Dalyan – 18th March

Tuesday 18th March was a day of catching up after not being full time at work over the last couple of days, due to the residency process. I started with tea and toast for breakfast and then threw myself in to getting stuff done. I was meant to go to the free yoga session at Nil Lounge at 11am but I was too busy catching up. I managed to pay off my credit card at lunch time, which was not yet at its limit and was 10 days before it was due. That felt good to be able to do. I had a cheese, walnut, sundried tomato salad for lunch, which was really good, and then I had a bit of an idea. Captain Caveman was coming to Dalyan for a visit at the end of March but only for 2 days and I looked at how much the flights were for me to take a quick trip to the UK in April. They varied from £60 to £155 so I would need to think about it. The weather was nice and Jamie’s flowers were out so I sent him the photos of his granny’s and late husband’s memorial plants. The weather forecast was saying storms and bad weather were due soon, though. Edna enjoyed a cup of tea with me outside on the terrace and Norman had a mooch about looking for cat shit to eat. He came back looking sheepish so I knew he’d found some to munch on!
In the afternoon, we got an alert to say the electricity would be off tomorrow so I decided I would work late today.
After more work, a dog walk and a chat with Captain Caveman, who had temporarily forgotten I had been for my residency yesterday, I decided to go to the shops. Here’s what I bought in the 3 shops, with prices in lira;

Migros Supermarket
Mints 18.45
Olives 53.90
2 Quark 70.00
Walnuts 76.90
Total spent 219.25 lira (£4.61)

A101 Supermarket
Popcorn 28.50
4 finger Dido bar 29.50
Crisps 31.00
Dubai Chocolate 79.00
Total spent 168.00 lira (£3.53)

BIM Supermarket
2 Hot chocolate sachets 9.00
2 Dido bars 39.00
700g chicken fillet strips 145.00
Total spent 193.00 lira (£4.05)

When I got back, Captain Caveman had booked me a flight and sent me the details. I was going back to the UK on the 1st of next month, on the same flight as Captain Caveman, for £60 one way. I worked late and then made a chicken wrap with lettuce and BBQ sauce for a late dinner before going to bed, tired but happy.

Gratitude List
1. Having a busy but productive day
2. Shopping
3. Having a trip to the UK to look forward to next month.

Dalyan – 16th March

It was 15°C and cloudy when I got up on Sunday 16th March and I thought it might be a bit chilly for a walk. I had overnight oats and a cup of tea for breakfast while the dogs had a wash. I started the walk with the usual suspects at 9.30am and it was a little chilly. We had a nice leisurely walk where we got a little lost again. It was almost 30 degrees by 11am and I was sweating. We had done over 10,000 steps just on that walk.

When I got back I took Norman & Edna for a walk, calling at Fire Opal on our return. Back at Jamie’s, we sat outside in the sun and I ate a frozen yoghurt bar as I was too hungry to wait for my lunch. I warmed up a portion of spaghetti and meatballs for lunch and then had to have a trip to the shop for some emergency lady items. Here’s what I bought with the prices in lira;

A101 Supermarket
1 chocolate biscuit 12.50
Haribo jellies 17.00
A 4 finger Dido 29.50
Sanitary Towels 95.00
Total spent 154.00 lira (£3.25)

Most shops in Dalyan don’t sell tampons so the best place to get them is the pharmacy, there is usually one open on Sundays somewhere in the town but I made do with what the nearest shop had.
Captain Caveman had been on the Sheffield Round Walk and sent me a photo from the top of a hill as he knew we had been on a walk today. He also decided to surprise my parents by calling in, on his way through Mosborough. He had messaged my Mom and she had messaged me to let me know that they weren’t available. My Mom and sister, Gayle, were at a spa for the weekend. Captain Caveman was a bit disappointed as I think he was looking forward to seeing them – it had been 4 months since the last time, over 2 of those had been living in the same town.
In the evening, I had warmed up curry and rice then briefed Edna about my plans for tomorrow as she was going to be in charge of things tomorrow morning, while I was in Fethiye. Within minutes of me turning on the TV and pouring a glass of wine, both dogs were snoring away.

Gratitude List
1. Sunday Walk with friends
2. Captain Caveman trying to visit my parents and sending me a photo from Sheffield
3. Frozen yoghurt bars.

