Dalyan – 29th April

Before my alarm went off at 7am on Wednesday 29th April, I checked where I was against the weekly and monthly budget. In the last week of the month I had spent £85, of which £65 was on a preplanned boat trip where I had paid £45 in English cash. I decided that it meant I still had £30 of the weekly budget left, plus £20 for the last 2 days of April.
I had started to feel better so I went to meet a friend for a walk and talk at 8am.

We finished our morning walk at Kefal tea gardens, for a cheese toastie and a cup of tea. At only 175 lira (£2.92) for breakfast it was very enjoyable but then I realised I should’ve got weighed earlier. I was in charge of the Fat Club scales as Carol had to make an unplanned trip to the UK so this was my 3rd week in charge. My home scales had said I’d stayed the same as last week and I’d lost 2cm off my bust and waist, my hips were the same.
I was just logging in to my emails when I noticed an important announcement about Turkish residency. As this affected me I went to read and check the information. The authorities had decided to significantly increase the fees for both new and renewal of residency permit fees. There was also not much in the way of notice as it was effective from the 1st of May!!! I currently have a 2 year residency permit expiring in 2027 which I had paid 6,523 lira (£133 at the time). In the next 2 days it would increase to 57,000 lira (£950) – an increase of 873%.
As you can imagine this was quite a shock for people who were about to renew imminently and without much warning. It did also make me question if it would be worth me saving up £950 just to renew my residency next year when I might not be in Dalyan as much as previous years. I messaged Captain Caveman who told me not to worry about it and it was still cheaper than moving back to the UK. There were lots of people on Facebook up in arms about it, with plenty of expats wondering if foreigners were no longer being made to feel welcome staying in Turkey. I googled how much it would be for a Turk to get a similar permit to reside in the UK and it was just over £3000 for 2026, so by comparison it was cheap!
I worked for the rest of the day and ate loquats for lunch, before heading out to Fat Club. I’d already arranged with Ma & Pa to meet them at Ren Garden after the group meeting at 4pm.

I’d put on 0.25kg (0.6lb) on Carol’s scales and was about to over indulge too. I had a pot of tea for 100 lira (£1.67) while behaving at Fat Club but it wouldn’t last long. I ordered a white wine and soda while my parents arrived and when they got there Dad ordered an Efes Malt beer and Mom a lemonade. They apologised for not making it over to mine after being in Jiks last night but Ma’s phone battery was dead. They had ended up giving the ball a right kick so Ma was off the booze today.
Eva, the waitress had made fresh chocolate cake and chocolate chip cookies so I ditched the Slimming World plan for a cookie and another white wine and soda. We all enjoyed the cookies which are so good and not diet friendly at all.
I’d decided to finish work today at 3pm but, as I’m never really off duty, I always have my work phone on me. I got a message from one of the Resort Expert owners which simply said ‘call Jenny asap’.
I excused myself from my parents and went in to the garden room area and called the mobile number. I use Rebel app while in Turkey as it’s free/cheaper than using my UK phone package. What happened next was great as Jenny told me I was going on a work trip next month. Even though it overlapped with other trips/birthday celebrations, I obviously said yes and she asked me if I would be able to respond to her email with some credentials as soon as possible today. Unfortunately, this meant that I had to bring my catch up with my parents to a bit of an abrupt end so that I could go back home and sort it out and look at changing my flights. As we went to pay our bill at Ren Garden my mom, who had already given me English cash to refund me for her shopping and putting her internet on, paid for my drinks and cookie, which was very kind and meant that I’d only actually spent just under £5 today, with tomorrow being the last day of the month and a £300 monthly budget.
Back home, I started rejigging my travel plans for next month. I called Captain Caveman to let him know and he helped me plan. I had a very late dinner as I was still trying to work out the best way to change my flights.

Gratitude List
1. Captain Caveman putting the new residency renewal cost in to perspective
2. Spending time with Ma & Pa
3. Planning a work related trip.

