YNAB robber needs help to execute the plan

Wanna_Bee_Free

Thanks @Blackcats now the dust has settled a bit I can really understand what you mean. In a funny way I almost feel some relief that my family visits may need to be curtailed until we have more spare cash. It's been about doing as much as I have energy for but now we are hitting other limits. 

He had a couple of promising sniffs of jobs today so that's put him in a better frame of mind.

Wanna_Bee_Free

Happy December everyone,

I have a lurgy. I made an effort for my little sis's birthday yesterday and I am paying the price last night/today. Not sure I am desperate enough to try @PennysIntoPounds idea of TCP gargling yet!

YNAB plan for December is in place with much reduced numbers this month but my weekly hobby outings are cancelled and I am not well enough to do anything much this week. I raided some of my savings pot last month and repaid it today. It's up to £187.55 in there now from interest, cashback, V1nted, ebay and surveys since I started this diary 4 months ago. It's annoying I had to raid the pot last month but at least there was a pot to raid.

Christmas: OH sorted
I need to buy 2 family gifts, 1 91st birthday and one Christmas. My friends box is nearly ready to post, I'd like to get some odd food and possibly a small bottle of aniseed alcohol. 

House stuff planned: lazy day. Possibly put a wash on and change the sheets (or beg OH to by looking pitiful...)
 
Have a good day. 

Wanna_Bee_Free

Well it has beem a no-spend month for me so far - woot! Let's hear it for being ill all week. Symptoms now just lingering chesty cough/sore throat and I sm pleased I don't feel worse today in spite of going out to family yesterday. 

Family assistance day yesterday which used petrol but no other spending. I really struggled with getting though the day, little sis clearly not thinking well or capable of day to day stuff at the moment. The HP car got collected yesterday so at least it's finally worth me having returned my father's car as it will now be useful again. Plus saving me lots of fixed costs next year like car insurance, MOT, parking permit and tax. 

I am feeling calmer and lower in mood after being cooped up indoors doing so little. I hope to be up to a little more today.  I managed to kill off the ironing pile last night. 

Writing more Christmas cards and perhaps wrapping the few gifts I already have might be a good plan for today. Also want to find wear some nice earrings to wear inspired by PiP's advent thread. 

Wanna_Bee_Free

Money saving news - too ill to go out to the big Christmas event tonight which means I can't be tempted by additional charity donations or merchandise on offer and OH has saved petrol.

In money spending news I bought myself a festive T shirt to wear that's perfect for our annual boxing day get together with friends. Then a couple of hours later I find out the gathering isn't happening this year for very good reasons. Ah well. I will enjoy wearing it in 2026 at the latest and expect it will have an outing this month anyway. I've thought about this purchase thoroughly, planned it over a couple of weeks, waited until I got a discount code and I'm not going to cancel it now in case they discontinue it by next year. I hope I like it when it finally arrives.

I put a bulk order in online for a small group of us for a big weekend event in early Feb so we save on P&P. Entered the repayment amounts I am due into YNAB already so I can keep track of who owes me what. Feeling organised. 

Blackcats

The festive t shirt sounds great - I hope you enjoy wearing it this year for it's debut and next year for its encore.

Wanna_Bee_Free

I woke up feeling quite a lot better this morning. Woo hoo! 

Family caring day today. I plan to leave my cards at home and pack snacks to avoid spending anything. If I waver I shall look at my YNAB plan to remind me how tight this month is. Onwards and upwards. 

Wanna_Bee_Free

A grim time. Family days 8/12 and 11/12 was followed by a vertigo attack that started 12/12. I am fine if my head is still. Activities like sleeping, walking and moving are not great. Good news, being housebound means lower costs. Bad news it is really misery-inducing. Meanwhile little sis is calling multiple times each day with her issues not helped by my absence. Feeling pretty despairing. All budgets very tight to non-existent. Still have to wrap a few gifts for OH and possibly get little sis and dad something. OH having to do almost everything at the moment. I hate feeling so useless. At least he is holding steady on laundry, ironing etc. We already decided not to get a tree this year. Feeling self pity and down in mood. I bought a second hand copy of the Hobbit online yesterday to cheer myself up. Less than £4 so cheaper than library SELMS charge at least. Also bought Vitamin D for me as Doctor told me to take it. Also vitamins for my Dad. Maybe I should gift wrap those and his beer I buy through the year as that's £100 spent on him right there. Worth it for helping his quality of life I guess. 

