We will get this debt down & the savings up

Sun_Addict

Re the greenhouse, could you start with one of the mini ones that cost around £30
and see how you go? That’s how we started off then when I decided it was a goer we got a bigger permanent one. We still have the mini one as a back up. 

Makingabobor2

@Sun_Addict, yes, thinking of starting with a plasticy type one and see if its ok. Garden centre had some in the sale recently. Need to move stuff around first to make room for it.

With regard to the IOW discussion, personally I don't like Sandown, but then we are all different. Used to go there a lot as a child, seemed ok then, but think my tastes have changed...lol.  We are staying at Wooton Bridge again this year. I like quiet & peaceful. Hope to visit Quarr Abbey again, Freshwater, Gurnard, Yarmouth, Bembridge.  Also hoping to go to Osborne House this year, but it does seem very expensive. Will have to see if there is any discount codes. 

Blackcats

I think the joy of IoW is that you are never too far from contrasting places - seaside, country, busy, quiet etc

If you are in the vicinity of Sandown there is a fabulous beachfront cafe mid way between Sandown and Shanklin called Tradewinds.  A really relaxing place for a coffee or drink stop off point as part of a beach walk.  

Makingabobor2

Blackcats said:

I think the joy of IoW is that you are never too far from contrasting places - seaside, country, busy, quiet etc

If you are in the vicinity of Sandown there is a fabulous beachfront cafe mid way between Sandown and Shanklin called Tradewinds.  A really relaxing place for a coffee or drink stop off point as part of a beach walk.  

Yes, its lovely being small enough to get from 1 side to the other easily. 

Makingabobor2

Well there isn't much to report really.  If I posted every day, my diary would be even more boring than it already is....lol.  Its odd how I can read other diaries and think they are really useful and informative, even when they are just full of every day stuff, and yet for some reason, I think no one would be interested in my every day stuff.

So what's been happening?  Well the weekend was good, got a few jobs done and a good amount of exercise. On Sunday we had DGSs 3 & 4 for the afternoon as DD had to take DGS1 somewhere and DGS 2 was out with son in law at football.  Luckily the sun came out and we had a nice time at the park. They are aged 2 and 8, so still love going to the park.  DGSs 1 & 2 are actually twins, but I call them 1 & 2 as obviously 1 has to be older....lol.  He is actually older by half hour and was born before midnight and No 2 after midnight, so they actually have different birthdays. 

Monday I nipped to L*d! for a few bits. No bargains to be had this week and my free spin was 20% off something we won't use, so not bothering with that one. Also put petrol in the car, pleased to see it is still down at 136.7.  Hoping it doesn't go back up again, at least until we have been away for a few days at end of month. 

On the MSE front, currently on the last few days of this 4 week budget period. Pension day is Monday.  Went slightly over on the house keeping budget this time, and had to break into the small buffer pot. So glad I read about people having a buffer pot, as it wasn't something I was familiar with when I started budgeting and it has been a life save on more than one occasion. 
Thinking of having a revamp of savings pots etc, as I still worry that I am spreading myself a bit thin with too many pots and trying to do OPs to mortgage, debts, save for holiday as well etc etc.  Hoping the winter is kind as the WFP has now ceased, so I won't be wanting to turn up the thermostat this year. TBH, we didn't actually need it last year, that was the 1st year I got it as pension only started in 2023. So I shouldn't complain that I won't get it anymore, but I do think its wrong that others more in need are now no longer entitled....hey ho.  Can't do much about it.   We are currently £216 in credit. So hoping we will be ok.  I can always jump up and down and exercise more to keep warm, which is something a lot of elderly people can't do.  

Another thing I think I spread myself to thin on, is the challenges on here. I joined the Sealed Pot Challenge, Save for Christmas Challenge, 1p a day Challenge. Trouble is when I am saving in lots of other pots, there isn't enough to go round to all the challenges, so think next year I will just stick with the NSD challenge as that motivates me to not spend and maybe just keep on with the normal savings pots and just the 1p a day, as that one is quite good fun.  There will always be a Christmas/Birthday pot so I don't really need to join a challenge for that. Especially as I dip in and out throughout the year for birthday pressies etc. 
So over the next couple of days I am going to "tweak" my savings pots and transfers....for about the 4th time this year....lol.  and hopefully will work better for us. 

