Investing in Us: Holidays, Health, and the Road to £150k

debtfreewannabe321

Oh and I nearly ordered a takeaway and we made a chickpea and spinach curry instead. My tummy was playing up with stress though so had a tiny portion and had to stop 😏. Not impressed. But glad we didn't waste money on a takeaway out.

I've totally over peopled now this week so want to spend the weekend chilling, reading, and on my own ...only one more appointment booked in this week and that's another massage but that's nice and relaxing so I'm actually looking forward to that one. Then straight back home, pjs, sofa, book 🤣.

in_need_of_direction

is a formal project management accreditation worth considering?

debtfreewannabe321

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81967668#Comment_81967668

@in_need_of_direction yes.... I'll see if he can look that up too and find something along these lines. Thank you!

debtfreewannabe321

DP has taken the dress back this morning and left me here, my massage was booked for today but it's been cancelled because of an emergency. So I'm sat in PJ's looking out on the garden deciding which book to start reading 🤣 what a problem to have eh. I've actually started three books so will pick one of them.

I'd also like to get in the garden today and meditate. I'm feeling anxiety about returning to work. It's not the work itself, it's the stress and hours required to do it.....and all my energy.

I've decided to make a list of places I'd like to go in summer in England. Just day trips or overnight stays. Cheaper than a holiday abroad. I'm thinking of London, haven't been to the art galleries there since I lived there and that was over a decade ago. Perhaps also a couple of nights by the sea. I'm wondering however if these smaller trips although cheap enough, all added together might be the same as getting a last minute deal abroad.... I will speak to DP and see what he thinks.

My payslip should be online now so I'll get my work laptop out in a while and get the amount I'll be paid so I can work on next month budget (paying the debt off and whatever is left will be for the wedding). I'll be back with that as it will be a new amount on my new contract I think.

I need to feed all the new plants I put in last week too, the rain has been keeping them watered but I've got feed to put on so I will use it.

Hopefully my tummy won't be fighting me today and I'm able to eat because last night I had a baby portion and some fruit and yoghurt a while later and felt sick all evening. I'm pretty hungry now 🙈....ok I can hear DD up I best see if she needs running to work or not before settling down with a book.

debtfreewannabe321

So, 3 out of 4 of my expenses submitted were not paid. So I'm owed those. Will have to find who I need to raise that with when back on Monday. So pay this month after tax and pension etc is only £1720. I'll sit down and do the budget in a bit and see if I've got enough to pay the bills, cc and for the wedding (just food and some drinks on the day now really left to pay for).

debtfreewannabe321

I've managed toast 🙌🏻 and some OJ. Perhaps not the best breakfast but I'll take it. I honestly think it was just stress overload yesterday...

DD bf has turned up to take her to work, he's such a gentleman and will always help her and offers to pay far too often for things.

So I'm whitening my teeth. Whilst I had it on I was also scrubbing the bathroom clean and doing the first day of my mirror work as I've got the book now in front of me....it's all about working on self love. My affirmation for today is about getting used to talking to myself in the mirror and telling myself I am going to love myself.

I've done this programme before and it's only 21 days long and does work if you put the energy into it. Much like the secret if anyone has done that book/ system (law of attraction). Seeing as though we're constantly changing and growing older I think it's useful to revisit this 🫣.

The sun appears to be hiding. So I'm going to read now instead. DP should be home in the next hour anyway so I'll see if he wants help (supervising) whilst he does some more work on the patio.

debtfreewannabe321

I've had a productive morning and afternoon so far.

🧹🧽 I've cleared one little clutter corner in my old kitchen. Lots out to the bin (most of it was recycling and rubbish ready to go out but we're too lazy in the evening and leave it there and it accumulated) also lots to the garage as lots of tools in that area... again too lazy to take it out.

🥗🍅 I made a nutritious lunch.

🧼🧽 We've done one wash.

🧼🧽🧹 I started scrubbing the bathroom like I said earlier and DP was impressed and said let's do one better so he's replacing the mastic around the bath and taken down some broken bits. We can't afford to replace this bathroom for a long time so this will do for now.