My hope was to get my father some slip on lace free trainers for his Birthday. I think they might improve his quality of life and be useful. I need to get him and his feet to theshop when I am able to go out again. 

My little sis has few clothes that fit. and no money except carers allowance. My Dad's pension and savings are supporting her.  I could get her some clothes  that I choose. Might be better to get her a M@S gift card as she shops there a lot. Although she is struggling with anxiety so may not be up to using it. 

She had multiple social worker phone calls and apparently their contribution is emailing her some tips on reducing her anxiety. She struggles to access email as her account is full and she is failing to delete any. She told me yesterday she is unable to shower without my help. ( all mental, no physical reasons) I am wondering what happens if my vertigo lasts the 6 weeks it did in 2019. Feeling awful about it all but can't even get to the local overground safely let alone drive OH car. 

At least her HP car got collected ok 4/12 on second attempt although she isn't clear on what she still owes them. 

She is still talking about going back to A&E. She's lost more weight since coming out in October. BMI then was 13. GP called her yesterday but was apparently of no help. I feel very powerless to help with all the things she and my father aren't sorting out themselves. I wish I had lots of siblings so there was some other support out there. 

Today I am planning to try the Epley thing for the first time in case it helps. If I am no better by Friday I will try to get a GP appointment for my vertigo. After 7 days. 

Wanna_Bee_Free

Rereading diary and trying to get some positives. 

Did a couple of surveys today. 
Savings pot untouched this month £197.55 from £10 tapping cashback, V1nted sales and surveys etc.
Little sis in contact with mental health team, police and social services aware even if not seeming to do much
GP called sis back even if no tangible help
111 last Friday gave her same advice as I did to sip a glass of water slowly. 
Everyone is currently well enough to be in their own homes
I will recover, my first vertigo was 6 weeks off work in 2019 and this is just a post viral episode. I just need patience and rest and it will pass. 
Festive T Shirt on it's way to cheer me up. 
Hobbit book on it's way too. 
OH bought odd Japanese food to add to my Festive box of gifts for friend who lives alone and posted it yesterday so spreading some Christmas cheer 
Sis getting lots of time on phone with me even if I don't seem to help much she can see effort is being made. 
I like my comfy sofa and my back is so much less painful when I am at home. 
Reading the advent thread on here has been a huge source of joy in a year I can't do much

Wanna_Bee_Free

I went back to the beginning of my diary and reread my August entries. It's funny timing when I started my diary as my little current crisis started a few days later. It was good to reread and get some perspective again on how I've been doing.

1. It's been an unusually tough 4 months after a tough 3 years.
2. I've been practicing new helpful patterns of behaviour, and it's not reasonable to expect perfection straight away
3. Lovely folk on here have had some great ideas for me: @Blackcats thank you for suggesting a family crisis fund, I will start funding that at the start of next month. When I see him I will speak to my father about a debit card on his account @Sarahwithlove saw straight away how little £10 spending was. @in_need_of_direction checked my storeage costs were reallocated and @loobidoo encouraged me to skip an expensive evening socialising. @PenniesIntoPounds got me started on Vinted selling on the Summertime OAT thread and @joedenise encouraged me with taking snacks and avoiding the bacon rolls and having a netflix budget line. @Rhyddid2026 encouraged me with my shed tidying and @Throughmyfingers with the Vinted sales too. Thank all you month 1 cheerleaders for your thoughtful posts.
4. My focus in August is really still with me. Useful goals: 
Check YNAB before spending
No robbing Peter to pay Paul
No shuffling to hide my sins. 
Slow down, think, plan ahead
Take sandwich, snacks water etc to stop the risk of spending
Use the library for books
5. I am feeling weird after doing the Epley manouvre but also a bit more accepting of feeling off kilter and another day on the sofa.

I hope everyone reading has a good day. xx

Blackcats

@Wanna_Bee_Free - what lovely posts from you today.  And what great insight you have taken from all our hints and tips.  This is a lovely place and we genuinely all cheer each other on.
its good that your sis has got some support mechanisms set up.
and look at you with nearly £200 of savings that you've earned and not touched!  That is absolutely brilliant progress.