Prosperous soul, mortgage neutrality & creativity Year 2

savingholmes

Thanks EH, Dancing, Badmemory, Sandy, Skint, HSL and Beanie

Lovely to come back to your messages. I'm still fatigued but feeling a lot better today. I worked yesterday but took it reasonably easy. I'm on leave from tomorrow and off to a nice cottage in Yorkshire so excited about that.

Funny to read everyone's over-spending confessionals!  Mine has been food and treats - particularly the weekend away - and then odd things around the house that I sorted instead of waiting - so timing rather than necessarily wrong purchases on the latter.

EH I may try that provider - my Dad using them for varifocals so hopefully that's a good sign. Their 2 for 1 deal sounds great. I may go in and get a frame I'm thinking of costed up and then ask VE whether they'll come close to matching... I can reclaim £155 towards them - but at SS that would probably pay for half the cost whereas at VE that could be as low as 25%.
I need to organise a fresh eye test. May do that while I'm away.

On the money side of things it looks like I've been saved a little by work not getting their act together and sorting out my TU subs.. I now owe 3 months. Also they raised the threshold for paying different levels of pension contribution so paying £60 a month less than I was - until we get a backdated cost of living payment. I'll enjoy it for now. Plus I've spread my annual leave purchase over 12 months instead of 6. I'm going to get through the next few months and work out what I'm doing about my summer holiday - and then review whether to increase my pension payments. All to say - I'm hoping I can get to a clean slate in April or much closer to it than I expected.

My cat has started tapping me on my shoulder if he wants my attention! So sweet! He'll miss me this coming week. I need to refill his water bottle before I go in case DD forgets to check it - but it should last a week or more. She'll sort his food. 

All being well picking up DD's car today! Exciting times!! (Scary too). DS is 25 and I'm only just willingly getting in a car with him driving and he passed years ago. She's still a learner!

In between working - I also need to do my washing. I'd best get to it then! Hope you are all doing well. I'll catch up on diaries while I'm away - not had the mental energy this week.

Humdinger1

Glad you're on the mend @savingholmes.  I too am spending unexpectedly, all connected with DD being home from uni.  Still I do put some money aside for her holidays to cover exactly this so am trying not to feel too bad.  Bon voyage love Humdinger xx 

EssexHebridean

badmemory said:

They may have changed things, but when I was trying them out for the first time they told me if they were ok for me then the second pair would be free.

If I could do with standard lenses then they probably would be - sadly I have to have thinner ones for a start, and when I looked at their gizmo that approximates how you will see things through the varifocal lenses I also decided I wasn't going to enjoy the base level of those much either, so I'll still have to pay the extra for both of those things which means my second pair will be in the region of £200 IIR what she said properly. I *may* view them as a straight "spare" pair though and just get single vision, or I may get sunglasses instead which would also be single vision - we'll see. 

SH you made me chuckle about DS and his driving - it always feels a bit straight when we get in a car driven by a friend's son, he's mid 20's now but we've known him since he was a baby! 

Glad you're feeling better in time for your break away too!

jwil

Glad you are feeling better.  Hope you have a lovely time away as well

Orangetoes

Oh cottage sounds great. Enjoy. 

lucielle

Hope the car collecting goes ok.  Enjoy your break.
L

beanielou

Such a sweet cat 

I am only comfortable with my DS's driving now & he is just on 30!!

savingholmes

Thanks Beanie, Jwil, EH. Orangetoes, Humdinger1 and Lucielle

I know you're shocked (not) but I still need to dress and pack and finish something off for work before I can leave!! I've had breakfast and hugged DD and fed the cat so all is not lost. I emptied the car yesterday and replaced the batteries in the garage door (£8.50 after only 6 months). I also made a list of stuff to take.

It's payday and another £450 has gone to AVCs. I've cleared my CCs back to zero and wiped the slate clean.

DD's car still isn't ready so it doesn't look like I'll be the one to pick it up with her which I'm sad about but she's promised me lots of photos.

See you all later.... 

MovingForwards

I do buy my glasses from spec and been living in the tinted ones, rather than non-tint as they take the edge off all natural light.

Have a lovely time, the break and change of scenery will aid recovery. 

WelshmansDaughter

I have a friend who once had to pay £600 for glasses. Partially because they needed to be thinned so much.
Hope the cottage is a nice break