I had big plans on Sunday 9th March, not all of them would be carried out, though. I met up with some friends for a bit if a Sunday stroll and we tried to follow a route that Captain Caveman had told us about with a bridge. We didn’t find it but we did have a nice walk and the sun was out. I was pleased to see the first stork of the year too but my camera wasn’t quick enough to get a photo.
After the walk, Janet & Ian had asked if I would like to go with them to Köyceğiz so they waited while I went to check on and let the dogs out. Norman was snoring away, while Edna wondered if we were going to a pub and could she come. We drove to Köyceğiz and had a wander along the lake front to a place called Ayaklı Göl restaurant and was one of Ian’s recommendations for a very good Turkish breakfast. He wasn’t wrong and it was fantastic. It had everything you could imagine and more with Turkish tea and a fresh orange juice for 400 lira (£8.46) each. I loved it, we definitely couldn’t eat it all and we were too full to take any leftovers home. We had another wander then, back home, we called in to Janet & Ian’s for a cheeky glass of wine (or two) and a bit of a sunbathe as it had turned really warm. Back at Jamie’s, I walked the dogs and then we had snuggles and watched TV. Edna prefers The Chase but I couldn’t get it to work so we watched Death in Paradise – Norman’s preference. I didn’t need to eat for the rest of the day as the Turkish breakfast had sorted me right out. I didn’t even have a bad stomach from it, which I often do with Turkish breakfasts.
Gratitude List 1. Sunday walking with friends 2. Köyceğiz breakfast with friends 3. Norman & Edna snuggles.
Sam and Paul, at Resort Experts made the Travel Weekly news and we were all congratulating them on Saturday 1st March. They, along with the developer, had created the Quoteaway quoting tool which we had been the testers and early adopters of. I loved it as it made our jobs easier and quicker when looking at package holidays. I also saw a post from a friend in America about how to support friends with small businesses which I thought was great. It was something I tried to do wherever possible to help promote others and now that it also applied to me, I was even keener to do so, as I knew how much it meant. I had reached 250 followers on my Resort Experts business page which, if I’m honest, I had hoped it would be more. I decided that this month I should maybe get back on to using Instagram as I knew it had become popular again in recent years. I did know that this month was going to be Money Minded March and I was going to up my game and get focused. Having worked out how I had done against my £400 budget, I was very pleased with myself for coming in at £350, including all bills and paying off my credit card in full. I decided I would increase the budget this month to £500 but that was only because I knew I was going to need to spend more this month, it had 3 more days in and Captain Caveman was due back to Dalyan at the end of March. I also had my residency renewal application to pay for. I had tea and toast for breakfast on what started out as a cold, misty and damp morning – the dogs were not impressed. After transferring Captain Caveman’s money from my Wise to my Turkish account, knowing I could now get the print outs on Monday to apply for my residency renewal, I could stress less. I still wanted to keep motivated to earn enough to save money to cover expenses, plus have a few more trips once the holiday season started and I had finished with my residency renewal process. I worked all morning and then had leftover chicken with some pineapple and quark – a little unconventional but I was aware I had to reduce the amount of bread I was eating. Norman and Edna were a bit bored but by the afternoon the sun came out and we had a walk. I was too busy with enquiries to go to the weekly market this week. I didn’t really need to go but I do enjoy a wander round it.
After the dog walk in the sun, on Saturday 1st March, I arranged to catch up with friends at Mono & More cafe. Neither of us took the dogs as we thought it might be busy as it had turned in to a sunny afternoon. I’d been looking forward to a wine since Wednesday and I also tried a bit of my friend’s carrot cake – it was really lovely. I ordered a red wine and ended up having a couple for just 250 lira (£5.45) which was an absolute bargain. As the sun went in we decided to move to Ozzy’s bar – the wine there was 160 lira (£3.49) for a glass which, although more expensive, still wasn’t unreasonable and it was a good measure. Unfortunately, we had to move seats because of expats smoking in there and I almost needed to use my inhaler as I couldn’t breathe. I went a bit mad and ended up spending 640 lira (£13.94) but it had a been the first time in ages I’d been out out. We said our farewells as I had to get back for the dogs and I remembered I hadn’t got anything prepared for dinner. I decided I would treat myself to a chicken kebab at Hatay Kebabs on the way home. Captain Caveman and I have always loved the food there and I had already blown the healthy eating plan today. I got it to take away and the dogs were reluctant to go outside as they could smell the kebab and wanted some. I had ordered it without sauce or chillies and, when I ate it, it tasted really good. I went to bed looking forward to a leisurely Sunday and a causal meet up for a stroll with friends.