Dalyan – 27th April

There was excitement in the air on Monday 27th April as my parents were arriving in Dalyan tonight. I’d not seen them for almost 3 months so I was looking forward to seeing them and had promised to run some errands for them before they got here around midnight.
I got up really early so I could get some work done before I headed out to the bank to draw out cash to take to Captainnet to put the internet on. There was a queue with it being a Monday so I didn’t have time to get the shopping and turn on the electric just yet.
I rushed back to squeeze lunch in of an apple with peanut butter as I had a Tech masterclass booked in at 2pm. The zoom meeting went well but then I had more actions to add to the never ending to do list. The pool and garden men were back and sorting out the pool and seemed to be doing well so far.
At 4pm I broke off work to go to the shop to get my parents some water, milk, bread and margarine as requested. I also got them some eggs and bananas which they didn’t ask for but I thought would be good for tomorrow’s breakfast. I came back home as I had a call with a customer and then I went over to my parents with the shopping to turn their mains electric on. It is quite dark around he streets late at night so I wanted to make sure the outside stair light worked. I don’t have a key to check inside but was concerned as the outside light didn’t work. I had to tie the 2 bags on to the door handle as it wasn’t one you could hook a bag over and I didn’t want cats to get at it.
Because I couldn’t get the light to work I messaged their taxi company and asked if they would make sure the driver put his torch on and walked them to the door. I checked the internet was working and it was so they could at least message me when they arrived.
I went back home and it was already 8pm by this time so I just had some sourdough, cheese and olives for dinner. I had a chat with my sister and was on the phone until around 11pm, she was also looking forward to coming to Dalyan next month. I then wondered if I should wander round to meet my parents but thought better of it – they would probably rather me not interfere and go straight to bed. I ended up falling asleep around midnigt.

Gratitude List

1. A Tech masterclass to help with passive income

2. Getting all the stuff sorted for Ma & Pa’s arrival

3. Getting quite a bit of fresh air.

Dalyan & Ekincik – 26th April

Sunday 26th April saw the first boat trip of the new season with Captain Ünal on Duran Duran boat. It was a bit of a cloudy day but not raining so we were off to Ekincik Bay. Joining us on the trip was Sioned (Ünal’s wife and my Turkish teacher), their children, Julia and her parents, Jamie, Drew, Elaine (Nanny Kay’s daughter) and me. There was tea, coffee, the famous specially prepared Welsh cakes and Turkish simit to nibble on as we sailed out to sea. I took a sea sickness tablet just in case and chilled out a bit until we got to Ekincik. There was just one more boat there and coincidentally a friend, also from Jamie and Julia’s neck of the woods, was onboard with friends – they were already in the sea.
Although the weather wasn’t warm enough for me to swim, Julia and the kids did brave it. We had another swim stop at Magic Lake where you can feel the warm thermals in the water – I wasn’t brave enough to get in as it was cold.
The boat trip was lovely and the BBQ and mezes very tasty. They served Angora wine which I had 4 of with soda. I paid £45 for the boat trip and 1200 lira (£20) for drinks, so a total of £65 for a full day out including food and drink. As we sailed back in to Dalyan it started to rain. When I got in, it was about 5pm and I was quite tired, I think it was the sea sickness tablet I’d taken. I had a nap and didn’t wake up until 9.30pm, by which time it was too late to bother with dinner, so I just went back to bed.

Gratitude List
1. Being invited on Julia’s boat trip
2. Spending time with Sioned as I don’t see much of her these days
3. Having a day off.

Dalyan – 24th & 25th April

I’d overexerted myself a little which meant I had been feeling run down, I had got worse on Friday 24th April and had to cancel my morning walk with a friend and my afternoon hair appointment. As I didn’t have any meetings or calls until midday, I treated myself to a cup of tea back in bed. I was really tired and my body ached, I felt a bit sickly and hoped I wasn’t coming down with something.
I did the final day of Easi Passive Income with Natalie and Collette in my pyjamas and it was really good. I also won a prize but wasn’t concentrating, due to feeling ill, and wasn’t sure what it was exactly.
I confirmed the Captain Boris cheese and wine boat trip for Ma, Pa, Gayle and I for next month. I still had the English money from Captain Caveman in an envelope, which he had left me in February for me to use. I had decided to keep it in reserve for boat trips and airport taxis so that those things didn’t have to come out of my daily budget money. Quite frankly, it was burning a proverbial hole in that envelope and I was looking forward to a relaxing boat trip or two.
At 5.30pm I decided to get out of the office and go to the shops as I needed to buy some meat and withdraw some cash for the market tomorrow. Unfortunately, Migros didn’t have the chicken I wanted so here’s what I bought, with prices in lira:

Migros Supermarket
1 Dido chocolate bar 19.00
Hummus 51.90
Bitter lemon 80.00
Total spent 140.90 lira (£2.35)

I’d also checked out which yoghurt they had in the shop for when my sister arrived, as she prefers to eat fat free yoghurt – they don’t have it here.
I noted that the new gardener and pool man had started work so we would perhaps have a nice complex this year.
Georgina and Holly shared their free funnel so I took the opportunity but I still didn’t have a platform to put it on – I would sort it when I felt better. I sat outside and ate some loquats from the tree.
I had pasta for dinner and then watched Netflix in bed, still feeling unwell. I hoped I felt better soon as I had a very busy weekend coming up!

