My Final Week at Work - W/E 23rd August 2025

This week started with my final Sunday shift at work. I was working from 12 till 6pm. It was a busy shift, but we did still get to finish a little early. It was strange to think that it was the last time I would work on a Sunday in this job, but a good strange.

In the evening, we could all have supper together and OH and I watched some TV. We started watching a couple of new series, one of which was Annika, the other being The Narrow Road to the Deep North. Both were very watchable, although the latter is quite gruesome in parts.

I've been waking in the early hours for the last few nights, which has meant that I've been tired a lot of the time. I'm hoping that once I finish work, I'll start to sleep better again and feel less shattered all the time.

On Monday morning, LB and I headed out to do the the weekly food shop out of town.  We both decided to pay a visit to a different branch of the store where I work, so we could have a last use of our discount cards, before they expire when I leave.  I didn't buy a whole lot, just a few very small bits in the final sale clearance and some food bits for OH's Xmas Hamper. I may as well get the 10% off now, as opposed to no discount nearer the time. I also bought a couple of small Xmas stocking fillers in Lidl, when we did the grocery shop.

I'm going to try to be much more considered this year, when it comes to buying Xmas gifts. I normally go way too overboard, but I don't want to do that this year. I'm really sticking to only what OH and LB ask for, with very few extras. Especially for LB, as she often doesn't actually use the extra things I buy her, which is a total waste.

We had a nice morning out shopping and then came home. I had an hour or so to chill before I needed to get ready for work in the evening. Tonight, will be the end of the last five day stretch of shifts that I need to work, which I'm super happy about, as they have been pretty exhausting.

Just before I got to work tonight, I got an email inviting me to a telephone interview for a job that I'd applied for when I first thought about leaving work. I'd really thought that I'd been overlooked, as I'd heard nothing in over a week, so it was a bit unexpected. Anyway, I booked an interview for later in the week. I assume they'll call me at the specified time.

Work was okay, apart from a very rude couple that I served towards the end of the evening. Working in retail, you do sometimes see the not so nice side of people, when they can't get exactly what they want for whatever reason. 

On Tuesday morning, I had a long lie in, after another night of not sleeping well. LB was a bit unwell in the night and then had to get up for work, poor thing. I eventually got up and had some breakfast, and thought about getting ready to go to the gym, but then decided not to. I just needed a day to myself to process, organise, chill, do some laundry, etc.

On Wednesday morning, I got up and got ready to go to the gym. I had a good workout, but felt very tired. I think the last three months of being super busy have taken their toll on me. Anyway, later, as I was printing off my wage slips from work before I leave, I got a call about the telephone interview I'd arranged, asking me to go in for a face to face interview instead. To be honest, I much prefer this. It's difficult to get a real impression of someone over the telephone.

I also got notification of something that I had a search on on eBay. It was a sofa cover for our IKEA sofa, which we've had for over 20 years now and has long been discontinued. I paid around £300 for a new cover from a different company a few years ago and when I saw this IKEA original cover in brand new condition for £35, I had a chat to OH and then I bought it. It isn't a colour I would have chosen (orange), but it should be good as a spare and will be nice to put on for the autumn (although I'm not really into seasonal decor). I just couldn't resist it at the price. I'm just hoping it is brand new when it arrives and looks okay when we put it on. I'll post when we do.

Later in the afternoon, OH and I went over to the allotment to do some weeding and harvesting. Everything is slowly coming to an end now. Another few weeks and we'll be winding it down for the autumn/winter. In the evening, I watched the latest episode of Sewing Bee and a couple of episodes of Annika on catch up. OH was out watching one day cricket at Lords with a friend.

On Thursday morning, I needed to get up early and go out to the job interview. I was there in good time and had time to wander around the store and familiarise myself with it. I saw a few other candidates who all looked very young i.e. 18 or 19, although it isn't always easy to tell.  The interview was interesting. I was asked a couple of questions that I wasn't expecting and I was very honest in my answers. Too honest, I think, and I probably self-sabotaged any chance of the job, but I'd rather set my stall out before taking a job. I'm tired of pretending and people pleasing. It gets you nowhere. I was told that over 300 people had applied and that they'd narrowed it down to 10 candidates for 5 jobs, so I did well enough to get an interview and the process is all good practice.

