In pursuit of happyness...lets try again!

donner_kebab · 6 December 2009 at 3:32PM

Hey all,

Haven't been about here for an awful long time...ok a few months but feels like forever! I haven't exactly progressed much since my first diary (which can be found here if any of you fancy a peek...http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=699577) and things seem to have gone to a complete standstill moneywise, so I have decided not to wait till the new year and pull my finger out now!!!

Hope everyone is well...stuff much the same for me! Now turned 30 and have started to evaluate my life and how to make good of the mistakes I have made. DD Emily is a teenager now, gulp and the last few weeks since our birthdays has made me realise that I really do need to sort this HUGE mess out, sooner rather than later. I really want this debt sorted, so that I can start to enjoy my life again and maybe find somewhere nice to live.

I need to add up the CC debt first really. I haven't exactly been budgetting too well and just kinda not thinking about things and sticking my head in the sand. Kept thinking I would leave it till the start of 2010 but then that will make things worse! I have 3 cards to pay, the 2 HSBC ones and a Virgin one with 0% till the summer as I put a bit of one of the HSBC cards onto it. Good news is that my nasty Cahoot bank loan will be finished in another 4 payments!!! So that will be a £175 saving each month there! Can't wait till the last payment on the 5th April!

For those who read my last diary, I was saving for Emily to go on a ski-ing holiday with the school...I know now that this has been a HUGE mistake but anyway, means she will have a whale of a time with her buddies and I can have a break for a week! I am about to make the final payment for that this week so just need to sort spending money, £100 eeek but she knows not to spend it unless really necessary as she knows the score with the debt and sorting out some ski stuff which I hope to get secondhand or hire. She is a good kid and I know she won't spend that money even if I tell her too. She has her head screwed on...only wish I did all those years ago!

Can't believe Xmas is only around the corner! Am not getting many people pressies this year as family put a hold on pressies, execpt for the kids ones. So that will save a few quid.

I have also started this diary to try and get my life back in order in other areas too. Everything seems to have become one massive mess recently, so hope to get it back on the straight and narrow.

Righteo, better sort out some foodies for lunch! Will try and update as much as I can but work has been mental recently but will try and get on here as much as possible, to keep me on track.

Loadsa love Donna xxx

hypno06 · 6 December 2009 at 3:36PM

Welcome back! You know what you need to do, so that is the main thing. Once back into the swing of things again , you will be fine, I am sure!

pixiechick99 · 6 December 2009 at 3:38PM

Wooooooooooooooo you're back!!!!
I'd been wondering where you were and hoping everything was ok....glad it is:D
Aw, Emily will have a fab time on her trip - can't beleive that's it all paid for now....when does she go? How's she enjoying Year 8 too? G is quite happy....they're growing up so fast though, she's nearly my height.
Both of mine are off on school trips next summer....G to Germany and Em to Isle of Wight, so I'm plodding along, paying them monthly, with not much help fromtheir dopey father....he's nigh on useless!!

Anyway......fab to see you back - keep posting, it might inspire me to as well....mny diary's been neglected, just can't be bothered!

Must get back to my college work....yep I'm a student as well now too, still work 4 days though. Degree in Education studies....one day!!

Bye for now:p

donner_kebab · 6 December 2009 at 4:00PM

Thanks Hypno and MS! Yep I know what to do alright...and really want this sorted and to see a light at the end of the tunnel! Just feels like this year has been and gone and no debt has gone!

Most of the money has gone towards the ski trip and the summer holiday to Spain, which was amazing. Makes me realise that I want more of those and won't be able to do so really until I start hitting this debt again.

Em's is loving year 8 but it is scary how much she is growing up. Sorry to hear that the girlies dad hasn't improved MS

Grrrrr! Well done on the college work though! That's awesome! I would like to start an evening course, maybe in the summer next year. I really want to meet some new people as I don't seem to have any friends outside of the office. I started a kickboxing class last week and Emily has too. It is cheap as you pay as you go, plus it will hopefully get me motivated sportswise and might meet some new pals along the way. Good to see Emily have somewhere she can vent out all of that teenage angst! I know that really I should wait until the debt is gone, but have been going stir crazy cooped up in this house every night so nice to get out once a week. At the moment we go on different days, but might see if I can wangle it so that we can go on the same day as each other, kids class first then mine!

donner_kebab · 6 December 2009 at 4:38PM

Well managed to just get another Xmas pressie...but for free...kinda! On one of my old credit cards, I managed to overpay by a fiver and the card had been in credit ever since! I just got a pressie online which cost a fiver, so used the card so she take the card balance to zero now!