Gratitude List 1. Having the afternoon off work 2. Having enough cash to be able to afford some treats, having come in under budget for February 3. Going out for drinks with friends.
During the night it had been stormy so I was up early on Friday 28th February. The dogs got wet on their wander out and Norman seemed to have a sore ear that he wouldn’t let me touch. Captain Caveman called me as soon as he woke up to tell me he had been paid (his first pay day) and he was going to transfer me the money for my February residency requirement, with it being the last day of the month. He was very pleasantly surprised to hear that I had already managed to do it and any money he wanted to send my way could now be used for March and to help pay the costs involved in getting the insurances and bills for the upcoming residency renewal application. I needed to put the same amount in for March plus pay for the application, the new card, the transport, the Health insurance, Earthquake insurance, passport photos, and bringing the council tax and any bills up to date. I also needed to reconnect my Turkish phone number and add more credit for that. It was going to be costly, but this time I could apply for 2 years residency renewal so, to me, it was worth doing. I was too busy for breakfast, so just had a tea and a cuddle with the dogs. I worked all morning as it was the last day of the month and I wanted to try and get a last minute deal or two booked so that I got paid for it in March. Sadly, it didn’t happen as one potential customer had decided not to bother and the other potential customer wanted to think about it over the weekend and discuss it with the family. It did mean that I had not hit the target I had set for myself for March pay day and I would be moving in to Money-minded March from tomorrow. I already had plans to increase my opportunities and income for April, though. I had leek and potato soup with a cheese sandwich for lunch and got back on with work while the dogs snored. In the afternoon, Captain Caveman sent me a photo of my free book that had arrived in London. Charlie Day had sent me her ‘Sales is Easy If You Just Know How’ and I was looking forward to getting my teeth in to that when I could. I checked on my Resort Experts business page to see how my week of using the marketing training had gone. I’d only been following the training for the last 4 days but I was impatient to see if it was having a positive effect. While the rest of the team had reported that engagement had increased, mine had gone down by 30%, in the last 7 days. Interestingly, the age and gender of my followers was changing so that I had attracted a few more men and had some younger people following now. Norman was restless and kept wanting to go out and then back in the door so I decided I would make him Chairman for the day and promoted him to sit on the chair next to me. Norman seemed happy but Edna was asleep and missed out on any extra responsibilities. The weather was very miserable so wine on a Friday was postponed, much to Edna’s disgust and she was obviously going to log it as a complaint. After walking the dogs, I had pasta for dinner and had night 3 in a row, of zero alcohol. I snacked on pineapple which felt like a real treat as I don’t normally buy it. I decided before bed to tot up my expenditure for February to see how I had done against my £400 budget. February had still been frugal but I had definitely felt like it had been a bit of an easier month, especially as it was a shorter month. Does anyone fancy a guess at how I did against the budget?
Gratitude List 1. Call from Captain Caveman to say he would transfer me money for February 2. Captain Caveman giving me March’s money, instead, so that I didn’t have to worry or struggle 3. Fresh pineapple to nibble on.
I’d been quite good on the Slimming World plan this week so I was looking forward to Fat Club weigh in on Wednesday 26th February. I did my measurements after feeding the dogs and they weren’t favourable; 1cm on my bust and 2cm on both waist and hips! I had tea, fruit and quark for breakfast then got on with some work. This week’s Turkish class was at Mono & More café which was very nice and the sun was out. I even had to take my coat and hoodie off as it warmed up. I paid just 20 lira (44p) for a Turkish tea and 25 lira (56p) for a bottle of water. I did have a look at the menu and they were certainly competing for the English expat market with meals like fish & chips and pies which were getting great reviews on Facebook. I noticed a glass of wine was just 125 lira (£2.78) and made a mental note to suggest this place next time I was invited out with friends.