Gratitude List
1. Back to bed with a cup of tea
2. Winning something, even if I can’t recall what it was
3. Having some rest.

I’d not had much sleep when I woke up on Saturday 25th April due to the Jazz bar blaring out music until 2am! It was quite chilly as I made my cup of tea and took it back to bed. Kate had invited me on the yellow boat for a day trip today but I had too much to do and was on a boat trip tomorrow already.
I’d done a few hours work before going to the market at 11am. Here’s what I bought with prices in lira:

Stall 1
Bananas & strawberries 220 lira (£3.67)

Stall 2
Pumpkin, Spring onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach & cucumber
340 lira (£5.67)

Total spent 560 lira (£9.34)

I called in to see Jamie, Drew and Norman and Drew gave me 2 bars of Vietnamese chocolate which I was very excited about. I had leftover pasta for lunch and a piece of chocolate.
I’d had to move meeting a friend this morning as I wasn’t well still so made my way to meet her at the tea gardens at 4pm. My friend also had invited me on another boat trip for tomorrow but I couldn’t go on that one either because I was already going on Julia’s boat trip. I headed home to finish off the Easi Passive Income tasks and, while I waited for news on how a friend’s brain tumour surgery had gone, I had a glass of white wine. I had spaghetti bolognese for dinner and then a relatively early night.

Gratitude List
1. Being busy at work
2. Market shopping
3. Chocolate from Drew.

Dalyan – 21st April

I’d arranged to meet a friend for a morning walk and talk at 8am on Tuesday 21st April. I took photos along the river and it never gets boring seeing the same views. We had a lovely walk then went back to the Kaunos tea gardens for a cup of tea. I rushed back home to carry on with work as I had a lot on my plate. I’d also had further messages from Carol from Fat Club who was absolutely loving her Rhine cruise, still. I actually thought it would be a good one to do with Captain Caveman in the future as it was the sort of itinerary we would both enjoy.

At noon I joined day 2 of the Easi Passive Income with Natalie and Collette which was all about ideal clients.
In the afternoon I had more time working on quotes and enquiries, then did a content plan for the rest of the month.
The only thing I spent money on today was a replacement water which was now 120 lira (£2). I had mushroom pasta at gone 3pm which turned out to be lunch and dinner as I was too busy for the rest of the day and forgot to eat.
My 3rd week’s budget was completely blown and was over the £70 by £28.59! I could have blamed having to fork out for internet and contraception pills (£27.24) but really I should blame the 2 takeaway meals and more alcohol than usual. I needed to try harder next week but it was certainly getting more difficult as more restaurants and bars opened and family and friends would soon be arriving in Dalyan. I also didn’t count in the budget me paying £60 for the annual Netflix for Captain Caveman and my accounts as I was only paying it because Captain Caveman was otherwise engaged.

Gratitude List

1. An early morning walk

2. More free courses and advice from experts

3. Recognising where my overspend on the budget was coming from.

Dalyan – 20th April

When I woke up early on Monday 20th April, I realised I had missed an event yesterday. Natalie Crowe, a WordPress expert who I follow on Facebook, was running a free course this week called Easi Passive Income. I’d signed up for it and also recommended it to a few friends who also have their own businesses but had missed the welcome party last night. I got up and cleaned and tidied up ready for the workmen coming to fix the leaking bathroom window and start the balcony repairs. I didn’t have time for the hoovering as I needed to get my content written for the week. I also caught up on my blog posts and planned my diary for this week. I’d hoped to go to Köyceğiz for the boat trip and market with Yellow Boat today but I was just too busy.
At midday I logged on for the first session of the WordPress tech course to help me bring some digital products to the public, via my blog. Natalie and Collette were very good and a friend was also attending. I love working for Resort Experts but, as we only get paid commission and it depends on when customers are travelling, pay can be really unpredictable. So I had decided I needed to produce more products that would create passive income streams, to help me through those months of little or no pay.
It went well and there were lots of lightbulb moments of what I could, and should, be doing. I was motivated so I did the homework straight away and then did a module on marketing from Lisa Johnson’s Fabulous Foundations course.
Before lunch I finally got back in to Messenger by reinstalling it and then my banking app also started working again. I had a walk to Captainnet to renew my home internet, which had expired yesterday. It’s actually better to use the Turkcell hot spot but there are certain things that don’t work so I choose to have both. Unfortunately, I got a call from a Resort Experts colleague who had an issue they needed help with so I got distracted and forgot to go to the bank on the way. This meant I had to go back to the bank then back to Captainnet where I was chuffed to complete the whole transaction in Turkish. It cost me 750 lira (£12.50) for one month as I was not going to be in Turkey the whole summer so I didn’t pay for the 3 months upfront which is the maximum allowed. I managed to ask the assistant if I would be able to put my parents’ internet on for them as they arrive soon and she said I could come before 6pm next Monday. After all was sorted, I walked back by the river and bumped in to Debbie (Darling), Sue and their friend. They were off to River House for lunch and invited me to join them. I wanted to but I’d already overspent on this week’s budget and I had so much to do today.
After more Resort Experts work it was time for me to attend a Tech Clinic with Holly Frances in the Neon Nook. I needed to have a Mailerlite (or similar) platform to be able to get my digital products off the ground but they had suspended my account. Holly was helping me with a solution and in the end we decided Mailerlite was the best free platform for me so I decided to appeal their decision.
That lasted until gone 6pm and then I grabbed some leftover curry for dinner before a video call with my friend so we could discuss what we had learned on our free courses today. The call went really well and we decided to throw more energy at getting our WordPress monetised. As I sat down to tick off my to do list and update my diary, it was only then that I realised the workmen didn’t turn up!

