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

ellenvan

Not bad of you at all. Endless collections for people you don't really know can be avoided without guilt.

liselle

Exactly! Where I live my neighbours and I exchange cards at Christmas.Then a new neighbour moved in and gave gifts.I said, quite politely, thank you but no thank you.Not starting that.

MillQueen

Thanks, @ellenvan and @liselle, it’s mostly not particularly nice reasons for the collections like birthdays, more that there’s always several people going off long term sick at any one time. Then there’s the usual stuff like bereavements and big birthdays, which are less common reasons than long term sickness. It’s nice that people try to send flowers, but I don’t think it’s much use really. I know if I had lost someone or gone off with stress, I wouldn’t care about flowers being delivered from people I barely know, who reluctantly gave a fiver.

MillQueen

I haven’t much to report this week except that I’ve been working on using up various things I already have. I finished a powder blush this week that I have had for at least three years (a full size Benefit Hula Lite, if you're interested in these things). Rather than buying another, I will continue to use the products I have.

I do need to re-buy some of my preferred hair styling product though, as I have been using that alternated with using up ones I don't like (the latter on the days where I don't care much how my hair looks). But some days I want my hair to look nice, so I will continue to get the good stuff and use the others up alongside.

I'm not doing great on the using things in the kitchen though, so I just bought more stuff for sandwiches and baked potatoes. At some point another burst of creative energy will arrive and I'll have a few days where I am making things with what's there. I have to put petrol in the car on the way home today, so maybe £40-ish.

liselle

Oh yes I see.Surely a nice card would suffice for most things,with p’rps flowers for a big birthday, or leaving/retirement present.

It’s the usual thing, isn’t it - once these things are started, it’s such a job to stop.Such a lot of money, such a waste.

MillQueen

@liselle, yes hard to stop, I might raise it as I can't be the only one struggling with paying out hundreds every year. We are quite a big team and 20% of people are currently off long term, so it does all add up when you then add in all the life events and big birthdays too. I feel a bit uncool about it but it's expensive.

I have had a no-spend day today. Tomorrow I am going to see a friend at a garden place. I am going to take a sandwich and a drink so I don't have to buy anything in the cafe if that can be avoided. I should then be able to keep the cost under £30 for the whole day with petrol and the cost of entry. The rest of the weekend I have nowhere else to be, so I will hang out at home and perhaps get on with a few work and house tasks.

Dakota_Rose

When we suggested we stop regular collections at work, especially for ‘big’ birthdays, it was a relief to almost everyone. Not one complaint was received. Sometimes it just needs someone to say it.

MillQueen

@Dakota_Rose, yes I do think many people will be relieved as it's one less thing to worry about. I'll have a think about how to bring it up constructively, as things are currently very tense at work, so even though I'll be saying what everyone else is probably thinking, I don't want to then be the one who gets criticised for it.

Managed to keep the day out at the garden place within budget, then I went to the shop to get my hair styling product as I have run out entirely (£10) and I got some reduced mushrooms for 62p, carrots for 32p and strawberries for £1.47. Going to put some oil in my hair now and spend the next 24 hours slouching around doing work on my laptop and possibly some laundry and sorting the bins. I had forgotten it was a bank holiday and I have booked loads of work meetings and events in all day on Monday, which can't be cancelled at short notice, so I will have to ask to take another day off somewhere else instead.

A couple of days of no spends ahead.

MillQueen

I've done a bit of procrastination as I don't feel like doing my work tasks, so I have hung up the laundry, done some dishes, washed my makeup brushes and cleaned up the palettes I am currently using.

Every time I sit down to do work I immediately feel sleepy, so I have also had a nap. I have to make a big spreadsheet, translate some documents, answer a load of emails and complete some online training today.

😴😴😴

I need to either get some use out of my walking pad or go out for a walk once it's cooler later and read some of my book. I am only doing free things until pay day.

MillQueen

I am just putting it out into the universe that I would really like a robot vacuum cleaner.