Fangirl Three wrote:

It's January 31st if you do it online, which I intend to.

Of last year!!?

This is awful, my latest projections show me running out of money just short of my 68th birthday unless I cut expenditure by 23% as soon as my state pension starts 10 months before that.

And I still have to do that tax return.

If I stayed in bed one day a week and didn't use any electricity or eat anything, I might achieve a 14% cut...

And you'd look simply gorgeous as well.

Main card lost or stolen. I went to pay and it was gone. No mobile - I don't like to be disturbed when out shopping for fun. I've had to come all the way home to cancel it.

After an over half hour hold, the bank said they can't cancel it because the UK system is currently down. I'm now on hold again - to their branch in Paris, which was all they offered me as a solution.

I think I've been forgotten about - I began this latest hold at just after 1pm. Some automated French messages keep cutting into the most irritating dial tone in the world.

I don't use and therefore don't have access to Internet banking on that account with that bank. It's in person appointments or a telephone emergency line only. All these last two hours or so, someone could be out there having a great time at my expense.

What is the point in having a dedicated emergency number that just rings and rings and rings, only to have someone say 'sorry, we've crashed, so you can't cancel your card'.

I was hoping to get this done, so I could ring the department store I was in to complain that the sales assistant - and the two security guards I spoke to on the way out - were all spectacularly unhelpful when I asked if a card had been handed in.

Didn't even ask what name (Karen!) or what it looked like in case it was being handed in by someone on a different floor.

I'm going to tell them they've caused me great distress and that I won't be shopping there again. Hopefully they'll be good for some credit as an apology. I'm really angry. This nonsense with the bank hasn't helped my temper one jot.

Still on hold.

"s'il vous plaît restez avec nous" every 30 seconds or so. I haven't got much choice seeing as I need it cancelled. What kind of 'emergency' service is this?

Before I left the store, having been so annoyed by the attitude of the b*tch at the till, I took five minutes to have a scout round that entire floor, grabbing random things I didn't want, and then took them to her. I dumped them there and said 'I might be back later for these things, then again I might not'. I hope she's still trying to fold and rehang and figure out exactly where it all came from.

On hold again after a brief interlude of speaking to a person. I stupidly allowed hope to rise in my heart when a gentle sounding man answered, but he needs to seek permission from somewhere else to deal with a British resident. I've had two propanolols now, washed down with a small tumbler of neat Talisker.

As if it couldn't get worse. I was putting out some rubbish when a woman who lives down the road, who I usually avoid, stopped to tell me I was 'looking so well' and 'suited the pandemic pounds'.

She must've rightly sensed the danger she was in despite my expression being obscured by large black sunglasses, because she tried to peddle it back by saying that normally I was 'too thin' and now looked 'healthy'.

She tried to switch the subject entirely and started telling me about her new villa and local toyboy in Menorca. I just said 'I'm really sorry, but I don't have time for all this today' and headed inside.

Another of my watches has now stopped working. It needs to be taken to Boucheron, and I'll have to pay whatever it happens to come to. Even more hassle and money.

Good choice of whisky though.

Fangirl Three wrote:

Good choice of whisky though.

It has a distinctive undertone that's not immediately enjoyable.

I've worked out my capital gains tax. I don't owe them anything, cos my gains were less than the allowance.

I had to fill the hire van up with diesel yesterday. It cost £175!