Gratitude List
1. Free courses and advice from experts to help get me closer to earning money from digital products
2. Being busy
3. Sharing ideas with an entrepreneurial friend.

Dalyan – 18th & 19th April

Surprisingly, Saturday 18th April didn’t have the rain it had been forecast and was actually warm and sunny. Carol from Fat Club had been in touch to say she was enjoying her Rhine cruise which was starting in Frankfurt. I had booked her trip with Travelpack and we had found her a German ship which had the Juliet cabin she wanted and couldn’t find. She was quickly turning in to my new PR woman as she posted all over Facebook and in the Fat Club group chat how thrilled she was with this trip already. I was pleased as I know Carol and Ian are a sociable pair and wasn’t sure if they may miss having plenty of fellow Brits around them. After working all morning, I walked over to Vanessa & Matt’s. We had a cup of tea and then walked to the market. I only bought strawberries at 185 lira (£3.08) then we went to my usual pancake stall for a spot of lunch. Vanessa had a chocolate pancake and I chose a spinach one and, although the prices of them had gone up recently, they cost just 300 lira (£5) for both, which is reasonable and they are filling.
After the market, Vanessa and I decided to call in to Ren Garden and we sat in the garden room at the back with a glass of white wine and soda each so we could chat. We had just 2 glasses each with the soda and then had to leave. Matt had been trying to get old of Vanessa but her phone was on silent, to tell us to come to Corner bar. I said I’d head home and Vanessa could catch up with everyone in Corner bar. As I’d paid for the pancakes at the market, I just put 200 lira (£3.33) towards the bill and then we said our farewells. I called at the bakery and bought bread for 20 lira (33p) making a total spend for today of 705 lira (£11.95).
In the evening I spoke on a video call with my mom who was getting excited to be coming out to Dalyan soon.

Gratitude List
1. Carol being pleased with the cruise I’d booked for her
2. Meeting up with Vanessa
3. A video call with Ma.

I had debated having a day away from the laptop on Sunday 19th April but I realised it was not a good idea. From next week I had lots of stuff booked in that meant being away from the desk, so I really needed to make the most of it while I could. I also had 3 new enquiries, 2 of which were about cruises and one for a trip to Turkey. Messenger had started playing up and wasn’t working, I also was having trouble with the banking app. I had got it in my diary that I needed to pick up sourdough from Mesude today so I rushed off to do that, midmorning. On the way, I bumped in to my favourite white dogs and had to give them some attention. This week I was trying the caraway seed sourdough, as well as the ciabatta one. It came to 500 lira (£8.33) for both loaves and I was pleased with the quality. They stay fresh for ages and it’s also great to freeze – it’s so much better for my stomach than other types, too.
Next, I called at Migros to pick up some essentials – here’s what I bought with prices in lira:

Migros Supermarket
Pasta 13.50
Tomato purée 38.92
Green Tea 61.95
Dates 99.90
2 Quark 111.90
4 tins of tomatoes 149.84
Feta style cheese 174.90
Total spent 650.91 lira (£10.84)

I’d not intended on getting the tomato products but they had plenty and they were on offer, so I seized my chance, knowing I was already going to be over the budget this week!
I hurried back and did a few quotes then carried on with more admin and content work. I ate roasted courgettes with cauliflower cheese for lunch, which was tasty. The sourdough trial was a huge success and I was very impressed with it.
In the evening I had a walk and bought some contraception pills which had increased a lot in price. I paid 884.48 lira (£14.74) for 2 packs and they were now more expensive than paying for them in the UK. In November they had been £1.50 per pack cheaper!
For dinner I had a chicken, chickpea and spinach curry with steamed rice and it was really good.

