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 – 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 – 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 – 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 – 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.

Dalyan – 5th & 6th April

I spent Easter Day, Sunday 5th April, working on that Resort Experts Supplier list. I was finally getting through it, but not without so many interruptions from friends to meet for drinks. It was ironic really as I don’t think I’d had this many messages, voice notes and calls to invite me out this year, but as soon as I’m busy this is what happens. I felt bad for letting people down but I was happy to focus on what was important to me right now. I was also working on booking a family holiday for a client. They had been recommended by a friend, which is always good and much appreciated.

I didn’t eat until 3pm, just more left over bolognese, and more messages to check if I’d changed my mind about going out yet. I hadn’t, as I really just needed to get on with the work task I had agreed to do. I muted my phone again so I could focus.
I finally finished for the night and was absolutely knackered. I didn’t leave the house so it was my 3rd zero spend day in a row. I had set my budget for April at £10 per day again and, so far, I was on track.
I was hoping to finish my Resort Experts task tomorrow and I was looking forward to getting out, after working all weekend and not leaving the house during daylight since Thursday! I didn’t eat another meal but I decided to have a glass of Ron Zacapa rum before bed. I put on a Netflix film and instantly fell asleep. When I got in bed the Jazz bar decided to play loud (not Jazz) music and then there was a big storm so I didn’t get to sleep early.

Gratitude List

1. Having the willpower to keep focused on what I needed to do.
2. More leftover bolognese
3. A 3rd day of zero spend!

Monday 6th April was a strange Easter Monday, not that it’s celebrated in Turkey. I was on day 4 of the Resort Experts supplier work and I was almost done. I totted up how much I had left to do and sent an update to Sam, one of the owners.
I decided to go outside to empty the bin and go to the bakery. I fancied a pain au chocolat or a croissant and I needed bread. Not having been outside in day light since Thursday, or in darkness and stormy weather since Friday night, it felt good. My new phone camera highlighted how tired I looked and I really did need to get more sleep!
I bought a chocolate croissant and bread at Parlak bakery for 140 lira (£2.37). Fresh bread had now gone up to 20 lira (33p) but was still cheap. I headed back to the office and cracked on with work. I got thanked and paid for working all Easter weekend so I was pleased with that. My new client decided to go ahead with the villa holiday and we got it paid in full so that the flights were secured too.

I had agreed to meet Debbie (Darling) who wanted to pay me some sponsor money to give to Captain Caveman. A few people, including Jamie, were meeting at Caria Hotel, on the river front, but were going to be eating there. I had a cheese sandwich for a very late lunch and didn’t get there until 5.45pm. By this time most people were rather merry. It was decided it was going to get chilly shortly as the sun was going in, so we walked to Sofra bar and I ordered a red wine. Debbie gave me the money and then went outside while Jamie, Helen and I tried to guess which city her friends were from. We had a good laugh and I ordered another red wine just as Debbie (Darling) came in to say hello to Ali and Brinny, the dog, who had just stopped by on their walk, to say hi. Debbie (Darling) announced that she had had enough and had to go home. Her Mr G (cocktail) was barely touched and she said she couldn’t drink it. Being a keen advocate of not wasting anything, I ended up having it.
I paid my bill of 300 lira (£5.08) for 2 red wines and said bye to anyone we knew. Jamie and I then went to Ren Garden for more red wine. Jamie insisted on a bottle so we paid 400 lira (£6.78) each then I insisted I needed to get to Migros before it closed as I didn’t have anything in for dinner tonight or food for tomorrow. We said bye and I, a little tipsy, went shopping – here’s what I bought with prices in lira:

Migros Supermarket
2 packs Mentos 46.90
1 Quark 55.95
Boiled beans 86.95
Toilet rolls 107.50
3 Bountys 109.90
1 Ham and mushroom pizza 189.95
A 2kg whole chicken 204.90
Total spent 802.05 lira (£13.59)

This is where I realised my error previously on the Bountys, they were on offer but only at 3 for the price of 2. As I was paying for the shopping, I realised I was desperate for a pee and decided it would be a good idea to nip in to Jiks. I ended up having more wine and ordering a pizza. A bloke who I know but hadn’t seen in a while, joined me and we ended up having a nice evening.
My bill in Jiks came to 600 lira (£10.16) meaning I had spent almost £38 today! I reassured myself that at least I’d only been out one day of the 4 day weekend, so it could easily have been more.

