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Original poster

Fearless Frugaleers Finding Their Feet in February

999 replies

SpottyTeacakes · 10/02/2016 12:54

Smile I've got fruflu Sad

OP posts:
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13
bootygirl · 18/02/2016 16:54

Oh fuzz fingers crossed something local comes up... I work mornings cos of FM but I find it fits around kids & TBH I would be depressed on my own all day. So the one thing I enjoy is being with adults. I take summers off to mind my DS (SN). I am probably only €100 better off a week working but I would've been lost socially without it as I live in a smallish town. 💐💐

Got my colour done today €55 it's the one thing I treat myself too! (I know I am lucky to be able to!).

babsmam · 18/02/2016 17:33

It's still not real until you see it in writing though fuzz, sorry about that

fuzzpig · 18/02/2016 17:35

Thanks :)

I would be happy doing anything desk based really, data entry and stuff like that would be great. I'm not too bothered about the social aspects of work really. I have a few really good friends at work (the rest I have discovered, since going off sick long term, are not my friends as I thought they were) but I have ASD and am quite nervous about having to settle somewhere else! I have a lot of home ed friends now (very lucky that it's a big community here and I have 'found my people' IYSWIM!) so really a job to me would just be to earn money. I also do need a fair amount of solitude (being home alone all day would actually be fine with me :o).

Wolfcub · 18/02/2016 17:36

Ah fuzz I'm sure it's both good news in a way that they're recognized the problems you're having and bittersweet that it's down in writing and all official. Is there any scope for a role working from home? My ohs report opened up the possibility of working from home a day or two a week and rotating my long distance travelling to try and help manage pain and associated fatigue?

fuzzpig · 18/02/2016 17:41

I would really love a job that I could do from home! :) If there was something like admin that I could just do on my laptop I would jump at the chance. Metaphorically I mean Wink

Yes it's a good point that it is positive too. To have validation that this is a serious illness that makes it impossible for me to do my job. This is definitely helpful especially because of the type of illness it is (i.e. invisible and subject to a lot of stigma)

bootygirl · 18/02/2016 17:53

Fuzz. I think being social able when you have a chronic illness can be very tiring too.. I also need my 'down time'/'alone time'. I don't have asd but my DS does so I see where you are coming from.
I. Am sure things will work out for the best & at least you have the option of HS which would obviously take up your time.

Ipsos · 18/02/2016 18:14

Good luck with that alternative job question Fuzz. I hope they find something nice for you.

We'e been bashing away at the socialising here. A trip by car to a different town, and then we emptied out our old shed as a precursor to having the garden changed around in the spring. I have just freecycled our shed. Fingers crossed someone wants it.

Hope all's well there. Busy busy busy here. Zzzzzz

Girlfriend36 · 18/02/2016 18:21

Ahh Fuzz Flowers it sounds like they are going to try and accommodate you, in my job I think I would be out on my ear! Tbh I have always found the NHS to be a pretty unsympathetic employer, if we have more than 3 episodes of sickness in a 6 month period now we go on a 'sickness monitoring' report.

I never really understand the point of reports as its not as if you go off sick deliberately Confused

I have dds friend here for a sleepover tonight and needed to pick up milk, bread and pasta as well as some sweets so spent £3 ish. There girls get on so well its nice to see, they are sitting quietly doing the Hama beads and watching a film now.

Laska5772 · 18/02/2016 18:27

NK I recentley got a Post office credit card , its 27 months 0% also ! went through Quidco and got £25 cashback.. worth looking to see if the offer is still running?

However I didnt transfer any old debt onto it , others may be better for that .. MSE will have comparasons ..

Laska5772 · 18/02/2016 18:28

'Recently' that is ..., you know I can spell.. Really I can.. A level English and everything , I just type too fast and badly

Ememem84 · 18/02/2016 18:31

fuzz hope you're ok. I'm positive that something good will come of all this though. And not just for you. For everyone.

Went to a seminar this afternoon which I thought would be v dull about investing. But turned out to be super interesting and more about mindset and positivity I was definetly where I was supposed to be and hadn't got lost

So am feeling very empowered and have ticked an hours CPD off my record. Yippee!!

Things happen for a reason. Usually a good one. So it'll be ok. Xx it might suck ass now but it'll be alright

Payday tomorrow! Cannot wait.

wreck have you thought about hire purchase? We looked into doing this with a Hyundai. Three years hp and after that either trade in for a new model or buy ourselves. It worked out cheaper and servicing was all included. We didn't go for it in the end though as only technically have one parking space and we were going through an "why shouldn't we have 2 cars everyone else does" phase. We didn't need it.

fuzzpig · 18/02/2016 18:31

Indeed Girl! It's rather worrying and rather ironic that the NHS is not understanding of, erm, HEALTH issues in their staff Hmm

In the council they have procedures, I've been on absence monitoring a few times, but the rules are quite flexible. We had lots of meetings at the same 'stage' because we were waiting for test results etc. I think it's only now that the OH report actually says I can't come back that we will move onto the next stage.