Gratitude List
1. Having too much to do to take a Sunday off
2. Sourdough – caraway seed was a game changer
3. Good food.

Dalyan – 17th April

It was a busy day in the office on Friday 17th April and I didn’t get round to eating lunch until gone 2.30pm. I just had a combination of left over chicken casserole with a chicken leg and some roasted veggies.
At 6pm I attended another cruise training webinar with Travelpack, a supplier I’ve used a few times for my customers. This free training was the last in this series and was on Antara luxury cruises on the Ganges. Previous ones had covered Lindblad, Riverside, Uncruise and Silver Sea but Travelpack covered all cruise ships. Before the session started they told us to grab a drink so I poured myself a glass of wine – they probably meant put the kettle on. Still, we had a great training session despite them being after normal office hours on a Friday night for my Turkish time zone. I’ve been to India before and it was no longer on my wishlist but, after this session I was very impressed and added it back on. The Antara cruise ships were absolutely fantastic and I would love to go on one of their trips with Captain Caveman one day. Coincidentally, an old Sheffield friend and ex-Norwich Union colleague (also called Jo) had recently set up her own travel business and was on the webinar too. I remembered her dad had connections to India so was pleased she was attending.
The webinar lasted about an hour and then we had a bit of a wrap up from the organisers at Travelpack as that had been the last for a while. There would be an announcement next month of who would win a Fam trip on one of their cruises this summer and I really hoped it would be me.

I was about to rush off to join the opening night at Dalyan Lounge as it had already started and quite a few friends were going to be there, in their various groups, when Captain Caveman called. I’d arranged to meet Vanessa at Dalyan Lounge and she said she would save me a seat but then, as it rained and she was tired from being out yesterday, she decided to stay at home. I walked along the river and it was really picturesque tonight.

By the time I arrived, there were no seats and the bar was full. I had been sat down all day so I wasn’t particularly bothered about sitting down. Andrea and John were the first people to welcome me and offered to squish up so that I could sit with them round the table with Jamie, Nicola, Nanny Kay, her daughter and her friend. I sat between Andrea and John when John insisted. We had good chat while I enjoyed a glass of red wine. Andrea and John had been expecting the rest of their friends group but they had cancelled due to the rain. It was very cosy on that couch as John and Andrea tried the the cocktails and we were all pleased to see that Captain Boris and Rebecca (the new owners of Dalyan Lounge) had a full bar on a rainy and cold evening. I had a couple of Angora red wines which were still on the cheap prices of 180 lira (£3) per glass, by which time all of the people we were sharing the table with had started to leave or move tables. I decided not to stay too long as I needed my dinner. I said my goodbyes just as it was getting too smokey for me and reminded myself that I wasn’t going to achieve all my goals by being in the pub drinking too much.

I left and went via the bank to draw out some cash for the market tomorrow. I also decided to spend the money I might have spent on a Friday night out on fish and chips from Cadde Balık Ekmek. I took them as a takeaway and also got myself some popcorn and a chocolate bar from the shop. Today I had spent a total of 975 lira (£16.53) and was in bed by 10.30pm feeling quite tired.

Gratitude List
1. Free Cruise training webinar from Travelpack
2. Opening party at Dalyan Lounge
3. Good food including fish and chips.

Photo Credit – some photos supplied by Dalyan Lounge

Dalyan – 16th April

I started my day on Thursday 16th April with catching up on blogging and content writing before breaking off for leftover pizza for breakfast. The Heybe pizza was definitely good the day after too.
I worked all day, had more pizza for lunch and then got word from Anex Tours that their package holidays could now include Ryanair flights. I’m not ordinarily a fan of Ryanair but for some people it can be the difference between going on holiday or not.
Considering Captain Caveman and I should’ve been in Lebanon now (for a caving conference tagged on to a holiday), life was still good but I missed seeing him. The May visit was not looking good as neither of us could fit it in and I didn’t want to miss spending time with my parents or seeing my sister and brother-in-law when they came to Dalyan either.
The Aussies had left this morning, I would see them again in September and Vanessa had arrived back in Dalyan today.
I didn’t attend the Resort Experts team meeting as I had a co-worker session with the Neon Nook for 2 hours. I decided to work on my lead magnet/freebie and managed to get it finished in the 2 hours. I then tried to attempt setting up a Mailerlite account to be able to start my email list collation and automation but that didn’t go well and was rather frustrating.
After finishing work at 7.15pm I took a walk along the river just as it was about to get dark and took some photos.
I called at the Yaman Büfe 2 where I bought 2 bottles of wine and a bag of crisps for 705 lira (£11.75) but I didn’t drink any as I was saving it for when Vanessa popped round.