Photo credit – Sunday Walk friends & Captain Caveman

Dalyan – 10th March

On Monday 10th March I awoke to a message from The Aussies that my book had arrived in Australia and Greg had sent me a selfie – the first one I received. He was excited to be the first person in Australia to read it, Amanda would be reading it after him. It felt so good to have friends’ support, particularly ones who travel a lot and who we met in the place most of the chapters describe. I was a bit nervous but excited to know what they thought of my ramblings. I had now sold around 20 books and I was looking forward to hearing the reviews.
To distract myself, I started my residency renewal preparation and had decided to save money and do it myself instead of using an agent, which can cost up to £250 on top of all the other things needed. After breakfast oats and banana cake and a cup of tea, I went off to the bank to get 6 months’ of bank statements printed out to show I had put in the required amounts to my Turkish bank account. The rules only asked for 33,156 lira (£705 approx at today’s rate) for the last 3 months but I had been putting in a little more, just in case.
On the way back from the bank I called at the shop and bought the following, prices in lira;

Migros Supermarket
1 plastic bag 0.50
Chocolate biscuits 19.00
Light yoghurt 28.12
Sweetcorn 32.50
Cheese spread 34.90
2 tins tomatoes 35.90
Mixed beans 39.95
1kg chicken breasts 156.10
2 packs of mozzarella cheese 199.80
Total spent 546.77 lira (£11.61)

Nanny Kay popped round for a cup of tea and Edna was beside herself to have a visitor – her first in the 2 weeks that I had been looking after the dogs. She wouldn’t leave Nanny Kay alone and even kept fetching her a toy to play with and throw for her. It might have been because I had treated us to biscuits, which Edna was not used to.
In the afternoon, in between work enquiries, I went through all of my bank statements to check that each month had more than the required amount in. March had in the exact amount right now but more was due to go in this week. I was so pleased I had managed it and was so hoping that I would get granted my 2 years renewal this time. They had changed the rules the day after I got my 6 month renewal last time and I had been so gutted to have missed out. I spoke to Captain Caveman who was in Sheffield and was suggesting I might want to consider asking an agent to do the residency to make sure that it would definitely get done on a 2 year basis. I explained the costs of the insurance was already going to be a lot and I should save money. I got in touch with Aytaç Saraymine at Saraymine Insurance Agency, as well as the one I already had 6 months left of my policy with, to get quotes for a 2 year policy as required for the residency application.
For dinner I had roasted vegetable and feta style cheese with pasta and it was really lovely. I then joined a Lisa Johnson live Q&A session to hear her answer any questions about her and her business.

Gratitude List
1. Seeing Nanny Kay
2. Knowing that I had managed to get the required amount of money in to my Turkish bank account for the last 6 months – it had not been easy after losing my job.
3. Lisa Johnson’s Q&A session.

Dalyan – 8th March

The first job of the day on Saturday 8th March was to make a shopping list while drinking a cup of tea. I decided I would go to the bank before the market so that I had enough cash to spend and then I could get some nice treats for the week. I also decided I would treat myself to a spinach gözleme (pancake) from the market for my breakfast. Here is what I bought on my first visit, prices in lira;

Market
Stall 1
Potatoes & red onions 35.00

Stall 2
Strawberries 150.00

Stall 3
Carrots, Mushrooms and Spinach 120.00

Stall 4
Spinach Gözleme 80.00

Total spent 385.00 Lira (£8.14)

I rushed back, bumping in to my parents’ neighbours as I had a call booked in but I was stopped in my tracks when I read some bad news. A Facebook friend and ex colleague, who was about 10 years younger than me, had died from Cancer after a reasonably short illness and chemo. Of course it really upset me, as this person had been so motivational in recent months and had helped to encourage me to get on with life in a much more positive way. I had a cry and felt too upset to even be able to respond to his wife just yet.
I had a video call with Vanessa, who was sympathetic and really helped to cheer me up, as she always does. While on the call, I realised that I had forgotten some things from the market so, blaming the menopause, I went back to the market for a second visit in the afternoon. Here’s what I bought with the prices in lira;

Market visit no.2
Stall 1
Tomatoes & apples 75.00

Stall 2
Peppers 40.00

Total Spent 115.00 lira (£2.43)

Just over £10.50 in total for the weekly fruit and vegetable shop plus breakfast didn’t seem too pricey to me. On the way back I also bought a comb as I was getting tired of having to remember which house my hairbrush was in. It cost 19.90 lira (42p) from Şevikoğlu supermarket, so was a bargain! I had some strawberries when I got back and I gave one each to the dogs as I had read that it was good for cleaning their teeth. Norman was not impressed but persevered and Edna wanted a second one – she will shove anything in her mouth, that girl!
For dinner I had a warmed up Sunday dinner (on a Saturday) which I had defrosted from the freezer, and it was so good. I refrained from any wine and was hoping to be 100% fit for tomorrow’s meeting up with friends.

Gratitude List
1. Being able to go to the market (twice)
2. Video call with Vanessa
3. Celebrating it being Women’s Day by simply being alive!