I was due at work on Thursday evening. It was quite busy all evening, so it passed quite quickly thankfully. To be honest, I was a bit detached. I'm just trying to get through the shifts, until I finish working out my notice. I've been feeling tired and mentally overwhelmed when I'm there recently, I think it's just from the normal process of unwinding now that I know that I'm leaving. A bit like you feel when you're counting down to a much needed holiday, which I guess is what I'm giving myself by leaving.

On Friday morning, I woke up feeling a bit low. I'm not walking away from my job without feeling anything. I have good days where I feel positive about it and bad days where I question my choices, but I'm 99% sure I'm doing the right thing for me. It didn't help that I couldn't even have a lie in, as the builders next door were banging, cursing (using very bad language) and shouting outside the window. It's driving me mad at the moment. I can't seem to get any peace, even when at I'm home.

Anyway, I moved to a different room and had a lie in there instead. I wasn't feeling the gym today, so I skipped it. I'll start again properly next week.  I'm not going to beat myself up about it.

I didn't hear from the job interview, which I totally expected. To be honest, I don't want to jump from one job to another. I need time to have a break. I need to rest and recouperate from an intense period of working. Besides, according to employee reviews on Glassdoor and things I found out in the interview, the company sounded very like a company I'd worked for previously, that I left after 6 months. I don't think I'd have lasted very long there anyway. I think I'm done with corporate retail, but I'll never say never.

In the afternoon, LB and I went out on the bus to a local fabric warehouse. I wanted to show it to her for future reference, as she's gradually getting into sewing. She'd also heard of it from some fellow students at Uni and was curious to see what it was like. I bought a few small pieces of fabric and some bits of haberdashery. I spent just £4, which was quite restrained for me. They do lots of lovely denims, viscoses and linens and I could happily have spent some money on them, but I didn't as I didn't have any specific projects in mind.  

When we got home, I chilled for a couple of hours. The builders next door finally left and peace descended at last. OH finished work early for the Bank Holiday weekend and we started watching an old movie (Gorky Park), until a builder in the house on the other side started sanding their floors at 5.30pm. OH messaged the owner who was away and the owner asked him to stop work, which he did, thankfully. 

On Saturday morning, I needed to do some cleaning in the house, as a couple of LB's friends were coming to stay overnight after attending a concert nearby. This took most of the day before I needed to get ready for work at 4pm. I had to get the bus to work, as OH needed the car. Luckily, I could catch a bus from the end of our street. 

Work was busy, which I was grateful for and passed quickly. It was my last shift. I was happy to leave, but I did feel a bit sad saying goodbye to a couple of people.  OH came to pick me up from work, which I was glad of. It felt strange to leave for the last time, but that's pretty normal I guess when you've gone to the same workplace for nearly two years.

I'm now looking forward to a rest, a new routine and getting more balance in my life. Things have been way too weighted towards working lately. I've got a few ideas of things I want to do in the next few months, so I'll let you know what I get up to. 

Counting Down W/E 16th August 2025

This week started with an 11 till 6 shift at work on Sunday. It was a slightly earlier start than usual. It wasn't too crazy busy for once, so we got to finish a bit early. I'm now counting down the shifts until I leave. I'm looking forward to taking some time for myself, to work on my health and fitness goals. Life has been crazy busy the last few months and I've neglected myself and done the minimum in terms of self care lately.

OH went to the allotment tonight to water and brought back a harvest of tomatoes, beans, cucumbers, which crossed a couple of things off this week's shopping list.

After supper he and I watched a couple of episodes of 1923. We're up to the last episode of series 1 now, and as series 2 is not yet available on Netflix, we're going to have to find something else to watch soon.  

On Monday, I woke quite early and got ready to head out of town to do the weekly shop. It was forecast to be a very hot day, so I put on a long loose cotton dress to keep me cool. I needed to be back for 2pm, as I was due at work for 4pm.

I didn't need too much today. Just the usual groceries and the odd small extra item, i.e. some vitamins I take daily. OH is really watching what he eats at the moment, so he's cutting out lots of things, including jam, so all the jars I've made will take a long time to use up, meaning there is no necessity to do any blackberry picking this year to make any more.

I did the shopping and then for a treat I went to the charity shop for a look around. I tried quite a few natural fabric items on, but none of them were nice enough that I wanted to buy them. I ended up coming out with a small item (for £1) for LB's bedroom makeover and I made a donation to the charity of another £1, which I always do. I also donated to the food bank again this week, but I might have to make my donation every other week instead of each week, once I'm not earning money again, sadly.

