although my cough/cold is not so bad now, but DH still has a bad cough. But we still have no energy, ache all over, tired, fuzzy head etc. I just put some dinner in the slow cooker and it completely shattered me, and as for walking upstairs....well that is a real challenge.  But I'm sure we'll be better soon, might just take longer than I thought.  My advice to anyone who thinks covid is " just a cold" these days, is to wait till you get it and then decide.  It might me that to some people, my DSIL has it also at the moment, but just had tickly cough and lost his sense of smell, no other symptoms at all, but to some of us it is quite clearly a lot more, more like a triple dose of flu with a hangover thrown in for good luck....lol

Anyway enough of the doom & gloom and onto MSE things.  As I anticipated, we are starting the new year with under £20K of mortgage left....£19,869 to be precise.  So that has pleased me no end. Soon as my brain is functioning properly, I will be investigating which of the old CC debts to get rid of first from the F&F offers they have sent us. Think I should be able to get rid of a few this year, just needs some working out, which at the moment my brain doesn't want to do. 

Unfortunately I did have to break into the small buffer zone, the 25p in the grocery budget was never going to last. Felt so rough that I didn't the energy for meal planning and proper cooking, so just did a minimum Mr S delivery, with lots of simple food and .....hate to say it....tinned soup.  No way I was going to be making my own at the  moment.  Still at least we now have more than enough stuff to last till after the start of new 4 week period on 8th. 
Today I have just thrown some veg in the SC with some chicken thighs, enough for 2 days hopefully. DH moaned about not liking chicken thighs, and I said he can like it or lump it, I have no energy to care either way. I am just concerned with us eating as healthy as we can, so we can get better quicker. If he doesn't want it, he can open a tin of soup. 

Well that's it from me. Need a drink and a rest. 
Take care everybody. x

foxgloves

Hope you start to feel better very soon. My best friend had Covid recently & said she couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so poorly. I think those who maintain it is barely more than a cold have got off lightly & perhaps were not exposed to a very high dose of virus in the first place. Chicken thighs & veg in slow cooker a very good idea. I'd eat that over tinned soup anyday. Anyway, let's hope the lergy is on its way & you are feeling much brighter by the weekend.
F x

Baileys_Babe

Wise decision to stock up on easy food, so you can both eat healthy with minimal effort. I hope you feel better soon. In the meantime plenty of fluids and rest.

amber03

A lot of people are struggling with their health at the moment. Many have said it’s like flu like but they aren’t bothering with taking Covid tests as it’s not worth it and they’re keeping themselves to themselves. Hope you all start feeling better soon. Whenever I’m ill my go to food is toast , just good old butter and jam. Actually I could eat that for every meal. X

Makingabobor2

Hello and what a chilly day it is.  Still testing positive, but the line is very feint now and I think should be gone by tomorrow. I can see why I feel so rough with it though, if its lasted 10 days. I still have no energy and very tired, but I'm starting to do more to try and get back to normal. Been told about 2-4 weeks before I will feel 100% again. DH only stayed positive for 5 days and certainly felt better than I do...but then he's younger. 
With all due respect @amber03, people should be testing. If the tests are not reported, then the scientists and researchers don't get the correct info they need. Ours reported on both the Govt site, as DH gets free tests as he's vunerable, and also on the Zoe App.  Also if you don't test, you don't know when you stop being infectious. Even though my cough & cold have now gone, I am still infectious apparently as still got a positive line on the test. I would hate to think I infected anyone else without knowing, especially someone who maybe vunerable or even immune compromised like my nephew is. 

Ok....now on to other and better things.  Today is pension day and also the start of our 4 week budget period. All monies have been transferred into correct pots and my little book has all been updated.  I have now set up transfers from my personal current account, to several of the savings pots, and the joint account that DH gets paid into has had transfers to other pots for a while now. Seems to be finally starting to work well,.

We have had several letters about F&F settlements from various creditors, so one in particular (won't say which one) offered me a settlement of £415 on a £1300 debt, which we have been paying minimum payments on. I replied that I would be happy to settle at £400. They emailed back and said having reviewed the account, they could now only accept £1100!!!  There seems to be no rhyme or reason to F&F deals.  I emailed back, saying thanks very much, but I would continue to pay the minimum payment and accept an offer from another creditor....lol.  so just about to sort that out. 

Finally got over the cash out threshold with P/fc this year, so hoping it continues to improve. Will make my first cash out of 2024 in a bit and have a quick look to see what other surveys are around on other sites today. 
I've listed a couple of bits to sell on FBMP, but no takers yet. 

Have to confess to having had the heat on all day today, as I am feeling very cold since I had covid, and not really up to jumping up and down to warm up...lol.  And I had to use the dryer to dry the towels, as there was no way they would dry outside and really didn't want 2 big airers of towels all over the kitchen when its too cold to open the windows. So not very MSE friendly, but hope I can make up for it as the week goes on. 

