Prosperous soul, mortgage neutrality & creativity Year 2

savingholmes

Thanks MF. I have broccoli, dill, beans, peas hardening off outside.

My cleaner was impressed with the decluttering. She's made DS's room ready for him. He got his dates mixed up. His friend is over next month not this. He may still come up Friday. If he does I will take part of the day off.

It poured down today so handyman didn't come. Doubt he'll come before payday now in which case my budget will be more on track. Still likely to have extra days next month if he does some painting for me as well as garden stuff.

My gym membership is about to restart. Need to up my exercise but knees and ankles unhappy currently.

I got £4.50 in vouchers from MnS today. I am thinking of cancelling two other cashback cards as they aren't worth the hassle. 

Honeysucklelou2

The garden sounds like it’s coming on well.

Be encouraged…you have made huge steps forward since the divorce. Sometimes it helps to look back to realise how far you have come.

savingholmes

Thanks HSL - my cleaner said something similar. I think you've had to get rid of even more than me - but I have a lot of stuff go either to be recycled, burned for energy or as donations - plus a few sales. My home and garden are looking progressively more cared for without spending silly amounts. Similarly I'm investing in new clothes and shoes and other things that make me happy. It's such a relief to finally have a decent wodge of savings. I feel very blessed by the P1p £ and my job.

My novel writing is coming along well currently. I awoke super early today and couldn't get back to sleep so between this morning's session before work and tonight - I've added 833 words. I've started posting on a writing accountability site again today in the hope it will help me complete my first draft asap - but hopefully no later than the end of July. Today's writing was finessing 6 chapters I wrote between the start of my April holiday and now but it made a step change improvement so I was really happy.

My neck is saying I've spent too long on a computer recently though - and other body parts are playing up. My gym membership restarts in 2 days so hopefully I can make myself get back into swimming and other stuff. Sadly DS is not now coming home this weekend. Gutted but not his fault. Strikes are getting seriously irritating now.

I've had my payslip - and unfortunately the TU hasn't had its money again. I'm thinking of ringing them and offering to pay direct as this is ridiculous. I think its 3-4 months at this point.

Tomorrow the oven part should be getting fitted so I will need to rush to make DD a cake before she returns home in the evening. She's due to be out most of this weekend so we'll probably celebrate early. 

Hope things are well with you all.

lucielle

Sorry to hear your DS isn’t coming home, hopefully not too long before you see him. I baked for the first time in this houses oven they came out ok but one side seems hotter. 

L

savingholmes

Thanks Lucielle - yes sad to test the oven on something important but there we go. The oven engineer turned up before 9 so I let him in wearing my PJs and got dressed double quick. Embarrassing!

The weather seems nicer today. 

I've been really busy with work this week, working quite intensely rather than necessarily longer hours. Felt like I was juggling a lot of balls. It should settle down again soon.

jwil

Glad the oven is getting sorted.  Hope you have a nice time with DD.  Shame DS can't make it.

You've done a lot of improvements to your house, it's great to see you making it your own.  I'm now very much more trying to buy once and buy decent.  I've spent so many years 'making do', I'd rather do without now where I can.  Better for my wallet and the environment.

badmemory

jwil said:

You've done a lot of improvements to your house, it's great to see you making it your own.  I'm now very much more trying to buy once and buy decent.  I've spent so many years 'making do', I'd rather do without now where I can.  Better for my wallet and the environment.

I left home for my first house 54 years ago & I still have never bought a settee.  I have now decided I am never going to & will be buying some very expensive made to measure reclining chairs & I will finally dump the last settee donated by my mother (she & my sister took it in turns).  I refused the last one from my sister as it was leather.  If I could just get my act together I would be expecting a very expensive summer this year.  I still have savinghomes's cleaner envy.

jwil

badmemory said:

jwil said:

You've done a lot of improvements to your house, it's great to see you making it your own.  I'm now very much more trying to buy once and buy decent.  I've spent so many years 'making do', I'd rather do without now where I can.  Better for my wallet and the environment.

I left home for my first house 54 years ago & I still have never bought a settee.  I have now decided I am never going to & will be buying some very expensive made to measure reclining chairs & I will finally dump the last settee donated by my mother (she & my sister took it in turns).  I refused the last one from my sister as it was leather.  If I could just get my act together I would be expecting a very expensive summer this year.  I still have savinghomes's cleaner envy.

Good for you for finally getting what you want!  I have cleaner envy and handyman envy!

savingholmes

The cleaner (and handyman when he turns up) are helpful. They take a big chunk out of my income though. I could have a pretty nice holiday abroad with the money... It improves mental health though - as well as the practical help and improvement of my environment. While I'm earning it's doable - later in life it may not be or may need to be scaled back.

The oven is fixed. Wonky cake is baked. I'm letting it cool. I have ready made choc fudge icing to apply - and am going to nip to the shop for some smarties to put on it. I know from experience it's tasty so it's tantalising now while I wait for DD to show. I also need to wrap a couple of gifts for her as I'm not sure if she's here for her birthday or not. She is due back here tonight after shopping in a big city. Most of her present from me has been money.

doingitanyway

Cleaner envy, handyman envy, house envy, garden envy here!
Your word count in that timescale is impressive @savingholmes. Well done.