Gratitude List
1. Getting paid for weekend work, as promised
2. Finding a suitable villa holiday for a new client
3. Going out for drinks after finishing 4 days of hard work.

Dalyan – 27th March

On the morning of Friday 27th March I wasn’t too happy at my early alarm. I let Norman out and then we both got on the sofa for an extra sleep. It was cold and rainy so it was nice to get under a blanket and try to get rid of my hangover. I’d consumed far too much alcohol yesterday and was feeling extremely delicate. No breakfast or lunch was eaten and I barely moved from the dining table/desk once I was functioning. Jet2 had yet another sale on so I had a few enquiries to deal with. It was pay day weekend for a lot of people and I was working all weekend after being a bit part time these last couple of days for Norman’s birthday.

Norman was well and truly done with celebrations and had requested an embargo on them for a while. After having his breakfast, he had gone back to sleep and not woken up until after 1pm! He insisted he was having a Doggy Day, like Debbie (Darling) has her Debbie day – both of whom were going nowhere today.

Meanwhile Captain Caveman was busting his chops in lycra in a very hot Vietnam, raising money for Saigon Children’s Charity. I had misunderstood the elevation of the route and thought Day 1 of the route ‘looked easy’. It was not, and I think Captain Caveman was regretting not having had any exercise, let alone been on a bicycle, in about a year! I was very proud of him as I could not have attempted what he was doing – he had 2 more days to go!

Then I remembered my agreeing to meet up with Ian at 3pm today, to give him some Yorkshire tea bags. I made the effort as I had no contact details for him, to cancel. I invited Norman who flatly refused.

I arrived at Ren Garden and we sat in the garden as the sun was back out again. Debbie (Darling) and Irena made it and Debbie foolishly ordered a white wine and soda, which she left. I had a pot of tea for 100 lira (£1.69) and then left as I had work to do and training sessions on cruises to attend.

I finally had my first meal of the day, a veggie pasta, at 4.30pm and I still struggled to get it eaten. Norman refused to go for a walk, stating he had already done his steps for the whole week, then reminded me of the Doggy Day! I finally finished my work at 8.15pm and was begging for mercy – vowing to never drink that much again (until the next celebration)! While sat on the sofa drinking water there was a massive bang (well actually 3 or 4 in quick succession) coming from upstairs. When I went to investigate, a framed certificate had fell off the wall at the top of the stairs and ‘bounced’ down the stairs, landing on the middle step. It was heavy and glass so when I picked it up I was expecting the glass to be broken. It was completely intact, despite hitting several travertine/marble steps. It was Jamie’s late husband, Graeme’s, star certificate. It was a bit spooky that it had managed to fly off the wall, but on further investigation it had been stuck on with velcro! I left it on the spare bed and made a note to tell Jamie.
It was an early night for me, ready to get up early tomorrow.