I chilled for a while when I got home before getting ready and heading into work. Work started off very quiet tonight. I had a bit of a chat to a colleague and found out about another incident involving the same person that upset me.  It reinforced to me that I had made the right decision to leave, as this instance was way worse. 

On Tuesday, it was glorious to wake up knowing that I didn't need to go to work. In fact, I ended up sleeping in until gone 9.30 am, after which I got up and got ready to go to the gym. I had a good workout session, but I was tired and couldn't stop yawning the whole time. On the way home from the gym, I popped into a local charity shop that I hadn't visited in a while, just for a mooch. 

Of course, I ended up buying a few things, i.e. a lovely pair of Barbour leather wedge/espadrille sandals that I'm intending to wear for my niece's wedding next year. I've already bought a brand new dress for £5 from a charity shop and these will go well with it, so I'm sorted. I also bought a pair of M&S trousers that were on the half price rail for £3.25 and two books that will keep me occupied when I leave work. Here's a picture of them:

This book is written by a qualified physiotherapist who has worked in the NHS and private practice. It cost £4, which is quite a lot for a book, but it's a thick one and I think I'll gain a lot more knowlege of the mobility issues facing older adults by reading it, in case I do decide to move into gym instructing in the future.

This embroidery book looks really interesting and has lots of transfer patterns that you can iron onto fabric and stitch, which is useful. I'm thinking that I could try to do some embroidery when I get some free time and there's some good ideas in here. It will be a great addition to my craft library. This cost £3.

When I got home, I had some lunch and boiled up some beetroot that we'd harvested from the allotment and then pickled it for use in salads. It made a couple of large jars, but I still have more to process. I hung out some laundry, so I have clothes for work later in the week and then I went to bed for a nap. Working 5 consequetive days, like I've been doing lately, leaves me quite tired and depleted, so an afternoon nap helps.

On Wednesday, I woke up knowing that I had a a full free day ahead of me.  Bliss. I wasn't intending to go to the gym, as I'd done that the day before. It kind of throws me when I get a completely free day, as they've been so rare lately. It's something that I need to get used to and I'm sure I will. There's so many things I want to do once I finish work. The whole house needs a clean, I've got lots of craft and sewing projects to do, I want to go out for regular walks and I may even add in the odd swim at our local baths. There's also the allotment to visit and our garden to potter in. I'm pretty sure I won't get bored. I'm looking forward to eating earlier in the evening. I'm sure eating after 10pm can't be good for my metabolism and creates issues with insulin and cortisol, which can cause weight gain around the middle at my age, so I'm hoping I might have a chance of shifting some weight when I get back into a normal daily routine.

On Thursday, I was back at the gym. I paid some bills and did some financial stuff when I got back. I'm doing okay with regard to spending this month. It just shows that when I really need to I can go back to my old frugal ways. I do have savings I can use if necessary. In fact, the way things are going at the moment with the Government's plans to tax savings more, I may as well spend some of it rather than let them get their hands on it.

Work tonight was okay. I was doing a different job for a change. One I've not done for a while and it was a quiet shift on this particular job.

Friday, I wasn't working until 5pm again, so I had a lie in and then got up. OH treated us to lunch out in a local restaurant, which made a nice change.  Work was fairly busy and passed without too much drama.

Saturday morning, I had a lazy morning at home. OH had volunteered to look after a neighbour's dog again, so we had a canine visitor which was very nice. He's a real sweetie. LB was at work today and messaged to say she'd made an error in the shop and not charged a customer enough for their shop. She was worried about what she should do and what her boss would say, but I told her just to tell them and be honest, as we all make mistakes. In the end she did and her boss was really good about it.

I had to go off to work later and it felt like a long shift. It was fairly busy again, but at least I had time to get the extra jobs I had to do done. I now have just one week's notice left to work and to be honest, I can't wait to leave now.

Having said that, it's been a strange week of gradually coming to terms with the idea of leaving work. At times I feel sad about it, but then at other times I'm excited to get my freedom back. I'll miss a few of my work colleagues, but I wouldn't call them friends and I know we won't keep in touch. We've rubbed along well over the last couple of years though. Some of them are very sweet and have been very supportive and helpful to me in this job and I appreciate them for that. I won't miss some of the customers though, especially the difficult ones. It's been an eye opener that's for sure, but I've seen enough and I'm looking forward to a different perspective on humanity.

