Turning Straw into Gold: Creating Long Term Security & A Solid Home

Blackcats

This is a time when eating junk food to get yourself through is perfectly fine. There's a time for salad and a time for chips.

Well done on submitting your application.

MillQueen

@Blackcats, this evening I’ve had junk food again and I think I will again tomorrow. On Sunday I’ll cook something proper that involves vegetables. I am meeting a friend tomorrow for a coffee and I’m not going to think about the money. I’m reading a finance book (Girls Just Wanna Have Funds) before bed, as my finance efforts today.

in_need_of_direction

carrot cake contains vegetables….just saying

MillQueen

@in_need_of_direction 😂😂 it does! Thank you for this sensible reminder ❤️.

If I also eat a chocolate orange, I’ll have had two of my five a day.

weenancyinAmerica

Sorry to hear about your cat. Sending you many hugs. This is the ideal time for eating junk food better known as comfort food. We had our last three cats cremated. Yes it is hard. But the kitty will live in your memory. We have put up pictures of the kitties also.

MillQueen

Thank you, @weenancyinAmerica, she certainly is living in my memory - I had a dream last night that she was outside the window miaowing to be let in, and it seemed so real I had to go outside and check.

Had a nice day meeting up with a friend in town, who bought me a coffee and a cake. Then when I went outside afterwards I bumped into another friend, who then also bought me another coffee.

So that was a good trip and all it cost me was the petrol and the parking. I filled up the new little car with petrol and it has only cost a little over £40 for an entire week of driving, which is a third cheaper than the car before.

I contacted the vets to see if I could donate back some unopened cat medication for someone in need, as it's quite expensive to buy, and they have offered to refund the £70+ I spent on a month's supply, which was nice of them. I am giving a few bags of cat litter to the neighbour for free, as might as well not let it go to waste. I keep feeling sad every time I see the cat beds, so I'm unsure whether to put them in the bin or whether to wash them and donate them to charity. I worry I would be a weirdo who keeps going in to look if they have sold in the shop… however I guess if they do sell, that's nice that they went to another kitty. Perhaps I'll just hang onto the beds a bit longer and the cat carrier, as maybe I'm not ready to part with them.

in_need_of_direction

an animal shelter might be glad of the beds

MillQueen

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81923087#Comment_81923087

That's a good idea, thanks @in_need_of_direction.

Today I have some self employed work to do that should earn me about £100 (or £50 after tax and student loan… always demoralising to think of). That should take me a few hours and then I have tasks to do for my main job that will take me all day. Somewhere in that I may go outside for a short walk for some fresh air.

MillQueen

I've got a quote in my head today: "It takes all the running you can do just to stay in the same place", which is how life feels right now, both finance-wise and work-wise, especially with the emergency fund, where I keep going one step forward and three steps back, as there are so many big costs all of the time it's hard to build much up. It seems like I'm just staying afloat but working all the time, which is a sign of the times I guess.

I've been listening to a pomodoro video to get work done and I'm on my five minute break now. Once I am half way through the work, I will stop for tea and have a half hour break, then do the rest. I have got a frozen pizza to get me through. Then it's off to bed, and get up and go to work and do it all again.

Blackcats

i think sometimes it does feel like 1 step forward and 2 steps back but actually without trying to look after our money we would sink further and further into debt so just being aware and trying is good. Sorry about the mixed adverbs - walking and sinking - but you know what I mean!