NST April 2024: April appreciation
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@Toni'sfriend wishing you a relaxing and restful holiday!
I've also been a bit absent as I've been preoccupied with a few things, the main one being my mum still unwell since November. She was admitted to hospital a couple of weeks ago to do all sort of tests and exams to try and understand what is wrong and they finally came up with a diagnosis. She has a bacterial infection in the back ribs and backbone which has slowly spread quite a bit so they started her on a cocktail of intravenous antibiotics which, hopefully, will be enough to get rid of it, although the doctor said it's going to take a while. With the last scan they also noticed the spinal cord is starting to be a bit compromised and they need to do an operation, first to clean the infection and second to position some nails to support the backbone as their fear is it could collapse before it's been given the time to heal. So now she can't move until after the operation, we are waiting for some news today as we were hoping she could do it this week. Luckily I'm flying home next Tuesday, I had planned to take a few days off at a friend's house before heading home for about a week, but now I think I will just do 3 days with my friend and spend the remaining 10 home, so I can visit my mum and prepare the house for when she will go home. I considered just going straight home but I so much needed a couple of days off, it's been a very full on and stressful few months and I feel I need to recharge at least a little bit before I can start coping with everything again. I am still glad I kept the days off work, at least that is one thing I don't have to worry about for a bit.
Today I am grateful for the doctors who didn't stop until they got at bottom of things, and for having just less than 4 days before my time off.
Hugs to everyone, I read through all your posts!My debt free journey starts on 30/08/2023:
CC1 - 5,151.92 now 4,939.76
CC2 - 4,625.87 now 4,741.90
CC3 - 4,166.15 now 4,560.92
Current outstanding total: 14,242.58
Aiming to be debt free by Dec 2026.
May 2024 No-Spend Day Challenge - 11/17
NST May 2024 -
#21 1p savings challenge 2024 £188.11/£671.6111 -
Oh dear I haven't checked in for a while... I'm still keeping to my strict budget to save for house deposit (the challenge in maintaining this will be summer) and still doing the morning pages.. I have only had two alcoholic drinks in April and feeling the benefits.
Had an appointment with a sort of estate agent that claims to be able to secure 90/100% mortgages, but they did not call me when they said they would, so I don't want to deal with them now. Suspect the terms of those mortgages would not be the best anyway....so I'm aiming to save 20% plus taxes and fees - about 38k minimum.
Must catch up with your posts. ...hope everyone is well. Sending love xxStudent loan £5849
House deposit €18K/€40k9 -
@Toni'sfriend new clothes always perk us up, plus you have the added benefit of looking forward to wearing your existing clothes again soon.
@beanielou yep not expecting too much from the pain clinic but am hoping we can have a frank discussion at least. I just want a little uninterrupted sleep but can't take sleeping pills as I often drive early the next day.
Speaking of uninterrupted sleep, I was randomly awoken at 2am last night by the sound of a melon that fell off the kitchen worktop onto the floor! Scared the living daylights out of me lol.
Anyway, yesterday was a spend day as had to go to the Old Bailey for work. I never bring lunch on the rare occasions I go there as its a pain with security so I bought a cheapish lunch from a chain store. I don't mind doing it every so often, I'd hate to work up there every day, it would cost a fortune! I also had a shopping delivery so it was a spend day anyway. Have to admit my shopping has been over budget the last few months, I don't think I splurge particularly, especially as only OH eats meat, but I've reluctantly upped the budget by £20.
Today I'm working from home and taking the opportunity to get some washing done, and also to change the bedsheets. Will pop to the gym after work as I was shattered yesterday and fully admit I couldn't be bothered to get up early this morning to go! But that's okay (taking a leaf out of your book there @Starlight_at_Sea!)
It's also payday today so just sorting the budget ready for next month.Save £3,000 emergency fund #79 - £2,073.28 as of 05/24
Pay off credit card by December 2024 - £0/£2,00013 -
Sounds like you've got lots done @Starlight_at_Sea, & a great friend to show you how to do new tasks 😊
You'll feel like a new woman @Toni'sfriend, a new wardrobe will give you a boost!
Sorry to hear about your mum @laura_lau, glad they've gotten to the bottom of the problem & have a plan to help her get better.
Good luck with the saving @Shrewbie, think you made the right choice to go to a different company. It's important to follow up on what you've committed to, & if they can't even phone you when they say they will, it doesn't bode well!
NSD#18
Did yoga & Norwegian, then as DH caught a bus into town, I hung the washing on the line & fed the birds. DH had to rescue a Starling that had got into our back porch, & I had to rescue a rabbit, who'd got trapped behind the chicken wire on one of the raised beds!
Work went well, despite a small blip, then another member of staff forgetting she was covering me for lunch, so was 1.35 before I ate.
Caught up on messages when I got home, nodded off for half an hour, then did 2 sewing jobs after tea, followed by the ironing.
Grateful for hearing from my friend post op, laughter in the office at lunchtime & time to read my book before teaUse it up, wear it out
Make do or do without!