A Week of Two Halves - W/E 9th August 2025

The second half of this week began in a more positive way. I was off work on Wednesday and could have a lie in reading and finish this book that I took on holiday.

It was a great book. The author, a botanist by profession, and an indigenous American by birth, writes beautifully about both subjects and tries show how we could combine scientific knowledge and indigenous wisdom to create a better world view, rebuild and sustain what is left of the world that we live in, after it has been ravaged for centuries by capitalism and greed. I loved reading about the indigenous wisdom and beliefs of not taking more than you need from the earth, giving back to the earth and being grateful for the bounties it bestows upon us. 

It was a fascinating read from start to finish and being a plant lover myself, I enjoyed learning about the different uses of the plants she describes in it and how they were used by her ancestors to feed, clothe and sustain their lives. It really brought into focus just how badly we treat our planet today and how ungrateful we are for the gifts it offers up to us. How greed and the never ending quest for more wealth, has decimated beautiful habitats and species and how we can learn a lot from plants to help us live in more harmony and with gratitude on our planet.

Anyway, after finishing the book I got up and ready and decided to put some laundry away and put some more in the machine, so that I had some work clothes for later in the week. I then did a bit of cleaning in the sewing room, as we are having a visitor to stay in a couple of weeks and I need to get the house into some sort of order.

After lunch, I did a bit of financial stuff, transferring some savings for the month, moving some savings around to avoid tax on interest and rounding up some savings in another account. I then hung out the laundry and went back to a bit doing more cleaning. It was nice just to be home and have time to catch up on jobs around the house. I applied for another job tonight, but I don't think I'll hear anything back. I just felt like I needed to get back on the job hunting wagon.

In the evening, OH was out cycling, so I got to catch up on three weeks worth of The Great British Sewing Bee episodes, which I enjoyed. We then watched one episode of 1923 before heading to bed.

On Thursday, I had a long lie in and read for a while, before getting up and getting ready for the day. After breakfast, I made another batch of jam, two large jars this time. There's still a couple of packs of berries left to process, but I made lots of space in the freezer and rearranged everything so it was more organised.

I was due at work in the evening, so I didn't get stuck into doing anything much before getting ready for work. I wasn't really looking forward to going back.  Something has shifted, either in me or the workplace, and it doesn't feel like a positive shift.  I'll just have to see how it goes.

Work was okay, as we seemed to have more staff on duty for once, but I'm still considering my options for the time being. I'll let you know if anything changes in the near future.

Friday, I got up and ready to go to the gym. I enjoyed my workout. I then did a bit of top up shopping for things we'd run out of, before stopping off in the local shop LB works in to say hello. I'd not seen her in the morning, as I'd gone out to the gym before she surfaced.

I then came home, had lunch, sorted some laundry and then got ready for work. I set off a little early, as I needed to put some petrol in the car and also pick up a few more groceries from the ASDA  store near work.

Work was busy, but not as intense as it has been lately, so we had time to get everything done and leave a bit early, which I was glad of.

Saturday morning, I had a lie in again and then eventually got up and ready. I was due at work for 3pm, so I spent the morning chilling and watching a bit of YouTube before having lunch and getting ready for work. 

Work was okay for the first time in weeks. It was quite busy, but not overwhelming. In spite of this, I decided to hand in my resignation at work today. It's time for a change and a new adventure. I need to work two weeks' notice, which will start from tomorrow. I do feel slightly anxious, as I really don't know if I'll ever find another job, especially when I'm fast approaching 60, but I'll just have to see what happens. Sometimes, you just have to go with your gut and I'm afraid that mine is currently telling me to get the hell out. 

Going forward, money will be tight, but maybe I need a challenge to make me be more careful and responsible with the money I do have. I hope I can find another job that I enjoy at some point, where I can achieve some kind of balance between work and personal life. I'll keep you updated with any progress.

It's been a difficult week and I did not anticipate this outcome when I returned from holiday last week. Sometimes, something happens that just changes everything and that something happened this week. It wasn't big or particularly dramatic, but it was enough to change my perspective on a job that I did once enjoy, but also had some reservations about. At least the events of the week helped me to finally make a decision and move on. I'm grateful for that.

Monthly Clothing Purchases - July

I intended to have a very low spend month on clothing and accessories this month, but unfortunately, it wasn't to be, as you might have guessed. In all honesty, part of the reason was our holiday and the fact that my favourite sandals came apart on the day of LB's graduation ceremony. I ended up having to wear her trainers, that I'd taken for her to change into.

