Being Frugal

 Trying to get out of my miserable state.  Crying every day isn't helping at all.

If I can't make more money then I need to be able to save as much as possible.  I came across a video on YouTube about frugal living and thought that it might help or give me some tips on saving money!

The first tip was not to eat out.  We don't eat out, the only time in the past 3 years we ate out as a family was for Hannah's birthday.  Hannah and I have eaten out a few times, when we go to see musicals we usually get some lunch but nothing expensive.  I guess for some people eating out two or three times a week is normal and that would be a good way to save money.

The next tip was to cook from scratch and not have food waste.  Most of the time we do that as well.  I will admit that the past summer we had more instant foods or obentos, it was just too hot to cook.  With the weather cooling down cooking will get easier.  Also in the cooler months making a big pot of soup or stew and having it at lunch and dinner really helps.  Also, I need to be more careful with food waste, not buying stuff to rot in the fridge, one problem that I do have!  

Another tip was to bake from scratch.  Again something I do in the cooler months.  I'm making an apple crumble at the moment.  I prefer homemade sweets,  I can control the amount of sugar, also I think that corn syrup is really unhealthy.  It's used in most cookies and cakes because it gives the product a longer shelf life.  Using sugar or honey is better in my opinion.

She went on to suggest wearing an apron when cooking or cleaning to protect your clothes.  I wear aprons if I'm dressed for teaching or going out.  My clothes are either for hanging around the house, so doesn't matter if they get soiled or for teaching/going out.  When I buy things they are for teaching/ going out but as they get tatty they get demoted to hanging around the house.  The last demotion is being cut up for cleaning rags!!  I almost never buy clothes,  I have two or three things that are really nice for going to the theater.  I need shoes, the ones I have I've had for about 5 years and have holes in them.  But I haven't seen anything I like at a price I can afford.  

Our biggest expense are the cats.  Food and cat litter add up.  David and Hannah pay for that, also Hannah pays for vet bills.

As it cools down I won't need to run air conditioners but I'm worried about the cold weather as gas is very expensive.  

Does anybody have any other ideas?

Apple crumble

Desperate Measures

 I never thought I would have to beg for help!

I managed when Hisao died to keep us afloat, through cancer and getting the kids an education but this move has broken me!  I'm crying every single day because I don't see how to make the money we need.  The kids are helping as much as possible.  This month I'm short for the rent and that is with David buying food and cat food, Hannah paying for the vets and the other two buying things that we need, gas for the car, food sometimes and paying their own medical bills.

If I could get more students that would help but since the pandemic we haven't recovered.  

I know that moving will mean not paying rent, which is good, but having to take out a loan is the same thing.  I'm beyond angry at the state of the house, it's not liveable at all.  I've tried to be positive about it but I'm just stressed.  It's sad that the only place I like in the house is the outside bench, that's the only place I feel comfortable.  

So I've set up a crowdfunding campaign.  I don't know if this will work but I've got to try, I have no other ideas on how to make money.  That's not true I have plenty of ideas but no money to start them!!   

Here is the link to my campaign.  One Year Before We Have To Move | GoGetFunding

Hope that works!!!

Made A Start

 This past weekend I've managed to make a start of sorting things from this house.

It's sad that we are moving to a place half the size of where we live now and therefore have to downsize a lot.  Besides books, we don't really own a lot of stuff.  I've never collected nick-nacks or ornaments,  I don't have many soft furnishings, just a change of bedding and extra winter covers.   The kids have their things, again a lot of books, their own computers but not a load of stuff.  But even the bit that we have is too much!  

I was able to give a lot of children's books to one of my friends.  I was happy to do that as I know English children's books can be expensive.  I like to feel that I can pass on things that will be well-loved and used!

Sunday I spent the morning emptying the top cupboards in my kitchen.  These cupboards are too high to be useful, I need a step ladder to reach them, so things that I don't use get put up there.  I haven't looked in them for a few years.  Most of the things were trash, old plastic containers, a broken coffee maker and other bits and pieces.  I did find an old tin of beans and a cup soup.

Beans from 2012

 

cup soup from 2014

looks like it was nice!

I also made a chicken pie for lunch. I've been wanting to eat chicken pie for the past few weeks but it's been too hot to make it.  Sunday started off rather cool, warmed up by the afternoon but not a sticky heat.  It was nice to bake, one of the things I miss in the summer!!

Stress!!

 I'm completely, absolutely, and totally stressed by thinking about this move! I now have mouth ulcers which I only get when my stress is too high!!