Plans for this week are to start to think about the garden in the spring and list the things I want to grow/need to buy/ already have/can source free or 2nd hand. 
Also hoping my energy returns enough to finish the kitchen cupboard decluttering that I started before Christmas and then to buy some cupboard paint and give them all a new look. They are starting to look very grubby. I also want to try and find a narrow shoe rack to stand next to a large cupboard by the back door. Said cupboard was bought during lockdown when I wanted to get more storage space for my cleaning bits/recycling bits/gardening/bits. But it seems to have been taken over by shoes & boots and DH's motorbike helmet & gear!  I need it back. Finding it harder to get down to the corner cupboard under the sink as I've got older and the upright cupboard is so much better.  Anyway, enough of my waffle. 
I also want to get on with more of my free online OU course that I signed up to, still not done any for a while and there are others I want to do. I always seem to be busy...although not sure what I actually do...lol.  Think at the moment its that I don't get up so early since feeling ill, hoping that will change and I can get back to my 6.30ish time. 

Dinner tonight is just jacket potatoes, with tuna for DH and probably just some veg diced up on top for me, with a tomato sauce. Need to do my meal plan for the rest of the week, 

Have a good evening everybody. x

LittleMissDetermined

It's certainly lingering for you isn't it? I hope it's gone soon and you're definitely doing the right thing by testing. 
We are also planning work in the garden this spring but have yet to get past the general discussions and into the planning stages  
LMD x

Makingabobor2

Well yesterday I did another test, and it showed the feintest of feint lines still, but according to the NHS, I am unlikely to still be infectious after 10 days...this was day 11 since 1st test, although I was ill before that, so estimate day 12 or 13.  Still feeling tired and no energy, but think that will improve as I try and do a bit more. Tried an online exercise routine and that was never going to work...so out of breath after 5 mins. 

So today DH had a day off work and I persuaded him to take me to the local farm shop for a large bag of spuds and some veg.  One reason because I don't have the energy to lift the sack of potatoes and also as I didn't fancy going alone on my first day out since being ill. Its only 15 min drive, so it was nice to get out and see some different scenery TBH. I did put a mask on, just in case I was still carrying anything, and to stop me picking up any more silly germs, as I think I've just about had enough now and couldn't cope with anything else.   Anyway, we got the spuds and veg and I also managed to spot a lovely large gammon slice, reduced to £1.40 and enough for a meal for both of us, also a large pork pie reduced to half price, both because tomorrow is their BB date. So gammon will be cooked in slow cooker with some veg tomorrow and half the pork pie was eaten for today's lunch and DH will take the rest tomorrow, with a few salad bits in a tub, so that will save on sandwiches. 
When we got back, DH said he needed to walk to the village to look in CS as he thought he'd seen some books by his fav author the other week.  So he nipped in C00p while he was down there and came back with some lovely pate that they were selling off at 25p, due it only having 3 days shelf life left. He even treated me to a bar of my fav 85%  choc, as apparently it was on offer....and remembered to scan the C00p card.   So some good savings there I think. 

Took advantage of the MSE offer in Martin's email for the spring bulbs and am pleased to say the code worked and I actually managed to order them. Normally by the time I see these things, they have stopped due to so many people bagging them. 

Not much more to report really, still waiting on some more P/fc earnings to approve, did manage a small cash out yesterday. Also a couple of surveys on On*P**l, which is building nicely towards the £25 pay out. Need to look for some different ones to sign up to I think as a lot of the other ones.....Qm**, SB etc, seem to have gone really slow now and hardly get anything now. Same as YL**e, got my first £50 with them last year, and now I seem to not qualify for a lot of them now, so its building very slowly. If anyone has any other recommendations, please let me know.

Well, that's all for now. Tomorrow is mini budget day, which basically means I check everything when DH gets paid every Thursday, make sure transfers have gone out from joint account etc and will move anything else around that needs it. Who'd have thought I'd ever end up so budget conscious after my spendy years gone by....lol.  Which reminds me, I still need to sort out which creditor to throw some extra money at next and make another mortgage OP. 

Have a good evening. x

Elisheba

Oooh, I hadn't read Martin's email yet.  Have just bagged the bulbs as well!  Thanks for that   .  Will be some lovely colour in the borders come summer.

~FlowerPot~

hi saw the bulbs offer and nabbed them too.

hope your feeling brighter today

Flowers x

Makingabobor2

Just to say sorry I've been AWOL, few things going on, but should be back to normal tomorrow and will try and do an update. Not many PADs done the last few days, or made much from surveys, but hoping this has all turned a corner now.  
Take care all, chat soon.