NST July 2024: A July jaunt around Madrid

Shrewbie

Hope you feel better soon @mothernerd!
I'm exhausted after following Mum up and down mountains for a few days. And we've got another week of it when my sisters arrive tomorrow (sis originally booked cottage for the "wrong" week so we ended up extending our holiday) it has been lovely though, and I can't believe all this beauty exists in my own country and I've never been bothered to explore it before!! grateful for the chance to finally do so. Also grateful for cream teas and fudge.

laura_lau

Hello to all the turtles! It's been more than 2 months since I came here last time, I have had a quick read through the May - June and July threads today, I missed a lot but I'm happy to be back.

I think the latest update I posted was about me going back to Italy to be with my family for two weeks and spend time with my mum while she was at the hospital after her operation. Those two weeks were really tough, I ended up taking a break from lots of things and starting again really slowly.

Good news is that, if everything goes well, my mum is due to finally be discharged from hospital tomorrow (after almost 4 months) and I arranged with my manager to work from my family home in Italy for 2 weeks. Timing was not great, as this will be one of the busiest weekend at the airport this Summer, and it wasn't a "last minute deal" type of time, so the first day I could afford to get a flight from London was on the 29th, and I'll be back mid-August. I'm thrilled to be able to take care of my mum at home, it's been rather stressful at times, but it seems she's been recovering well this last month and, hopefully, it seems the infection is finally gone. Bacterial infections are no laughing matter, I heard about them a lot but I had absolutely no idea.

In the meantime I have a couple of MSE related updates:

• when I went through my wardrobe at the beginning of Summer I uploaded quite a lot of things on V*nted and managed to sell the most expensive ones quite quickly, and earned good money, which I immediately used for a CC overpayment!
• pretty much at the same time, I was offered a couple of translation jobs (first time in many months, sadly) so I was able to make a second, chunkier, overpayment to one of the CC!
• I managed to secure an offer for a balance transfer CC, and it arrived today, so as soon as I've finished this post I'm going to activate it so that the balance transfer goes through. I can't wait to pay off CC2, as the interest free time on it finished 2 months ago and the interest charges are hefty. Their customer service was also quite useless, close to ignorant rudeness, so I am actually closing off the account completely once the card debt has been cleared off.
• I have been able to set aside a sum every month in my high percentage savings account: this account will close in September, as soon as the high percentage promotion time ends, and I have started making plans for the money saved + the interest: I will use half to pay off most of the last of my personal debts, I will put a certain amount in another savings account where I have also been saving monthly for emergency funds, and I should have a little bit left to make another CC overpayment.
• A silver lining of my mum being ill was that, apart from the money I had to spend on flights, I held on booking any holidays, and I have currently planned none. I am looking to book a couple of long weekends in November, and will probably do a week holiday in September or October, but it's going to be way cheaper than it would have been in Summer, so I'm quite pleased with that. I have taken a couple of days off in June and will be taking a couple more in September, but will not go anywhere. They will be good for a bit of resting.
• Also, my energy provider recommended reducing my direct debit from August, so it's now down to an amount which is much more affordable (I am a few hundred pounds in credit, which should make up for the Winter, if prices go up again). I'm actually wondering if it would be a good time to fix my tariff now? I need to do a bit of research on that.

Apologies for the long post, I just wanted to put together a little update for the past 2 and a half months, so I am up to speed! I know I have not officially joined the July challenge, but I will keep reading and will occasionally post an update, so I can be back to form ahead of the August one! I will start tracking my NSD's from August again.

Hugs to everyone, I see that a lot has happened to everyone in this time, but I it's been a big joy today to be back here and I can't wait to be reading everyone's progress every day day again!

f0xh0les

NSD 12 in the bag.  Very strange day,  you know when you are talking to someone, and they grab your hand hold it while they talk to you, well that must have happened 20 times today alone.  It was like I was surrounded by people who wanted to touch me, like I was a lucky charm or something.  It was bizarre!   Quick! touch me for luck!

Another long day tomorrow, will spend nothing. Will have to sleep now, I'm knackered and have to get up in 6 1/2 hours......

ldee2111

Today I received my salary for the 16-hour day I worked at the polling station at the recent election. Paid 80% of it into mortgage overpayment and kept the rest for myself… I’m saving up to replace two pairs of old jeans and replacement hair straighteners after my 15-year-old set finally gave in… they’ve been a loyal friend in the fight against the frizz.

I’m now a Friday worker until March. It’s not felt like much of an adjustment going from 4 to 5 days so far. Maybe it’s because a lot of people are on holiday or in holiday mode, so the work pace is slower. And the schools are off so I’ve not been volunteering anyway. We shall see how I’m feeling as the months progress. 

Sold DS’s indoor and outdoor school shoes from last term on VintD… cash from that will go towards next term’s shoes. The sale of the shoes will cover 22.5% of the cost of the new shoes… (I’m currently playing about with AI which does the maths for me.😁)

I took a look at all bank transactions for this month so far, and after no spending today, I’ve managed 5 NSDs. Hooray for me! 