We have until January 2025 here but I want to move in October 2024, just over a year away!!  But there is so much to be done and basically no time.  Everybody is working so trying to find time when two or three of us can go and work on the other house is hard.  Summer we didn't do anything, it was just too hot and getting heat stroke wouldn't have helped.  

Another problem is money.  Even just doing the very basic things to make the house liveable will cost over 500 man yen (about 3000 pounds).  I need to offer some money to the owners here because of the damage the cats have done, we have to put a new tank in for the toilet waste and get the bamboo in the neighbor's yard cut and uprooted!!  I have no idea where I can get this money from.  I don't want to go into debt, and my bank won't give me a loan, even the loan that was guaranteed by the government during the pandemic I couldn't get because I'm a foreigner.  I've looked at making money online but all seems rather confusing.  One thing I'm thinking about is setting up a crowdfunding page.  But that seems kind of cheeky, just asking for money without working for it!!  We will see.

I've been digging myself into a hole by living in my head, just thinking the same things over and over but not getting any answers, plus wanting to stuff myself with sweets which I know is bad for me. Then yesterday two of my good friends reached out to me.  One of my friends lives in Japan, she called and we sat and talked for over an hour.  That was so nice.  Then another one of my friends sent me a voicemail, really helping to see another perspective on this move.  She said I should find the adventure in this and be grateful for the house and having a place that we own.  This is true, I am grateful that we have this place as I know trying to rent another place would be impossible with the cats. 

Also for all the people who left comments on my blog, thank you!  I thought I had set this up so I would get alerts for the comments but the alerts went into my spam folder and I didn't see them.  I wasn't ignoring you!!

And of course a cat photo to finish!!

Sam and Frodo!

Sixty Two By Sixty Two

 I've been debating whether to post this or not, but I know if I don't I won't feel accountable!!

So I still need to lose a lot of weight.  At least 30 kilos (about 4 stones) to get to the right weight for my height according to BMI charts that I've looked at!

So I've decided to make a goal of getting to 62 kilos by the time I'm 62 next August!

That is going to be a lot of hard work!! I can't think of losing 30 kilos, it's too much and I feel overwhelmed by the idea!  So I'm going to break it down,  first goal is to get under 90kgs.  I'm now about 95kgs, so I hope in a few weeks I can do that!!!

I'm also going to find some exercise I can do.  Since having a herniated disc in my neck in February I've been suffering from pain in my neck and upper back.  So I want to find some simple stretches to help that area a bit.  Also, I have to be careful not to irritate my knee, it's not too painful at the moment but I don't want it to flair up.  One thing is that with the weather slowly cooling down, I can get more done here and at the other house which is all good exercise.  

Wish me luck!!

David!

David keeps taking my phone and taking silly selfies, so I told him that I was going to post them on here.  Don't think he'll stop but it's fun!!

Finally

 The weather is cooling down.  Days are still hot, low 30 degrees, better than nearly 40 degrees.  Evenings, nights and mornings are lovely.  Lower 20 degrees.  It's so nice not to have to use the air conditioner all night,  I usually put it on for about an hour on dry mode, it's still very humid, so that really helps.  

The other morning I decided that since it's rather cool I should tackle the garden.  The weeds are as tall as me in some places!  I was really determined to make a difference but after 15 minutes I couldn't do anymore, my back and legs were very painful.  I did a bit and I guess it's a start.  I've asked the kids to help on Sunday, I'm hoping that we can get a lot done if we all pitch in!

One thing that I've noticed as the weather cools down the cats have started to fight more. I think that when it's too hot the cats just don't have the energy to fight.  The past few nights Hannah and I have been racing up and down stairs to stop the cats fighting!!

Still warm enough to lie like this!!!

What A Night

 It all started with bugs on the window, stink bugs!!!  The nights are rather cool so I want to open the windows instead of using the air conditioning.  So I opened the window and kept the screen closed, I noticed two or three stink bugs.  Two or three I could deal with, as long as they stay away from the small holes and don't come inside.  I sat reading for a while, looked up and found the screen covered in these bugs.

That's only half of them!!

So I closed the window and put on the air conditioner!

