Searching for structure

Since I had time to have a proper look at the sitting room after the plasterers have done their work I am less than impressed. The actual plastering is great quality for there is plaster on the painted walls, its also all over the floor and seems to have scratched the wood. The worst thing is about 100 industrial staples which are stapled into the picture rail, my beautiful wooden floor and my brand new door frames. I didn't expect them to staple plastic to all of my wood fittings but if they were going to then should they not have put it right afterwards?

The kitchen progresses slowly but at least it looks better each day, the sitting room really doesn't. By this Friday they tell me the worst will be over and I am can move about in my house again. I really hope so.

So to make up for having so little control (today I had bran flakes for dinner as I couldn't use the cooker or get tot he freezer.Also, short of dishes, I ate my branflakes out of the metal dish which normally tops my scales. No wonder I am grumpy). I want to measure something and can't even find a tape measure.)I worked on my budget.

I have the main structure set out and some of them can't change (mortgage, council tax etc)but some can. As soon as the work is finished I will change the insurance. I renewed the cover as we were half way through a claim, my first ever claim, and didn't notice until later that it has doubled! I will pay the admin fee to cancel and then insure elsewhere. Also the food bill is coming done. We eat healthily but we eat too much. Everyone agrees on less food, smaller portions and less meat. It's a miracle but I don't complain as it is good for our healths and my budget.

I need the extra cash. We have our holiday that is really an activity break in Greece (and the activity is house renovation - such a change), I also have a big tax bill to pay in Greece (despite what everyone thinks, there are tax bills and they need to be paid), I have to buy some additional goods to send out to Crete too, some electrical stuff and a king sized mattress. Then there is an extra £300 for Jamal's ticket since he decided he is coming too now. Last thing is Fahed's pre holiday flight to Jordan.

His niece, the daughter of his brother in law that died in January, has asked him to give her away at her wedding. She said that it would be the next best thing to having her dad there. That's not something it is easy to say no too so I need to find extra cash for that.

I know I always say you can do anything with spreadsheets but I am pretty much at the limit now! Fahed doesn't get to turn down a single minute of work until September, that's for sure.