The AC man was coming to Jamie’s at 1pm so I rushed back, when they came they did something to the filters and then it worked. While the 2 AC men were doing that, I was attending the third session of the Race to Recurring Revenue challenge with Lisa Johnson and watching the dogs on the patio. I wasn’t certain but I thought I saw Norman eating some poo and hoped he wasn’t getting a taste for it. I had soup for lunch and then rushed over to Fat Club where I was already aware I was going to be disappointed with my result! I had put on 0.4kg (0.9lb) which wasn’t that much, but it now meant that I was over my target weight. That evening, after a dog walk and feeding, I made Slimming World pizza with a wrap and decided to abstain from any alcohol. I attended the next Mindset session at 7pm and joined the live update with Lisa at 10.30pm around doing some Resort Experts work. It had been a busy day but at least I was warm as the AC was toasty now.
Gratitude List 1. Cheap drinks at Mono & More 2. Being warm as the AC was fixed 3. Learning so much from the free training of Race to Recurring Revenue.
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.
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;
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.
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.
On Thursday 13th February I had breakfast of tea and toast then walked the dogs. I spoke to Captain Caveman before lunch then had a banana and a chicken sandwich. Jamie and his guests arrived back earlier than expected so I was back home for a Webinar on Adult Escapes, our Team Meeting and another Webinar on AI with Mel at Sales Geek. All 3 meetings were excellent and I spent the afternoon doing all my follow ups. I also decided to sign up for some more free courses, including the well-known Race to Recurring Revenue with Lisa Johnson. For dinner I had defrosted a surprise meal from the freezer and found it was the remaining half of shepherd’s pie from the last time I was at Jamie’s – it was so tasty!
Gratitude List 1. A good Resort Experts Team Meeting 2. Being back home 3. Free Training Sessions
After tea and toast with marmalade I got on with my dog free day on Friday 14th February. It was Valentine’s Day but unfortunately I had decided not to go over to see Captain Caveman in the UK. It made sense to save money to build up some savings before splashing out on trips. The flights weren’t that expensive but it was all the other stuff I would want to do that would cost me money. It did mean that we had overlooked the need to get Captain Caveman’s IRATA log book back to him ready for his rope access course next week. Luckily, Jamie and his guests came to our aid and agreed to take it back to England with them and Captain Caveman would go and collect it. I was pleased with that as it meant we could use the money I would have spent on another trip, instead. I had Pho Ga and a green tea for lunch. I should’ve been meeting friends but they had to cancel as they had a workman popping round. I cracked on with some work and had a few Friday Follow ups to do before having a veggie curry and half a bottle of wine for dinner. It felt a bit weird knowing that my actual book was launched and was available for people to buy. My Mom was going to have a call with me over the weekend and let me know what she thought.
Gratitude List 1. Help to get Captain Caveman’s log book back to him before Monday 2. You Can’t Shit Yourself on a Bicycle… being LIVE!!!! 3. Wine to celebrate being an author.
It was so cold when I got up on Saturday 8th February that I decided to wait until it got warmer to go to the market. I did more with the Amazon KDP and reformatted my book document, using the training notes on Amazon which were about as clear as mud. I had tea and toast for breakfast, more veg soup with pasta for lunch and made a shopping list. At the market, the new stalls made it look so much bigger than before but it also meant that it was completely shaded and so cold. It would be ideal for shade from the sun in the summer months! Here’s what I bought with the prices in lira:
Stall 1 Potatoes 24.00 lira (55p)
Stall 2 Carrots, Leeks, Spring Onions, Bananas & Courgettes Total 180.00 lira (£4.09)
Stall 3 1 Big Cabbage 70.00 lira (£1.59)
Stall 4 Tomatoes 17.00 lira (39p)
Stall 5 Mushrooms & Apples 65.00 lira (£1.48)
Total spent at the market 356 lira (£8.09)
I tried my best to get a smaller cabbage but the stall holder insisted I take the biggest one, as they were all the same price.
On the way back through the garden at home, I picked a load more oranges from the tree and took 3 sprigs of fresh rosemary from the plant. I worked more in the afternoon and took a break for a couple of oranges and an apple, as I felt like I needed some fruit. Captain Caveman unexpectedly called me from inside a cave and it gave me a bit of a shock. He was in the Peak District and had gone for a walk so gave me a call to show off that he was in a cave and I suggested he learn the monologue from ‘The League of Gentlemen’ for the best cave phone call. I made a Sunday dinner on a Saturday with lots of leftovers for the fridge and freezer. There was still a drop of wine left so I polished that off, too. I had a fairly early night as it was cold and I had to get up for the Sunday Walk tomorrow.
Gratitude List 1. Market Day 2. Not giving up with Amazon (yet) 3. Having free fruit and herbs in the garden.
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.
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.
