We will get this debt down & the savings up

Makingabobor2

Blackcats said:

So annoying about the water rates.  I agree it's never straightforward is it?

No, indeed. and the 50 mins wait on the phone, turned out to be 1 hour and 40 mins!!!!  At least the girl was apologetic and helpful when I did get through. Turns out the details of our meter being installed, had not been entered onto the account, so now they will enter it all and recalculate the amount owed and refund us....!  

Sun_Addict

How annoying about the water bill 😞 Hopefully they’ll refund you very soon. Eek to the call waiting time, that’s atrocious!

Makingabobor2

Well, what a lovely sunny day, although very windy.  Had line dancing this morning, which was great fun again. Although one of the ladies fell and hit her head hard on the floor. She seemed to be ok, but it sounded as though the instructor was advising her to get checked out. She sat out the rest of the class. It certainly makes you think when that happens, how easy it is to trip/slip or just fall. Not idea exactly what happened. But she was on the floor flat on her back for a while.  Hopefully she is ok. 

Had cheapo coffee in Mr M's after dancing, to meet a friend & drop off a bar of chocolate for a birthday present tomorrow. Now just checking surveys etc and thinking what jobs I need to write on tomorrow's To Do list.  Got council coming tomorrow to install the monitoring equipment for next door's barking dog.  So with that in mind, I think I will do a quick hoover and dust through, as she needs to go into front bedroom to install the monitor, as that is where we get most noise. Not saying my house is dirty, but will be one job less for tomorrow, which means tomorrow I can concentrate on washing, gardening and cleaning windows,. Its bed stripping day on a Friday normally. 

Well that's about it, got over £10 so far in P/fc, this month, but not approved yet. Will see if I can find any others to do as well. 

Makingabobor2

Just having a quick lunch break and then on with finishing the cleaning.  Got 2 loads of washing out on the line so far, and still got the cleaning cloth wash to do, but want to clean bathroom etc first.  
Council have just been and installed monitoring equipment for record next doors dog, so hopefully something might get done at last.  Its been almost constant since 7am today. Can't believe the RSPCA think its acceptable though. Surely the poor dog must be emotionally distressed and anxious. They should look into that, instead of saying they can only come out if I can prove its being physically abused.  I mean its never taken for a walk, and she works 7 or 8 hours a day.   what is the point of having the dog? 

Anyway, onto better things.  DH came home last night with good news.  He has worked at his company for years now, and is supervisor. There are 2 others working under him in his dept....or there should be, but since covid and 1 long time person leaving, they seem to be struggling to retain staff. DH has told bosses for a long time, that it is due to the hours and the wages. They have to have cover 6am-6pm plus Saturdays 7-11.  Trouble is the money for the new starters just wasn't enough for a 45 hour week and early starts,  and some were accepting job and then changing their minds, or starting and not lasting long, when they found out how tough it is.  So at long last his hours are dropping to 40 per week and he's getting a big pay rise!  So this means new starters will get offered more money and less hours, so hopefully they'll get someone decent. He has a new one starting on Monday, so we are keeping our fingers crossed.....lol.  Only downside to his change in hours, is that he will now have to start at 9 instead of 8, which means a lot more traffic, even though its only 6 miles.   So as soon as I see his first new wage slip, I will be on the budgets and finances like a shot to see how much we can use for debts and savings...lol

Was hoping for nice weather today to get in garden, but it is very windy and still seems quite chilly out there, despite BBC telling me it is 18c...not with the wind chill factor its not. 

New metal watering can has been delivered and all ready for filling with water from water butt and washing up water etc. I'm determined not to waste a drop once the meter goes in on Monday.

so, best get on with the rest of my jobs. Have a good afternoon all

Blackcats

Great news on OH's reduced hours and higher pay.  Sounds like the company have accepted they need to do something about staff retention.  My daughter's company has just introduced a paid day off on your birthday or as close to your birthday that's usually a working day.  It's a relatively small thing but makes the staff very happy.

Sallyforth

Great news regarding DH’s job. 

Not sure where you are but totally agree about the weather forecasts. We did sit outside at lunchtime a few days ago but this week in West Yorkshire the breeze has made it feel quite cold despite the sun. Still can’t complain too much.