Dalyan – 6th March

I had something a bit different for breakfast on Thursday 6th March; soft cheese with fresh bread and a cup of Yorkshire tea. I cracked on with both work and attempting to get my book promoted over Facebook and by messaging people directly who had once shown an interest in it. The main countries I was having trouble getting it available in paperback was Turkey and Vietnam, which was a real shame given that’s where I had spent a lot of time. There was a planned power cut from 8.30am today which actually didn’t start until later. Edna took over from Norman as chair-dog as Norman was tired but Edna was nosey.
At lunch time I went to the shop to get a few treats. It was definitely obvious from what I bought that I was able to splash out a little more than usual, which was really nice, but I was still mindful of buying things that were on offer. Here’s what I bought and the prices in lira;

BIM Supermarket

Chewing gum 17.50
1 Chicken pot noodle 30.00
2 packets of crisps 31.00
1 pack of Naan bread 55.00
1kg Basmati rice 62.50
6 Dido Chocolate bars 87.00
250g Chocolate chips 89.00
1 Dubai Chocolate bar 120.00
2 packs of frozen Blueberries 220.00
Total spent 712.00 lira (£15.15)

This was quite an expensive shop for me but I was allowing myself to do that, the lira had also now reached 47 to the pound. By the time I got back to Jamie’s the power was back on but not the internet so I had a couple of sage teas, a Dido chocolate bar and a pot noodle for lunch.
The internet was back on in time for the Resort Experts team meeting at 2pm. Our focus areas today were a new CRM system, Last Minute Bookings and important events in the calendar.
After the team meeting and a dog walk, I tried Dubai chocolate – a first for me! It is really good and very unusual. For dinner I ate leftover chicken and mushroom stroganoff with garlic cabbage instead of rice and it was surprisingly tasty.

Gratitude List
1.Being able to buy treats in the shopping this week
2. A really good team meeting
3. Dubai Chocolate for the first time!

Dalyan – 4th & 5th March

Before breakfast on Tuesday 4th March, I had checked in with the dogs and had a video call with Captain Caveman. I made a Slimming World style pancake for breakfast with my cup of tea and then cracked on with work until midday. I had some bookings, one of which was for later in this month so I prepared the paperwork and some recommendations to support the booking. An interesting reason as to why I nearly didn’t get the booking is that the customer had thought that if I booked the holiday they wouldn’t get the same benefits and good deal as booking directly with Jet2 Holidays. As a Jet2 Agent I can book the exact same holiday with all the things included that you would get if booking direct and at no extra cost or detriment. Luckily, the customer told me this as I had no idea that some people wouldn’t realise how it worked. As I can use most of the holiday companies, I can search and book trade only deals as well as book any that the general public see. There are a couple of the less reputable companies that I don’t get involved with but I can pretty much book anything. Any commission I get is not paid by the customer but by the companies so it just means if you book through me, I get paid instead of it going to someone you don’t know.
I had more soup for lunch and had a little walk to sort laundry while taking the dogs over to Fire Opal and back. I had a cheese, walnut and sun dried tomato salad when I got peckish and then made a chicken stir fry with rice after an afternoon of work. I made more of the Slimming World style breakfast oat bake so that I had it for breakfasts and snacks.

Gratitude List
1. Pancake for breakfast
2. Believing that walnuts and iceberg lettuce is now a treat!
3. Finishing the week on only 180 syns.

I wasn’t quite sure what my weight was on weigh day, Wednesday 5th March. My measurements were very favourable this week; no change to my bust but 4cm off my waist and 3cm off my hips – just proving how having less bread really makes a difference. Both dogs were very snoozey still as I had my tea and toast for breakfast and then did a bit of admin before Turkish class. I paid 40 lira (86p) for a Turkish tea and 120 lira (£2.58) for the lesson at Lukka. The exchange rate had reached 46.6 lira to the pound now. It was cold out but sunny and dry and I had a bit of a wander round before lunch which was reheated chicken stir fry and rice.
When I got to Fat Club, I was pleased to find that Carol’s scales showed I was 0.65kg (1.4lb) lighter and easily under my target – it felt really good but I did have the ‘advantage’ of having been ill at the weekend. I bought a soda water at Nil Lounge which was 50 lira (£1.07) as I’d had too much tea already today. As my treat for this week, instead of wine, I had bread and an açma which I had with cheese. On my second visit to Fire Opal I noticed the building next door had the brick work almost finished but it looked quite shoddy. I was busy with work, dog walks and then getting excited that my book had been bought in Australia!!! I didn’t cook any dinner and just had a cheese and lettuce sandwich, which I loved.

