Settling in for the long haul

Dakota_Rose

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81977275#Comment_81977275

Ah but don’t forget reality is never as pretty as the online world makes it seem… I’ve just popped back on to add that littlest one has just ended the day with a spectacular amount of vomit. Please let it be the huge amount of sugar he’s managed to get his hands on today and not the half-eaten pizza I finished off from his plate earlier 🙈 🙏. His stomach ache came on pretty instantly following a small cup of bedtime milk and he was right as rain again after he’d been sick.

I guess the next few hours will tell. I’m in for Saturday night roulette. Will it be: sickness all round; sickness for little one with me on night shift cleaning duties or a good night sleep all round? Place your bets 😬

Honeysucklelou2

oh no! Hopefully a good night’s sleep for all!

Dakota_Rose

All was well in the night thankfully so I’m feeling very relieved this morning. We have a very relaxed day ahead all being well.

Happy Sunday everyone 😊

MillQueen

Phew, thank goodness that didn't disrupt things too much. Your happy little home will continue to be sunshiney for another day. Have a lovely Sunday.

Dakota_Rose

Thank you @MillQueen I hope you have a lovely Sunday ahead too

Dakota_Rose

It has been another beautiful day. I am feeling very grateful for a peaceful home life today as we’ve spent most of it in the garden just enjoying the warmth. The kids have been busy between ours and next door’s garden - they’ve discovered a ‘secret’ passage between the two so it’s a good job we get on well with our neighbours.

I’ve had my nose in a book for most of the afternoon but had got the Sunday tasks done early so it was guilt-free relaxing time. Mr D enjoyed his day out and was home earlier than expected. This meant little miss and I could sneak away for a nice early evening dog walk over the fields and back.

Not sure I’m ready for another working week. This sunny weather is making it feel far too much like the summer holidays!

Dakota_Rose

Well it’s been a calm start to the working week and it was a productive and shortish day.

Since this afternoon though I have felt very nauseous and dizzy. My left ear is aching again and I do wonder if I have a bit of an infection in it. Each time I get a migraine, it tends to hit the left side of my head. So perhaps it’s a migraine beginning. An early night is in order I think!

I have enjoyed a bit more of my book this evening and don’t have plans for much else.

I won’t have anything financial to report now until payday on Thursday. My pots are looking decidedly empty.

Dakota_Rose

It was indeed a migraine 😞 I think all things are pointing in the direction of needing some more hormone support. Menopause is going to be hitting me hard otherwise I suspect and is already beginning to disrupt my work life which is a complication I could really do without.

An unexpected prescription was needed for migraine relief today. Since when do they cost £19.80!!!

In other news, I’ve finished my latest read: ‘Us Three’, which is another by Ruth Jones. I really enjoyed this one and found it a comforting read. Her characterisation is very vivid and you can imagine it playing it out on screen. I suppose that’s her experience as a script-writer coming through. 

26 books for 2026

26 books for 2026

1.You Are Here (easy read) 9/10

2. The Seven Murders of Evelyn Hardcastle (time-travelling murder mystery) 9.5/10

3. Love Untold (ending made a middling read worthwhile) 8/10

4. Way Back (engaging easy read with a farm theme and a few typos) 8.5/10

5. The Cuckoo’s Calling (first of the Strike detective novels) 8.5/10

6. Yellowface (‘too awful to look away’ page-turner) 10/10

7. A Thousand Splendid Suns (emotive, heavy but worthwhile read) 10/10

8. Before the coffee gets cold (Japanese coffee-shop time-travelling scenarios) 8/10

9. Us Three (screenplay-style friendship story) 9/10

Tonight’s dinner is spag bol. I have slept most of the day so hoping to find a bit more energy to get back into my work tomorrow.

I’ve been looking at May’s budget and I’m not going to have as much to play with as most of my pots need a good top up. It’s Mr D’s MOT month, eldest’s birthday late in the month (sweet 16) and half term which will include a dentist and hospital appointment too. I feel like my sales have had a good run this month but there isn’t much else I expect to go any time soon. Anyway, roll on pay day so the money shuffle can begin. I’m sure everyone else with a last working day of the month payday is feeling similar right now!

Dakota_Rose

Some good MSE news today as my P60 has finally come through. I couldn’t wait to find out what we will owe back of the child benefit so did the self assessment straight away. It’s good news as we saved every penny of it in a high interest account so anything we get to keep is a bonus.

Our estimated charge looks to leave us with just under £2k and interest is still to be added to the account in the summer. I’m very happy with this as it will indeed cover the annual college bus ticket (£1024!!) for eldest, new high school uniform for little miss and back to school bits for littlest too. Anything else left (£500-£700) will be put towards home improvements and the start of the next regular saver if we’re able to get another 7% rate 🤞 to begin the cycle again. The savings account runs until July, so we won’t be paying the charge or withdrawing the money yet. Nice to know it’s on the horizon though!

_Dolly_Rocker_

Woo hoo!!

That is very MSE.