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Resourcefulness: The budgeter's friend
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Great news you're on the mend and started to feel like doing things but also good you're taking it steady and factoring in some rest.I get knocked down but I get up again (Chumbawamba, Tubthumping)4
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It's frustrating when we don't bounce back as we expect to. I am hoping this afternoon's flu jab does not result in any reaction. Mr Sl had his last week and felt grim for a day or two, but he seems to have a different immune system since he was ill and the hospital killed all the beneficial gut bacteria while fending off sepsisSave £12k in 2025 #2 I am at £10,020.92 out of £6000 after September
OS Grocery Challenge in 2025 I am at £2234.63/£3000 or 74.49% of my annual spend so far (not going to be much of a Christmas at this rate as no spare after 9 months!
I also Reverse Meal Plan on that thread and grow much of our own premium price fruit and veg, joining in on the Grow your own thread
My new diary is here2 -
SL MrEH is finding the same thing - a stomach bug that wouldn't have in the normal course of things affected him at all knocked him for 6 for a couple of days last week. As much as the copious amounts of antibiotics were required, we can't expect them to not also have effects elsewhere, I guess!🎉 MORTGAGE FREE (First time!) 30/09/2016 🎉 And now we go again…New mortgage taken 01/09/23 🏡
Balance as at 01/09/23 = £115,000.00 Balance as at 31/12/23 = £112,000.00
Balance as at 31/08/24 = £105,400.00 Balance as at 31/12/24 = £102,500.00
Balance as at 31/08/25 = £ 95,450.00
£100k barrier broken 1/4/25SOA CALCULATOR (for DFW newbies): SOA Calculatorshe/her2 -
I've had him on three months of vitamin supplements and BioAcidophilus (which the French Health Service certainly used to prescribe with any antibiotics) - he is due to give blood in two weeks time for the first time since it happened, and I am keen to see what his haemoglobin levels are. I have suggested he also do an e-consult form at the GP to ask for a full set of blood tests so he knows where he is at, given the GP we spoke to a week after the hospital discharge suggested it would take three months to recover. I know he is not fully back as he is so tired. I do hope this isn't the permanent him. I've got a list of stuff to do...Save £12k in 2025 #2 I am at £10,020.92 out of £6000 after September
OS Grocery Challenge in 2025 I am at £2234.63/£3000 or 74.49% of my annual spend so far (not going to be much of a Christmas at this rate as no spare after 9 months!
I also Reverse Meal Plan on that thread and grow much of our own premium price fruit and veg, joining in on the Grow your own thread
My new diary is here2 -
Ohhhhh, Covid is cr*p isn't it? After the last few days of improvement, I haven't felt well today, with the return of the persistent headache, probably from the virrussy gunked up sinuses. So it's a big moan from me, & look, I haven't even said 'hello' yet!
Greetings Diary Readers,
Woke up with the headache & threw the usual things at it......paracetamol, tiger balm, cold flannel, coffee, toast, some nutritious home made soup for lunch, fresh air, but it is just determined to linger & I am infuriated with the stalling of my progress towards being a normal non-plague person again. I have pottered around doing a few things, but have not had my planned morning of planting up autumn containers, bulbs, etc & am blaming the germy herbert who clearly huffed this over me a week ago last Sunday when I was innocently partaking of my cappuccino & cheese scone at the village farm shop cafe. Yes, of course it's possible whoever it was had no idea they were poorly, but I am now in Week 2 so am very much in the blame game!
Anyway, I can't spend my entire post moaning, so what has been achieved today on the budget-friendly front?
*Did a couple of bits of minor financial admin.
*Received a small composer royalty payment from my Dad's estate. Good old Dad, & he would be well impressed with what I am going to do with it. Dad loved Christmas including Christmas dinner - I still remember the time he almost bought a 17lb turkey & was about to go back to the shop for it....until my Mum went a bit of a funny colour & put her foot down, as she could remember barely being able to fit the 15.5 lb one he chose in the oven the previous year & my Grandad ended up dropping it. It struck me that my share of the latest payment (royalties are of course shared with my sister) is almost exactly what that recently ordered expensive fresh free range turkey is going to cost when we pick it up on 24th Dec, so I am going to put the money aside for that & we can drink a toast to Dad while we are eating it.