DP asked me what was bugging me the most around the house or garden, small things he could do to alleviate my stress levels. One was in the garden, every time I use the water butt I was having to climb over really large heavy slabs that had been put there whilst we're doing the patio. So I started clearing the area after having hurt myself about five times getting in and out (I'm super clumsy) and DP came out as I was doing it and started to help me. We've cleared the entire area. He ripped all the weeds up, it's in between the garage and greenhouse and not a massive area, so any clutter is too much. And the water butt is right against the fence, so anyway all cleared out, then DP stomped it down and put a layer of stones on, I cardboarded after that and he threw another layer down. He then popped some slabs on top so I can get to the water butt freely now without an obstacle course. It's probably about 4ft X 8ft and it had a bin, several plant pots. Hoses (MORE! We have them everywhere just random off cuts), old guttering, other connections from guttering and half a dozen slabs (huge ones not normal sized). It looks great now and will make gardening easy rather than a chore 🤩.

I started taking the broken wood off the bench we inherited too and DP is finishing that I couldn't get the bolts off they were too rusty. I will clean them up and then get some new wood from the timber merchant and remake that. So we've got some nice seating 🙂 it's slowly coming together outside and was quite peaceful out there until the neighbours dogs started barking but she did take them in pretty quick TBF so not too bad 😊.

Off to get DD from work now and then make dinner for all.

KajiKita

”DP asked me what was bugging me the most around the house or garden, small things he could do to alleviate my stress levels.”

DP proving he’s a keeper ^^^ 😊❤️

Restoring old benches is very satisfying - we did ours last year 😊

KK

debtfreewannabe321

@KajiKita he absolutely is 🥰.

Morning all (? Yes morning still had to check the time then 🤣). I've already cooked 11 portions of dinner. Trying to get ahead for next week. I'd like to make some date balls too but will have a look at that later now. Sat down eating my breakfast and listening to the birds singing through the open patio doors. 🥰 I love it when the weather warms up enough to have doors and windows open.

Now that my water butt has easy access I will go out and water the bits that need it without fighting with slabs and bins and pots on the way in. 🤣 And then I'm going to make up a patio set I have...some of you might remember the debacle of the wardrobes ordered and they sent random items instead - one of which is a small patio set, only a two seater but it's been sat in the box totally forgotten about (aside from the times I knock into it in the garage then I briefly remember it's there only to forget again 🤣). So anyway I'll make that up and that can go out on the grass for now - patio when it's done.

The bench nuts and bolts are all rusty so I've put them in vinegar and baking soda over night. Most came up nice and I've just put the rest in another new solution of it to clean them for longer. I'll see about ordering the wood too to make the bench back up.

I have a knot of anxiety in my tummy about going to work tomorrow. I'm sure it will be fine but just feeling stressed (over)thinking about it.

I'm going to enjoy the last day of my holiday now out in the garden, dinner is prepared (aside from par boiled sliced potatoes I need but will do them fresh before serving), clothes are all washed, some still need ironing though. DD is out with DP and they've taken BF for a driving lesson to where DD has her test booked ... hopefully the journey isn't arduous which will send her into a panic before she's even started the test. She's just over six weeks I think until her next test so I'm hoping (praying) she passes next time but she's really not had the practice she should be having....

Not much else to report really- oh the twitch in my eye went about three days ago 🤣 just in time to go back to work.... typical huh. Right off to enjoy the sun before it hides again.

debtfreewannabe321

I am not sure what's wrong with me, but I seem unable to sit and relax anywhere. I went into the garden and made the patio set, two chairs and a table, rather nice considering they were a freebie 😁 and then decided I wanted to start on the patio. It needed the sand shifting from the front drive to the back and raking over before laying slabs. The hardcore was already done and bedded in. So DP and I have spent much of this afternoon doing that. I had to relent in the end, my back was in agony and my energy shot. I came in and put some potatoes on for dinner, parboiled those and laid across the shepherd-less pie and stuck it in the oven. Then I made myself STOP 🙈🤣 and I had a bath and just chilled for half hour or so. I did also squeeze in a meditation earlier before DP got back with the kids, nice and chilled one laid on a sun lounger for half hour.

So there has been some resting but omg my poor back now 🙈...time to chill.

Hearing test in the morning and then work (kind of glad now I have that appointment first so I'm only really doing a half day.) I've got a bit of lunch prepared and will finish it off in a mo so I don't need to do that tomorrow, but thinking about it I will probably just come home after the hospital appointment for an early lunch because I love five minutes drive from there.... So that saves me doing that.

Edited to add I've had a whole tonne of NSD or LSD too this week just trying to limp through to payday without going overdrawn.