Although I managed to glue the sandals back together, I wasn't confident that they would last the holiday and I ended up buying a new pair. These are the ones I bought, and I am very happy with them:

They lasted well on holiday and we walked up and down many cobbled streets. I'm pretty sure my old ones wouldn't have survived the rigour. They were super comfortable too and went with lots of my dresses and skirts, but I did spend £23 on them, which was quite an outlay for me, as my previous favourites had cost £5 new from the charity shop.

In addition to this major purchase, I did also buy a few things from the ASOS sample sale in July, which were bought with the intention of taking them on holiday, but some things didn't arrive in time and others I chose not to take in the end.

I bought this striped top for £3, which is very cute, but sadly it is a bit too cropped and I didn't realise that it was made from a synthetic fabric, so I ended up not taking it. I will probably donate this.

 

I also bought these cotton espadrilles for £5, but they are a bit snug and I didn't want to risk getting blisters, so I've got them on shoe stretchers at the moment and I'm hoping they will stretch a little and be more wearable. It's always a gamble with these type of shoes. If they are too loose you walk out of them, if too tight they are unwearable and unfortunately these were the latter.

The items that didn't arrive in time were this one shoulder swimming costume 

which cost £2 and this cotton poplin leopard print blouse which cost £3

I also bought a swimming costume for LB for £2, but she didn't like it so I will keep this for myself.

At the beginning of the month, I also visited my favourite charity shop and came away with a few items. The first was an absolute steal for £1.

This linen/cotton dress is from Next and is a very pretty print and style. It is a bit low cut for me though, so I bought a royal blue cotton vest for £2 to wear underneath it. I didn't take them on holiday, but I am hoping to wear them now I'm home.

I also bought this lovely polycotton beach dress, made from an African design fabric, which cost £5. I do have a bikini top that is one shouldered and this dress is so light and airy that I thought it would be ideal to wear around the pool, which it was. It is so colourful too. I love it.

The only other items of clothing I bought this month were this black sleeveless tiered dress, that I bought from work for £10 in the sale. It is 100% cotton and I did intend to take it on holiday, but I took a couple of other favourite dresses instead, neither of which I wore. I have worn it since I got home and I love it as it is long and floaty. Great for days when you just want to wear something loose.

Finally, I bought this pair of viscose shorts on holiday from a small boutique. 

They were useful to wear around the pool, as I don't have many pairs of shorts, so for 8 euros they were quite a good price and will be useful for future holidays.

In total, I spent £61.29, which was more than I intended. I did get some bargains though and hopefully most items will get worn.  If I don't think that they will, for whatever reason, they will be donated, as very few of them cost more than a few pounds.

Next month, I'm hoping to do better, especially with no holiday on the horizon, to lure me into purchases. In addition, with my uncertainty about work, I'm not looking to spend money I don't need to. We'll just have to see what happens.

A Tough Week - W/E 9th August 2025 - Part One

This week, I was back at work on Sunday from 12 noon. It was another busy shift on a payday weekend, but one where a particular member of the team seemed to have an issue with me. I can't say too much at this point, but I came home feeling pretty de-motivated, as a consequence. It made me really reconsider whether I want to continue working there and in retail generally. It can be quite an aggressive workplace in many ways and I'm not altogether sure it aligns with my core values, but we all need to earn money somehow.

There have been so many changes in staff at work recently and the store doesn't have the same atmosphere. I'm sure it will settle down into it's own vibe eventually, but current indications are that it might not be one that I'm going to enjoy working in.  I also found out another member of staff may be leaving soon, to be replaced by someone I've had issues with in the past returning, so that isn't great either. This sounds like I'm difficult, but I'm really not. I keep my head down and just get on and do my job, but if people make a beeline for me, which they sometimes do, for whatever reason, it can be really unsettling. It's a pity, as most of the people I work with, I really like and get on well with.

Anyway, I was working again on Monday from 3pm and it was another super busy shift. A similar scenario ensued. It's starting to feel very personal and targeted, if I'm honest. Maybe I just need to seek them out privately and talk to them, but I'm not very good at confronting situations like this.  I managed to get through the shift without reacting, but the situation did make me feel very anxious and triggered, which is not a nice place to be. I was so grateful to get away and be off work for a couple of days, after a very stressful and long weekend of it.  Maybe I'm just too old for all this aggravation. (Literally!!) Life is way too short. I'm trying hard not to do anything rash though.

