2016 - a year of change

the persian chicken was AMAZING!! I am so lucky to have the boy who is willing to cook sometimes, and properly too. Tuesday I put prescription in but didn't wait as it was just about to close. £6.19 on tampax and painkillers for the pains! BUT I sold my old engagement ring and got £6,000! It was valued at £11,500 but think that was more re-make value and jeweller who made it offered me £5,500 but I said give me £6,000 an I'll take it. He will probably sell it for a lot more but it had been sitting there for years for sale and hadn't gone and as my best mate says, "cash is king", so I picked up the cheque yesterday and banked it. That will go towards the house.

The boy has had a good run this week too. He sold his car for £130 (as it was a real wreck) and put £150 on Trump to be elected at 4/1. He then got a free £30 bet and also put that on Trump so came out with £870! He said he had done it to hedge against the loss on his shares if Trump got elected but his shares have actually weathered it ok so he paid for dinner weds night when we went out.

I swear though my body is telling me to stop drinking. I don't drink very often now (usually only once a week) and nowhere near as much as I used to volume wise. I had 1 glass of wine with dinner on wednesday and didn't sleep well and felt pretty rubbish yesterday. I do wonder if it's because subconsciously my body knows we are going to be trying for a baby next year so is trying to wean me off it? I feel I should give up completely but it's hard as I love the taste of wine and beer!

Weds was a no spend day for me. Yesterday I bought the boy some jelly tots and then 2 packs of crisps and milk on way home plus prescription so was about £16.50. Dinner last night was from stores.

Today I am doing the "big shop" though it won't be that big this week as I am away next week working in one of our other offices. Dreading it as it's our main office and I feel very uncomfortable there. Everything will, however, be paid for by the firm and seeing my friend monday night so my dinner with her will be paid for which is nice.

As the boy has cooked a lot recently I am cooking him a nice dinner tonight so need to get the stuff from that. But our shopping list is quite small as he has said he will work through what is in the freezer (and probably have a few fish finger sandwiches!) and he's out with mates on weds night anyway.

Must try and do something productive with my day off. Been up since 830 and so far all I've done is unload and load the dishwasher, put some laundry on, called my mum and drunk 2 cups of coffee!

So, been MIA all week as was in our other office and didn't take my laptop so not logged on. The tagine came out beautifully on friday night and the boy appreciated it. Chocolate fondants came out lovely too. Sat we had 2 house viewings. First one we saw was AMAZING! But right at top of our budget and 100k over what the boy had wanted to spend. But he is realising we are probably going to have to be looking at stuff at top of our budget or just over and hope to haggle them down if we are going to get anything near what we want. Even though we loved it, it's not in the exact area we want and also has its limitations in terms of size, but the finish and outlook was just beautiful. Then we went to see another house, way under our budget but on busy road, rooms tidy and so damp. A friend of mine had seen it a few years ago and said it was bad damp wise. So that was a no.

Sat night we went out for drinks and dinner with friends - 70 each - was good night but we were hungover the next day and did nothing on sunday but eat rubbish.

Mon-thurs (3 nights away) was in our main office which wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be but still pretty rubbish. Mon night saw my friend which was ok but the food was awful. £19 and will be paid for by work. Have kept receipts for all my lunches as want to claim those back. Im only doing so because normally I take my lunch in so they should really pay me back as I didn't want to go to the other office. And it's only for 4 sandwiches but they add up to around £16 so I don't want to pay it. Tues and Weds nights I went to the gym in the hotel and one night had room service and one night nipped out to a chain restaurant. It was pretty rubbish they didn't see if I wanted to do anything with the team actually. Anyway, back now and am not going to go for 3 nights next time. If I need to go again I'll either day trip or one night.

Bought a lovely coat out of my birthday money (birthday was in sept but saved it to spend on something nice) so pleased with that.

The boy has painted the stairs whilst I've been away and they look awesome. He made me piri piri chicken, sweet pot wedges and veg last night the angel.

Today have lunch with my friend but should be cheapish (no more than £15) then need to get the cat some more food (£30 between me and the boy) then need to get some cheese and wine as going to a friends tonight for a cheese and wine night!

Tomorrow we have another viewing and need to do big shop. I am going to try to keep us in budget. We got paid today early as we normally get paid on 20th but where that falls on a weekend we get paid the friday before. So I want to eek out this month's budget to cover our food shop. I bought a bunch of clothes and underwear last week £130 but didn't try them on so if they don't fit or I don't like them on I'll take them back and if I do, I'll be well within budget. Got 2 nice jumpers as well with voucher boy's mum gave me for my birthday.

Now until xmas is going to get expensive - must try to reign it in where I can!

Stew was quite nice though not the best thing I've cooked - leftovers for lunch today. Slept ok last night which is surprising as we are in spare room given our room is half painted. Boy doing a sterling job - it is going to look so good! Seen another house we like on the internet, just come on the market so will try to see that this weekend also.

I have to stop being depressed about work. It really isn't that bad. I get to sit in a nice warm office with free tea, coffee and sometimes food. All I have to do is 28 hours a week and it's mainly reading and digesting law judgments then drafting up guidance notes and precedent documents - it's taxing in terms of those things are not always easy to read and interpret (one judgment yesterday was 50 pages) but I don't have to go to court or deal with clients and can chart my own course. It could be a lot worse.

Tonight I am going to run if it kills me. Used the gym twice whilst I was away and it's less than 4 weeks until we go to nyc and I need to lose some weight!

Submitting our insurance claim for last cancelled holiday today - suspect they will reject it saying I haven't disclosed my medical history but didn't realise I needed to until I wanted to submit a claim! Will just have to see what happens but hope they pay it.

So am up. But not yet working on book. Didn't sleep well last night as we are in spare room and then the boy got up at 530 and was painting so kept me awake!! I think he is just desperate to get back into our room hence he's going for it!!!

Have made shopping list and so hoping to limit our usually expensive weekly shop, especially as the boy is not coming with me! Though he has announced this morning we need more floor paint. It irks that we are having to spend money on this house as I think we will get less then I paid for it but I also know we have to make it as immaculate as possible to get a sale. Only 6 weeks until it goes on the market!!!