Grateful today for the arrival of polling day salary, for sales on VintD, a quiet and productive day at work, and for OH taking DS and I to a park at lunchtime where DS made us proud parents after he climbed a big net and went down a big slide… usually outside his comfort zone. 

lcc86

Evening turtles

Currently on call for the second to last time, can't wait to not have to do this any more! 

Last couple of days have been quiet on the MSE front, busy on the work front. Been here there and everywhere. 

Got a customs notification through for something I had to order from Europe for my car, which is frustrating. But more positively I had a letter from the hospital for a procedure I've been waiting for. Hoping this will make an improvement to my back pain. Will be paying out for lots of private physio afterwards so need to factor that into my budget for August, unfortunately nothing offered on the NHS.

Need to mess around with finances as a result, think August might be quite tight but will wait until I've done the maths...

beanielou

lcc86 said:

Evening turtles

Currently on call for the second to last time, can't wait to not have to do this any more! 

Last couple of days have been quiet on the MSE front, busy on the work front. Been here there and everywhere. 

Got a customs notification through for something I had to order from Europe for my car, which is frustrating. But more positively I had a letter from the hospital for a procedure I've been waiting for. Hoping this will make an improvement to my back pain. Will be paying out for lots of private physio afterwards so need to factor that into my budget for August, unfortunately nothing offered on the NHS.

Need to mess around with finances as a result, think August might be quite tight but will wait until I've done the maths...

I pay £50 quid per week for my private physio 😡 

Thrifty_Taylor

Sending hugs to all that need one & well done to all you busy bees!

My family from America finally arrived on Wednesday morning, after their flight the night before was cancelled. We've done lots of sightseeing & catching up, thankfully the weather has been good most of the time. Dropped them back at the airport this afternoon, so a short visit, but think we all enjoyed it 

Pottered a bit when I got home, washed the dishes after tea, then did some long overdue knitting & started a new series on TV.

Grateful for fun with family, exploring new & previously visited sights, hot & sunny weather, time to relax & plan the rest of my time off

mothernerd

Still feeling wobbly but made it downstairs yesterday. They've gone to a wedding in Keighley so travelled yesterday and are not back until Sunday. I am in charge of feeding and watering the grand-chinchillas.

About 5 pm I tottered outside, played with the bins (neither of the 2 rented houses have tenants yet so I took full advantage of their bins - DS3 forgot to put the bins out altogether last week despite 3 discussions on the green bin). I did lots outside (not very noticeable yet) and one of the 'friends of the homeless drunks' is coming on Tuesday to help sort my yard (he doesn't want paying and it was difficult to keep saying no politely).

I was outside until nearly 10 pm and didn't realise how much I had done until I tried to get back upstairs. My new card still isn't working - I think I have to go to a shop and use my pin to make it work and getting to the shops is just beyond me. DS3 reluctantly ordered me some food - just a breakfast barm (I wanted toast) and a pasta box which fed me all day and enough left for breakfast today. I really need to go out today even if it means taxis both ways (might try bus hopping first).

I want to get outside and sweep up any loose dirt and stones if I can and I'd like to root out some stuff from their room (I wanted to turn off the fans, open the curtains and blast fresh air through but there's too much stuff in the way). I picked up a nearly full sack of cans and the blue paper bin was emptied this week so I can turf out any too small or too large boxes - they really haven't got their heads round the fact that they aren't moving, I am and still have all the boxes they've collected (as well as a pack they bought).

Brother and niece are still arguing about the price I should pay for brother's half of grandma's house (I can't speak about their latest suggestion). Meanwhile they continue to waste my time and money (thinking of writing a bill itemising all the stuff I've done). So fed up of them both. Niece is still ill so, according to my brother, she will 'explain it' to me when she's better. Ha Ha Ha.

Grateful for peace and quiet, getting on with the garden and tidying, books and games.

lcc86

beanielou said:

lcc86 said:

Evening turtles

Currently on call for the second to last time, can't wait to not have to do this any more! 

Last couple of days have been quiet on the MSE front, busy on the work front. Been here there and everywhere. 

Got a customs notification through for something I had to order from Europe for my car, which is frustrating. But more positively I had a letter from the hospital for a procedure I've been waiting for. Hoping this will make an improvement to my back pain. Will be paying out for lots of private physio afterwards so need to factor that into my budget for August, unfortunately nothing offered on the NHS.

Need to mess around with finances as a result, think August might be quite tight but will wait until I've done the maths...

I pay £50 quid per week for my private physio 😡 

Mine is £42 for 30 mins £65 for an hour... but I need to give it a try, I've been dealing with this issue for years. 

Shrewbie

laura_lau said:

Hello to all the turtles! It's been more than 2 months since I came here last time, I have had a quick read through the May - June and July threads today, I missed a lot but I'm happy to be back.

Hi!! nice to see you! enjoy your time away from work, even if you are working from Italy I imagine it will still be a much needed break, and good that your mum is on the mend.