On Tuesday, I was so happy to wake up and not need to go to work. I had a bit of a lie in and then got ready and went out to the gym for a workout, after which I felt a lot better. I tried out a new machine in the gym, for assisted pull ups, which I haven't ever used before and it was quite fun. I was also watching one of the instructors teaching a small class of clients, which was interesting.

I have started to tentatively look for another job, but it's not that easy (at nearly 59) to get any job. Not every employer is happy to take on more mature workers. I know this from the last time I was job hunting. It took me 6 months of multiple job applications, before I was offered this job. Alternatively, I may consider trying to get a transfer to a different store closer to home, but it depends on whether they would be prepared to take me on.

Anyway, changing the subject, as I don't want to bore you, I decided to do another batch of jam making in the afternoon. It's the first chance I've had for a while and the freezer is full of berries (gooseberries and blackcurrants) to be processed, and I really needed to free up some space. I managed to make half of what was in there into jam and it made 3 jars, (two of them large) to keep us going. I also didn't burn my eye this time, as I remembered to put my glasses on.

There's still enough left in the freezer to make another batch and I'd also like to go out blackberry picking at some point. I've probably missed the best of them here, as they often ripen early especially after the hot weather we've been having. I see ripe ones on the bushes on the way to work, but I won't be picking them, as they are too exposed to traffic and fumes. I know some spots well away from traffic to pick from though.

Whilst the jam was cooking on the hob, I made time to sit in the garden with a cup of coffee and just enjoy my surroundings. I haven't had much chance to do this lately. I figured that if the worst comes to the worst and I do decide to leave my job, I'll have to get used to living much more frugally and on a much reduced income. I've done it before and know I can do it again. Maybe I've been way too spendthrift lately, on account of earning more money and it would do me good for a while. As a consequence of what's going on at work, I'm making sure to spend as little as possible this month, as my money may need to tide me over for a while in the near future.

I spent the rest of the afternoon catching up on reading everyone's recent blog posts. I was over a week behind. It was lovely to visit with you all and catch up on your news. I also bought an Xmas present for LB on eBay. It was something that she wanted that was vintage and didn't cost a lot. I figure that everything I do buy from now on needs to count and besides, there's no harm in getting Xmas ready early.

The End of Our Holiday and Returning Home - W/E 2nd August 2025

As mentioned in last week's post, the last night of our holiday in Portugal was spent in the capital Lisbon.  We were due to fly home from there on Monday evening, so spent Sunday night here.

After packing, tidying and leaving the villa, we stopped off at a lake en route to Lisbon. It was a scorching hot day, so we just sat under a tree and watched  people happily engaging in water sports. OH took a swim, but LB and I didn't. We then stopped off to see a dam on the lake before driving to Lisbon and finding our apartment, which was situated in the Barrio Alto part of the city centre. This made exploring the city really easy, as it was so central and the street itself was lined with interesting little independent shops and cafes. 

We didn't have a whole lot of time to explore, but we went out walking and exploring in the evening, had cocktails in a nearby rooftop bar and supper in a restaurant. It is a lovely vibrant city, full of young people enjoying themselves and it felt very safe, although there were warnings to beware of pickpockets on crowded trams.

The city's ancient tram system ran past our apartment. It looked such fun, but we didn't actually ride on it. We did ride on an old funicular down the street, which took us down some steep streets to the waterfront area, where we caught a modern electric tram to Belem to take a look at MAAT, which is the Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology. The building is beautiful with facades decorated with white ceramic tiles and it is situated on the river front with beautiful views of the Ponte de 25 Abril bridge which spans the River Tagus and takes you to the eastern side of the city.

We didn't have time to look around the museum, unfortunately, as we had to get back to the apartment and check out, but later we drove over the bridge to see the Christo Rei, which is a huge statue of Jesus Christ. It was well worth a visit and you can climb the monument to get great views, but the queues were long and we needed to get to the airport to fly home, so we didn't really have time. It is situated on the opposite side of the river,  and you get an amazing view of the statue and the city of Lisbon across the river.

It is a lovely spot set in beautifully landscaped gardens. From here we had to take the car back and catch a shuttle bus to the airport. There were some ongoing disputes with baggage handling staff at the airport, so some flights had been cancelled. Ours was a little late setting off, but we got home safe and well eventually, late on Monday evening.