Gratitude List
1. Losing weight this week
2. Açma and bread as a treat
3. ‘You Can’t Shit Yourself on a Bicycle’ being bought in Australia!

Dalyan – 2nd & 3rd March

At 3am on Sunday 2nd March I was wishing that the bathroom lay out had the sink and toilet closer to each other! The chicken kebab I had eaten last night was not quite as enjoyable on its way out. I was so ill and felt terrible. I spent a few hours in the bathroom before trying to go back to sleep but didn’t really manage it. I had to call in sick to the Sunday meet up and had at first thought it was because I wasn’t used to drinking so much wine these days. When I went to pick up the bag with the kebab wrapper in, to take to it out to the bin, it made me puke again. I was in a bad way most of the day but there was no rest as I had 2 holiday enquiries for last minute deals that needed focusing on. Luckily, I found some ginger and honey tea in the cupboard and the dogs gave me lots of love. Edna knew I was sick and kept herself near to me. I managed a short walk with them in the afternoon but didn’t eat anything until late afternoon and then I managed toast and a cup of tea.
I eventually ate a proper meal at almost dinner time, of curry with a wrap. After finishing off some work and lining up a couple more bookings for March, I had a lazy evening and watched TV. I was in bed relatively early and ready for a busy Monday.

Gratitude List
1. The kebab syns might not have stayed in long enough to count
2. Ginger tea
3. Norman and Edna being so easy to look after when I was feeling delicate.

I started the day with tea and toast while feeling a lot more human again on Monday 3rd March. Edna was overly fussy as she wanted to check I was well again, while Norman was wondering why we were all up so early.
Rain was forecast so I took my laundry home, called at the bank and went to the shops to buy provisions while waiting for UK work related people to wake up. Here’s what I bought with the prices in lira;

Migros Supermarket
1 tin of tomatoes 21.95
1 wholemeal loaf 49.95
Walnuts 65.90
576g of chicken breasts 120.96
Total spent 258.76 lira (£5.64)

I had 2 bookings to complete plus more enquiries today so things were definitely looking good for holiday bookings as more people got ready to book their breaks.
I had leek and potato soup for lunch and had made a chicken and mushroom stroganoff in the slow cooker for dinner. I enrolled on a Planner Ideation course with Claire Clarke who I had briefly worked with before and had last spoke to her before I published my book. I was very busy after the dog walk and, when I dialled in to a Lisa Johnson Make Money Online Masterclass, the electric went off and I couldn’t continue the webinar.

Gratitude List
1. Enrolling on a course with Claire Clarke
2. Being in a position to apply for residency now
3. Treats of walnuts in my shopping.

Dalyan – 23rd February

There was no Sunday Walk, secret squirrel or otherwise, on Sunday 23rd February. It was just too cold so I had arranged to meet some friends at Kefal Tea Gardens (indoor area) for a bit of a send-off for Zen. He was going back to work so it would be the last time we saw him until mid-April. We decided on meeting at 11.30am and joining the big table there were 8 of us. I wrapped up warm as it looked so sunny but was very cold outside.

When I arrived, the waitress helped me to move the tables in to place, in a sunny corner of the indoor area. I ordered a large Turkish tea, there were no gözleme available today. Everyone arrived and we had a good chat and beverages before ordering food. I ordered the breakfast portion (without egg) and it was rather substantial for the price of 225.00 lira (£5). I even took some of it away as I couldn’t eat it all. The sun had been very warm where we were sitting so it was very nice to feel hot and I even had to take a few layers off. My total bill with 2 teas, plus another which came included with the breakfast, came to just 255.00 lira (£5.67). I really enjoyed my Sunday Turkish brunch with friends but we were all sad to say bye to Zen.
I got back in time to have a chat with a friend, living in Hoi An, Vietnam, as we were looking at planning a trip to Easter Island and Peru for her. Unfortunately, she had an incident at work so the call was put on hold. Around 5pm, I popped to the shops and here is what I bought with prices in lira;

Şok Supermarket
Fresh Garlic 64.90
Tomato Ketchup 39.00
Total spent 103.90 lira (£2.31)

Migros Supermarket
2 tins of tomatoes 44.92 lira (£1)

I still hadn’t managed to find a notepad and I had an important call tomorrow that I needed one for. After eating a chicken dinner, I went to look for a notepad. None of the nearest supermarkets had one but I bumped in to Kaan who took me to the Şevikoğlu where I got one for 49.90 lira (£1.11) in the sale. I walked back and called in BIM where I bought a couple of Dido chocolate bars for 39.00 lira (87p). I spoke to Captain Caveman who was in the Yorkshire Dales, he would be back in Dalyan in 5 weeks.
At 11pm I was on a live Facebook update with Lisa Johnson getting ready for tomorrow’s Race to Recurring Revenue, which I was really looking forward to.

