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!
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.
On Friday 3rd April I started the laborious task of moving all the missing Supplier data from our Resort Expert spreadsheets to the new Zone database. It wasn’t the most exciting job I’d taken on but it certainly wasn’t the worst and, for a bit of extra cash, I was happy to plough through it. A lot of the Dalyan Dwellers were going to be out on the town over the weekend as lots of bars and restaurants were opening up this weekend to start the 2026 season. By me working and not going out, I was going to be saving money as well as earning it, by not spending it on drinking. I had a few messages and voice notes from friends requesting my time and attention this weekend. Most acknowledged that I was working all weekend but still wanted to know if we could go out for a drink or meet up. I explained I was busy and that I wouldn’t be drinking until I had the weekend job completed. I couldn’t do this level of detail with a hangover and it’s never just 1 glass with a lot of my Dalyan friends. When I take something on I do it, and I like to do it well so I was keen to get on with the job. I had a feeling I would get more requests to go out so I put my phone on silent and cracked on. I also decided to sign up to a group programme with Georgina Chapman (copywriter) and Holly Frances (Tech whizz) so that they could help me get my copy and tech sorted ready for promoting my own products (books and digital travel products). I didn’t get in touch with Captain Caveman as I knew he was working all weekend too. I had a homemade curry for dinner then went over to The Aussies around 7.30pm for cheese, snacks and gin. They had brought me gifts of butter and a South Korean rice wine flavoured with lemon, which was so kind. I had a really good night with them and we planned to see more of each other in the next 12 days. The rain was quite heavy so I didn’t leave until midnight, having just had 2 gin and tonics all evening. As I walked home a storm started and it was pretty torrential just after I got home.
Gratitude List 1. Having work to do over the weekend for extra cash 2. Being disciplined to saying no to drinking with Dalyan Dwellers 3. Joining the Neon Nook with Georgina and Holly.
I had a video call with Captain Caveman on the morning of Saturday 4th April. He was fuming as the weekend Easter work, that he had been scheduled to start in London yesterday, had been changed. Without being informed, he had been switched to work in Bristol on Tuesday and had been given the whole of the Easter weekend off. This went against Captain Caveman’s plans as he was meant to be in Sheffield on Tuesday to meet with the estate agent and move in to his new flat. I was also very annoyed as I could have booked a £30 flight to go see Captain Caveman for Easter in London. By this time it was too late for me to go to the market and it looked like rain anyway so I decided to make do with what I had. I worked more on the supplier list for Resort Experts after looking at flights to go to Captain Caveman tonight for a £100. We decided against it as he had to work all week in Bristol so I would only be there for the weekend. I tried my best to ignore more messages from friends who were chomping at the bit to get me to go out drinking. I said a firm no and that I would only go once I’d finished this job. Instead, I had a bolognese for lunch, worked hard for the rest of the day, also quoted some holidays for clients too and then had a chickpea curry for dinner when I finished work at 7.30pm. I was going to have a walk outside for fresh air and a trip to the off licence for some wine but I couldn’t. I’d had messages from the usual various Dalyan Dwellers to say to come join them in Tez bar, Corner bar or Sofra bar but I didn’t want to drink too much and I was knackered. I stayed in and made myself a White Russian (as I had no wine at home) and fell asleep on the sofa, while attempting to catch up on my writing. At least I’d had another zero spend day today, even if it hadn’t been intentional.
Gratitude List 1. Getting to speak to Captain Caveman 2. Working hard to save money 3. Good homemade food and a zero spend day.
On Wednesday 1st April I woke up much earlier than I would’ve liked, now that I didn’t have to get up for Norman. April started off with me trying to decide if I could maintain the £10 per day budget for another month – I had proved it could be done but it wasn’t easy. I had friends here, I’d been invited to events and outings plus a boat trip booked in and a trip to the hairdresser’s. So, realistically, I really should try to keep my spending to a minimum even though Captain Caveman had offered to continue to support me, as needed. The minimum wage for a Turkish person was 33,000 lira (£550) per month and I was trying to ensure I lived below that. I didn’t have rent or electricity to pay out of that, though, so I didn’t know how the locals were managing to live. A 1 bedroom apartment in Dalyan was costing over 20,000 lira (£339) now.