Makingabobor2

Blackcats said:

Great news on OH's reduced hours and higher pay.  Sounds like the company have accepted they need to do something about staff retention.  My daughter's company has just introduced a paid day off on your birthday or as close to your birthday that's usually a working day.  It's a relatively small thing but makes the staff very happy.

What a great idea. 

Makingabobor2

What a couple of days we have had.....hoping everything's back on track now.  I have had the most painful neck/shoulder and going up into the side of my head. Not sure if its a tension thing or comes from pre existing back problems or what, but finding it really hard to move my head. Dr advice would be painkillers, which I am already doing and hate taking them. That's a sign of how bad it is, as I never take pain killers, as I hate them and prefer natural methods. But in this instance, stretches, heat & ice are not helping. Considering seeing an Osteopath, 'cause had it 2 weeks now and no better. Would have gone to my massage lady, but she's on holiday.....cruising in South America....how the other half live....lol. 

Yesterday they were supposed to install the water meter....guess what?  They didn't turn up. We had made a point of asking the neighbour if he would mind not parking outside our house, and now he probably thinks we were lying to him and just wanted the car moved....lol.  I rang at 3.30pm, as it was getting a bit late, and was assured that they were definitely still coming and it could be up to 6pm.  So this morning I rang at 8am, to ask what had happened....and was asked if I was sure they hadn't turned up??!!  Think I would have noticed the pavement being dug up outside the front garden!  So they said they didn't know what had happened, as the work is carried out by a 3rd party and not by STW themselves. But he said, " oh we'll give you the next available date.....28th April"!!  So that means they will take another normal water rates DD out on 1st May, as they are not likely to sort the new DD out by then.  I am really cross about this as they took the April payment after we had been told they would hold off on it as we had originally applied for the meter back in March, now they'll take another one and then have to sort it all out and refund us.  If they don't sort it out I will be writing a polite letter of complaint, that's for sure.

Yesterday DH came home from work to tell me that his other person in his office has handed her notice in, on the same day that the new one started!  SO now they need to recruit yet another one. She told them it was for more money....even after they had just been given a pay rise. But she told him, its just under £2k extra, but it is a lot more travelling time and will cost her more, so by the time the tax man has had his share, I'm not sure she will be that much better off.  Some people always think the grass is greener on the other side, and its really not. DH tried it years ago, and ended up going back and has been with them ever since.  Yes, its much better now they have just reduced the hours, but even before then, they have always been really flexible for things like dentist/Dr appt and when he had to take me to hospital when I had arm in plaster and couldn't drive etc.  Not all firms do that. I remember years ago one company I worked for and you had to make all appointments on your day off. 

This morning DH went into the garden and spied a mouse on the bird table....so need to get rid of that quickly. Wonder if its was nesting behind the shed, where he had to move a fence panel on Sunday to fit the new water butt?  That's the only thing I can think of, never seen on before in the 18 years we've been here. 

So I have finally made the appointment to get hearing aids, its on Friday. I'm still not 100% about it all, but as its 90 days money back guarantee, I thought I should give it a go.  Just need to sort out some different amounts to different accounts/savings etc now, and then there will be changes once DH's rise kicks in, which should show in next weeks pay slip.  He started the new hours yesterday, and much as I like it, it did seem odd as I felt like I'd lost an hour out of my day....lol.  But on the positive side, I got him to come for a walk round the park first thing before he went to work, so he's getting extra steps in as well. 

Oh, we did get out and tidy garden on Sunday, and I planted a few seeds, that I am bringing indoors at night under bubble wrap. Will see how it goes.  Hoping to get some plants going soon, as some things, like tomato, courgette etc, I have never grown from seed as don't really have the space to start them off in the warm.   Hopefully the nights will warm up soon. 

Well, I need to get off and do some financial admin stuff, water some bits in garden,  and sort out dinner for later. Oh and also spray some peppermint oil to try and deter mouse. 

Blackcats

I hope your neck and shoulder pain ease up soon.
fingers crossed you get on well with the hearing aids.

ladyholly

Are you sure your pain is not trigeminal neuralgia. My mil used to get it and I know it is incredibly painful. Usual over the counter pain killer are genrally not effective so a visit to your gp might be in order.