Gratitude List
1. Leftover pizza
2. Neon Nook co-working session
3. A riverside walk.

Dalyan – 14th April

It was Sabotage Tuesday on Tuesday 14th April so I focused on getting on with work. I had enquiries about various Greek islands this week and a couple of tentative questions about Vietnam. I had lots of half started side projects too, which I was working my way through but not at the rate I wanted to. I didn’t stop for lunch or cups of tea until 3pm when I decided to have some pasta and a fresh mint tea.
After cracking through the to do list until 6pm, I decided to take myself off for a walk. Because it was the end of week 2 today and Fat Club tomorrow, I had to avoid any temptation to spend money, drink alcohol or eat unhealthy treats.
On my walk I went as far as the end of the river walk towards the Denizkızı ferry, as there are very few temptations along there. I took quite a few photos and then on the way back got chatting with an old friend of my parents, Yener. He showed me his new boat, we had a photo together but I had to rush off as I needed a pee.
I had a simple chicken, peppers and onion wrap for dinner then chilled out before bed by calculating where I was on my weekly budget. I’d gone over last week so this week I’d tried harder, ending on a total of £69.46 spent, out of a £70 weekly budget! I’d only had 2 zero spend days but I was pleased to have achieved the budget. I knew it would be very difficult to do that next week as I had quite a few things to pay out for.

Gratitude List
1. Getting out for an evening walk
2. Another zero spend day
3. Achieving the £70 budget this week.

Dalyan – 13th April

There was excitement for me on Monday 13th April, in more than one way. I got paid and it was correct so I was pleased with that. I was also only just under my weekly budget so I was determined to not overspend in the next 2 days. I had beans on toast for breakfast then had a short walk for some fresh air.
I attended a Copy Clinic session in the afternoon and was getting more movement on my content writing for books, planners and even digital products. Because of the unpredictability of working in the travel industry, I didn’t want to just rely on getting paid commission or being affected by global issues. I’d noticed customers were looking to book shorter and closer to home trips more recently. I was therefore spending a lot of time working on creating passive income streams for the future.
I had a late lunch of leftover chicken with cauliflower cheese which looked unimpressive but tasted good. I had strawberries with quark and honey then got back to my laptop.
In the evening I was invited to a BBQ with Mark & Kate at The Aussies’ place. I called to Yaman Büfe 1 on the way, for wine and soda, where I spent just 315 lira (£5.25) before wandering over for a lovely evening with friends. The food was good, we had a few drinks and played games where we all laughed a lot! I completely ruined my Slimming World plan by eating lots of fairy cake made by Kate, which I just couldn’t resist.

Gratitude List
1. Pay Day
2. Plans to make money through passive income
3. A fun BBQ with friends – so much laughter!

Dalyan & Göcek – 12th April

Events in Dalyan are like buses; there is often more than one coming along at the same time after not seeing one for ages!
On Sunday 12th April I had been invited to the engagement of Hannah and Halil. There was transport being put on from Dalyan to Suolo in Göcek about 45 minutes drive away. I’m not great at bus journeys so, when a friend had asked me if I wanted to go in her car, I had jumped at the chance. First, I worked in the morning and then met my friend at the tea gardens where I ordered some chips and a water for 200 lira (£3.33). The engagement party invite did come with a note to say that soft drinks and a light meze would be provided but if we wanted to drink alcohol we had to buy our own at the bar. I didn’t plan on drinking alcohol but decided to have something to eat beforehand so I wasn’t hungry.
On the drive over to Göcek the weather was quite warm so I was hot and a bit travel sick. The Göcek tunnel toll fee was now 75 lira each way so a total of 150 lira (£2.50) and we did get a little bit lost because of the road works. When we arrived at Suolo we were late and there were no seats for us. We headed to the bar where we saw Jamie and The Aussies. Hannah and Halil with their family and close friends were all dressed in black, they looked stunning so I was glad I’d managed to find a dress to wear – my summer outfits were still packed away, though. The venue was lovely and I’d not been before. I ordered a coke for my friend and a soda water for me. The soft drinks weren’t free but it would be a few minutes to wait for soda water. I paid 100 lira (£1.67) for the coke, which I thought reasonable for the waterside venue, and said I would wait for the soda. They would only accept card and it was a bit awkward as he only wanted me to pay for the coke as the soda hadn’t materialised yet and then it took over 30 minutes so the bar man gave it me for free after offering me every other drink he still had left.
When the food was served it was very popular and so many people rushed to get involved. I had a bit of rocket a spoonful of yoghurt and a piece of bread, there were other mezes available but I was conscious of the drive back. We took our plates towards the inside and kiddy area to find a table to sit at and we got talking to a couple of friends I hadn’t seen in ages.
After chatting and watching the dancing, the music came to an end around 5pm. We bumped in to Hannah’s mom and we all said what a lovely day it had been. I had plans to attend another function back in Dalyan but, before returning, my friend and I nipped in to Göcek.
We had a walk along the harbour, checked out a place with a pool and bar (for when visitors come in the summer), then I treated my friend to another coke and a cake for driving and I just had a Turkish tea. I paid a bargain 205 lira (£3.42) but I was feeling a bit tired now and wanted to get back.
We drove back and I was meant to be going to a birthday party at Efe bar but I was shattered so sent my apologies. I was hungry so I had my dinner of beans on toast at 8.45pm then I went to bed with a headache.

