The "Pay ALL your debt off by Xmas 2012" challenge - PART 2!!!

jakes-mum wrote: »

Ahh bless you, you should have all come! You KNOW your all jealous of my sparkly dragonfly glitter tattoo on my arm :rotfl: I didnt get to have my face painted though :rotfl::rotfl:

If only you had it next weekend, I will be passing then on the way to my Dad's - he lives near Stansted (so quite near Psycho I think!)

Weigh in -only 1/2lb off this week, but I'm quite pleased because I've really slacked this week.

Total anyway, #049 3.5lbs/42

:)Hi Folks
Hope you all had a good weekend. I am writing this from under my double layer of duvets...still no joy with getting the boiler replaced-we just do not have the money. I have got heaters going in every room, so we are going to get a whacking electricity bill, but we have snow here in Canada...Brrr :eek: I have done a fair bit of overtime which helps, but the OT will come to an end soon. Still it meant that another $400 could go towards the credit card bill. I also lost 1.4lbs - yay! Don't know how that happened, but I am making more of an effort to meal plan, which will hopfully help my waistline too :dance:
This week's mini-challenge has been fun. I tried documenting my spends in the diary and added in a couple of my plans about how to save more money. It is all the unexpected little things that crop up that throw all my planning out of the window. One of the children needed new school shoes and then a trip comes up at the school that needs paying for and so it goes on!
I had some fun trying to keep within my budget this week. I was pushing the trolley round the supermarket, trying to keep with the budget. However over here the price that is listed for the bread/eggs/chocolate etc is not what you pay, because although it may be labelled as costing one price, they add a tax called HST of 12% on to it at the checkout. That can make it hard if you are paying with a limited amount of cash. I walk around with my phone on trying to keep a running tally of what I am spending, but then at some point my youngest always manages to hit the degree button on the calculator or something and then I lose my total. :T for clever toddlers! Of course, before I left home that day I decided to leave my debit card at home, just so that I couldn't be tempted into buying anything...but then I was sweating bricks at the checkout when I thought that I didn't have enough $$$ - I just scraped through by the skin of my teeth!
The children are starting to catch onto the paying for everything by cash. They understand that we won't be going back home to England this year, but that if we all count our pennies, then next year will be a real possibility - hurrah!!! :beer: Anyway at this age, they are just as happy going on a camping trip in nearby Whistler (it is just lovely there for walking in the Summer time) as going on a pricey foreign holiday!
This evening I have just watched two episodes of Season 2 of Downton Abbey AND the pilot episode of 'Sherlock' on PBS-a true smorgasbord of quality TV!!! Watched it while scoffing a McDonalds Happy Meal-after 4 days and night of sandwiches at work, I am ready for good nutritious fare! I have a few days off work now, so I can revel in being Mum again.
Have a good week people - I must finish catching up with you all - I am now up to the day before jakesmum's party! Thanks Jemma - great work!

MSE#249 Canucksfan
Debt: $800/$17018-95
Weight: 3.9lbs/70lbs

Good morning everybody, no payments for me today but I will be visiting the PO with my fleabay purchases, sold 29 items for £61.87 which will be getting deducted from the amount my sister owes me. She's got another 3 boxes of carp to give to me today as well.

Hope you all did well with your challenge this week, if you didn't then there's always this week there are no losers here

Mini challenge:
This weeks mini challenge is to pay by cash. If you're going to do the food shop, don't stick it on your card, take out the amount you want to budget for (so mine is £20), and don't take your cards with you. This will help keep to budget. Going out for drinks? Take cash, to stop you spending more when intoxicated although always make sure to keep a hidden £10 in your purse for the cab ride home. Shopping trip? Limit your spur of the moment shops by not being able to whack it on the card.
I find that when I'm paying by cash I realise the value of the money I'm spending. Whereas I fritter it away when spending on card not really noticing where it's going.

loubie_lou wrote: »

I am going in August!! Cited much!!! :beer::beer:

Ahh - me too! All my friends are fed up with me going on and on about it :rotfl:I'm sure they are just jealous!