Cheery's path to fulfilment - finishing the DIY, looking after myself, appreciating the garden 🌻

Greying_Pilgrim

Cheery - I don't know if you need an all singing - all dancing Microwave, but I wonder if the supermercados, and places like duNh3lm, or thE rang3 or places like that will have mircowaves competitively priced for the "Back to University" kit out frenzy?  I miss W1lkos for that kinda thing 😕  Of course, MrCheery may well have a cunning plan regarding fr33cycle - I know you've had some good things that way.  Did you get yourself a phone via backmark3t?  

Sounds like you've still managed to achieve some things - despite all that is going on around you, so well done 👍

Greying X

Cheery_Daff

I did indeed get my phone from BackMarket, and both our laptops, and we've been very happy with them, so we'll likely go down that route this time too. Thanks for the Amazon suggestion too Beanie, will investigate. 

Yes, microwave is likely to come from freegle/charity shop, although thanks for the 'back to school' reminder too - that's a good idea. 

I've picked a couple of roses and a few herbs from the garden for a little vase, and have lit a candle on the kitchen table, and am trying to perk myself up a little with an appreciative attitude It's kind of working

Banks checked, YNAB done. August was an expensive month, as expected. Holidays for us, and then separately for me (my grand total, aside from EH membership, was £173). Mr Cheery has bought equipment for his upcoming musical escapades (which will get used in the long run, but has been quite an outlay). And of course we have had even more than the usual round of cafes (£294 ) and food (£376 )

So I think belts will be tightened in September. I'm back at work, which will curtail cafes somewhat - and of course I'll make sure I take food with me and avoid paying for parking as much as possible. Mr Cheery is out five nights next week (which is part of the reason this tooth fiasco is causing him so much anguish - it's going to be rotten if he's in pain for the whole thing). Will try to make sure there's food available to eat before he leaves, or that he can take with him (although I'm not taking full responsibility for that!)

We have no major socialising plans so far. Some bills - I hadn't realised the £799 fee for the new mortgage would come out already, so there's had to be some shuffling to accommodate that (I've pilfered from the windows fund - they're not doing those until Oct/Nov so I can replace by then). There's a £400 bill for the plumber - need to query that to make sure none of it includes the £155 I already paid him last week. 

There's almost £1000 in the LPG fund but I'm keeping adding £170 a month - that'll more than cover one tank, but we'll likely need a second part way through the winter. I must check how much is in there, but I think we had a fill after last winter so there should still be plenty at this point. 

Just realised I've not allocated a new line for the gym membership. Last month it went out under my spends (because it was only me) and then we added Mr Cheery, but that was an ad hoc payment. This time it will go out as a couples membership, so I need to shift it to a more joint part of the budget (and set it up as a repeat payment). 

So. Budget done. What next? 

beanielou

Budget done, what next? 

I suggest a rest 🤗

KajiKita

beanielou said:

Budget done, what next? 

I suggest a rest 🤗

Not a bad shout … 😉

KK

Cheery_Daff

beanielou said:

Budget done, what next? 

I suggest a rest 🤗

Ha, good suggestion! I had a bit of a rest then did a plan for the week,  including meals, exercise,  and home related stuff.  Feeling more like I have a handle on things which is good. Then been hanging out with Mr C. Let's see how the week pans out...

KajiKita

Good luck with your respective weeks … Sounds like a lot for Mr CD on top of a bad tooth …

KK

themadvix

I hope Mr Cheery is feeling much better today.

 You’ve reminded/inspired me to get a plan together for the start of the month/final third of the  year. I must do this this evening!

 Finally, a quick question - I seem to remember you might have dried courgette slices in the past….? If that was you, did you blanch them first? My instructions seem to suggest it’s necessary, but I really don’t have time!

Cheery_Daff

KajiKita said:

Good luck with your respective weeks … Sounds like a lot for Mr CD on top of a bad tooth …

KK

Yes it will be - but it was all his choice! We'll see how it goes. He's feeling better today, thank goodness.

themadvix said:

I hope Mr Cheery is feeling much better today.

 You’ve reminded/inspired me to get a plan together for the start of the month/final third of the  year. I must do this this evening!

 Finally, a quick question - I seem to remember you might have dried courgette slices in the past….? If that was you, did you blanch them first? My instructions seem to suggest it’s necessary, but I really don’t have time!

Yes, I did, and no, I didn't blanch them first. They, and the dried mushrooms I did, were brilliant for just throwing in stews and risotto etc - bit more texture than they would normally have, which I appreciated. I must do some more!

themadvix

Glad to hear Mr C is feeling better - tooth pain (as you well know) is so rotten!

Ooh thanks for that re courgettes - and interesting to know it gives them a bit more texture. When I make my next cuppa, I'll get some sliced and on (dehydrator made it downstairs in a previous tea break!).

Cheery_Daff

Did you get them into the dehydrator? I haven't grown anything this year, but I will pick up a discount punnet of mushrooms at some point and dry those, I think. 

First day back at work today. Not too objectionable, and I had less than 600 emails to sift through, which isn't bad for an entire month off 😂 (although of course it was August, so lots of other people were off too, and I'd warned everyone in advance!) Most were either deleted or filed, and I am delighted to report that the biggest problem that was waiting for me was that someone had requested a library book I have just after I left, so there was a succession of increasingly dire automatic messages from the library, culminating in 'if you don't return this in 7 days we will assume it is lost and charge you £21.99' Fortunately we are still in the 7 day window so I will return it tomorrow! 

Not much else to report. Leftovers for dinner, and again (slightly supplemented) for tea. Frozen stash meal out for tomorrow's dinner, and I'll make breakfast in advance shortly (in fact I have some frozen breakfasts too, might just grab one of those).

Spoke to the plumber - this bill is just for the flue replacement - I must pay that this evening actually. 

Mr Cheery is feeling human again, and has spent the day/evening preparing for his week-long extravaganza, which has involved filling kitchen/living room/hallways etc with tools, masks, novelty glasses, instruments etc. 

I am in the office tomorrow, nicely out of the way. Working at home on Wednesday, then going with him in the evening to give him a break from driving. He's managed to shift his dentist appointment forward to Thursday - NOT ideal having root canal treatment in the midst of all this but having pleaded for a sooner appointment he didn't feel he could be too picky! Fingers crossed this solves the problem and isn't too painful.

Ooh, and I got a ridiculous yougov survey earlier where I had to watch a programme and say how engaged I was. I got 100 points, which I was excited about, until I remembered that it had taken almost an hour and I'd earned the equivalent of £1 😂😂 But I was wielding the IPL machine at the same time, so not wasted (and it was actually quite an interesting programme!) and I am now only 35 points off my first ever yougov payout 😃

Right, an early night is needed, I think...