Gratitude List
1. Breakfast at Kefal with friends
2. An enquiry for Peru
3. A new notepad finally purchased.

Dalyan – 21st & 22nd February

On Friday 21st February it was absolutely freezing. After tea and toast for breakfast and a couple of enquiries for Rhodes and Belfast I nipped to the bank to make sure I had put in the rest of the money needed for February. I was chuffed to have managed it and it meant that I would be able to apply for my Residency Renewal after the 1st March when I had the evidence in bank statements for the last 6 months. New cash machines had been installed so the queue took longer as people tried to figure out how to use them.
I had the rest of the feta and roasted vegetable pasta for lunch and then got back on with work. I have a Resort Experts colleague in Belfast who was able to give me some great tips on where to visit – so much so that I added Belfast to my own list of places to visit in the future. I completed all of my follow up calls that had agreed to them but I still had 2 potential customers that had not responded yet. I also got an enquiry for Vietnam about what the weather is like in March, and often people don’t realise how long the country is so there is quite a difference from North to South.
Dinner was more of the spaghetti and meatballs with half a bottle of red wine and catching up on watching episodes of ‘The Apprentice’. It is my guilty pleasure as it often reminds me of people I have worked with previously and I absolutely love Alan Sugar.
Captain Caveman messaged me at midnight to ask about the weather in Dalyan in April for a friend who was interested in a visit and, again, it can depend; sometimes it’s been hot and sunny and other years it’s been chilly or rainy.

Gratitude List
1. Completing all my Friday Follow up calls
2. Leftover meatballs
3. Wine.

Market day was upon us again on Saturday 22nd February and I decided I needed to go. I had quite a big list of what I thought I needed but I didn’t get there until lunch time. It had been so cold during the night and I was glad to have had 2 quilts plus extra blankets on the bed. I worked all morning as I was still working on 3 enquiries while I ate breakfast of tea and toast with cheese spread on. At the market, it was really cold in the shade so I didn’t hang about. Here’s what I bought with the prices in lira;

Stall 1
Onions 20.00 lira (44p)

Stall 2
Bananas, strawberries, mushrooms and a pineapple 445.00 lira (£9.89)

Stall 3
Peppers and courgettes 45.00 lira (£1)

Total spent 510 lira (£11.33)

This week I’d spent a bit more as I had treated myself to strawberries and a massive pineapple, but I thought it was worth the extra. After putting the shopping away and doing more work in the afternoon, I had a quick break. I went to Tez bar, just as the sun was going behind the mountains, for a wine with friends. I helped them with a search for a hotel in Rhodes. My wine cost me 170 lira (£3.78). After saying my farewells to my friends, I went to the supermarket. Here’s what I bought with the prices in lira;

Migros Supermarket
1 Bounty chocolate bar 34.90
1.5kg Washing Powder 89.95
A 1.6kg whole chicken 116.92
400g pack of fish fingers 159.95
Total spent 401.72 lira (£8.93)

The fish fingers were a bit of a luxury but were on offer, inspired by Captain Caveman after he had told me he had a fish finger sandwich so I had been fancying fish fingers ever since. I made a Slimming World style pizza using veg and meatballs for dinner as I’d only had a bit of fruit with Quark for lunch. I also had wine and later had a second dinner as I was still hungry; fish fingers with potato wedges.

Gratitude List
1. Getting to help more people find good holidays
2. Having my colleagues in the destinations to ask questions of
3. Having a catch up with friends.

Dalyan & Göcek – 20th February

On Thursday 20th February I had an impromptu trip out, as Carol from Fat Club had found herself at a loose end. I said I would go with her to Göcek while her fella had band practice at home. I had a few hours spare so it was good timing. I went to the bank and drew out some money in case I saw anything that I needed (not wanted, I was still at the prioritising purchases stage). Carol picked me up about 11am and we drove to Göcek while chatting on. The toll for the tunnel was now a whopping 60 lira (£1.33) which I had seen a few moans on social media about. We had a wander round and I ended up getting quite a few items, see below with prices in lira;

Bella Maison
1 Cheese Grater 182.99 lira (£4.06)

Macrocenter Supermarket
2 Quark 35.00
Garlic Powder 49.95
1 pack Sun Dried tomatoes 49.95
1 lettuce 59.95
1kg baby potatoes 72.05
Total spent 301.90 lira (£6.71)

Levissi Wine House
6 bottles of Gamay Red wine 900 lira (£20)