Got into bed, just drifting off when one of the cats started to meow and scratch at my door.  Got out of bed to find Fred sitting there, he suffers from seperation anixety (yes it is a thing in cats!).  So I petted him and talked to him for a bit, he calmed down and I went back to bed for all of 30 minutes.  Fred again, really pitiful meowing.  Got up, again, went and sat in David's room for about half an hour, just playing with Fred, again he seemed settled, back to bed.  Again the cats started, this time Fred and Mama, it's now 3am and I've had about one hours sleep!  Hannah got up and fed them, good, maybe I can get some sleep.  But of course not, after they had eaten Fred and Alan got into a fight, gripping each others throats,  fur flying, cats flying around.  Hannah helped to seperate them, I got my feet scratched up.  We locked Fred downstairs in the living room and left Alan in the corridor.  It was now just after 4am, I finally got to sleep. Talk about a wild night!!  I thought that having 4 children I would be use to this but not really.  Today is very busy with teaching and I am so miserable!!  I hope tonight will be better!!!

Fred

David and Alan

Not Finished

 This morning I had tests done because of the cancer I had 5 years ago.  Mammogram, CT scan, echo scan and blood work.  I was feeling very happy, five years finished, this will be the last tests, no more waiting for hours in the hospital.  Went through all the tests, then went to see the doctor.  He checked the results and said everything looks good and I don't need any more medicine.  He then threw me a curve ball by saying see you next March.  I must of looked really suprised because he went on to explain that with most cancers 5 years is the end of the checks but with the type of cancer I had I have to get checks for a total of 10 years!!  I then had to wait to see another doctor about my diabetes.  Even though I haven't been very good the past few months my numbers are down and looking good.  Got to get back on the band wagon, try to cut down on sugar and carbs even more.

Hannah with my friend's baby

One of my friends stopped by the other day.  It was so nice to sit and chat for a while.  Her husband came, he has offerd to help with the garden at the othe house.  Hannah enjoyed playing with the baby.  The baby was fascinated and scared of the cats, he kept pointing at them but if they moved he would walk away!!  Very cute to watch.

Going To The Hairdressers

 If I lived in England I would probably try different hairdressers, maybe experimenting with different styles and colors.  Mainly because I suck at Japanese I stick to the same place (I do the same for doctors and dentists).  Being familiar with the process and knowing that they understand what I want without having to explain each time helps a lot.  This is all part of the anixety I have living here!  I've been going to same hairdressers for about 30 years, I always get the same style, a short bob and color, brownish (but in some light it looks purple).  The hairdressers are two sisters.  I started going there because the younger sister spoke a bit of English, she had spent two years working in England doing hair and make up on commericals.  I felt comfortable going to her, she could understand what I wanted.  As the years have past she has lost her English and I have gained some confidence in Japanese.  When I went today I was supprised to see the older sister working.  Apparently the younger one has stopped working!!  I felt rather sad.  The older sister did my hair and it looks nice but I missed the lady that usually does mine.  I'm also wondering how much longer the older sister can work, she has just turned 74!!!  I guess at some point I'm going to have to look for a new hairdressers!!

My hairdressers, not a good photo!!

Lists

 Yesterday I was looking for something in one of my draws, can't remember what I was looking for but I came across an old notebook from 2015.

This notebook had pages of  'To Do' lists.  It was interesting to see that most things on the list were the same, clean the garden, clean places in the house, etc.  At first glance, I felt that I haven't changed, that my To Do lists now are the same but after reading more I realized that some things I no longer write on my To Do lists as they have become habits.  For example, one thing that was on every list was to sweep and mop the corridors and stairs.  I now do that (or get somebody to do it) two or three times a week.  Another was mopping the kitchen floor ( I don't like cleaning floors) but again I've developed a habit of doing it so I no longer need to write it down.  

In our day-to-day lives sometimes it feels like nothing changes.  I still struggle with my weight (even though I have lost about 17kgs from my heaviest), and money is still tight but seeing the little things that have changed, the habits that I have developed gives me hope to be able to conquer other areas of my life and make things better and easier for me. 

I'm going to make a list of things that need to be done for our move.  I am hoping to move next October, we can stay until January 2025 but I think it would be hard in the very cold weather.  Maybe having a list and being able to cross things off as we get them done will stop me from being overwhelmed.

Of course a cat story.  Two of the cats had a big fight yesterday morning.  David's room,  the corridors and the stairs looked like a crime scene with fur and blood everywhere.  I thought one of the cats must been badly injured but all we could see was on deep scratch on Steve's front paw.  Hannah and I managed to clean it up and he didn't need stitches.  Took ages to get all the blood cleaned up and a lot of David's books have blood stains on them.

Steve who got hurt in the fight

And Fred the other culprit