Here’s 15 things I did in January to help get through a long month on a very low budget:
1. I set a budget and divided it in to the 31 days of the month. In my case it was just less than 300 lira (£6.80) per day. 2. I introduced several planned ‘zero spend’ days in to my week where I would not shop or even nip out for a cup of tea. 3. When I knew I expected to spend more than 300 lira in a day, I would not spend anything the day before and/or after to keep within budget. 4. I limited buying any convenience foods like jars of sauce or English products, unless they were on offer. 5. I did meal plans for breakfast, lunch and dinner for every day of the week so that I didn’t spend on eating out. 6. I batch cooked soups and stews and froze at least half of everything I made, to eat later in the month. 7. I bought only fruit and vegetables that were in season at the market or supermarket, making sure to avoid the more expensive ready chopped ones and picked oranges, lemons and pink grapefruit from trees in the garden. 8. I did not throw any produce away which meant making sure I used up everything I had before it went past it’s best. 9. I only bought meat (generally chicken) when it was at a reduced price and bulked out with lentils if using mince. 10. I made 2 lists of things I might spend money on, dividing in to ‘needs’ and ‘wants’ – this really helped to focus on the priorities over the nice to haves. 11. If I went out to eat, I chose something I couldn’t make at home and took any leftovers home and I always checked the menu prices. 12. I drastically reduced the amount of alcohol I drank, specifically staying away from the bars – I’m not someone who can easily drink water or just go for one! 13. I drank tea at the tea gardens where it is very cheap to drink local cay. 14. I walked instead of going to exercise classes or a gym that I couldn’t afford. 15. I limited the amount of cash I had on me so that I wouldn’t be tempted to buy things spontaneously – if I needed it, I would go back to purchase it.
There were other things I did and I’m sure you will be able to add more ideas – feel free to let me know!
On Wednesday 29th January I took my measurements to find that I had lost 1 cm off my bust and waist, plus 2cm from my hips – this was good news as I had consumed 269 syns this week (41 more than last week). I was sure I would have put weight on at Fat Club later so was a bit apprehensive. After tea and toast for breakfast, I left the pool man and a workman drilling away and I was off out and about. At Fire Opal, someone had put a hosepipe leading out from inside the pool to empty the water on to the street and it was pouring out towards the river. I called at the bank as it was nearing the end of the month and I needed to get the rest of my money, with the new increase from January, in to my Turkish account. Turkish class wasn’t on today as my teacher, Sioned, was in Egypt with Jamie so I went back to Jamie’s. Nanny Kay popped round for a cup of tea and a chat. I didn’t have time for lunch as I needed to crack on with day 3 of Charlie Day’s Challenge so I stuffed down a Dido chocolate bar. I was about to get ready to leave for Fat Club when I read a really brave and sad post on Facebook from a friend and ex work colleague who had bad news. His cancer had spread aggressively with no signs of slowing down and he said there was no further treatment available. Over the last few months I had followed the posts and hoped he would beat it and, even though I had not seen this guy in years, I was really upset for him and his family. He always writes so well and I found myself crying over his words as tears blurred my reading. I walked to Fat Club having a bit of perspective that I really needed to get on with life and not be stressing about insignificant worries. At Fat Club I had stayed the same weight, which was a miracle. I went back to Jamie’s, walked the dogs and then made Yorkshire puddings. I ate one but had chicken and veg noodles for dinner and popped the rest in the fridge. I didn’t feel like drinking the wine I had brought over so, instead, I made a list of all the things I wanted to achieve this year and re set my goals and targets. The Team Meeting that evening got moved to tomorrow which freed my night up and I decided to learn a bit more about Amazon KDP, even though it seemed a bit too complicated to me.
