I dream of a MF home for my plants

Idreamofplants

Mid way through the week - hooray! NSD and made it out for a decent run after work so pleased with that.  Finding balance is definitely an aim Ladywithaplan - I spend far too many hours at work. I know this is down to finding it hard to slow down & trust things will be okay if I stop overworking.  
I've done some work on the budget and even with the car loan starting next month there still should be enough to carry on with OPments.  Looking forward to a day with the youngest on Friday then catching up with a close friend for coffee and a big walk at the weekend. 

Idreamofplants

Reached the end of my working week on a positive as managed to get lots of bits and pieces sorted before the end of the day.  Also have started to watch some videos on Youtube for ways of managing difficult situations at work for ideas to manage my stress.  Nothing so far has been rocket science but it is helping me to take a bit of a different perspective.  Went to the shops at lunch and used a £15 I got from sorting my car insurance through M@neys@permarket & nectar points so spent under £3 for dog food and lots of coffee pods. Found a box of 30 for £7 so got two of them.  Finally get to spent a day with youngest tomorrow.  Am very excited to go out with him and have time to have a good natter.  Then next Friday I have a day out with DD planned so excited for that too.  Rest day on the exercise front today other than walking doggies.  Pay day next week - and still some money left in the bank so far so might squeeze in another little OP over the weekend once I'm sure no other DDs to come out.  

Idreamofplants

I have had a great 3 days off.  Bought youngest some new clothes on Friday - he is growing so fast. We went to an outlet place so got some good deals on new trainers, hoody and tracksuit bottoms for him.  Bought myself a top from sw@eatyb@tty that was half price.  The clothes shopping wiped out any OP I was planning on making next week but was worth it - especially as I think this is the first piece of clothing I have bought for myself in 2025.  I have had new running shoes but I am not counting these as they are essential for protecting my knees.  Met up with a friend on Sat and they treated me to sharing some wine instead of coffee which was lovely but then I struggled to sleep last night.  I've only drunk a couple of times this year and both times I have been awake most of the night. Yesterday was so beautiful and sunny. Also fitted in a long run first thing.  Today was a rainy wash out.  Helped OH with a romantic trip to the tip which we followed by visiting a tea room - £17 for 2 coffees and 2 pieces of cake. Again worth it though pricey as the ginger cake was bloody lovely.  Feeling ok about the week ahead.  DD is taking Fri off and we have booked in to have both our hair cut.  Am going to try and put in place the following to help with work stress this week:
- get out for a walk with dogs before work every day 
- take lunch break away from desk preferably go out for a walk when in the office
- step away from any negative banter at work
- practice mindful breathing during meetings when beginning to feel frustrated
- remind myself that however irritating I find the situation these feelings will pass
- stay off email and Teams when trying to get focused tasks done so I'm not distracted by other things constantly
- go to gym/run at least 3 out of 4 evenings after work 
- go to bed no later than 10.30pm

I know not getting involved in negative stuff is the thing I find the hardest. 

Get paid this week - need to save the council tax payment to go towards some repairs needed on one of the cars. Also need 3 tyres.  Total cost of repairs and tyres approx £650 - so far have £430 saved so with the council tax saving this month will have just about enough.  I just need nothing else to stop working. Also want to try and put £1000 aside to give eldest towards their rent in Sept - have a while to save this but thinking of putting it all aside in one go instead of making much of mortgage OP next month as then it is done. 

SandyShores

You sound really busy, well done for keeping it all together.  Your day today sounds like my perfect day, running followed by coffee and cake! 

I like your plans for staying calm.  I'm a bit of a fixer and so feel like every problem I see I should fix.  But lately I've been able to step away and leave people to it.  I also discovered that I was trying to fix some things/situations when really the healthiest was just to let it be.  Life is so much calmer with more space for my own life issues and nothing bad happens.  

I'm going to get out for another run one morning this week again too.  The weather was just too blustery today

Idreamofplants

well my plans for staying calm aren't going that well.  I've not slept well at all the past couple of nights and ended up getting up at 5 this morning.  Found work exhausting and finished a little early to get out for a walk with the dogs. I don't have any energy for the gym tonight.  My throat is so dry I did manage to stay out of negative chat at work the past 2 days but it is doing little to help me with work. I am finding it hard to get through the weeks at the moment.  Tomorrow will be full on all day so determined to get a better night's sleep. I have resisted the urge to have a nap this evening to try and stay awake until bedtime so it doesn't impact on me sleeping later.  
I finished reading A Year Of Less - it was brilliant and very inspiring to think about how to manage with less.  I have been earning as much as possible to pay down the mortgage and reading this book made me think about whether owning the house is such a healthy goal to be working towards.  The author writes about reducing the amount of things that they owed over a year of no spending.  I'm still doing well at using up all my toiletries and am surprised at how far everything is stretching.  I was in a habit of always buying in body lotions/make up/shower gels and having quite a surplus. I don't think I will need anything for a few more months. 
Busy day tomorrow then quiet day working from home on Thurs. Pay day to look forward too as well.  

