Prosperous & Creative Soul & MFW Year 3

jwil

Great news about being better off, and that you have some time off to look forward to.

savingholmes

Thanks KK and Jwil

The only problem with doing an art course - is they suggest even more art tools you can buy.... and you are surrounded by people with similar expensive wants... One of the sites she linked us to sold individual pens at £80-100 average... I don't think a 6 week course justifies that for me at my current drawing skill level... Other things I am tempted by though...  Natural pigment chalks etc... 

beanielou

Blimey. That’s a tad excessive for a pen. 

Blackcats

Lots for you to think about at the moment.
hope you are looking after yourself and that you know that your MSE friends are all here for you.

KajiKita

Re the potential spendiness of the course - could you set yourself a budget of say £100 as an investment in you, and once it’s gone that’s it for spends related to the course? That way you do get the chance to ‘indulge yourself’ a bit, but it’s contained? 

(I am doing similar for my week off this week - set myself a £100 additional spend limit and am c. £60 through it, so still have enough for lunch with my friend tomorrow 😊). 

KK

savingholmes

Thanks Beanie, Blackcats and KK

I like the £100 idea. I'm not going for that pen as I'm not sure I'd get the use out of it. It would be great for fine detail but I'm not convinced that I have that level of control. I have however bought two different types of special paper - and some clay modelling tools which are apparently helpful when drawing. I can see how you'd potentially use them with charcoal and pastels - I'm unsure on other things. If I need anything else I can probably borrow it. What I've spent so far - including just (I'd left it in my basket overnight) - is about £53. At the R*ng3 the other day they had cheaper calligraphy style pens - so I may buy a set of those and try them rather than anything more expensive unless they became a long term tool. The cost of that was much lower - more like the £8-13 type mark.

My cleaner came yesterday for the last time. She quit due to quite a serious health problem so if the agency don't find an immediate replacement I may be able to pay for art tools from that. Ironically I'd taken the cash out at the start of the pay month to pay for her though...

I used a £5 MnS rewards voucher the other day for a meal that lasted two days so that was nice. Some air rewards reach cash out with the next week which should then pay for my phone air time for a few months...

Right best start work. I have my counsellor later.

lucielle

Sorry to hear about the cleaner. Will they be sending another one?  

L

savingholmes

Thanks Lucielle. The agency tried to ring me - I need to call them back. Hopefully they'll send someone else. I really struggle to let new people in my home though - so it is hard work each time it changes. She's probably not been even 6 times yet - and the one before was only 3-4 times so it's a lot of change on top of other change.

I have been really down today but not much I can do as everything feels out of control. I nipped out at lunch and found the local library - so I'm now the proud owner of a library card and will be able to get some books for free etc. I also got details of various groups that meet there  - so will aim to go and test some out. I think only one was in the evening - all the rest clash with work - but as long as I agree it with my manager - I could still got to part of the session - perhaps enough to at least meet a few people and have a chance of local friends. I'm very conscious work is my main social - so if that's in danger of being ripped away it's even more important to create a new one.

Today's specialist confirmed that cancer was the most likely cause of relative's difficulties based on the scans - and said they perhaps had 6 months - and that treatment was unlikely to help. Biopsy due in 2 weeks with results a week or two after that. I'd guessed 3 months so if they do get 6 months that could be a bonus depending on how quickly they get worse. I had a counselling session. Booked another for next week and one the week after. I caught up with DD by phone and messaged DS.

There's a wider family gathering next weekend. I'm due to go down and meet DS's new partner on the Friday and then potentially travel up together to it. It will be nice to see DS. The rest is likely to be extremely hard as everyone is already grieving.

I went and mooched round TKs just to get out for a bit. Bought a scented candle that I'm probably allergic to - but it was from an Italian lake and so appealed. It has a glass lid I can put on if it gets too much £10. I also found a glass vase/plant pot that matches one I already have although in slightly different colours so I bought that too - £14. I then bought some nice food in the meal deals plus extra veg and my fave cake. £35 ish - but otherwise I'd have gone out to eat which where I considered going would be £21. This way I should have quite a few meals for that. I also put the garlic chicken I bought from Li*l's last weekend in the oven - so my purchases that should last me all weekend and possibly a bit into next week. 

I pick up my new glasses and sunglasses tomorrow. Really hoping that helps with reading and crafts as they say my current glasses are over-corrected for short sightedness and didn't allow enough for stigmatism. I then have the hairdressers Saturday which will hopefully give me a boost - and if nothing else is company and direction for a bit. That town also has a craft store in it... so temptations... Will need to add latest spends to my spreadsheet and see how I'm doing.

doingitanyway

Really sad news for relative and the whole family. 
I hope the hairdressers can lift your spirits.

mark55man

sorry to hear you are having it rough at the moment SH.

Redundancy can be an opportunity and you are right to pursue options such as pensions, even if you need to ask for favours generally they would much rather have a willing volunteer even if it costs them a little.  As you seem quite experienced the money they save by choosing you may mean either they will be reluctant to let you go (more expensive than others) or pleased to.  Its so confusing depending on whether they have a people target or a cost target. You should feel no embarrassment at getting the best out of it for yourself.  

Don't know if the above is helpful but you need to look at this from as many points of view as possible, some of them more selfish than you may be comfortable with - also, hard though it is, take an unemotional look at it numbers / alternatives