Gratitude List
1. Being invited to Hannah’s engagement party at Suolo in Göcek
2. Bumping in to friends
3. An afternoon off.

Photo Credit – Hannah Davies, Greg Le Couteur

Dalyan – 11th April

It was market day on Saturday 11th April so I took my list and walked there via the bank. Because of the Easter bank holiday I hadn’t been paid my regular wage yet but I was doing ok because of the extra work I’d done last week and could afford to shop still. I did more moving of money from one account to another to ensure that I was putting in the amount required to keep residency in Turkey. At the moment the rules are that they only check the last 3 months before residency renewal that the minimum wage times 1.5 is being deposited. However, like all things related to rules and processes, things can change so I had decided that I would do this for 12 months prior to my renewal date – just in case. I hoped we would get paid on Monday and then I could top it up.

At the market I bought the following, prices in lira:

Stall 1
Potatoes & onions 65 lira (£1.08)
Stall 2
Bananas & apples 110 lira (£1.83)
Stall 3
Strawberries 200 lira (£3.33)
Stall 4
Fresh Mint 20 lira (33p)
Total spent 395 lira (£6.57)

On the walk back home, I called in to the English export shop to see how much the Heinz baked beans were. They were too expensive for me to justify but I did see they had a brand of baked beans I hadn’t seen before. They were 60 lira (£1) so I decided, for the first time in quite a while, that I would buy the cheap version and see how they were. Beans on toast is one of the meals I miss the most when I’m away from the UK.
While on a spending spree, I also called at the shops, here’s what I bought in lira:

A101 Supermarket
1 Dido chocolate bar 28.50
Wraps 49.50
2 Quark 109.90
Frozen fruit 189.00
Frozen chicken 189.00
Total spent 565.90 lira (£9.43)

Of course I didn’t get everything on my list but I was struggling to find some items and went back home as I was hungry. I had beans on toast, trying a third of the tin mixed with a spot of milk. They were ok but you could definitely tell they weren’t Heinz.
I did some work in the afternoon and I asked (it was practically begging) people I was friends on Facebook with to follow my Resort Experts Business page. I even asked my colleagues and the owners of Resort Experts to follow me as I really wanted to get my number of followers to over 500 so I could earn money from Facebook. I was surprised that the more senior members of Resort Experts weren’t already following me so I asked them to and they did. I was finally over 400 followers and just needed another 100 to be able to monetize my page. Many people were viewing my page but had not actually clicked follower so if this is you, please do click that follow button on my Jo Lo – Resort Experts Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/share/18SmSVGKVp/

I went back to the shops after work and here’s the extra things I bought with prices in lira:

Migros Supermarket
2 small Milk 15.80
1 big Milk 37.25
Olives 43.05
White cheese 117.90
Fabric Softener 130.95
Total spent 354.95 lira (£5.92)

Gratitude List
1. Being able to food shop despite waiting for pay day
2. Reaching 400 Followers on my Jo Lo – Resort Experts page in order to get nearer to earning money from Facebook
3. Beans on Toast.

Dalyan – 9th April

I was up super early on Thursday 9th April so that I could get work done, put the out of office on and get to meet The Aussies by 9am. We were off to eat Turkish breakfast at Mavi Yasemin, which is one of Amanda & Greg’s favourite places. It’s located over the other side of the river so we set off walking along the river path and got to the Deniz kızı ferry. It cost 25 lira (42p) one way as a foot passenger and took less than 5 minutes to get across. The Mavi Yasemin restaurant is located on the right-hand side a short walk after you pass Pirates and Skulls.

