Resourcefulness: The budgeter's friend

foxgloves

Free outfits sound good to me, @PennysIntoPounds. 
Yes, I meant to say 'Solstice Blessings' in my post, but forgot.
Watched the TV streaming of the sunrise over Stonehenge, but all the people milling about took the magical edge off it so next time, I think I'll maybe just watch dawn break in our garden.
F x
P.S Not sure about the vouchers, though I don't like wasting them either, so I know what you mean.

EssexHebridean

Sharing of personal information on the forums is technically off-limits I think. "It wouldn't surprise me at all" to know that some stuff does happen via DM though...  

rtandon27

Wow FG, that was mighty cheeky of the dentist given you'd attended & paid! 

OH & I were remarking the other day about a cheeky sign at our GPs that read something along the lines of XXX appointments missed in May, XXX hours of time wasted, please be sure to attend your appointments, you are costing the NHS money.  Nothing posted about the number of hours I'd wasted in May trying to get a copy of some electronic results that I knew were on my file (another practitioner of the NHS could see them there, but not open them) only to be told they had not arrived & call back again another day (twice, 3 days apart).  Also nothing posted about the hours wasted by patients who've had appointments cancelled in the month of May due to Dr. illness (2 of my 3 - and countless others).  It was almost if their time was more valuable than the patients!  Thankfully one of the long-term receptionists is a neighbour, who stops to chat on her way in to work - she sorted everything out & grumbled about incompetency which made us both laugh! We shall be delivering her a small token of something nice, to show our appreciation!

ladyholly

I have always been of the opinion thast doctors consider their time more valuable than the patients. Many of them seem to be incapable of keeping anywhere near their appointment time and I have seen, on several occasions, them arrive in the surgery way after the time of their first appointment.  When doctors ran single gp surgeries it could be they were out at silly times but now I dont see why they cant at least arrive on time.  I do understand that sometimes patients cn take longer than the allotteed time but some gps manage to work pretty well to time while others always run very late.

Cheery_Daff

Sorry to hear about your medical news Foxgloves, not surprising you're wobbling at the prospect of investigations but good to hear you're thinking of the little things you can do for yourself xx

I was going to wade in on something but can't remember what it was... not dentists (ours once refused to see me because I was 3 mins late for an hour long appointment, after I'd rung to say I was definitely coming just stuck in traffic round the corner, and the appointment I had the other day was cancelled five times (by the dentist, on the day) before I was finally seen). Feeling very grateful to have a dentist at all right now.

Anyway, that wasn't it 😂 Hang on, I'll have to post so I can go back a page... 

*******

Back now - it was the Evil Pencil incident 😂😂 Last summer, we were pottering about getting ready for a picnic in the garden, chickens happily pottering round with us. Mr Cheery came down the garden steps carrying a small folded bistro table - I have no idea what Sunshine Chicken thought it was, but she took fright, made the loudest noise, and flew dramatically all the way to the chicken run, quickly followed by all the others 😂 We referred to it as the Table Monster Incident, and any of them ever took fright at something daft again, we always asked 'is it a Table Monster?' 😂😂 funny little things 🥰

Baileys_Babe

Your wobble regarding your medical news is completely understandable, especially considering your family history. It has no doubt brought memories of your Mum to the surface. Give yourself time to process.

I'm heartened to know you have the love and support of Mr. F and the solace of your garden.

scandimore

Sending you best wishes foxgloves for your wobble and the investigations x

Toni'sfriend

Keep plodding, foxgloves. I've had a few wobbles and a couple of complete meltdowns as well over the last six months. You seem to me like a very positive and practical person. That will see you through. Sending you massive hugs and lots of support. xxx

Tescodealqueen

Re your 4% interest, think we may have the same account. It beats the interest on our bs account that we have to drive a special trip out of our way to get to and which although good when we started has gradually lost pace. So we closed those accounts which we used for our guilty pleasure holidays and moved the cash to said 4% account which I can manage online so a double win for us. Felt guilty doing it for the branch staff but we only have went there to draw out money which had to be a cheque which was a faff as our local c**p branch closed a while ago so had to pay in at the post office and wait til it painfully slowly went through the system so best thing for us all round. I can use it to drip feed the 7% regular saver too now it’s all in one place. I have had the c**p account for nearly 45 years and my branch is still in the town where I had my first job and haven’t lived near since the eighties but they are a bit behind the curve with their systems but like the ethics of the bank so will stick with it

foxgloves

Thanks everyone. I do appreciate the support. I am such a practical 'together' sort of person most of the time, but we all have a wobble now & again, don't we, & I am no different.

@Tescodealqueen - Yes, that sounds like the same account. I don't know if it is still available, but it has been useful for us for holding our Savings Pots money. I did notice back at the start of this new financial year that we had more of an interest payment on this account than we'd had before. I think when the UK interest rates were very flat, it rather bumbled along on such a teensy amount, I barely took any notice of it being an interest bearing account, but at 4%, things are obviously looking a lot more useful. While I have no current plans to shift our general savings from their current providers, I am mulling over other ways this interest rate might be of advantage to us, in addition to the Savings Pots money. I do have the funds in there atm to pay for my (delayed) dental implants, so it's good to know that is attracting a decent rate as it is expensive, as with all private surgical work.
I like the new banking website. I wasn't sure I would like it as sometimes these things are changed for no obvious benefit apart from trying to get a trendier 'feel', but I think the changes make for a better flow of online banking procedures, so I am going to get on well with it, I think. I like the little arrows for payments in & out, as I use a similar system when annotating bank statements on Big Budget Day.
There is still a branch in the big city centre, but not in the smaller city, which is slightly nearer to us. Our own local town branch closed some years ago, sadly. It was so useful having a physical branch, even though I do most banking online. Withdrawing large sums of money & particularly paying in cash was so quick compared with the Post Office envelope system. I really appreciate having the Post Office for paying in cheques but I think there must be a tortoise around the back with a C**p logo on his shell & they attach the envelopes & point him in the general direction of Manchester! Being able to pay in cash is useful for people who save up coins......if one can procure the appropriate cash bags, again not so easy without having a branch of one's own bank in town.
F