I put a thread in Employment about it so will hopefully gain some advice there too. I'm very grateful for all your kind words Thanks

Pointlessfan · 18/02/2016 18:47

I hope they can find you some suitable work fuzz. If not I'm sure there are data entry-type jobs out there that you could do from home.

fuzzpig · 18/02/2016 19:01

Thanks, I think that kind of thing would be ideal as I could still try and build up my music teaching around it - that's what I really dream of :)

Allgunsblazing · 18/02/2016 19:20

fuzz, good luck! Hope it's a nice job for you :)
wreck, I had to buy a brand new car, it worked out cheaper than a second hand one. It has no road tax, no MOT for 3 years, 4 years service and guarantee, free road recovery (breakdown). The money I would have paid for a second hand one I used as a deposit. You didn't have to have much deposit, but I wanted the 3 years montly payments to be around the £100 mark, I felt I could pay that and not break the bank.
As it is, my previous car's road tax was £170, insurance £350, service never less than £500, MOT £50-ish and something was forever needed, clutch, suspensions, etc, the year I got rid of it I paid £1300 just on 'bits', it was worth £300.
I made sense for me. HTH.

WreckTangled · 18/02/2016 19:28

Thanks allguns I get what you mean but we don't have any money to put down at all. We can part ex our current car but that's it.

Allgunsblazing · 18/02/2016 19:34

It's worth to ask, wreck, maybe you'll find something with no deposit. The thing is, i'm on 0% car finance, if I took a loan I would have had to pay interest:)

WreckTangled · 18/02/2016 19:52

Yeah but we can't afford to pay back the credit card at the rate we are plus pay for a new care separately.

Anyway dh is adamant we will just get the car fixed but I just feel like it's a heap of junk and I hate it every time I start it up in worried it won't start. Oh well.

Fluffycloudland77 · 18/02/2016 20:30

Fuzz Lets hope they have a position.

Laska How is your gd doing?.

Allguns That is proper frugalling. Star

Yesterday £6 takeaway, I've fucked my meal plan up. God knows how I've only been doing it 6 years Hmm and £3 in tescos on stuff I needed for the meal plan that didn't get used because of the meal plan mis-hap Angry but it will keep.

Today £3 on bread, cheese and a pizza Blush.

I'm waiting for dh to bring me a whisky in, someone gave him a litre. I did wonder if they are trying to kill him.

needastrongone · 18/02/2016 21:02

Well, we all fk up sometimes fluffster

Today, I spent 20 minutes chopping veg for a thai veg curry, added coconut milk, stirred in curry paste, and the curry paste was 'off', wasted a whole meal. Only saving grace was that is wasn't a meat based meal, more costly still.

So, we had a sausage tray bake, from a Mary Berry cookbook, which was lovely, and very easy.

Good luck fuzz.

Hope you feel ok collie, anxiety is awful.

How did DD enjoy her day today girlie?

I'd, the housing market is a weird thing isn't it?

Can't help with cars, DH converted me many years ago to keeping them within 3 years. We switch from buying to leasing, depending on deal. Current one is a business asset though. That made the most sense, as the previous car was incredible in term of resale value and will never be repeated.

Needed a glass of wine tonight and a veg on the sofa.

Pony made me laugh today, took him jumping Tuesday. He hasn't jumped for 4 years, but clearly has in his past history and was excellent. Today, we went again for another jumping lesson, but with another novice pony. Very small jumps to teach her gently. I know they don't feel human emotions, be he acted like he was disgusted with us the whole time. At one point he stopped and STEPPED over the jump, to prove a point Grin Grin

Ursulatodd · 18/02/2016 21:11

£47.21 on petrol. Am still feeling unwell. In bed feeling sorry for myself. Tfi Friday tomorrow. I plan on doing as little as possible over the weekend!

Fluffycloudland77 · 18/02/2016 21:12

I think animals have a sense of humour. Was his point proved though?.

I've realised today that if you have an E-Rewards account you can log in daily for new surveys. Even if you don't qualify it's 10-25 points each time and they offer 3 surveys a day.

1000 points is a 1000 nectar points.

fuzzpig · 18/02/2016 21:16

Ooh that's frustrating about the curry need

needastrongone · 18/02/2016 21:17

Hope you feel better soon Ursula.

Oh yes fluffy, I put him in his beloved field when we got back, he gave me a further look of utter disgust and proceeded to roll in the biggest, muddiest patch of mud he could find Grin Love him!

Off to look at E rewards now.

Ipsos · 18/02/2016 21:18

I'm briefly stopped for a rest just now. Ds is really getting better at the talking. I put the ladder out in the garden for him to play on while we emptied the shed and he was full of fun on it and shouting "Look at me" and commentating on his efforts as he climbed over. Very good to see and big relief.

I surprised myself by making it to the next town over today. I haven't been that far in a long time, but it was good. I really enjoyed seeing all the shops and was hugely tempted to buy something as a treat, but I didn't.

Spent a tenner on a book for ds and £1.50 on a cuppa for dh, and that was all.

Knackered now. Smile

Glad to hear things are going smoothly for so many people out there. Still crossing fingers for Fuzz and Laska.