Find the SecondStar and soar, and then straight on till the morning…

KajiKita

Tbh, that looks like a fairly robust budget to me - I didn’t see any slack in there for fun things e.g. saving up for tortoise brooches? Maybe the Spotify subs could be rediverted?  Good suggestions from Linz. 

No EF value? Maybe that should be something to gradually acquire for the replacement of white goods or significant car repairs etc? 

KK

SecondStar

linz said:

De-lurking to say I totally get where you are coming from regarding doggo. I lost my beloved dog a couple of years ago, just shy of his 17th birthday and like yours, he wanted for nothing. I still miss him every day.

Some suggestions which may help (?)

Do you use Too Good To Go or Olio for cheap/free food? Or do you go out in the evenings for yellow stickered stuff? I have a drive round a few co-ops near me once a week and freeze any YS meat or veg or bread I find. I also use YS fruit/veg to make smoothies or soups for lunches. Also do 'something' on toast once a week for a cheap tea.

Use the Petrolprices app to find your cheapest petrol station. There's a page somewhere about driving optimally to conserve fuel. Every little helps - here it is - https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/cheaper-fuel/

I don't know if this is allowed but my energy provider is Octopus. I know you said you've just changed ,but Octopus offer £50 bill credit. I can refer you if you like. Their customer service is great and they are very environment focussed.

Do you do Prolific.co surveys? It's a great way to make a little extra £ each month.

Check out the top savings rates for putting away your vehicle maintenance money - https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/savings/savings-accounts-best-interest/

Have you thought about bank switching? Natwest currently offering £200. If you don't want to change your main bank, open a burner account, set up (change) 2 of your direct debits to it then switch that. As long as they're a member of the Current Account Switching Service it'll work (as long as your mortgage is not up for renewal in the next 6 months).

Good luck

Thank you so much for the in-depth response, I really appreciate it!

Olio is woeful in my area, unfortunately. But I do stop into our local free food cupboard once a week, and I also get some gluten free food on prescription - being veggie and gf it’s more difficult for me to shop the yellow stickers reliably.

I keep an eye on the local petrol stations, but I’ll definitely check the app as well. After being caught speeding last month, I do drive very conservatively now!

I’ve never done bank switching before - I’ve been with Nationwide for 13 years, and opened a Monzo account a few years ago. I’ll definitely look at what switching entails, as £200 isn’t to be sniffed at. The surveys aren’t something I’ve done either, and will take a look there as well.

SecondStar

KajiKita said:

Tbh, that looks like a fairly robust budget to me - I didn’t see any slack in there for fun things e.g. saving up for tortoise brooches? Maybe the Spotify subs could be rediverted?  Good suggestions from Linz. 

No EF value? Maybe that should be something to gradually acquire for the replacement of white goods or significant car repairs etc? 

KK

Not sure if ‘robust’ means good or bad in this context? 

No EF value, as I currently never have money spare to put into my EF each month. My cash pot EF sits around 4.8k at the moment. And no money assigned to fun things, as like I said I’m never currently having any spare cash!

SecondStar

It’s been a hard week. A combination of things has meant I was so exhausted that I decided to book today off work. Then my dog got sick yesterday afternoon with vomit and runny poops, and I’ve had the stress of watching him, managing his symptoms, going to the vet, and now hoping he’ll eat tonight so I can get his meds into him. The unexpected vet visit cost £123, but I don’t count costs where the pets are concerned.

He’s a little brighter now, but it’s still horrid to see him so clearly in discomfort. If he’s not eaten by midday tomorrow or if he’s thrown up again by then, then we’ll be back to the vet for another blood panel. His bloods were perfect 2 weeks ago, but he’s also lost 1kg in weight from 19kg to 18kg, which is concerning. Please cross everything for us.

linz

When my dog used to get sick I gave him nothing but boiled chicken breasts. He was a scavenger and often ate stuff off the ground. When he didn't eat the vet used to say as long as he was drinking that was the main thing and most of the time it sorted itself out after a few days. I'm sure you know all this already but just thought I'd mention it. Hope he gets better soon 🙏 

MatyMoo

Sorry you have a poorly pooch. I feed poached chicken and sometimes pumpkin for upset tummies.  The chicken poaching liquid cooled is great for getting them to drink too. 

SecondStar

Christ the night, it has been a stressful week!

My dog has been feeling much better from this morning, thank goodness. He’s taken his meds voluntarily for the first time since Tuesday, and while his appetite still isn’t great we got him eating some dog food again tonight. I’m hoping we’ve turned a corner and can get him eating properly in the next few days.