We got there early as I needed to be back for the Resort Experts team meeting and we all ordered the Turkish breakfast and a juice. The delicious and plentiful breakfast, which comes with as much Turkish tea as you can manage, cost 500 lira (£8.47) each. The fresh pomegranate juice is 130 lira (£2.20) and went down very well. The food was just so good and I think it is now my new favourite too. I often struggle to eat Turkish breakfasts but I did well with this one and wasn’t ill. What I didn’t realise is that they only take cash, so Amanda had to lend me the money. I managed to put the tip in but then forgot I needed the return ferry fare and Amanda paid that too! We had to rush back, although I could’ve stayed there all day!

After the Resort Experts team meeting I arranged to meet The Aussies at the bank at 2pm. I withdrew cash to pay Amanda back for the breakfast. So far this morning I had spent £12.46 then bought a bottle of red wine and some salt and vinegar crisps for 360 lira (£6.10) at the off licence. We had managed to be quite late for the 2pm start of Kate and Mark’s housewarming party as Amanda had ended up in a clothes shop buying a dress for Hannah’s engagement party. The shop had some gorgeous tailor-made outfits in for both male and female with various prices. The owner can do any alterations to make it fit and is pretty quick.
When we arrived at the party, Kate gave us a tour of her new house while Mark opened the red wine. Kate’s new bungalow was really lovely and I was really pleased for her. There were quite a few of the usual Dalyan Dwellers there, most of who I had not seen for months, and none of them so far this year. There were nibbles which I couldn’t resist and Kate had so many fruit trees that I was told to pick as many oranges as I liked, so I did. A small group of us remained after most people left and we had more drinks before heading back to our respective homes.
I was meant to be back for a video call with Vanessa but I missed that and had to reschedule. Instead, I attended my first online Neon Nookers meeting and we had quite a good ‘getting to know you’ type of session. It was a group for copy and tech help which I was pleased I’d joined and I really related to both Georgina and Holly. We even had a fun competition of who could get their pyjamas on fastest.

Gratitude List
1. Breakfast at Mavi Yasemin with The Aussies
2. Oranges from Kate
3. Spending time with friends.

Dalyan – 7th & 8th April

Tuesday 7th April was spent working on book stuff and Resort Experts. I was awake at 7.30am and it was quite cold.
I was getting a few more holiday enquiries and the places people seemed to be looking at were Albania, Türkiye, Greece and Spain.
I got lots done and had a chicken and chickpea curry around 7pm. I totted up my weekly spend and at £79.31, I was over my £70 budget despite the 4 days of zero spending. But I had earned extra this weekend so I didn’t mind. It did show me how easy it is to spend too much if I agree to go out drinking too often and I should probably limit it to once per week. I briefly spoke to Captain Caveman who was in Bristol for work and had had to delay his moving in to his Sheffield flat until Friday, when he could go back up North.

Gratitude List
1. Being busy
2. Nice food
3. Having a 4th zero spend day this week.

I was up early and doing my measurements on Wednesday 8th April; my bust and hips had stayed the same and I had lost 1cm from my waist. On my home scales I had lost 0.5kg (1.1lb) so I was optimistic for Carol’s scales at Fat Club later.
After working hard on admin tasks and having no time for a lunch, I headed to Ren Garden for our Fat Club meet up, I was running late and was a bit stressed that I had not finished what I was doing. Tomorrow I had promised to meet up with friends too so it meant I would need to work tonight.
At Fat Club I had lost just 0.15kg (0.3lb) on Carol’s scales, so I was disappointed but it was still a loss! I had a pot of tea for 100 lira (£1.69) and resisted the cookies and cake that were on display.
After, I popped to the shops and here’s what I bought, with prices in lira:

Migros Supermarket
Onions 10.80
Light yoghurt 29.97
Courgettes 34.63
Cauliflower 85.46
Carrots 87.44
Bread 108.50
Washing powder 239.95
Total spent 596.75 lira (£10.11)

I went straight back to work and regretted not making the soup I intended to earlier. I had an important email which told me I was a little further down the process of getting ‘The Handy Travel Planner’ in to actual book shops in the UK this summer.
At 7pm I closed the laptop and decided to go for an impromptu walk as I was conscious I wasn’t getting enough exercise. I took a few photos as the sun was setting and bumped into Jamie and Norman and The Aussies, as well as Onur from Simple. I stopped to say hello to everyone and then continued to walk the long way home. I was meant to pick up something I had forgotten at the shop but I forgot again. I made a chicken wrap for dinner and had an early night as I was very tired.

Gratitude List
1. Losing weight
2. More progress on the book situation
3. An evening walk.