Watson’s
1 Facemask 29.95
2 packs of wet wipes 38.95
Lense wipes 49.95
Hand cream 69.95
Total spent 188.80 lira (£4.20)

The council café
1 Large tea 15.00
1 Black coffee 50.00
Total spent 65.00 lira (£1.44)

I’d been looking for a proper cheese grater for ages and this one was reduced from 600 lira (£13.33) which I would never had paid. The whole Bella Maison shop had a 70% discount off but I resisted the urge to buy anything that I didn’t need. I was particularly impressed with the Macrocenter which had an amazing selection of booze. I was tempted by the Kahlua for 750 lira (£16.67) as I’m partial to a White Russian and had vodka at home. I resisted, of course, and turned away from looking at the Prosecco.
Although I didn’t ‘need’ wine, I decided that I would always want to buy wine and the 6 bottles was the equivalent of paying for 1 bottle out in a bar so it made practical sense, while it was still on offer. It was also currently my favourite wine in Turkey and I was using money I had been given as a gift. The lady recognised me from previous visits and even gave me and Carol a free bottle and told us we had to share it. That was sweet and Carol kept it in her car so that she didn’t drink it and we could have it together another time. I went a bit mad in Watson’s, which is like a cheap Superdrug, and then I treated Carol to a coffee at the council run cafe. It had been a great trip out and all for less than £40 spent – hopefully I was still within the monthly budget and would make sure I was careful for the next week.
I got straight back on with work while eating a cheese sandwich and carried on until late. I warmed up a spaghetti with meatballs for dinner and drank sage tea. Before 11pm, I had a call with Captain Caveman who had been busy with work.

Gratitude List
1. An impromptu trip to Göcek with Carol
2. Being able to afford some small luxuries
3. Having beef for dinner which was really tasty.

Dalyan – 18th & 19th February

It had warmed up to 13°C on Tuesday 18th February but it was cloudy and wet so it looked like a day at the laptop in my office today. I had tea and toast for breakfast, then snaffled some wine gums mid-morning with my sage tea. In between work enquiries, I managed to go online and pay the rest of my credit card balance off, which I was pleased with – this Frugal February was starting to reap the rewards. By lunch time I was having vegetable soup with pasta. I was busy in the afternoon, which was good.
For dinner I made myself a chicken, mushroom, onion, cabbage and cashew nut stir fry with noodles and it was surprisingly tasty. In the evening I looked at holiday deals for myself, looking forward to having some income and going on some holidays of my own later in the year. Of course, I was sensible and didn’t book anything.

Gratitude List
1. Being debt free
2. Having discipline to keep going
3. Cashew nuts – they were previously classed as a luxury.

I was back to having overnight oats with frozen berries for breakfast on Wednesday 19th February. Having had a total of 210 syns for the week, it was not unexpected that I may have put weight on this week. On the home scales I had stayed the same and my measurements showed I had lost 2cm from my bust, but put 4cm on my waist and 2cm on my hips – that wasn’t good!
I worked all morning as my Turkish class was cancelled and I had a Webinar training session on Family Favourite holidays over lunch time. I just nibbled on cheese and an apple as I didn’t really have time to make anything before facing Carol’s scales at Fat Club. Once there, I got a lovely surprise to find out that I had put on just 0.3kg (0.7lb) on but was still under my target, just! On the way home I called at the bakery and supermarket to grab a few provisions, here’s what I bought with the prices in lira;

Parlak Bakery
1 loaf 15.00
1 simit 15.00
Total spent 30.00 lira (68p)

Migros Supermarket
3 cartons tomato purée 32.85
1 wholemeal loaf 49.90
Feta style cheese 139.90
Total spent 222.65 lira (£5.06)

For dinner I made a really healthy concoction and resisted the urge to drink wine. I put courgette, onion, tomatoes, peppers and olives in a tray with feta cheese and baked it in the oven. I added oregano and cooked pasta to make a lovely meal which I had seconds left over for tomorrow.

Gratitude List
1. Still being under my target weight
2. Free Webinar training sessions
3. Being able to go shopping and still be within my budget.