If you see someone without a smile, give them one of yours 😃
⭐⭐⭐⭐10 -
You are in good company @Toni'sfriend nothing fits me either just now, and I had exactly the same conversation with my lodger, who is also in need of an interim wardrobe! A chance to try something different maybe? I am trying to hold off until early may, as a friend bought me a voucher to get my colours done for my bday last year, and I'm going at the start of the month. Will be interesting to see what they say.
That's a lot of rescuing going on first thing in your place @Thrifty_Taylor, and sounds like a very well deserved nap.
I'm over at my own house tonight, shared dinner from the freezer with my lodger, so we both had plenty of vegetables! She has tidied up a lot, 🇺🇦D is lovely but very messy so we are taking advantage of her holiday to do a bit of a deep clean. I am also changing some furniture round to give her more storage in her room. Removal of excuses and all that!
I bought the single bed over here from the flat, all bar the mattress, so that is one bedroom over there a little closer to ready, and good use made of my journey! I'm WFH here tomorrow awaiting the plumber to tell me if the boiler can limp on a bit further or not. Maybe it's time for a new one (and that's ok - said through a slight grimace this time!). This one has been jolly good to me since we arrived here and dates from about 2010.
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@Icc86. What I do with the tablets that aid my sleep is actually to take them about 4 hours before I go to bed! This helps with the drowsiness in the morning. It was quite a lot of trial & error.I am a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on Mortgage Free Wannabe & Local Money Saving Scotland & Disability Money Matters. If you need any help on those boards, do let me know.Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any post you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button , or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com. All views are my own & not the official line of Money Saving Expert.
Lou~ Debt free Wanabe No 55 DF 03/14.**Credit card debt free 30/06/10~** MFW. Finally mortgage free O2/ 2021****
"A large income is the best recipe for happiness I ever heard of" Jane Austen in Mansfield Park.
***Fall down seven times,stand up eight*** ~~Japanese proverb. ***Keep plodding*** Out of debt, out of danger. ***Be the difference.***
One debt remaining. Home improvement loan.12 -
thanks @Thrifty_Taylor all things considered she is now feeling a bit more positive as she knows what's wrong and what's the path to, hopefully, get back to reasonable health. Unfortunately in Italy (that's where I'm from) it's bank holiday today (day of liberation from German occupation) so it's unlikely the operation will take place before Monday.
Despite the very wintry weather we have at the moment, this past weekend I started washing all thicker woolens and most of them are already dry. I opened one of the Spring/Summer clothes boxes to start making the change of season in the wardrobe, but obviously I am still wearing most of the warmer stuff! I have to take out some more things, though, as it will most probably go well above 20 degrees while I'm home and I do need to pack mostly Spring and lighter garments. So this is a job I am planning to keep doing in small steps for the rest of this week and weekend. I also need to go and grab the suitcase from the garage so it can air a bit and doesn't smell too much of garage. Other than that, I am now counting the days I still have to work (3 including today, yay).
My payday is tomorrow, and I am feeling quite smug this month as I have 11 pounds left! This rarely happens. I think I am going to add it to the 1p challenge pot, which at the end of the challenge will be used to make another overpayment on the credit cards. Today I also need to send the meter reading for April, and I'm hoping they will allow me to finally reduce my monthly direct debit as prices have gone down a bit, and I believe I am almost £300 in credit, considering that we are going towards Summer, it feels a lot to me!
Today I am grateful for a lovely line dancing session last night and also grateful for having found the courage of going to that first crochet club meeting at the pub a year ago, which brought on a series of other activities and allowed me to meet a few lovely people local to me.
My debt free journey starts on 30/08/2023:
CC1 - 5,151.92 now 4,939.76
CC2 - 4,625.87 now 4,741.90
CC3 - 4,166.15 now 4,560.92
Current outstanding total: 14,242.58
Aiming to be debt free by Dec 2026.
May 2024 No-Spend Day Challenge - 11/17
NST May 2024 -
#21 1p savings challenge 2024 £188.11/£671.6110 -
Starlight_at_Sea said:Maybe it's time for a new one (and that's ok - said through a slight grimace this time!). This one has been jolly good to me since we arrived here and dates from about 2010.4/10/22One Year Mortgage Free Yay!
NSTurtle # 55 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢🐢🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 No Turtle gets left behind.[/b]
******PROUD MEMBER OF THE TOFU EATING COALITION OF CHAOS !!!******8 -
Today I am grateful for an unknown quantity of a bill only being £200 not £1000, for bumping into a friend at the gym and going to play on the assisted pull up machine together, for Pip getting grade 9 on his English coursework, for the difference a hoover and quick sweep of the floor makes (especially as I walk around the house barefoot), for time to read my book.
NST March lion #8; NSD ; MFW9/3/23 Whoop Whoop!!!11 -
Are there any volunteers to set up May's challenge?
NST March lion #8; NSD ; MFW9/3/23 Whoop Whoop!!!6
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