I got weighed to find I had put on 0.6kg (1.3lb) using my home scales but my measurements were more favourable; no change to my bust or hips but 3cm off my waist. At Fat Club I did better on Carol’s scales but had still put on 0.35kg (0.8lb). I spent just 30 lira (51p) on water and resisted the very tempting cookies at Ren Garden. I called at Migros after the group meet up and bought the following, prices in lira;
Migros Supermarket
Green peppers 56.04 Red peppers 58.64 Olives 61.50 6 eggs 72.95 Cashew nuts 95.00 2 Quark 111.90 Cheese 166.90 Total spent 622.93 lira (£10.56)
After work I had arranged to meet The Aussies, Amanda and Greg, for the opening of Lukka bar. It’s one of the closest bar and restaurants to where I live and the owners, Mehmet and Katrina are friends of mine. In my honest opinion this place is not for cheap chasers as they tend to have higher prices than some of the popular places with expats, however, I like the location, the staff and the quality so it’s been on my favourites list for a number of years. We’d said 6pm and I got there on time and waited for my friends who are usually late, I met the new staff and spoke to Mehmet, the owner. Lukka bar had been decorated and it was much more red and black, which looked good. I ordered a soda water while I waited for my friends. I wasn’t planning on eating at Lukka as I had food out of the freezer but my friends wanted to. They ordered gin and tonic and whiskey sours so I ordered a glass of Angora red wine. Amanda ordered a satay chicken and Greg ordered another chicken dish with a sauce so I just ordered a starter of the garlic mushrooms. Incidentally, when we ordered our meals, we were asked if we had any allergies and Mehmet even checked if I could eat bread with my mushrooms and that I wasn’t gluten free. He let me know that this year they were going to be able to do gluten free meals and gluten free bread – this was good for my Coeliac sister who was visiting this summer.
The food was excellent and was still the old menu while the new chef and staff got up to speed. The service was good too and not intrusive. Although Lukka is certainly not the cheapest place in town, I didn’t think it extortionate by any means. Here’s what I paid for what I had;
1 Soda water 70 lira (£1.19) 1 glass Angora red wine 250 lira (£4.24) 1 Garlic mushrooms 300 lira (£5.08) Tip 100 (£1.69) Total spent 720 lira (£12.20)
It was a really good evening, despite the torrential rain by the time we were leaving. The Aussies went off to meet friends at Corner bar but I was good and went home for an early night. As I climbed in to bed, Captain Caveman was leaving Saigon to fly back to Heathrow. He would land at 3pm tomorrow and be back at work on Friday.
Gratitude List
1. The Fat Club group 2. Meeting up with The Aussies 3. A great night out at Lukka bar.
My first job of the day on Sunday 29th March was to check the expenditure for the last week. I’d spent only £28.64 this week and had 4 zero spend days and 5 zero alcohol days. Things were back on track. I did still have 3 days left in March and I needed to buy some things so I would see if I could keep this up through to the next month. The sun was back out after a very wet and stormy day yesterday so I took Norman out for a walk and Nanny Kay popped round. I also did some writing, ate my Sunday dinner for lunch at 4pm and worked until gone 6pm. Over in a very hot and sticky Southern Vietnam, Captain Caveman had completed the 300km of his charity cycling event and was almost broken. He was very pleased to have raised a great amount of money for Saigon Children’s Charity and said he was going to do it again next year, too. We discussed me coming over to Vietnam and decided we would both go together next year as I had missed being there to support him. At 7.30pm I took myself off to the shops and decided to treat myself, here’s what I bought with prices in lira;
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.
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.
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;
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.
On Thursday 19th March I was busy but doing the bit of my job I enjoy most – speaking to potential and existing customers. I made myself some fresh orange juice to have with my homemade lentil soup for a late lunch and it was very good. The oranges from Kate were just so juicy and tasted of sunshine. I spoke to Captain Caveman who was flying to Vietnam tomorrow so was busy getting everything ready. He had also moved out of the house in Pontefract and was hoping to be living in Sheffield when he returned in April. In the evening I decided a walk by the river was a good idea, despite it being dark already, and I called to the off licence for a bottle of wine. It wasn’t in the budget but I felt I needed it and it was just 300 lira (£5.08) for the one I liked. I called at the bank and took out some cash for the market this weekend. Back home I had another chat with Captain Caveman as I was trying to plan when to visit him in the UK. I had seen a cheap flight for Easter but he said not to bother as he had volunteered to work all of it. We discussed May and June but he couldn’t commit to where he would be and nothing got agreed. Later I enjoyed a glass of wine while I caught up on my blogging.
Gratitude List 1. Fresh orange juice 2. Speaking to Captain Caveman 3. A lovely glass of red wine.
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).
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!