One thing I really need to do is write to the card people and get the old zero balance cards cancelled. My old Barclycard has cancelled itself now as it was at zero for a while and they told me if I wasn't using it, they would cancel my account. Must sort that for the others, so perhaps could try for a 0% one in a few months?

donner_kebab · 6 December 2009 at 11:15PM

Well what an evening! Spent ages trying to get hold of the Xmas tree from up in the loft, trying to hook various things round the box and bag of decorations so that I could reach them and bring them down! Done all of that and spent ages trying to out up the tree. Finally done that and then the cat tried to climb the dam thing, then pulled off the baulbells and then starting eating it...it is plastic too! Then he decided to poop out the tree he had eaten all over the floor...must have literally gone straight through him!!! I dunno why I bother! DD wasn't remotely interested in helping, so next year my just have a poster of a tree and be done with it!!!

Gonna sort out the ironing, wash up and hit the sack! I have kickboxing class in the evening, looking forward to it but it is very, very hard. Sure it will get easier the more I go though...that's the plan anyway!

Am in dire need of a haircut so will try getting an appointment this week. Gonna try getting the cheapest cut I can to save money. I have short hair so needs cutting often but trying to last about 8 weeks between cuts now. Emily really needs a haircut too, but might leave hers till after Xmas.

Only have a handful of Xmas pressies to buy this year, so will be planning that this week. I don't really buy from shops...all online as hate the shops at Xmas as gets manic! As does traffic and I can't stand sitting in the car waiting for ages in the traffic jams! Think I might get some wrapping paper tomorrow, so I can wrap the pressies I do have already, as hate faffing about wrapping them all on Xmas eve! Will try and be more organised this year!

Righteo, off to hit the ironing and washing up before bed. Have been really tired recently, sure it is due to the time of year. Making me feel quite down recently too, but hopefully starting up this diary again will help me feel more focused.

Nighty night all xxx

macgirl · 6 December 2009 at 11:25PM

Hi Donna :hello:
I've not seen your diary before, but will read with interest. Many of us are in the same boat. It is hard to keep the focus, but I'm sure you'll do well this time

As for the skiing trip. I don't think it's a huge mistake. Your DD will have a great time and fantastic memories which will last long after you are debt free, so well done for being a good Mum :T
Good luck x

donner_kebab · 6 December 2009 at 11:48PM

Hiya Macgirl, :wave:

Nice to meet you! I sooo agree about being hard to keep focused, especially at this time of year when you get bombarded with Xmas cack! I just long for the day when I don't have to worry about getting presents as I will have enough put aside to get them all, not worrying about where I am gonna find the money from, like this year and all the ones I can remember.

I am sure that Emily will enjoy every minute of the trip, as much as I will enjoy every minute of the peace and quiet!!! It will be nice when we can go on lots of holidays together and will make sure that that is the first thing we do when I am finally debt free!

Righteo must get off to bed as have a busy day at work and will spend most of it stuck in meetings...yawn! I have just started taking over as the team leader as my boss went on maternity leave last week, until July. I was the junior in the team as well, so crazy that I am now looking after everyone...but seems like I have nowt more than meetings every dam day!!! Pay wise, works out at about an extra quid a day...very cheeky of them really especially as meant to do my normal job too, but keep on telling myself that I am not in it for the money, but for my CV!

Nighty night!

donner_kebab · 7 December 2009 at 8:12AM

Good morning everyone! Well back to another week of work...yawn! Well at least it isn't raining I suppose!

I have decided that as part of sorting myself out, I want to shift a few pounds in weight! And seeing as usually I can last for a few days and then go completely mental and scoff my face, if I put my weight and hopefully weight loss on here, I may be more likely to stick to it! So this morning I weighted myself and was 11 stone 2 1/2lb / 71kg! Ideally wanna get to be about 10 1/2 stone...well that's my target to begin with. So here goes!

Having a coffee and Ready Brek now...hopefully I won't feel hungry till lunchtime? Probably start to feel starvin' at about 10:30am but must resist coffee and a flapjack from the coffee shop at work!!! And must save the cash too eh!!!

Taking lunch to work, nowt exciting, fruit, yogurt and some ryvitas and noodles...double yawn! And tea wll be the mushroom stroganoff from the freezer, with some rice as have to get ready for Kickboxing! If I can stick to that, I will be looking good for day 1. Must try and drink more water too really, never drink enough!

donner_kebab · 7 December 2009 at 9:08AM

Edit that...absolutely peeing down now and I have to cycle to work...oh what fun!

Seriously need to find myself some waterproof stuff...I have a jacket but need trousers really

More money so may opt for some mens ones instead as women specific bike stuff is very, very expensive and ebay never have any!!!

donner_kebab · 7 December 2009 at 11:55AM

Managed to get to work in one piece...little bit wet but hopefully my bike clothes will be dry by the time I leave!

I have decided to only put £5 in my purse and see if I can make that last the week, not use any cards...and try to stay the heck away from Sainsburys as can easily blow money in there...even if I only go in for some milk, end up with a load more besides!

In pursuit of happyness...lets try again!

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