*Today's garden pickings: The last 10 courgettes & 6 trombonicino, the last of the blackberries, french beans, jalapenos & 3 peppers.
*Watered the strawberry runners which have rooted but were looking dry, also 2 late-sown tubs of carrots & the remaining greenhouse stuff.
*Use-it-up nosebag tonight as it's jacket potato night. Mr F is apparently making the mother of all Epic Man Stews & I am having grated cheese & coleslaw on my potato as it's what I fancy.
*Did a couple of surveys.
*Mr F has had an early finish because he's owed oodles of TOIL for covering weekend staff absence, so he's called at Waitbl00m on his way home with the list. It wasn't a very long list as we did a tight meal plan & I know he had a couple of useful vouchers too.
You know, my headache has very slightly improved since sitting here chatting to you, so I think I will go & have another drink of water to see if I can shift it further, then enjoy a few more chapters of my book.
My best wishes to everyone else dealing with lergies, illnesses of loved ones & other tribulations. I do appreciate what a good support network we are on here.
F x2025's challenges: 1) To fill our 10 Savings Pots to their healthiest level ever
2) To read 100 books (36/100) 3) The Shrinking of Foxgloves 8.1kg/30kg
"Life can only be understood backwards but it must be lived forwards" (Soren Kirkegaard 1813-55)2 -
Boo to the headache. Keep hydrated and not too much screen time and hopefully it will go away. Also boo to the person who breathed on you in the first place. As you say, they may not have known they were ill, but also a lot of people think its ok to go out with covid/flu/coughs and colds and give no thought to others and especially don't think that they may come into contact with vunerable people. I hear that the NHS vaccine this year, is not going to cover the new strain, but the one given privately will! That seems stupid to me, as the older people and vunerable ones are getting the NHS one, and surely they are the ones who are most at risk? Sometimes I despair at our Govt's thinking.
Enjoy your jacket spud. xMaking the debt go down and savings go up
LBM 2015 - debt £57K / Now £28,304....its going down
Mortgage Free December 9th 2024! 18mths ahead of schedule. Since 2022 we paid over £15K in OPs.Challenges
EF #68 £650/£3000
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Studies/surveys October £21.15
Decluttering items 1202/2025
Books read 18
Jigsaws done 11
My debt free diary...https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6396218/we-will-get-this-debt-d£own-the-savings-up1 -
Sorry to hear you've had a relapse, what a pain! That's a lovely thing to do with your dad's royalties, I'm sure he'd approve. It always makes me smile when Mr F makes an Epic Man Stew, I imagine him stood over the hob stirring a huge pot of assorted odds and ends 😆I get knocked down but I get up again (Chumbawamba, Tubthumping)1
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Lovely use of your dad's royalties.
Slowly but surely with improving, be kind to yourselfhttps://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6466032/an-in-between-phase
Books read 2025: 56
Hey! Use my code GW7II3 on Eureka Surveys and unlock a short 80p survey just for signing up! https://eurekasurveys.page.link/do9nSyy8u4nikx6r61 -
I know what yoiu mean about feeling so much better & then not so much. Saturday I felt good, so thinking great this is virtually over. Today well a limp rag would feel starched compared with how I feel. I no longer feel ill but everything just seems such an effort. Even DS felt the need to deal with some recycling earlier today, he wouldn't normally even notice.0
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badmemory said:I know what yoiu mean about feeling so much better & then not so much. Saturday I felt good, so thinking great this is virtually over. Today well a limp rag would feel starched compared with how I feel. I no longer feel ill but everything just seems such an effort. Even DS felt the need to deal with some recycling earlier today, he wouldn't normally even notice.Making the debt go down and savings go up
LBM 2015 - debt £57K / Now £28,304....its going down
Mortgage Free December 9th 2024! 18mths ahead of schedule. Since 2022 we paid over £15K in OPs.Challenges
EF #68 £650/£3000
.
Studies/surveys October £21.15
Decluttering items 1202/2025
Books read 18
Jigsaws done 11
My debt free diary...https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6396218/we-will-get-this-debt-d£own-the-savings-up1
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