It was an interesting day on Sunday 15th March; I’d already turned down an invite to a boat trip with a friend so that I could get on with tasks that I needed to do. I had something exciting brewing with regards to my books but I couldn’t say anything yet, mainly as I didn’t have all the information. It was Mother’s Day in the UK but they don’t celebrate it in Turkey. I messaged Mom to see when I could call as I didn’t know if she might be doing something with my sister. I tootled off to meet Nanny Kay, Jamie, Drew and Norman in Luvi, a cafe I’d not really taken any notice of before. It’s next door to Mimi’s and near Ozzy’s Bar in the square next to Migros. It took a short while to order a hot chocolate on account of the staff making the others’ 3 drinks but it was worth the wait and cost 140 lira (£2.37), it wasn’t much more for wine and the wine by the bottle was reasonable, I noted. The cafe was nice and Norman got some attention. I decided to call to see if there was any chicken on offer on the way back, and I had run out of oats. I was in luck and here’s what I bought with prices in lira;
I had a bit of a fiasco with trying to log in to my Amazon account, which was irritating because I needed access for the important meeting I had booked in for tomorrow. That was frustrating as I was sure I had the right details. In the afternoon I walked over to Vanessa’s, while eating a banana in place of breakfast or lunch, and had a cup of tea with her and Matt and picked up a bag of oranges. Vanessa and I decided to have a walk round town and called at the tea gardens, it was incredibly busy. We’d already seen Mark, Kate, Pamela and Glynn in Efe bar when Vanessa dropped a scarf off for someone who had left it. Next, we went to Public bar for a glass of wine. It’s one of the more expensive places at 180 lira (£3.05) for a white wine and we shared a soda. I was getting peckish and thought I might order food at Public but resisted and we called at the supermarket. Vanessa recommended some chicken pieces that were a bit like a KFC and I decided to buy those. A bag of them was only 189 lira (£3.20) so much cheaper than eating out and I had wraps at home already, so that was late lunch and early dinner sorted. In the evening I had a video call with my Mom to wish her Happy Mother’s Day.
Gratitude List 1. Cancelled plans 2. Catching up with Vanessa 3. Chicken wrap at home.
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.
I was so busy on Tuesday 10th March, the day started with the banana cake and tea and then I was in the office until 3pm. I bought Captain Caveman’s annual Earthquake Insurance for 1,797 lira (£30) as well as the annual home insurance for 10,723 lira (£182). I now use Aytaç Burçak of Saraymine Sigorta for all our insurances as he knows what he’s doing and is easy to do business with. I needed some essentials and some lunch so, at 3.30pm I took a break and went to the shops. Here’s what I got with prices in lira;
Parlak Bakery 1 Bread 15 1 simit 15 Total spent 30 lira (51p)
Migros Supermarket Bin Liners 29.95 4 Quark 180.00 Total spent 209.95 lira (£3.56)
I got as many Quark as I could because they were on offer. Back home I ate the simit with cheese, olives and gherkins for a very late lunch, before getting back to my desk. There was still no email or sign of pay from Resort Experts but I was reliably informed it could sometimes be as late as the 14th so I waited patiently. I arranged for some quotes for home repairs to be done by Leanne at King Emlak and then I finished a busy day around 6.30pm.
I went to meet friends who were back from the UK and had brought me butter back. When I got to Corner Bar, I ordered a red wine, and found out my friends had forgotten the butter! Still, it was nice to see them as I don’t get out an awful lot these days and they always make an effort to check on me, which is nice. I paid 170 lira (£2.88) for a glass of wine, but limited it as I had Fat Club tomorrow! Jamie walked past and was with Norman, the dog, Drew and his sister-in-law and her friend so we all did the usual hellos and Norman got a stroke. Back home I had curry for dinner and then did some writing. I hoped I’d done enough this week to lose some weight at Fat Club tomorrow.
Over my morning tea and toast on Sunday 1st March, I checked my blog stats. I had just 1% more views in February than January. Interestingly, I had viewers from a country which wasn’t previously on my viewers list, let alone at number 4: 1. UK 2. USA 3. Türkiye 4. Israel 5. Australia 6. Vietnam 7. Hong Kong 8. Ireland 9. Canada 10. Sweden
Because I had taken Friday and Saturday off to accommodate Captain Caveman being here and the postponed boat trip, today was spent in the spare room/office catching up and drinking tea which I made with my new kettle! I loved the new kettle but I did think I might need to be careful about increasing the amount of caffeine I consumed. I consciously made sure today was a zero spend and zero alcohol day but tomorrow I did need to go food shopping as I didn’t have much in, especially as I had missed the Saturday market yesterday. I decided to set my budget for the first week of the new month at just £50, although strictly speaking I could have put it at £140 – I chose not to so that £90 could go in to my emergency/travel fund. Captain Caveman got back fine and I had my first proper meal of the day at 8.20pm, just a pasta dish that I knocked up. I’d not even left the house today.
Gratitude List 1. Catching up on stuff after 2 days off 2. Having good blog stats 3. A zero spend day to get me back on track.