Garden is starting to look autumnal now and I will be taking tomatoes indoors to ripen after reading @foxgloves tips on her diary.  want to get out and tidy everything else up and decide how I am going to do it all next year.  I did get some radish seeds that said I could sow up to October, so might try those. Also I got some watercress but it said to sow up to end of August and I forgot. Not sure it they would still grow if I tried now?  Maybe I could put them in the sunny dining room window and grow indoors?  Who knows.....I thought they were a great half price bargain, but not if I don't actually sow them.   I also still haven't got round to putting my bulbs in for spring.  I seem to be disorganised lately. 

Speaking of being disorganised, I have started a 30 day reset on my FB exercise group. She gives us 5 non negotiables
5000 steps a day ( But I am aim for 10K plus every day anyway)
Drink 2L water a day
12 Squats
10 mins exercise with weights
15 mins fresh air ( I have set my target at 30mins minimum)
Then we can add as many others as we want, such as 
Increase protein
Get more sleep
More "me time"
Less time online
Better skin care routine
No sugar
No alcohol
etc etc
You just make a chart and colour in green if you achieve it and red if you don't. Apparently even to get 80% is good.   I already do quite a bit of exercise routines on the group so this is just something extra to make me feel better. 
I really do need to get into a better sleep pattern, I just don't seem to be waking up as early and as full of beans lately. I know the mornings are darker now, which doesn't help, but I do have one of those alarms that rises like the sun and makes bird song noises, but I can easily sleep through that these days.. I don't even hear DH get up for work some mornings. Trying to not go on internet/phone after 8pm and turn out light by 10.15 at latest. We go to bed around 9pm and DH gets up just after 6 for work.  Week after next he has to do a one off silly shift and actually start work at 6, so will need to get up earlier that week anyway.  Its funny, if I set my phone alarm if I know I have an early food delivery booked etc, I have no problem getting up.  I really must get back into an early routine. I feel like I am wasting the day not getting up until almost 7. Then by the time I've done my stretches, breakfast, got ready etc, the morning feels half gone.  What time does everyone else get up?  I feel like I want to be up by 6 at the latest, but just seem to struggle now.....must be old age....lol. 

So after all that, I best get on.  Was writing this as I sat here waiting for my hair to dry, before I go out down to the village and a good walk.  Got lots of jobs to get done today

Chat later everybody

Baileys_Babe

I enjoy reading your diary.

Me and the OH get up between 8 am and half past.

Thanks for sharing details of the 30 day reset I think it looks doable but still challenging and the fact you get to add some of your own choices is great.

~FlowerPot~

I like reading your diary too. But I'm more of a lurker! 
The fb group thingy sounds really good. And being part of a group is definetely more motivating. 

Sun_Addict

Get up at whatever time feels right for you, everyone is different. I get up at 5am because I’m still working and naturally an early riser anyway. Once I’ve retired in 3 years (hopefully) I plan to be a bit later but will just go with the flow on the day. You might be just a late riser by nature and there’s nothing wrong with that. My mom was the opposite of me and didn’t go to bed until gone midnight and then get up late. 

The FB group challenges sound great. I’d be binning off the no alcohol challenge though as I enjoy a glass of wine on weekends not negotiable 🤣

foxgloves

Interesting to read those 'non-negotiables', as I am able to negotiate myself smoothly out of any exercise commitments. I picked up on the '5000 steps' as I know that is the usual cut-off point for one's lifestyle being described as 'sedentary'. A couple of years ago, it'd have been unusual for my daily step count to be lower than 5000, but over the last year, a lot more of these days have been creeping in. I am always busy around the house & all my gardening/veg growing is quite physical but I am not going for as many walks as I got bored with it. I also suspect that the fitness tracker I had for my birthday this year is more accurate than my old one, which did often count non-steps.
So I am thinking a good starting point for me would be making 5000 daily steps non-negotiable but aiming for more. I often do more as my daily target used to be 7000. It's just the last couple of years that my steps seem to have dropped off.
F

badmemory

I think often when we are moving around, particularly at home, that we are carrying something so not moving the arm with the watch on.  I'm sure I read somewhere that people like nurses in particular wear them on their ankles.  Most of my steps these days are done barefoot up & down the through room (I don't like shoes).  Since my hip replacement I have managed to get back up to 10k but I don't think I will ever get back up to 12500 that I did a few years ago