Cherry takes the reins

I am, thanks W. On the mend, anyway.

List updated:
trim hedge - this is a secateurs job and takes ages but lasts ages too. Done
shops Done
pay insurance - first get details off DH
try to work out how to switch accounts
look into using loyalty points - want to get the most from them
apply ice pack Done
sort/clear a kitchen shelf
sort another freezer drawer
declutter some papers
post another item for sale
start a bag to take to charity
make marmaladeDone

I know half of it's still there but I'm pleased with what 've done so far. I walked further too - over the 10,000 steps for the first time in a while. It was nice and sunny in town and I met a former neighbour who stopped to chat.


7/6/18 Spends:
Toiletries £3.20
Garden £1.40
Housekeeping £4.29
MS stuff:
Remembered to get a free replacement bag
Yesterday's leftovers for tea
£ shop was selling off packets of bulbs for 20p so I got 7!
Batch of marmalade ready for DH.
Confession time
See above... I hadn't planned to get any of those plants!

I had a spare wall basket which I've planted up with some begonias from the £ shop, then I found remnants of packets of seeds which I'd used to plant up hanging baskets at Mum's old house, so I chucked those in too. I know it's late in the season but it's worth a try.

Off to bed now - where did the evening go?

Not much actively spent today:: a big kilner jar and a lamp timer at the car boot sale then my bag accidentally broke a cup on someone's stall so that was another 50p!

We were frugal and had soup instead of the usual Saturday takeaway: there really is more room in the freezer now and I'm still filling any space I achieve with plastic cartons so no one knows it's there!

This afternoon I helped DS2 proofread an essay and DH cut back the top of the hedge and took the twiggy garden rubbish to the tip as well as doing a load of chores that I can't yet manage. My achievement of the day has been putting up and taking down the ironing board. I couldn't do that last week.

I've had a look at the insurance document but I'm sleep-deprived so it's going to have to wait. Don't want to transfer several hundred pounds to the wrong account!

Spends:
Household £1.80
MS stuff:
Soup not takeaway

Sun_Addict wrote: »

My ankle is still swollen 18 months after the event.

:eek: Sounds alarming. I hope it eventually gets back to shape.

Beautiful day today: instead of Sunday lunch we took a picnic to a local beauty spot. Nothing spent.

Absolutely shattered tonight. I've taken to waking up/getting up at about 6, a good two hours earlier than when at work. This is partly because my arm gets stiff when kept in one position, but I'm hoping I can keep the habit up.

Achievement of the day: every time I try to reach my face with my hand I've succeeded!

I spent some time on paperwork and found some errors on the insurance document so they are resending them. I went to set up my login for the prescription renewal website and found the details had expired, so there's an admin job for tomorrow. I also paid the milk bill and discovered the bank has charged me 2p for closing that subsection of the mortgage.

The weather was again gorgeous and the guinea pig needed some company so I did some work in the garden: the flowering currant has had half its annual haircut, the compost has been topped up and watered and I rescued a battered terracotta bowl and planted it up with the sparaxis I rescued from the sales the other day. When I came back later a bird had dug through for worms! I've reinstated the sparaxis and put some mesh over.

Walking into town, I came across some people from work so we walked together and chatted: unfortunately I think walking their pace was a poor choice as the foot's been sensitive since. Nevertheless, 11,000 steps! I will be fit again, I will.

Part of my trip to town was to find wild bird food, which I did, and a new feeder reduced to £1. I've found some bird feeders that were Mum's and hung them up. There's a visitor centre fairly near here which has wonderful bird feeders outside the cafe window and it's inspired me to use what I've got as we have plenty of trees and wild birds.

Healthy and cheap liver and onions for tea tonight. DH had to do most of the actual cooking but he really enjoyed the results so perhaps that can be his new thing to cook.

Spends:
Medical £0.80
Pets (actually wild birds) £2.49
Housekeeping £26.47
Mortgage £0.02

MS stuff:
Plums reduced to 21p
Cheap bird feeder (quite a sturdy one too)
onions instead of bacon with the liver.
Confession time:
Bought another tube of extortionately expensive iron cleaner - but it works.

A definite 'getting better' day. Had a lovely coffee with my friend (and she insisted on paying) then came home and read all about AVCs. (I know how to have fun). The website cross-referenced to Additional Pensions Contributions and to the pensionwise website so now I need to read up on those. I then realised I was five minutes late to phone in for a repeat prescription so, being low on medication, I took the order form over to the surgery. Since then I've been on my a lot of the time and have clocked up 15,500 steps! What's more, the foot isn't protesting, which is brilliant.

I managed lots of bits of shopping so despite today's chicken and chorizo pasta being made from things I had in store, the food budget is looking depleted. I did get some frozen veg to make up for not being able to chop things, though, which I think is reasonable, but I seem to have a lot of cleaning expenses all of a sudden and I did buy some nice coffee because it was on offer and the other one will run out soon.

I've finished settling up bird feeders and the starlings have discovered one of them. I did indulge in a water feeder in the end, and more seed. I've also cleaned out warm-weather accommodation for the guinea pig. Poor DH came home from a full day at work to mow the lawns, take the bin out and tidy the shed enough to get things back in.

Admin-wise, I have paid that insurance, ordered medication and that's it. I ran out of time. Good to be able to be on my feet and out & about though. Much as I love my job, this is doing me good.

The mortgage company has sent me a letter to say I've paid off the sub-section and send new amounts payable to each remaining sub-section. As I've an agreement to overpay regularly, what this amounts to is a confirmation that I'm overpaying by £125.05 a month, which is nice.

Spends:
Pets £4.74
Housekeeping £18.09
Gift £6.50
Household £1.85
Insurance (estate expenses) £431.60 - paid out of estate account not my account!
MS stuff:
£ shop for descalers
Dinner from the freezer
20th coin savings 30p
Confession time:
It feels a bit indulgent buying all the stuff to feed the wild birds and I know it will be an expense in the future as they will eat more and more once they know it's there, but I still enjoy doing it and it's hard wotk being a bird.