Gratitude List

1. Norman

2. Yorkshire tea bags

3. Free cruise training with Travelpack.

Dalyan – 26th March

Things got completely out of hand on Thursday 26th March! I got a few things done in the morning after getting up at 6.15am. After an hour of working with AI prompts for monetisation and doing my own research, I had tea and toast. Norman was now 15 years and 1 day old and he said he was entitled to 2 corners of toast today.
I spoke to Captain Caveman who was about to start his charity cycling event with a warm up practice which had been organised for today. You can watch a short video of it here:
https://youtu.be/21nVJ1luaaE?si=XanZFFjA7cMZPgoH

I got ready to take Norman for a walk as it wasn’t raining, but he had accidentally fell asleep. When he woke up he had complaints about how I was running the household. On our walk at lunch time, Norman was so slow that we turned into the road where Debbie (Darling) lived and Norman decided he wanted to find out why she hadn’t been over yesterday. Debbie (Darling) invited us in for wine and for Norman to chase the cats on the terrace by the pool. We had a lovely catch up in the sun and then decided to finish Norman’s walk by taking him to Ren Garden. Norman loves it there and they always serve him his water before the human drinks, because he’s 15 and deserves priority – especially when the sun’s out.
We sat by the pool in the garden and the weather was glorious. The hotel part (Grandma’s Garden) was starting to get customers and there were some workmen getting stuff fixed up for the season. Joining Debbie (Darling), Norman and I were Helen, Ian and Irena which was a nice eclectic mix for a Thursday – the conversation and laughs flowed. I had a couple of wines and had to say I’d call back the Resort Experts owner when he called me because I was in the middle of belated birthday celebrations for Jamie’s dog (as you do).
There was an agreement for me to give Ian some Yorkshire tea bags as he had inadvertently run out so I would see him again at 3pm tomorrow. Debbie (Darling) and Helen went on ahead to Cadde Balık Ekmek to have fish and chips. Norman and I followed after I’d paid my 300 lira (£5.08) for my 2 wines.

The fish and chips was lovely and it was my 2nd visit. Everyone enjoyed them, including Norman who managed to snaffle some fish that had dropped on the floor.
I paid 520 lira (£8.81) for fish and chips with a small bottle of water then it was time to go home.
Debbie (Darling) and Helen were meeting friends at Tez Bar and Norman insisted we go say hello. He was ‘out out’ now and on round 2 of his birthday celebrations. At Tez Bar, Norman got barked at by jealous resident dog, Cani, but they soon settled down when the treats came out. Ali & Kev had just arrived back from their motorhome drive from the UK with their dog, Brinny, so it turned in to another celebration – welcome back Brinny and a belated Birthday for Norman. I just had the one wine and then it really was time to go home. Norman had enjoyed all the fuss, the extra treats and had missed his afternoon nap, so as we got near Debbie’s he was flagging. I was also needing a pee so we went in to Debbie’s for a nightcap.
Hilariously, Norman made himself right at home then fell asleep and we finished off the vodka with limonata before going on to the gin!
I didn’t get back until gone midnight, having missed various calls. I also hadn’t attended the team meeting this week but it turned out there hadn’t been one. I’d spent £16.44 today which meant my weekly spend was now at £21.86, with 2 days left to go!

Gratitude List
1. Belated extra birthday celebrations with Debbie (Darling) for Norman
2. Fish and chips
3. Having a good laugh.

Dalyan – 20th & 21st March

While Captain Caveman completed his last day at work on Friday 20th March, in readiness for his charity cycling event in Vietnam, I got a lot of admin done. It seemed cooler and looked like it might rain, which is usually the case whenever I have Norman, the dog. Jamie and Drew were off on holiday and Norman was going to be in my care while he celebrated his 15th birthday.
I wasn’t expected to finish work until after 8pm tonight so, at 3pm, I nipped out for a quick bit of fresh air and to the shop as I needed some essentials. I checked against the budget and I had just over £18 left for this week, plus the cash I had in my purse for the market tomorrow. It was Bayram, a bank holiday for Ramadan, so I wanted to get meat before it sold out and make sure I got cash out before ATMs ran short. Here’s what I bought at the supermarket, with prices in lira;

Migros Supermarket
Onions 5.31
Peanuts 52.00
Dark chocolate 66.95
Mushrooms 86.95
Wholemeal sliced loaf 97.50
500g Beef mince 375.00
Total spent 683.73 lira (£11.59)

Beef is expensive in Turkey so I’d gone mad by buying mince at over £6 for 500g but I fancied making a Bolognese this weekend.
I had a cruise training session with Travelpack from 7pm so I was still working until gone 8pm, then I made a pasta dinner with a glass of wine to round off my week. I’d plan to get more content for my next book done this weekend but I was already feeling exhausted.
I topped up my wine and tried to relax. Captain Caveman sent me a photo of a vodka named after me in the duty free – he was finally on his way to Vietnam for 2 weeks, and I was a little bit jealous that I wasn’t going too.