Dalyan – 17th February

On Monday 17th February I tried on the clothes which Janet had given me after, yesterday. They were a smaller size and all of them except for one thing fitted me, so I was pleased as they were really lovely. I had tea and toast for breakfast then got on with some work before having leek & potato soup for lunch. After finishing work for the afternoon, I popped to the bakery to buy some treats for my hosts this evening. Our friends, Sezgin and Nur, had invited me to a family dinner with them and, although they said not to bring anything, I wanted to get something nice for us to share. I also popped to the shops for some essentials.
Here are the prices of what I bought, in lira:

Parlak Bakery
1 Orange Cake 50.00
1 Carrot Cake 50.00
0.5kg Baklava 480.00
Total spent 580.00 lira (£13.18)

Şok Supermarket
Oregano 5.25
Pasta 12.75
Jellies 34.00
Total spent 52.00 lira (£1.18)

The reason I bought the cake was in case anyone was allergic to nuts but it turned out they both had nuts in anyway. The family are so welcoming and Nur had been cooking away in the kitchen to prepare a feast. We had chicken, fava bean purée, red cabbage tarator, spinach and potatoes. It was really tasty and there was plenty of wine, which Sezgin kept topping up and insisted I finished the bottle! It was a great night and like an extension of the weekend, I hoped I wouldn’t be hung over tomorrow.

Gratitude List
1. Treats from the shops
2. Getting together with my Turkish friends
3. A delicious dinner and lots of wine.

Dalyan – 9th February

Sunday 9th February was still pretty cold as I went to meet friends for a Sunday stroll. I’d had a cup of tea and some overnight oats for breakfast and we aimed to walk to Gunlüklü and back. I hoped my feet would be ok as my trainers had fallen apart and my wellies still smelled of shit so I had to wear my Vietnamese porter sandals. I put an ankle support on my sore ankle to help and had a pair of socks in my bag, just in case. The walk was very nice but we did go back to show the others Shits Creek where Debbie and I got a bit of a surprise. The road with all the puddles on had been levelled off and the manure in the arık had been ‘tidied up’ somewhat. In the dry weather it did look as if it would have been impossible for the incident I had previously found myself in, to have happened without noticing. We had a cup of tea at the Gunlüklü, walked past the dinosaur and, at the end, decided to go to Kaunos tea gardens. By which time it was a bit warmer and we decided to have some food, even though my tummy had been iffy this morning. I had a sage tea and a chicken sandwich which was fantastic for 165 lira (£3.75).

On the way back home I decided to pop to the supermarket, here’s what I bought with prices in lira:

Migros Supermarket
Onions 15.52
Chickpeas 30.95
3 Didos 35.50
2 Quark 70.00
Cashew nuts 84.50
Meatballs 188.95
7% fat beef mince 215.95
Total spent 642.37 lira (£14.60)

It was a sign I had increased my monthly budget, as I was splashing out on nuts and beef in the same shopping trip!
I was meant to be meeting Jamie and his friend, Aimee, to celebrate her birthday but I lost my phone, which turned out to have fallen out of my pocket in Migros. When I went back the girl who found it had put it in the till, which was so good of her. Once home and after a hot shower, I did a couple of email replies, then realised I needed to rest my foot and didn’t go to join Jamie, Aimee and Scott. I ended up having left over Sunday dinner and painkillers that night and staying in. Before bed I had a sage tea and a Dido chocolate bar.

Gratitude List
1. Sunday Walk with friends
2. Ankle Support bandages
3. Dido chocolate bars.

Photo Credit – some photos by Debbie, the last one from Captain Caveman on his Sunday walk in the UK

Dalyan – 6th & 7th February

I woke up to exciting news on Thursday 6th February; my book ‘You Can’t Shit Yourself on a Bicycle….….and other handy travel tips’ was published on Kobo 2 days earlier than expected. I was an author! People could now buy my eBook on Kobo and read 12 chapters of what not to do in various situations while abroad. It was an informative short book aimed at helping people like me who had never travelled to Vietnam or South East Asia before. I hoped my reader could get an idea how to experience better travel and have a few laughs at the situations they may find themselves in. My target audience was me, 15 years ago! I was a bit taken aback as I wasn’t expecting it to be published so fast but when I logged in to see it, the Kobo website told me I couldn’t buy my own book, as I was in Turkey. I sent the link to a Turkish friend to see if he could help in any way, but he couldn’t view it either. I also now had to figure out how to check it and get it marketed so that people would buy it. I’d had so many people say they would, while I was writing it, so I hoped so – I wanted to make a series of amusing handy travel tip books so that I could eventually get them published in book shops at airports. I would only make about £3-£4 per book so I couldn’t afford to set the price any lower than I had. I decided to see how it went, after all I do a blog for free so those readers might possibly support me as well as Facebook friends. I worked out that if I wanted the books to sell enough to support my residency in Turkey, I would need to sell at least 8 per day on each and every day of the year. I shared the link with The Aussies as Kobo can be used in Australia but they said they preferred to wait for the physical copy to be available. Kobo was eBook only.
Jamie popped round to bring me 2 light fittings that he didn’t want, but Captain Caveman did, and we had a hot beverage and a chat. I told him about me becoming an author of a handy travel tips book and he too said he would like the physical copy, not an eBook. I messaged my Mom and she was also in favour of a physical copy of the book so it looked like I needed to work out how to get that sorted out.

