Monday 26 September 2011

Getting Back In The Game

It's my nature to be an optimistic person. Some might say stupidly, against-the-odds optimistic - not about unlikely things like winning the Lotto or being left a legacy by a long lost relative, but just about Things Turning Out Okay.

You know what? Usually they do.

I have to be very tired and under pressure to throw a wobbler and to be honest, what good does it do? I still have to go to work - I can only hope we get more staff to ease things for the rest of us. That should be happening the start of October. I will also NOT volunteer to work three carer nights in a row ever again because I clearly can't hack it without turning into a petulant, cranky child.


I still have to (and of course I want to really) live with Big Man, Red and their interminable fallings out. Next time it happens and they try to involve me I am just gonna put my fingers in my ears and start singing. I feel too old and too weary to be carping about who tidies the dining room or unloads the dishwasher and really, when she's 21 and he's 46 aren't we a bit past all this? The problem is when there is a bad atmosphere in the house following one of their falling outs I can't stand it (neither of them seem to notice or care) and find myself madly over-compensating like a total dork. Note to self....must toughen up....


I still need to carry on eBaying so I can make some extra money. I won't go into the injustice of being negged without having a chance to put whatever is supposed to be wrong, right. I will just content myself by saying that I sincerely hope the next pair of vintage trousers the buyer gets rip her crotch out. Bad cess to her.

I have to carry on with my frugal living, money saving and debt repayment. I am in charge of this part of our lives so I can't just give up. We seem to have had a couple of haywire months and I can't even say why, despite keeping spreadsheets of expenses. I had worked really hard to bring down a massive electricity bill by paying £175 a month direct debit. Added to this a turning off lights/not using tumble dryer/going to bed early regime and I'd got it down to £500 or so. I was really thrilled then when EDF wrote and said that my direct debit was going down to £80 a month - I didn't read the bit where it said that any outstanding amount had to be paid IN FULL following a payment review. Erm....don't have that sort of money spare. That bounced. Then the £80 direct debit bounced. Twice. Now I can't pay my electricity by direct debit at all so will have to be super-organised and put that into an account every month to pay off the bill. And I have another bill from EDF for £275.34 (say what?) and if I don't pay it immediately my electricity will be cut off. This is all spiralling crazily - it's lucky I have a biggish wage coming at the end of the month because financially the merde just keeps on coming. We were doing so well too....

Still, life goes on. Soon Mr Charming will go back to uni; Carb Addict is back at school; and Red looks as if she's here for the duration, having split up acrimoniously (on his part) with PC Furious, settled into her portering job and met someone new (already!). Things will get on an even keel again for a while and I'll keep on doing the same as Old Blue Eyes...

Each time I find myself flat on my face,
I pick myself up and get back in the race



We're off to Liverpool for a couple of days. I'll bring you all something back....


7 comments:

  1. Hi Keshling - utility companies can be the BIGGEST arses. We won't use British Gas any more on principle after they absolutely hounded us for money we didn't owe years ago. Sorry to hear about the enormous bill and insistence on being paid upfront - seems odd if the DD has been brought down. We recently insisted they bring our DD down after discovering they had basically been way over charging us every month, and we were massively in credit with them - great, but they're not a bank, we'd rather have that money earning interest for us, not them, thanks very much! Sounds like you've been doing a great job in getting on top of things - if it's ever possible to speak to someone there might be worth trying to work something out with customer services (hah!)

    Have fun in Liverpool x

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  2. Hope you have a fabulous time away in Liverpool and come nack refreshed.
    Huge pain about the electric company, it's not like you weren't paying it!
    Lisa x

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  3. Don't energy companies just make you want to scream? We were in a similar situation with our gas. Year. Grrr. Hope everything works out ok. X

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  4. Enjoy Liverpool!
    Liz @ Shortbread & Ginger

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  5. Enjoy my fair city! It'll be overrun with political types (are you one of them or just visiting for fun?) but hopefully not so busy that you can't enjoy it.

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  6. Enjoy your trip...dont worry about anything else

    Judy

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  7. I know, I know...I've done the eBay route too and here in France it's still blomming EDF!

    Dread the electricity bill and have become partly nocturnal as I stay up after midnight to get as many electrical jobs done via the cheap rate tariff.

    No wonder I have eyes like dog's balls.

    SP

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