Gratitude List 1. Not putting weight on this week 2. Being healthy 3. More free sales training with Charlie Day
On Thursday 30th January I was feeling the pressure I had put on myself during what is ordinarily one of the peak times for UK holiday makers to be booking holidays. I had just 2 days left in the month to sell holidays with departures in the next 6 weeks to be able to hit my ‘self invented’ February money target and it wasn’t looking likely. I had been dealing with a few ongoing enquiries and had sent out lots of quotes but for holidays later in the year rather than for a winter sun holiday in March. It did mean that things were definitely looking more promising for the second half of 2025. This didn’t help me in the short term but I was determined not to quit and knew it was going to take time to build up my customer base. I’d had a couple of people tell me it was pointless as people prefer to book direct these days, and then one proceeded to tell me about a monumental cockup on their last holiday which could have been avoided if they had booked through a Travel Agent, like me. I decided to not let it get me down and keep plodding on, building my customer base and looking at all options I could to earn some money. My budget for January was so small and I knew I couldn’t survive on the same again for next month so I really needed to get on it. Remarkably when I set myself a £200 limit for January, I didn’t actually think I would be able to stick to that but it was a goal and I needed to see how disciplined I could be. I had Pho Ga (chicken noodle soup) for breakfast, despite missing a few ingredients and had a quick pancake for lunch before our team meeting. Today our boss told us about a new company we were going to be working with to be able to provide great group bookings for Stag and Hen parties. This was great news as a few of the mainstream operators and hotels are not always happy to take groups like this. We had a really good meeting and there were the usual issues that we all faced which was good to discuss as a team. That afternoon I was busy with work and was meant to meet a friend for a cup of tea but had to cancel. I’d had to cancel a lot of stuff like that lately as I needed to focus on me and work. I managed a dog walk but Norman had been unwell after snaffling some cat food when I wasn’t quick enough to stop him. For dinner I had roast chicken with Yorkshire puddings and it was lovely. That evening I joined a Charlie Day free Masterclass which was really great and focused on follow ups and tracking but it meant I was still up at midnight.
Gratitude List 1. Pho for breakfast 2. Pancakes 3. Having good people around me at work.
I had just one dog free day on Sunday 26th January and so, when I woke up, I felt like I should make the most of it. I’d already booked for Sunday lunch in the afternoon with friends but Debbie and I decided we would go for an impromptu Sunday Walk. Today would turn out to be quite the day and neither of us expected what happened to happen!!! It was cold so I put my footless tights on and borrowed Captain Caveman’s nice merino wool socks, they were rather thick but I planned on wearing my wellies due to the amount of rain we had yesterday. I couldn’t decide which jeans to put on so I dragged some jeggings, which were a bit big for me, out of the charity bag I had been filling up. I set off in the rain but I had my small rucksack and an umbrella so all was fine. It did stop raining once Debbie and I got started and we got quite far before the ‘incident’ occurred.
We were walking on the flat on a lane, not too far from Eskiköy, when we came to a bit of a blockage in the path. It was filled with puddles, on the left was a drop to a flowing stream and on the right was a recently ploughed farmer’s field. On our path in front of us were the dirty puddles and Debbie had trainers on. I was wearing much more appropriate footwear; yellow wellies and Captain Caveman’s socks so it made perfect sense for me to offer to test out how deep the puddles were. I suggested Debbie wait while I walked forward to test the depth and I found that the middle of the slippy lane was ankle deep. Debbie really didn’t want to get her feet wet and looked like she may take a chance on walking on the left, too near to the stream for my liking. I said not to, as I didn’t want to have to rescue her if she fell in – it was quite a drop. I mentioned that maybe we could go to the right and risk walking via the farmer’s field which had quite a bit of manure in it but was flat. What happened next was a bit of a blur as I stepped just a couple of steps to my right (if only it was as easy as doing the Timewarp) and ended up in a predicament. My right foot sank very quickly into cold, soft, smelly shit. As my left foot followed suit, I had 2 things pop in to my head, simultaneously. Practical advice from one of my former senior school teachers that was actually about not staying still if ever I was to get stuck in quicksand and to not put my hands down. So, I started to try to move my legs backwards to stop them sinking further as the manure pile was very deep and similar consistency to quick sand. I was quickly sinking further, it was so cold and wet and smelly. Then came the realisation I was not going to be able to get myself out. If you’ve ever seen the TV show ‘The Vicar of Dibley’ where Dawn French goes in to a puddle, it was not dissimilar. Debbie meanwhile, admitted her first thought was to get the camera out but she soon decided against it when she saw the sheer panic in my eyes, I told her I couldn’t move and that she would have to help drag me out. To give credit to Debbie, after the initial laughing, she did effectively manage to drag me out of the shit, without me pulling her in. I was in a mess, a bit shaken and I stunk of shit!! When I looked down I had been almost fanny deep in soaking wet cold manure and now my jeggings were covered and my wellies were full of shit! Debbie was crying with laughter as she got her phone out for a photo and was clearly disappointed not to have actually got one of me ‘in the shit’, literally.
