Tight but getting there

I had my dentist appointment today, which was the follow-up after my check-up a couple of weeks ago when he saw that a large cavity had developed under an already large filling (and in the tooth right in front of the implant - obviously this is the part of my mouth that's always going to give me most trouble). Bloody painful because as per usual the first lot of anaesthetic didn't quite numb everywhere that needed to be numbed. Nor did the second lot. But after a third round it was alright. So he worked away, taking out the old filling, cleaning it all up and then filling it with some kind of a medicinal, disinfectant temporary type filling. He's is optimistic about the chances of saving the roots and wants to leave it now for two months to see how it recovers. All being well I won't need a root canal and will just have to have a partial crown fitted. Still expensive but not as bad as a root canal and full crown at least.

Unfortunately about five minutes after I left the surgery I started getting intermittent electric shock-like pains in the tooth. Actually it feels like it's on the top of the tooth but I realise it's the nerves inside, even if it doesn't feel like it. I held out for, oh, about thirty minutes before phoning them but apparently it's not all that unusual and I should just wait for two or three days for it to calm down, take ibuprofen to deal with the pain and it'll all be good. I have never, despite my terrible teeth and over the years having lots of things done (teeth out, teeth filled, gum removed, root canal, crown, abcess under the crown, implant, partial crowns - the only thing I didn't mind having done was wisdom teeth extraction, 'cos they give you a general anaesthetic for that!) I have never experienced this type of pain before. I even left work early this evening - and that was after getting the strongest ibuprofen I could from the chemist. Really hope it does calm down as I'd hate to end up needing an emergency root canal or something like that. As things stand, I have to go back in December for him to check how things are and see if the roots are still vital and then he'll make a treatment plan for the partial crown. All going well, that won't happen until January, which also means no bills until then either. Fingers crossed.

I also just checked my bank account and saw that we've just been paid so I immediately sprang into action, transferring money all over the place. The bulk has been transferred to my Irish account and most of that, as soon as it has arrived, will go to paying off my Visa. Then I will just have the overdraft on that account to deal with. I'm planning on just clearing a small amount in December and then the rest of it in January and February (possibly into March, but that will depend on what happens with the dentist). It'll be tight going be at least it feels like I'm getting somewhere again.


I have also transferred 100 to my Mastercard. Part of my savings goals is to build up a positive balance on that card. It pays a small rate of interest on any positive balances and, more importantly, if I have a positive balance I don't get charged interest on any purchases (so long as they don't go above that balance). I'm considering possibly going to Frankfurt for the weekend at the end of the month, so transferred less than planned to my travel savings account and put it onto the card instead. Either I'll use it to buy a ticket (also received a ten euro voucher from Deutsche Bahn that I could put towards it) or it can just sit on the Mastercard earning interest.

And then I just made my usual transfer to the savings account I use for annual expenses. My payrise also seems to have come through. After tax it works out to about 40 euro extra per month - I think we got less than inflation this year but still, every cent will be put to good use.

I will be checking my Irish account every couple of hours for the next few days, waiting with bated breath to see the money arriving so that I can clear my Visa and be down to just one debt. Budget is tight enough for November again although slightly more generous per week than October. With a choir weekend away at the beginning of the month, concert weekend the weekend after and potentially a weekend in Frankfurt at the end of the month, I will be too busy to spend much money on the weekends anyway. Says she hopefully!