Gratitude List

1. Getting some work done

2. Excellent free Cruise Training with Travelpack

3. Pasta and wine.

Things certainly didn’t go according to plan on Saturday 21st March. While Captain Caveman had arrived in China for a 7 hour lay over but was unable to get to the lounge, I shoved the ingredients for a Bolognese in the slow cooker. I had plans to go to the market. Jamie and Drew weren’t leaving for the airport until 11.15pm but I had said I would meet them for an afternoon farewell drink and also go over to their’s for wine after dinner. I called round to Jamie and Drew’s on my way to the market, Norman was still in his bed.
Unfortunately, the market had limited stalls open due to Bayram so I only bought 5 bananas and 2 courgettes for 85 lira (£1.44). Back home, I ate more homemade soup for lunch. I didn’t make the 3pm drinks with Jamie & Drew, as agreed, because I was waiting for a work related call with one of the owners of Resort Experts. That didn’t happen until much later than expected so it was 7pm by the time I left the house.
When I got to Ren Garden, it was empty so I waited. Jamie and Drew had been in Sofra bar with friends. Drew arrived first, followed later by Jamie – late, ladened with shopping bags and walking Norman.
Drew just had the one drink and left, as Jamie and I were talking about work. We ordered another wine and continued on about work, even though we both had to get home for dinner. My 2 wines were 300 lira (£5.08) and we left Ren Garden, intending on going home to eat dinner. I only got as far as next door in Jik’s where another glass of wine was ordered.
Jamie and I parted ways after Jik’s where my glass of wine was 150 lira (£2.56), I bought a bottle of red wine from Yaman Büfe 2, to have later and rushed home to turn off, then eat, my Bolognese.
When I arrived at Jamie & Drew’s to see them off, Norman was napping, Drew was drinking wine and Jamie had popped out to the bank. The electric gate wasn’t working so there was some faffing about with that and I had to look away for fear of a finger or hand being cut off.
The taxi arrived and I said bye to both, Norman got kisses from Little Daddy and Step Daddy Drew, but didn’t seem unduly concerned – he was used to the comings and goings of us all now.
I went inside feeling tired but poured myself another glass of wine, which I would probably regret in the morning. Going through the menopause has meant that my body cannot tolerate alcohol like it used to.

Gratitude List
1. Getting work stuff sorted
2. Norman
3. Farewell wines with Jamie and Drew.

Dalyan – 16th March

I was beside myself with excitement on Monday 16th March; Claire Clarke, my publishing consultant, was about to give me help to get my book(s) in to actual UK bookshops – on the shelves or to preorder! I needed to buy the ISBN numbers for the books. These were £93 for 3 or £175 for 10. I spoke to Captain Caveman who was super supportive and thought that it was a great idea to get more of my books out in to the world. I decided to buy the 10 ISBNs as it would mean I had the rest for all my other books – if I didn’t think of myself as a writer or author before, I needed to now!

Claire and I got on a Zoom call at 1pm and, while it was technical for me, we got through the necessary work to get it set up (I won’t bore you with the details but it wouldn’t have been easy to do on my own). At the end of the call, I had a few more things from Claire to do and she was going to do her tasks. We would reconvene once we got an answer from the publishing company, which would allow us to then be on the national database for all booksellers in the UK.