We had a 2nd vet visit for £68, and I blew the last of this month’s money on buying different foods to tempt him with, so financially February is a total write off. But as I said, I don’t count pet costs.



Today our reenactment group all came together to spruce up the village, and do some more training. It was in kit for the first time this season, and the first time we’ve all been together at the village this year. The sun shone all day, everyone was in a great mood, and it was so lovely to all hang out and do viking things together.

People pitched in with repairs, we had combat and archery practice, we swapped ideas for improvements this year, and we all enjoyed each other’s company. I’d brought my wool and nalbinding things, and wound up with a little audience of people who had asked to be taught. It’s a very special place, and it was so peaceful to be on the hill in the sunshine, sat on a handmade stool, surrounded by baskets and bags of yarn, and talk about textile techniques from the 600’s with a bunch of friends all dressed like vikings! It’s a place where you’re just able to switch off - literally, there is no phone signal - and be a part of a different world, a different time.

Reenactment is so special to me - it’s not just dressing up to camp and drink with your mates (though it’s definitely that too!) - it’s about a different way of interacting with the space around you. If you’re cold you don’t go inside and put the heating on; you slip on a pair of handmade gloves and a hat, wrap a cloak around you, pin it in place, and shuffle closer to the fire. If you’re hungry or thirsty, then you set up your kettle and cooking equipment over the fire that you’ve built and lit, and have to tend to like a living thing. If you want to learn how to do something, there is someone who can show you - how to whittle wood into a spoon to eat with, cut and stitch leather to make a pouch for coins, forge metal into a tool or a weapon, nalbind socks to keep your feet warm, or stitch a new tunic (those last 2 are me!).

It’s earthy and vital, practical and messy, hands-on and straight-forward. It’s not *easy* - all of it requires skill and knowledge gained with time and experience - but it is fulfilling and rewarding.

It sounds a little silly because it is reenactment, but it is *real*. Being outside, using your hands and your mind, among likeminded people, touches something inside you that you didn’t realise you were missing. It’s a harkening back to humans who have gone before, but it’s also beneficial to us, as individuals, in 2024. It’s *connection* - not just to ancestors, or to each other in the group, but to ourselves as well. The group provides the framework of community, camaraderie, and fellowship; and that framework allows you to explore parts of yourself.

I think all of us would rather live in the village full time, if given the choice! Even outside of events and scheduled activities, we will often come together there to just spend time and…be. It can be far easier to spend a weekend as a viking, than it can to spend time in our regular lives!

I’m so incredibly grateful that this hobby and these people came into my life at just the right time. It’s been a tonic and a blessing through the messy breakup with my ex, and finding my feet by myself, to have something that’s just for me. Even now that my partner is also a reenactor, that doesn’t change or take away my love for what I’ve accomplished in this hobby by myself, and the goals I still have for myself for the future. Of course it helps that he is also enthusiastic about something we have in common, but that only adds to my personal experience, it doesn’t replace it or encroach on it.

This was more long winded than I’d planned! I’d set out to just say that my week had been rotten, and that today had been the literal and metaphorical breath of fresh air that I’d needed. I’m really not sure how large the audience interest is for reenactment here on a finance forum, but it does my brain good to write and maybe someone will find enjoyment in reading my ramblings, so there you go!

KajiKita

Hi Second Star

I enjoy reading about the reenactment activities, a lot, and you write very vividly about it. It reminds me a bit of a book I am reading atm called H@gitude, which talks a lot about the sacred feminine archetypes, which fits us most closely and how it grounds us to acknowledge that and lean into it. Also, about rediscovering what our sacred purpose ism that we know before gestation, forget as we are born and have to rediscover as we live our lives. It sounds to me like you have found yours, quite early in life. To me that is something to cherish and celebrate ❤️

So glad that your dog is feeling better 😊

KK

SecondStar

@kajikita I’m glad you enjoy my ramblings! Your book sounds fascinating, I may see if I can request it at the library. And thank you for the good wishes for my dog! I’m pleased to say he’s back to himself again



Pay day tomorrow! Despite knowing that I’m leaving February in the red after all those vet expenses, and that I won’t be able to replenish that money in full with this next pay cheque, it’s still reassuring to see the money come back to my accounts.