A little way down the road, from what we would later rename ‘Shits Creek’ was a house so we decided we would go there to ask for help to wash the manure off. The farmers were stood outside looking towards us – potentially feeling bad for filling and blocking the arık (small drainage canal) with their big pile of poo. As we walked, and I worried about the squelchy shit-saturated socks I’d borrowed from Captain Caveman’s drawer without permission, I realised how lucky that my phone in my back pocket was still safe. Debbie called Mike to come and rescue us but didn’t actually tell him what happened, just to bring the car, wet wipes, bin liners and an old blanket/towel because we needed rescuing. As we approached the farmer, I saw that he had a water pump in his garden and I moved towards it, he and his wife/sister (it was hard to tell) gestured for me to get back. They hosed me down next to the stream with a powerful hose of cold (but not freezing) water. By this time a bit of shock and hysteria had set in and I was quite happy to just attempt to walk home without taking the wellies off. The shitty socks had swelled and the wellies were suctioned on as I tried to remove them, just to wash my smelly feet. The farmer was overly keen to help and proceeded to use brute force to get them off, not knowing that there was a vacuum created. My bad ankle didn’t half take some twisting and he finally yanked off the wellie while I held on to Debbie. Now that Debbie knew I would live, she was no longer holding back the laughter and we both had tears rolling down our cheeks after saying bye and a reluctant thanks to our ‘helpers’, who had more than likely dumped the manure in the arık in the first place.
Mike arrived and had assumed there was some shit involved but all 3 of us were laughing so much at me getting in such a shit situation just to prevent Debbie from getting wet feet. The bin liners weren’t big enough for me to fit in to so we tied one round each foot and I sat on another in the back seat of their car. We drove with the windows down and they dropped me off at home where I am lucky to always have hot water on. Although our Sunday stroll had been cut short I still needed to get cleaned up for the afternoon antics and pop to the shops. I said my farewell and thanks to Debbie and Mike and walked in to our complex, pondering the logistics of getting my shitty stuff off before I went in to the apartment. I sat on the bench having pulled down my dirty and wet jeggings but leaving my footless tights on. I was about to take off my wellies and socks when a workman from next door looked over and was met with what I can only assume looked like a woman having a toilet break in her own garden. By this time I didn’t care and I just wanted to not be able to smell shit. I put the wellies and socks on the steps, in one of the bin liners and the jeggings in another, destined for the bin on my way back out. That shower was probably one of the best and longest I’ve ever had – I still had manure on my knees and in between my toes which took several washes to get it off!
Jamie had said they would meet me in Sofra bar, if I wanted to meet there before the Sunday lunch. However, I was pushing it to get there on time and was paranoid that I still smelled of manure. Due to being an eczema sufferer in the past I use only natural products so I wasn’t convinced that they had eliminated the stench. I threw out the shitty jeggings but everything else went in the wash, including my ‘dinlo’ Oxalis rain jacket which may not survive. I’d invited Debbie and Mike round for a drink tonight and wanted to get a few nibbles in from the shop too. I nipped to Migros and here’s what I bought, prices in lira;
Migros Supermarket 2 plastic bags 1.00 (I had none left at home)! Plain Crisps 27.00 Plain hummus 39.75 3 x Dido chocolate bars 40.50 Tomato hummus 42.50 Crinkle crisps 44.95 Dates 81.95 Haydari 92.50 Soft cheese 105.50 1.5kg chicken 107.37 Mozarella cheese 137.90 Total spent 720.92 lira (£16.38)
I popped the shopping away and kept the bags in my rucksack, just in case! I then went to meet the others in Sofra where there were a few Dalyan Dwellers. On arrival, I asked Drew if he could smell shit and he couldn’t, so that was good! I wasn’t going to drink but after my ordeal and the fact that my leg and ankle ached, I took the white wine that Melanie didn’t want. I didn’t have time to drink it before we had to go for our Sunday lunch so I left it.