We had a fantastic holiday, the Portuguese people are very hospitable and kind, but we were happy to get home and get back to normal life. I ate way too much amazing food and pastries and gained a few pounds during our stay, but I'm sure it will come off again pretty quickly. I would definitely go back, as there is much more to see and do that we didn't have time for in our short visit.

Waking up in our own home on Tuesday morning was lovely. I decided to skip the gym and just have a leisurely day unpacking, doing laundry and food shopping and just generally enjoying being home. The weather was significantly cooler, but we were glad of that, as temperatures in Portugal were in the mid to high 30's centigrade for most of our stay.

On Wednesday, I had promised LB a trip out to our nearest IKEA, as she wanted to buy a shelving unit as part of her bedroom makeover. I went to the gym early which felt good after a week without exercising, and then came back and showered and got ready to go out. We had lunch at IKEA and all the meals were half price with the Family card, so we had a cheap meal out for £6.60.

Once we'd had lunch we completed our shopping there and then stopped of at Home Bargains and did a few other bits of shopping on the way home. It was a busy day, but LB was very happy to be able to get everything she needed to complete her bedroom makeover.

Thursday, I was due back at work at 2pm. I had a quite leisurely morning, having a lie in, then showered and got ready for work before having lunch. Work started off steady, but soon got very busy, as it was pay day for many people, it being the last day of the month. There were a lot of final reductions, so I did do a bit of shopping in my break to take advantage of good prices. Some items were gifts that I put away for Xmas or my birthday and I bought a dress and a pair of jeans to wear for work, as some of my work pants are feeling a bit snug lately.

On Friday, I got up and ready to go to the gym again. I had a good workout and then came home for lunch. After lunch it was time to get ready for work at 3pm. Work was super busy, due to it being pay day weekend, so I was kept very busy all evening.

Saturday, I got up and had a leisurely morning. There was no free gym class, as it had finished for the summer. I was due at work for 3pm again and it was another super busy day/evening, with queues of people wanting to buy stuff. As a consequence, the shop was a mess at the end of the day and we were late finishing. It was nearly 11pm by the time I got home. Another two people left tonight, one of them a manager that I new was leaving, the other a staff member that I didn't know was leaving.

I was late to bed tonight, as it took a while to wind down from the day. I crawled into bed eventually at the end of what turned out to be a busy week.

Monthly Finances - July 2025

July has been a bit of a spendy month here, mainly on account of us going on holiday. The extra money that I'd earned in June, due to working lots of hours did come in very handy to give me spending money for the  holiday, but I did come back with quite a few euros which I will keep for another holiday.

I did make a few holiday orientated purchases before going away, which included some travel sized toiletries and some items of clothing/accessories, some of which were very solid purchases and others not so much and never actually came away with me. We live and learn though and I definitely fell fowl of a small spending spree before we went away.

Other than the holiday, I did spend some money on LB, buying her a few things for the holiday, as she came home from Uni pretty skint and was kept waiting by her landlord to get her deposit back, which is a whole other story that didn't end too well and completely enraged me, as it involved a cleaning fee of £310 which is completely ridiculous, when we left the flat cleaner than it was handed over to us. A very steep learning curve for her and us, but we were just glad to extract ourselves from that situation as quickly as possible. I don't envy people dealing with landlords these days as they seem to expect tenants to pay for things they should be providing. Another of LB's uni friends is apparently being sued by her landlord.

More was spent on food this month, mainly due to LB being home again, but the budget only went over by £100 or so and we are pretty well stocked up in the pantry cupboard.

In terms of savings, I did put £200 away into the car fund, £100 into an ISA account, won another £100 on the Premium bonds, which got reinvested, put £100 aside for Xmas/birthdays and rounded up balances in other savings accounts, so everything I needed to put aside was done. In addition. I gave LB cash here and there to tide her over until she got her deposit back and starts working and earning some money.

Next month, should be a pretty straightforward month with no holidays on the horizon. I should earn quite a bit more than usual, as I've been working more hours all month, so there should be a bit of excess cash to save here and there. I do need to try to rein in the spending a bit though and focus on looking after what I already own, as opposed to buying more stuff. I really need to give the house a thorough clean and tidy, as it has got somewhat neglected over the past few months whilst I've been really busy, but we'll just have to see if this happens.

I hope you've had a solid month financially.