I was so giddy, as I’d been trying to get to a point where my book(s) could be found in bookshops rather than just on Amazon. If all went well, all those people who ‘didn’t do Amazon’ would be able to buy my books in a bookshop this summer! ‘The Handy Travel Planner’ was first in line, then we would add ‘You Can’t Shit Yourself’ on a Bicycle…’ before the next couple I was currently working on. There was a slight setback in that my next book, ‘You Can’t Eat a Whole Blancmange and Dance….and other handy travel tips’ would be delayed. It was a bit scary, but also very exciting.

I was so grateful for Claire being there to support me and if you’re reading this and want to get a planner or journal published you should definitely get in touch (link below).

https://iamclaireclarke.co.uk/

I decided to celebrate in the evening; Vanessa was going back to the UK so we had arranged for me to join her and Matt for fish & chips at Cadde Balık. We’d had it planned for a while and Vanessa came to call for me at 5.30pm. Matt had decided not to come as he had eaten out at lunch time so wasn’t hungry.

As we were walking along the river, Vanessa said the reason we had picked fish and chips was because of Matt, and I’d been recently so we decided to change the venue so we could have a celebratory wine. We arrived at River House and the weather was nice enough to sit outside at 6pm. We decided to splash out with a full meal plus wine and it was amazing. Here’s what we had with prices in lira;

River House

1 soda water 50
1 Carafe white wine 590
1 Lahmacun 295
1 Chicken risotto 850
1 Liver & Onions 950
1 chocolate pancake 230
Total 2,965 lira (£50.25)

We also got free bread and mezzes so we had lots of food! Various stray cats and dogs waited to see if they would get any leftovers and one dog got a bit of liver from Vanessa. Obviously, we split the bill. It was the most I’d spent on a meal out in a while but I thought it was excellent. While we were there, a friend from the UK on holiday here, stopped by and she joined us. It was a lovely girl’s night and it felt nice to go out and treat myself while saying bye to one of my best friends. I would worry about the £70 weekly budget later!

When I got home, things had progressed with the pay day chase up and we were getting paid tomorrow. I was certainly looking forward to the money being in our accounts!

Gratitude List

1. Progress on getting my books in to actual UK book shops!

2. Getting to say hello to a friend on holiday

3. A wonderful send off for Vanessa.

Dalyan – 14th March

It was market day again on Saturday 14th March so I had arranged to go with Vanessa. I had already checked the remaining budget from my readjusted £40 for the week and today was the last day. There was no way I was going to be able to stick to it and I knew that the remaining £6.61 would get spent easily at the market today. I needed to better plan if I wanted to reach my saving goals. I called for Vanessa at 10am and we planned for a quick market shop then to go to the nice cafe for a cup of tea and a chat.

Here’s what I bought, prices in lira;

Stall 1
Lettuce 30 lira (51p)

Stall 2
Carrots, spring onions, radish 150 (£2.54)

Stall 3
Strawberries, oranges, bananas 340 (£5.76)

Total spent 520 lira (£8.81)

This week’s reduced budget was blown already, mainly due to strawberries at 200 lira (£3.39), but I was not unduly worried as we headed to Mornings in Mavi, my new favourite cafe.
I decided to throw caution to the wind and ordered a fancy tea for 120 lira (£2.03) and a toasted sandwich for 300 lira (5.08). It was fantastic and very filling so I wouldn’t need any lunch today. The owner of the cafe is from Eskişehir and seems very conscientious. After discussing my budgeting plans with Vanessa and realising I was being quite restrictive trying to live on less than £6 per day, I decided for future weeks I would reset and up the budget to £10 per day, so £70 per week. This way, when I didn’t spend it all, it would be more motivating but it would also not be such a burden if I did. I’d still not been paid but surely that would be due on Monday.