After tea, toast and a couple of hours of work on Monday 2nd March, I decided to pop to the shops to stock back up. Here’s what I bought with prices in lira:
I’ve been buying my milk in small cartons to reduce waste. If I buy a normal sized carton, there’s a chance I don’t use it all before it goes off and I don’t like to waste it. I had tried putting it in to ice cube trays but I’m not convinced it’s as good with my Yorkshire tea. There was also a shortage of meat on the shelves so I would have to try again later or tomorrow. While I was looking at my copy of ‘The Handy Travel Planner’, which I’m using a lot, I noticed I’d already added Israel and Iran to countries I wouldn’t visit, before any war started. The planner was proving to be better than I thought for mult-trip planning. I had a check of flights to the UK to see Captain Caveman when he returned from Vietnam at Easter. I could get a one way without luggage for £30 and I almost booked it. It’s a good job I didn’t as Captain Caveman said not to bother as he was down to work on site over the Easter weekend. We toyed with the idea of me going back at the end of April/beginning of May but the flight prices were higher, my parents were arriving in Dalyan around then and I was looking forward to seeing them. I didn’t book anything and decided to see how things went. That evening I had been invited round to dinner with Jamie, Drew and Nanny Kay so I called at the Yaman Büfe 2, off licence, and picked up a bottle of wine for 300 lira (£5.08). When I got there Jamie ordered me a phone case from Trendyol as he’s got an account and I gave him the 400 lira (£6.78) cash for it. I had no idea if this was a good deal but to me it felt like an absolute bargain to not have a broken phone if I should drop it. Norman was pleased to have visitors and he was keen to get a snaffle of something, as usual. We discussed requirements for his 15th birthday and Nanny Kay very kindly agreed to make a carrot cake for the occasion. We had a lovely homemade meal of shepherd’s pie and plenty of wine. It was pretty late when I got home having had a good day where I’d spent a total of £22.78, mainly as I had only done half a good shop.
Gratitude List 1. Allocating more budget in March 2. A walk and a shop for fresh air 3. Dinner & wine with friends
It was Captain Caveman’s last full day and night in Dalyan on Friday 27th February. He decided it would be nice to go out for breakfast and we chose Ela’s Kitchen, another favourite of ours. Unfortunately, it meant I had to cancel a call with a friend that we had booked in, but she understood and said to enjoy my time with Captain Caveman. We called at the bank to put in English money to cover the council tax expense and in readiness for our last couple of days. The breakfast was so good and my massive sandwich came with chips and salad. Here’s what we had with prices in lira:
My next mission was to leave Captain Caveman to get on with work and for me to go find a phone case, and a kettle in Ortaca. I was also booked in to have my hair done at my favourite hairdressers. The bus takes about 30 minutes and is just over a £1 each way but it can get busy. Once in Ortaca I spent over an hour traipsing between phone shops and electrical stores. Interestingly, 2 shops sold the same make and model of phone that I had in my hand but none of them sold cases for them. There was no way I could have a phone without a case so I was a bit disappointed and would have to see if I could get one online. I couldn’t even find a suitable kettle so I decided to give up and go early to the hairdresser’s. I took some Turkish delight which cost 150 lira (£2.54) and was from the lovely shop I bought gifts from last time. I’d completely forgotten it was Ramadan but, luckily, most of the staff weren’t observing and we shared the sweet treats. I love going to Emrah to have my hair done as he always does such a good job. I know I can get it cheaper in Dalyan but it’s one of the things I really value and trust – a good hairdresser. The cost of a colour, cut, blow-dry and curling cost me 2,300 lira plus I gave a tip of 200 lira, so I spent 2,500 lira (£42.37) and I felt human again – and my hair looked pretty good too! On the way home I popped in to Migros to buy that Turkish kettle I’d seen for 799.95 lira (£13.56) and a packet of wraps for 120 lira (£2.03). The cashier told me to go home and check that the kettle worked and to bring it straight back if it didn’t. I didn’t need telling twice, the kettle was out of the box in no time as Captain Caveman was giddy to see how it worked too. For the price I paid, I was happy with the kettle with the tea pot on the top.
After finishing work, Captain Caveman and I met Jamie and Geoff in Sofra bar and had a few Friday night beverages. I’d not eaten since breakfast so the wine went straight to my head and I jumped at the suggestion of food, by which time it was almost 10pm so finding a venue may have proved tricky. Jamie was on it and got us booked in to Ela’s Kitchen, for the 2nd time today. Here’s what Captain Caveman and I had, prices in lira on our last night together;
Ela’s Kitchen Walnut pesto pasta 550 İskender kebab 700 Drinks 975 Total spent 2,225 lira (£37.72)
We had a great time but I was drunk and couldn’t remember finishing the İskender kebab or getting home. I didn’t realise at the time that we had spent more than £120 in a day – that would usually last me almost a month! We got home and I don’t recall getting undressed or setting the alarm for tomorrow’s boat trip.
Gratitude List 1. Food at Ela’s Kitchen (twice in a day) 2. Getting my hair done and the new kettle 3. Having a night out with Captain Caveman, Jamie and Geoff.
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