An in-between phase

PennysIntoPounds

Oh I feel you @WinterWarrior I used to have baby 'WOO' neighbours and it's just awful isn't it. No wonder babies cry so much, I'd regularly bawl too if my tiny knowledge of existence regularly featured huge people shouting WOO at me at 6am 😂 In seriousness though, it says an awful lot about both people's lack of awareness of others and the shoddy housing quality situation in this country that one can end up being grumpy and having a rubbish quality of life because a parent is interacting with a wee bairn! 

PennysIntoPounds

So I have actually done quite a lot of things on the list so feeling pleased but knackered.
Phone is sorted as much as it can be, in my cluelessness I didn't realise it would take a few days to transfer my number and that that would be from 9am til midnight on the transfer day. Not ideal as I'm a freelancer and need clients to be able to get in touch but hopefully the next Lebara issue won't be me not being able to buy food for a week. Why can't things just work?! 😭
Anyhoo, flat is acceptable with few more not urgent cleaning bits to do, hair and rest of me is washed, steps were done picking a couple of portions of mse free blackberries and a litter-pick of a particularly bad patch round here, wussy attempt at situps done, books weren't accepted by Z*ffit but at least I checked, and spuds are boiled, mashed, and cooling to go in the freezer.
Now to decide whether or not to deliver the polite note to upstairs...

PennysIntoPounds

I expect no-one is reading my ramblings, and thank you and apologies for the rambling if you are, but to keep myself vaguely accountable; today was a lovely day, and I'm glad I got involved because I was really worried about the embarrassing elements of my chronic pain condition also very much getting involved.
But I did a lot of steps on a walk with a local pub group, and didn't have to sh*t in my emergency carrier bag (if anyone was reading, it's fine that you're not now), and met some nice people.
Mr PIP had a discount for one pub and I had a discount for the other we went to so that was a double bonus.
Didn't buy anything from the huge flower and plant market we walked through, and I am extremely partial to flowers and plants.
Mr PIP and I got an uber back which wasn't money saving but it was £18 and getting back on public transport would've been £9 for us both and over double the time so I felt like it was justifiable to give my body and anxiety about body a treat.
Upstairs were very clompy from early this morning too so my tiredness was a factor. They either haven't seen or have ignored the (polite!) note so if they continue maybe I can invoice them for the cab 😁
Very much hoping my poor tired body will be allowed to sleep well, and, in wishing land, even allowed a lie-in tomorrow...
Hope the start of everyone's week is chill, productive, and prosperous x

PennysIntoPounds

Well upstairs did clomp but it seemed like they were trying to clomp a bit more quietly in the early hours 😂
And of course on my designated lie-in day the scaffolders decided to create a scaffolding symphony at daft o'clock 🙄
But Very Exciting News is I got a text saying I'd been granted Personal Independence Payment! Even if it's the lowest amount it'll still make a big difference to me, but it's also just such a relief to feel heard and believed after decades of doctors being like 'so what'.
I have entered some competitions, done a p*nelbase survey, and am ploughing on with admin

WinterWarrior

Fabulous news about the pip. Well done!  I’m sorry but I did laugh at the logistics of an emergency poo bag. My dog always likes to have 2 poos if she knows I only have 1 bag in my pocket…I hope you aren’t the same 🤭 

PennysIntoPounds

Thanks @WinterWarrior and absolutely fine to laugh! It's grim having to worry about losing bowel control when out but I take an M&S carrier bag so at least if in the dire situation of an emergency occurring, it's not just *any* sh!tting in public, this is M&S carrier bag sh!tting in public 😂😭😂😭

I should probably stop being so honest, sharing these sorts of things doesn't reflect well on me in a civilised society, but if I have to put up with this nonsense at least maybe other people can feel less alone in the injustices of bodies and ageing, or have a good laugh!

PennysIntoPounds

Been exhausted today but bits and bobs of admin done, finally got the phone number transferred and seems to be working- must make sure to check in that payments from other provider stop. Saw a friend to get keys to flat and cat sit for the next few days, was good catching up and didn't forget to get the keys! Had hoped to walk but too knackered, but at least got the bus there and back instead of getting another cab like a pipionaire. Now I'm almost I'm receipt of PIP I see how very poorly I have chosen my user name for abbreviations 😂 Just to be clear, Mr PIP is not in any way affiliated with Personal Independence Payments!
Also got my traded-in stamps back that I mentioned sending a while ago on the lovely @foxgloves diary, only £3.30 but that was £3.30 that was my money fair and square so pleased to have not let a company take the mick, and it all adds up!

PennysIntoPounds

Ensconced at my friends and the cat is not happy, but hopefully will chill out after she's deigned to eat some dinner.
Didn't do the walk I'd hoped to the pub Mr PIP was keen on going to but I was tired and sore after bringing laptop and clothes etc over.
Feel bad letting Mr PIP down as he likes a good walk (as do I when capable) but fortunately he's an understanding chap. Instead we had a nice post-work beer locally and bought some chocolate as I'm particularly worn out what with being pre-menstrual. Not mse in a not making a purchase way but reasonably mse in that having small nice things that encourage one to bother to get up and try the next day rather than feel everything's horrible when physically and emotionally vulnerable is a productive bit of self-care.
Hope you're all having a productive week in whatever way you can 😊

PennysIntoPounds

I probably owe any readers an explanation of why I'm on this here mse board. It somehow feels more vulnerable talking about money than admitting online to strangers that my body doesn't work well enough to not sometimes !!!!!! myself.
So my situation is a bit odd, largely because of my chronic pain condition- I freelance from 'home' as I'm not able to predict the severity of soreness and inability, and because it's a joints/hypermobility issue (EDS) I can't do what is often considered casual work such as bar tending, gardening, stacking shelves etc. I also have issues with horrific period pains and how much changing hormones affect my cpc throughout the month- not predictably obvs as that would actually be helpful. I work pretty much full time but have a terrible income (~6k pa)- this is just due to the nature of the industry but also how hard it is to create work when you consistently feel wiped out in every way.
This is probably a long enough post if anyone's still reading so I'll leave it there for now and do other aspects of life if anyone's vaguely interested in the next few days. I don't half go on, apologies!

PennysIntoPounds

Right, let me see if I can be brief!

After split with long term partner have some savings from him buying me out of mortgage but nowhere near enough to get near property. While my life savings might be some people's yearly salary, it's more money than I'll likely ever have again in my life so don't want to spaff it away on rent. Not entitled to any benefits other than Pip.

Debts paid off but there was no section specifically for skint middle aged women in an in between phase; I feel most at home on DFDs as my money status is more anxiety rather than feeling excited and motivated.
Sadly the family friend whose flat I was staying in for mates rates died a wee while ago, so I'm now staying half the time at Mr PIPs (rented) and half at my mums (rented).

So I suppose my mse goals are mainly to save whatever few quid I can here and there when possible to put towards me and Mr PIP getting a place of our own.

More on the difficulties with that in future, I feel like I'm boring on- turns out I can't be brief!