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purplerabbits at 10:59am on 15/10/2013
purplerabbits at 10:59am on 15/10/2013 When I had a job it was unusual for me to spend a day without spending money. It's possible that once a week I would just not go out at all, but on weekends I would tend to venture out at least to buy wine, and in the week I would stop in the co-op on my way home, or buy a bacon roll in the morning, or diet coke, or a snack...
Now I am having to learn to spend a lot less, and this means days when I spend nothing. I have managed this through the worst of my depression by not going out or even spending much time out of bed, but this is clearly an inadequate solution. What I want is more pleasurable, interesting and productive days which don't cost me anything [1]
Yesterday was one. I went out to hand in my sick line, took a free bus to Shelter thanks to my lovely bus pass, ate noodles (actually free from the forest free shop), did things of some use at the shop, drank free coffee and took another free bus home to a cheap slow cooked then frozen bacon and lentil soup with half-price bread toast. And TV crosswords, knitting (with, er, recently bought but lovely wool)
The question is how often can I do this?How often can I find a reason for leaving the house that doesn't cost me? (Or indeed do useful things in the house, but getting out is an issue for me at the moment.)
I can go to the shop twice a week, and generally this combines with going to my dressmaking class and to counselling, so that's only two days taken care of.
Other nice things to do include the library, museum, botanic gardens (when the weather doesn't suck), using up my free zoo ticket, walking and birdwatching... This week I plan to drop in to remade in Edinburgh tomorrow, counselling is Thursday and I'm going for an outing on Friday (free transport but not totally free), lunch with a friend on Saturday (not free), possibly knitting on Sunday (possibly free on this occasion as I've collected enough stamps for a free tea). There needs to be a balance between getting out and being sensible, but I think I'm getting there.
[1] Apart from the usual power, mortgage, TV licence, TV, phone, other phone, broadband...
Now I am having to learn to spend a lot less, and this means days when I spend nothing. I have managed this through the worst of my depression by not going out or even spending much time out of bed, but this is clearly an inadequate solution. What I want is more pleasurable, interesting and productive days which don't cost me anything [1]
Yesterday was one. I went out to hand in my sick line, took a free bus to Shelter thanks to my lovely bus pass, ate noodles (actually free from the forest free shop), did things of some use at the shop, drank free coffee and took another free bus home to a cheap slow cooked then frozen bacon and lentil soup with half-price bread toast. And TV crosswords, knitting (with, er, recently bought but lovely wool)
The question is how often can I do this?How often can I find a reason for leaving the house that doesn't cost me? (Or indeed do useful things in the house, but getting out is an issue for me at the moment.)
I can go to the shop twice a week, and generally this combines with going to my dressmaking class and to counselling, so that's only two days taken care of.
Other nice things to do include the library, museum, botanic gardens (when the weather doesn't suck), using up my free zoo ticket, walking and birdwatching... This week I plan to drop in to remade in Edinburgh tomorrow, counselling is Thursday and I'm going for an outing on Friday (free transport but not totally free), lunch with a friend on Saturday (not free), possibly knitting on Sunday (possibly free on this occasion as I've collected enough stamps for a free tea). There needs to be a balance between getting out and being sensible, but I think I'm getting there.
[1] Apart from the usual power, mortgage, TV licence, TV, phone, other phone, broadband...