Progress is...

beanielou

Another vote for the cameras. Mine are Tapo and fantastic.

Baileys_Babe

We also have Tapo cameras, those on the back have a rechargeable battery with a solar panel which keeps them charged.

rtandon27

@jessjessy103 - I do indeed have some - they are still in the box! - Eufy is the brand name I beleive, I won them in a contest about two days after the incident on my front step last year, but have not got round to the instalation as it is a two person job & OH is out of commission for the time being.

@KajiKita - indeed that is the point - they overstep by presuming that my property is theirs to use as they see fit! The deeds have two quite narrow rights of way for passage and I don't begrudge them that, nor do I begrudge them trimming any of the errant plants that dare to stray to their side of the property line. The minute they stop respecting that legal boundary is the minute my claws come out!

@beanielou - I think because I grew up in a different country where being a good neighbour is quite honestly part of the culture, I don't have the same instincts as so many of my neighbours here! My neighbours across the street have cameras - three between three house and as we live on a narrow early 20th century road, a favorite past-time seems to be keeping track of the comings and goings on the street. Indeed I purposefully interact with her/them on the front step so that there is more chance of it being witnessed!

@Baileys_Babe - I think the ones I have also have the rechargeable solar - but tbh I've not looked at them since they arrived last year.

The box has two camera's but the area she knocked the jasmine off the roof is around a corner and the other by the shed though once in a direct line of site from the upstairs bedroom is now blocked as IIeIet a conifer grow so when I'm in my garden, there are a few places I can be without the creepy man looking over the fence at me!

beanielou

I got my camera after my attempted break in. As advised by the police officer. They were helpful during wallgate. My neighbour is not the best. Understatement.

rtandon27

Another gorgeous weekend - lots of free drying in the great outdoors & lots of garden tidying as well. I'm trying to have deliberately slow weekends to balance the stress of my work week!

This Weekend's Ta-Da list…
✅ Have continued to use MS365 To-Do successfully!
✅ YNAB shuffling
✅ Meal Plan (below)
✅ Grocery order
✅ Kitchen reset for the week - OH was feeling well enough to help - hooray!
✅ recycling & rubbish out and bins shuffled round
✅ weeded area near summer house & raspberries near cherry
✅ swept paved path
✅ watered & pruned potted plants
✅ green bin shifted to back and 3/4 full of pruning and weeds
✅ vacuumed living/dining/kitchen/furniture
✅ huge amounts of laundry done! - all caught up - what's left is not enough to be a load - great weather for drying - 4 loads done - 2 put away - 2 drying
✅ put down new area rugs for sofa and OH's chair


Meal Plan
✅🥧🍟Friday Apr 24 - Fakeaway Day -- Pizza & wedges
✅🍜 Saturday Apr 25 - Easy Peasy Day - Dim Sum & Gyoza & Noodles
✅🍖🥕🍠🍅🥔 Sunday Apr 26 - Roast Day - Lamb Steak & Cauli-cheese & Veg
✅🥬 Monday Apr 22 - Veggie Day - Broconut noodles ordered quick food from Waitflower - train late
✅🐟🍟 Tuesday Apr 23 - Fish Day - Fish & Chips leftovers
✅🍗🍄🥕🥦🥔 Wednesday Apr 24 - Chicken Day - freezer dive chicken drums & veg & potatoes stir-fry
✅🍔🌽🥔 Thursday Apr 25 - Meat Day - Pork Chops & croquettes & veg sandwiches
✅🥧🍟Friday Apr 26 - Fakeaway Day -- Pizza & tempura prawns
✅🍜 Saturday Apr 27 - Easy Peasy Day - Dim Sum & Gyoza & leftover stir fry
🍖🥕🍠🍅🥔 Sunday Apr 28 - Roast Day - cabbage & peirogies & sausage

Cherryfudge

I am intrigued by the ten day week! You always have such interesting-sounding meals.

rtandon27

@Cherryfudge - I usually do my Meal plan Sat & Sun, looking at what we have in vs what gets delivered on Tuesday evening. Groceries are in the middle of those 10 days! No great mystery hahaha - just a bit of a planning trick - look back, look forward & make a plan that can be tweaked!

For me, by the time I finish my working day, sometimes 12-14 hours out of the house and even when wfh, a solid 10 hours of work, there is zero capacity to make a healthy choice for dinner so the pre-plan is essential - decision fatigue is real! - also helps me stay in the grocery budget since I don't get a chance to yellow sticker shop since OH became ill!

rtandon27

Yesterday was payday & today is the first day of the month. Income was a bit lower than usual as I had to take unpaid leave to make up for the days used for OH's hospital days, having run out of paid leave!

Pleasantly surprised that OH's pension and AA payments came though 3 days early! I've budgeted May/Jun/Jul for all essential expenses and left the holiday fund and savings pot empty for those months. OH's AA will come in weekly and that can then be allocated to these pots & it won't hurt either of them if they grow more slowly.

In my head I feel much more comfortable knowing everything essential is covered completely first, as holiday pot is 3/5 full and savings 7/10 to the current goal. We have mostly staycationed since buying the house in 2021, so this is not a great sacrifice, though I'm not as pleased with the long term savings pot taking a hit.

On the other hand, I'd much rather do mortgage overpayments than worry about the long term savings, as I will have both a private pension and state pension when the time comes, and have sold off OH's assets which I will inherit at some point, and have no emotional attachment to!

Next steps will be to re-evaluate what finances will look like once I'm on my own, as will loose anything OH has coming in but expenses will also be reduced. The last time we looked at this was shortly after OH had been diagnosed and he was worrying about me. Sweet but laughable at the same time, as I currently bring in about 85% of our household income! Had this been 10 years ago when we were closer to 50/50 I'd have been panicking.

rtandon27

Finally got the donation bras packed up and collection organized for Tuesday! Could not beleive that the cheapest option was tracked 48 hour delivery with collection at door! Less thathan stamps (which I have plenty of) - even less than 2nd class untracked - go figure!

Rather pleased that the pile of all things that need doing at the front door is steadily diminishing!

beanielou

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81985100#Comment_81985100

That’s just mad.