I had booked a table for the 5 of us at River House for 2pm and we were met by Orhan. It was the first time I had met the new waiter and I was a little taken aback that he kissed my hand then offered us a table outside. We all preferred a table indoors so he went to sort that out while we chatted to some of the Dalyan Dwellers who were sat outside and had finished their first course already. One of them told us that they had been coming to River House for their Sunday meal a few times and that we should ask for extra roast potatoes. I thought it a bit odd but went inside to be seated with Jamie, Drew, Melanie and Nanny Kay. I decided to have the beef, in fact everyone but Nanny Kay had beef, and she had the chicken. Drew and I shared a bottle of red wine that we didn’t think to ask the price of but the beef dinner was 650 lira (£14.77) and the chicken 550 lira (£12.50), including apple pie and custard. I ordered mine without mashed potato but they forgot so I gave mine to Nanny Kay and I should’ve remembered to ask for the gravy on the side as I’m not really a fan. We got a shared starter with bread and the wine was good, Orhan had insisted he give us some to try first as Jamie preferred white. The food was nice but the chicken dinner was better value and it was definitely diet friendly as the portion size wasn’t massive. I certainly didn’t need a Tupperware for any spare. None of us did ask for extra vegetables but we probably should have – there’s something odd about getting your main course, though, and then having to ask for more of it! The food was nice but I much prefer their Turkish food. When the bill came, Orhan explained he had given us discount on the wine, which was kind of him. My share came to a total of 1,200 lira (£27.27) for half a bottle of red wine, my 2 course dinner and a tip. It was great to go out with friends for another celebration, and River House is a nice place with good toilets. I’d definitely go again but I think I’d stick to their traditional Turkish dinners next time – they do an amazing İskender kebab.
After dinner, we went back to Sofra bar where the bar man presented me with my leftover wine from earlier, which he’d saved in the fridge, and I’d forgotten about. I had to put soda water in it to get it down, though, as I’m not a massive drinker these days. Once it started to get chilly, I said my goodbyes and decided to walk the scenic route home, prior to Debbie and Mike popping round for drinks that evening. Every now and then this morning’s manure fiasco came back in to my head and I started to laugh. Debbie and Mike arrived with homemade marmalade and a lovely bottle of wine which we shared and it was definitely not a 150 lira bottle. I did a few nibbles including a selection of cheese and crackers, soft cheese stuffed dates drizzled with honey and a few ‘bought from the shop’ dips with crisps and carrot sticks. Debbie and I could not stop laughing as we retold the ordeal in much detail to Mike, yet again. I’d messaged Captain Caveman to say we would call him as he could not believe how I had possibly managed to come a cropper in the way I did – he knew that path well. We had a video call with him so that Debbie could fill him in as to how I ended up thigh deep in a shit filled arık! Oh how we laughed, while he shook his head in disbelief. I’m sure he was more concerned about his manure-covered merino wool socks that had already been through the wash twice, than me. I drank a few glasses of wine to ease the still throbbing ankle and aching leg and my face ached from all the laughing by the time my guests left. I didn’t go to bed until late but I set my alarm for an early start tomorrow. Dalyan might be a sleepy little town in winter but there’s hardly a dull moment!
Gratitude List 1. Being rescued from a shitty situation and traumatic experience 2. Spending time with friends over a Sunday lunch 3. So much laughter with Debbie and Mike over Manure-gate!
Saturday 25th January was my last day with Lady C as her owners were arriving back late tonight. I had planned to go to the market but the weather wasn’t looking too good. Luckily, I managed to get Lady C out for a walk with Chico and back in before it started lashing it down. I had the same again for breakfast and I was definitely finding it kept me fuller for a bit longer. I noticed when I opened my diary to check flight time that the internet was due to expire today. Unfortunately, it’s a pain that we can only pay per month, with proof of residency, now so I had to venture out in the rain. For 2025 the prices had, of course, increased so I was prepared to be parting with more cash. When I got there I was soaking wet, despite the umbrella, and my tariff had gone from 400 lira (£9.09) to 550 lira (£12.50) per month. It was still much cheaper than the UK but a 38% increase here is a lot. My next job was to call at the shops as I was already out in the rain, anyway. Here’s the prices and also what I spent at the supermarket, in lira;
Pharmacy 2 boxes of Cerazette Total spent 658.36 lira (£14.96)
I got ready for Lady C’s owners returning and gave her a brush to make sure she looked smart, then I had pizza and wine for dinner while I waited for their arrival. Lady C was excited to see them and her owners were so glad to be back. The rain was still heavy so I called Fikri, the taxi driver, and little Lady C tried to jump in to the taxi with me – another dog friend happy with my services! It was nearing midnight by the time I got to bed so I was really tired and looking forward to a bit of a lay in tomorrow.
Gratitude List 1. Lady C being off the lead but walking with me and following commands 2. Pizza and wine 3. A happy dog.
joloyolo 