Teetering on the brink

EatingBeans

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82172955#Comment_82172955

Thank you so much for this nudge! I’m not sure there was anything in it this week that is going to change what I am currently going to do with the debt, but your suggestion was enough for me to listen to the podcast for the first time and I am sure I will continue to listen in future. 😁

Not only was the podcast another way to get up to date info from Martin Lewis, but as I lay there in the dark, (feeling dreadful but listening anyway), I realised it was actually making me smile and in places I even let out a little chuckle to myself (particularly the woman hiding the horse and the suggestion that Martin can beat an Olympic athlete! 😂). Given my current situation has so drastically limited what I can physically do, it has become a challenge to find things that I am still able to do that makes me happy like that and it got me thinking. If a podcast about debt can make me smile, then just think of how many other podcasts that are probably out there that can entertain me and make me feel better?! And what about audiobooks?! Somewhere over the years I stopped even considering listening to audio stuff, always only thinking in terms of things I could watch. I guess I always felt like I never had the time to stop and just listen to something as my to-do list was always so long. Clearly that doesn’t apply now (well the list is long but I am doing none of it), but it just never entered my head to go back to audio until now! I can’t tell you how grateful I am to you @daisy_1571 for your suggestion because you have opened up a whole new world to me! I know it is probably difficult to imagine but even laying down watching TV and scrolling on my phone can sometimes take more energy than I have, but with a podcast, the radio or an audiobook, I don’t even have to look at something! I can just shut my eyes and get whisked away to another world, and if that turns out to be too much, I can just tune it out and sleep. Honestly, game changer! ❤️

So, if anyone has any more podcast recommendations, please feel free to recommend them! I think Martin Lewis probably has the debt side covered, but comedy or some other lightweight options would be great. I have an unused free subscription the Amazon music floating around and that apparently includes audible so maybe there are some interesting biographies or novels on there that I could get into? 🤔 I am genuinely really excited because it is something I can finally enjoy but at the same time give my body its much needed chance to rest! 😁🎉 Thank you!

daisy_1571

Oh I'm so glad you listened and enjoyed. I've always listened to something at night to get me off to sleep. Back in my teens it was a record, then tapes then cds and the radio. Listening is like being read a story, very comforting and if you drop off you can listen again multiple times through the night. It also gives you something to focus on in the dark meaning you can lie all comfy and warm without getting fidgety if sleep isn't coming.

Now its 'bbc sounds' on my pad. Lots of comedy stuff on radio4 extra. Go into schedules and you can scroll through each day to find something you like the look of. Click on it and go into 'more episodes' to see if you can get back to the first episode if its a story or continuing serial. Comedy shows obviously you can just listen to individual episodes. Sometimes a Saturday or Sunday will have an omnibus version of somethingthat's been on during the week in 15 or 30 minute slots if you want a longer programme. .

You can scroll through types of shows or search for names of shows.

When you start listening, tap the tiny little cog and there's a red or black dot. If its red it means it will automatically go onto the next programme. I always turn it off as the subsequent programme doesn't play properly but that just might be my pad.

There's loads of the Martin podcasts, although eventually they obviously repeat and the specific products in the old ones are probably not available now there can still be snippets of helpful plus just interesting things even if its just confirming you are happy with your plan.

If you like words Unspeakable is good, can be amusing and also interesting. I've just found More or less - fact checking some of the numerical stats bandied about. Here for the history is also full of fascinating info that I almost immediately forget 😄. Curious cases has a huge number of episodes you can pick things that sound interesting. John Finnemores Souvenir Programme is consistently witty. The Secret World is ludicrous and amusing.

Audible has great stuff i would imagine. The classic agatha christie stuff will be on there. I have cds of a lot of her stuff, sometimes just the book being read, sometimes the play so even listening to the same story is different. Sometimes I think I want the play, other times I want to hear the book so I enjoy the multiples 😆. I think the first series of Alone is on there which has never been repeated as far as I can see on bbc sounds. I've heard the subsequent series several times each but ive never heard the first series.

I'm so so pleased you got so much from this, I'm sure you'll get other suggestions or even tootling about yourself you will find things 😊

Dxx