I had more of Captain Caveman’s veggie soup with pasta for lunch and it was really tasty.
Our team meeting with Resort Experts was at 2pm where Jamie did an update about Turkey which was really good. After that, I cracked back on with more work and then decided to pop to the shops as I had run out of Fabric Softener. I made the mistake of going before eating dinner and bought some treats plus a whole chicken which was on offer. Here’s what I bought with the prices in lira;

Migros Supermarket (6.30pm)
1 Bounty chocolate bar 34.90
1 pack Marshmallows 34.95
1l Pink Grapefruit 39.90
Lentils 39.95
Fabric Softener 95.95
A 2.3kg chicken 182.57
Total spent 428.22 lira (£9.73)

It was a sign I had upped the budget this month as I seemed to be doing Frivolous February, instead of Frugal February.
I warmed up some of the leftover vegetable curry for dinner with steamed rice and decided to finish off the rest of the wine I had opened yesterday. At 9pm I had a video call with Vanessa who is back in Sheffield and was asking how we were both doing in our new jobs. She was hoping to catch up with Captain Caveman since they were both in the same city. We were on the phone for about 2 hours talking about anything and everything and it was nice to speak to a Dalyan friend who knows me well. When I told her about my newly published book she was up for buying it once it was available on Amazon for her Kindle!

Gratitude List
1. Having my book published on Kobo
2. Free light fittings from Jamie
3. Catching up with Vanessa.

When I woke up on Friday 7th February, it was so cold at only 3°C, with a feels like -1°C because of the wind. I stayed in my office with the AC on until the sun came out enough to warm the room up a bit more. I had wholemeal toast with cheese spread for breakfast and then had a hot chocolate with marshmallows mid-morning to keep warm. I worked all morning and signed up from some ad-hoc free trainings and webinars to increase my earning potential and freshen up my sales skills. After more soup at lunch, I finished off all my follow ups and then decided I was going to tackle Amazon KDP once again. Captain Caveman had suggested I set up a new email and reregister just for the purpose of the book(s), so I did, and faffed about for ages trying to load my manuscript on to their bespoke system in the right format. I worked on it for so long that I forgot to have any dinner and later had cheese and wine before bed. I also got a message from Vanessa to say she had sorted out a suitcase for Captain Caveman to use to bring over to Dalyan at the end of March – this was so good of her!

Gratitude List
1. Finally getting somewhere with Amazon KDP
2. Managing to stay warm in my spare room/office
3. Helpful friends in Sheffield.

Dalyan – 5th February

I did my measurements first thing on Wednesday 5th February; I had put 1cm on my bust and waist, my hips had stayed the same – all were under or on target, though, so I was pleased. On the home scales I had put on a slight amount of 0.15kg (0.3lb) so we would see what Carol’s scales said later at Fat Club.
For breakfast I had green tea and a pink grapefruit then finished off a bit of admin. I got dressed in what I thought was suitable clothing, given the sun was streaming in, but I was taken aback when I got outside. It was really cold and windy but luckily I had my big coat as I went to Turkish class. It was the first one back after Christmas and was at Ela’s Kitchen. It’s nice there but the smell of the bacon and sausages cooking is like torture when I had to resist before Fat Club later. I spent 80 lira (£1.82) on a cup of Yorkshire tea and enjoyed it.
I got busy with enquiries and had to just go to Fat Club for the weighing and then leave. Surprisingly, I had lost 0.4kg (0.9lb) on Carol’s scales, taking me back to under my target! I quickly called at the shop on the way home and here’s what I bought, prices in lira;

Migros Supermarket
1 carton of Tomato puree 21.95
1 can of Chickpeas 30.95
Cheese spread 39.50
2 large packets of crisps 42.00
1 wholemeal loaf 59.75
Frozen fruit 134.95
Total spent 367.05 (£8.34)

I also got a chocolate croissant from the bakery but I forgot how much I paid exactly (less than £1).

Our team meeting tonight was now moved to Thursday afternoon, which was better for me.
I shoved a load of veg, chickpeas and some spices in the slow cooker to make a veggie curry for tonight’s dinner as I had invited a friend over for wine. I worked until 6pm when I found myself researching more than I needed for a Japan enquiry. Did you know there’s a Capybara Café where you can pet them while having a drink?
My friend came over and we enjoyed the Levissi wine and our veggie curry – it must have been good as we had seconds, and chatted until almost midnight.

Gratitude List
1. Losing weight and being back under target
2. Turkish class
3. Wine and curry night.