Back home, I put the shopping away and totted up that this week I had spent £49.32, which was pretty good to say I’d had 2 days where I had alcohol and only 1 zero spend day. I had a video call with Captain Caveman who had one week left until his trip to Vietnam. He was heading over to take part in the Saigon Children’s Charity bicycle ride for charity. Ordinarily, I would have been there for support but I had already committed my time to Norman, the dog, and his 15th birthday – I couldn’t miss that! Captain Caveman offered to send me money but he had enough on, with his trip to Vietnam and the apartment maintenance and repairs he needed to pay for, plus he was moving house, so I said I would manage by continuing my Money Minded March.
I worked for the rest of the day, my post using the new skills from Georgina Chapman had got so many views that it was scary! I had a cheese salad sandwich and realised I should’ve gone halves on the lettuce this week – it was huge!!! Later, I decided to swing by Ren Garden to say bye to Lucy and Scott before they went for dinner and then the airport.

Gratitude List
1. Splurging at the market and in the cafe with Vanessa
2. Speaking to Captain Caveman
3. Seeing Lucy and Scott one last time.

Dalyan – 11th & 12th March

My weight on the home scales on Wednesday 11th March showed no change and I hoped that was because the battery was low on them. My measurements were much more favourable as I had lost 1cm from my bust and waist and 3cm from my hips. I just needed to lose 3cm more from my waist and hips to be back to target.
After a couple of hours work, I did day 3 of The Signal, the free course which was really opening my eyes to how I write content and how I might want to improve it in the future. At 1pm I was on a zoom call with the publisher, Claire Clarke, and the Create, Publish, Grow group that I’m part of. We started to discuss advertising and getting our books in to actual bookshops which is what I really needed. I still wanted to do more book sales as I knew my handy travel tips and the handy travel planner could certainly help more people have better holidays.
At Fat Club I had a bit of a surprise when I got on Carol’s scales – I had lost 1.9kg (3.8lb) so, naturally, I was pleased. The swimming pool and the garden area at Ren was looking good, ready for the tourists coming soon. It was colder than it looked out so I was regretting wearing shorts! I spent just 30 lira (51p) on a water, although I was meant to be on a zero spend day today. I rushed back home as I had more work commitments booked in which meant I couldn’t make it to Matt’s birthday meal at the new fish place in town. I’d decided I might meet them after for drinks but I didn’t go in the end. I’d not been paid yet and I was keen to wait until I knew what I was getting, before I spent money on going out or alcohol, plus I was absolutely knackered. Most of the people out had gone to Corner bar, some had gone home. I had an early night, ready for another busy day tomorrow.

Gratitude List
1. Free help with courses and zoom
2. Losing weight
3. A very low spend, zero alcohol day.

It was a busy day in Dalyan on Thursday 12th March. I did a couple of hours work while having tea and toast. At 10am I attended the 4th session of The Signal with Georgina Chapman.
In the Resort Experts team meeting at 2pm there was no apology or mention of the late pay day so I asked the question (again). Luckily, we were reassured that it was being worked on as we spoke. It was likely we would get paid tomorrow but definitely by Friday! I was fine with that, I just wanted to know how much I was getting and when, so that I could make sure my money was in the Turkish bank account before the Bayram bank holidays. It was hot today so I sat outside and got sunburn through my black trousers. I ate left over curry for lunch, outside on the balcony.

At 6pm I decided to go for a walk and take some photos by the river, go to the bank and call for some wine. I bought 2 bottles for 560 lira (£9.49) and took them over to Jamie & Drew’s where I had been invited for dinner.

At Jamie’s I sat outside with a glass of red while chatting to Lucy (Drew’s sister-in-law) and getting to know Scott (her friend). They are really nice people and we had such a laugh. Nanny Kay arrived shortly after and more wine and more laughs were had before enjoying a delicious chicken dinner.
It was late when I got home and I was a bit tipsy!

Gratitude List
1. My new phone and camera
2. A great night at Jamie & Drew’s.
3. Wine.

joloyolo

The ramblings and observations of a fortysomething lady of leisure

Tag: cats