Idreamofplants

My cold is still lingering on. Other than that is has been an amazing couple of days.  Spent lots of time outside - big run yesterday and then out on my bike today.  Me and OH went out for lunch tomorrow and had a big talk about whether downsizing is the most sensible option or staying put.  We go around in a big circle each time we think about downsizing.  Youngest has a couple more years left at school and they is v little property that would be much cheaper and still allow him to walk to school.  I wonder if everyone is as unsettled as I get at times!!! Money wise it's not been a cheap weekend as I paid for myself and DD to get hair cuts and lunch on Friday.  OH treated us to lunch yesterday so today I got us some drinks at the pub. I have earned a £15 reward voucher for Am@z@n from getting car insurance from MSM via TCB so am going to add to my account.  I have to pay for some rail tickets for work up front this week and it takes 8 weeks to claim back which is frustrating. Focusing on getting through to next weekend already. I have a couple of walks with friends arranged so hoping the weather will be as good as the past few days. Still need to sort amount for mortgage OP. Plan to sort this week.

SandyShores

I read something a while back that said if you are having difficulty choosing between two options then there can't be much difference so don't waste time pondering, just choose one and stick to it - even if you have to do eeny meeny miney mo.  I've tried it a few times and its been quite refreshing, rather than going back and forwards you just get on with it and nothing much is irreversible if it really doesn't work out.  I should imagine though, with a property move, that if you can't decide a move is the right thing then you should just stay put as moving could be an expensive mistake.  There's a lot to be said for being able to walk to school, and maybe something will happen in a couple of years that might sway your decision.  We used to be in the same position as you, I wanted to move and Mr Shores wanted to stay.  We even put a deposit on a house and had an offer on ours, but then pulled out.  It just didn't feel right.  We eventually sold up and went into a beautiful rental property for a few years but in hindsight financially it would have been better if we had just rented ours out and done a rental of another place to see if we liked it any better.  In the long run it has worked out though and I love our new property - it wasn't even built back when we first moved so I can't regret that and because we were in a rental it was an easy move.  Hope my experience helps a little

Idreamofplants

thanks Sandyshores - I like that idea of just picking an option and sticking with it.  Me and OH both tend to overthink all the options and it stops us from making decisions.  The youngest being able to get to school easily will probably always be motivation for me to carry on the mortgage slog.  The reality is my job is pretty good a lot of the time but when it's bad I find it unbearably bad.  I also am finding long shifts are getting harder the older I get.  
I've been sat on the sofa since finishing work as my cold is grounding me from getting out for a run.  I had a look at the budget for this month now we have a car loan to factor in.  I think a typical month we will be able to make up to £1500 OP until November when I reduce my days at work.  Then probably about £500 a month.  This months budget has taken a hit with sorting the new car & juggling money back into the eldest Uni rent account so they have enough for next year.  I have managed to sent a £500 OP to the mortgage though so I'm pleased with that.  Spoke to OH about a little mini break for us both and DD has agreed to look after the youngest for a couple of nights.  Found a nice Airbnb for £375 for 2 nights.  No other holiday plans for the year though might see if we can sort something for a week in the summer with youngest. 

Idreamofplants

Grrrr still full of cold and not up to exercising. However proud of myself today as I was on a study day and remembered to take my travel cup filled with coffee and some snacks so spent no money at the train station. Then on my way back refilled the cup from the free drinks available so I had a cuppa for the return journey. I’m late forties and it has never occurred to me to do this until today. Feeling the budget will take a hit this weekend as going to take kids out for food. Otherwise an uneventful week so far. 

SandyShores

Its really freeing when you just make a random decision, I used to spend ages doing for and against lists and still being none the wiser.  We've booked a holiday too, and we just went with the the first place that met our wishes.  You never know until you get there and hopefully it will be one of many.  Hope you enjoy your mini-break, it will be so nice to get away. 

Well done on the coffee refills, it kills me these day to buy expensive coffee, unless I'm sat in lovely surroundings having a leisurely chat with a friend.  I used to take those sachets of latte or cappuccino when I went to our London office and refill my cup before I left to go home.  Last time I had an early start there I took my porridge with me on the train.  Hope you feel better soon, roll on the weekend.