Switching the electricity supplier has seemed to really help! And we’ve been in double digits for the temperatures lately (yes I know, it’s just a false spring!) which has meant I’m only running the heat for maybe an hour each day to take the chill out of the air.

According to my budget, I should have about £120 left for March, after essentials bills and expenses. I plan to put most of that aside to go towards my new exhaust, brake pads/discs, and the service that my car will need for its MOT. I’ll take £20-30 to get some items for the beginning of the reenactment trade season - I’ve used up almost all of my yarn stash, nalbinding items for sale, and will need to get more yarn to continue making stock. I’d also like to get some business cards ordered, and see about picking up a few charity shop baskets or the like for display.

The aim is to start putting even £50 a back into my emergency fund each month. It’s difficult, when you know you have fixed expenses coming up (birthdays, Xmas, car servicing, etc.), and so you’re trying to put money away in time for those as well. But I can only do my best, even if that is still pay cheque to pay cheque for now, and hope that the unexpected expenses don’t crop up as frequently as they have been doing.



Speaking of unexpected expense - I’d been hearing a dripping noise for a while, only in heavy rain and only for a few minutes each time, for a while now. I’d chalked it up to the gutters outside the window, as I couldn’t notice anything inside the house. Today though, there was a small patch of discolouration on the ceiling, and when gently prodded a sodden bit of plasterboard fell down, and now I have a small hole. The drip stopped, and I’ve not been up to look yet, but I think it’s likely to be a torn piece of felt which is letting in rain at a certain angle/force. My wonderful partner is going to shimmy into the roof space tomorrow armed with bitumen, and an iron will to not let the ceiling fall in on my head, bless him. He’ll be giving me a crash course in how to patch plasterboard too, which will come in handy. 

SecondStar

Well the drip has turned out to be a large piece of roofing felt that is hanging loose, and will need to be replaced. Partner said he could see roof tile through it in some places, which isn’t good! Looks like it had been dripping for a while (oops), as there is black mould in places, and the plasterboard is like cotton candy. There will need to be new felt stuck in place, and a section of plasterboard about 1.5ft square replaced. About £60 in materials, and my partner says he’ll do the work.

His equally lovely and generous brother enjoys tinkering with cars, and has said he’ll do my back box / exhaust, if I get the parts. There aren’t words to describe how grateful I am.



On Friday I took my small amount of miscellaneous spending money, and went around the charity shops - looking for baskets, other display items, plausible beads or other jewellery, and any useful wool blankets of lengths of linen (viking stuff!). After 2 hours and over half a dozen charity shops, I came back empty handed and decidedly disgruntled. The very few things I’d seen and liked enough to consider were outrageously priced! The worst thing was a wall mounted tv STAND for one of those 25+ year old, tiny 15inch box tvs - for the low low cost of £20! Absolutely wild.

I fussed and grumbled, because I used to own lots of lovely baskets and display things from previous stalls at craft markets, and promptly donated them all when I downsized to my tiny home. Of course I understand why I got rid of them all, but logic doesn’t play into it much when you’re annoyed! EBay was a fortune in postage, fb marketplace was just a fortune full stop. However a few posts on various free pages has managed to stump up 4 so far, with the hope of more tomorrow, and possibly even more if I can get to collecting through the week. I’m hoping to have more baskets than I know what to do with! They’re useful for so many things, and free is my favourite price,



I took my annoyance at not being able to indulge myself in a small amount of planned retail therapy, and applied it to the yarn shop instead. It’s a local, independent business, and the staff and owner are lovely. They have a wonderful range of natural fibre yarn, and they’re always fascinated to hear about nalbinding - it’s an endangered craft in the UK, and fibre artists always lovely to hear about different crafts! I spent just over £20 stocking up on a bunch of more natural coloured wool yarns, with plans for more hats and pouches. I also took the time to lay out my current stock of items - 6 hats, 3 pairs of socks, 6 pairs of mitts, and 2 pouches - and it all looks great together. Will need to plan out what the stall will look like, and if there’ll be room alongside my partner’s things or if I’ll need my own trading table.



Got subjected to Dune & Dune 2 yesterday - I’m not much of a science fiction / science fantasy person, but my partner is a huge fan. We don’t have everything in common, and that’s fine! It just means that there are times when we do things that he enjoys most - goodness knows that my lovely partner does enough for me that I can bear to sit through 6 hours of Timothee Chalamet looking pained in a desert.

Made up for it today though, with a nice seaside walk in the sunshine, shared chips and ice cream, and then a really good nap! Sundays are my favourite.