No Ifs, Ands, or Buts!

moosesquirrel · 14 November 2017 at 10:14AM

So weekly task list achievements so far:

Lose weight
lost half a pound by 19/11 Still working on it

Clear debts
keep the shopping bill to no more than £80 this week Shopping is Weds so fingers crossed

Tidy house
Clean and tidy one kitchen cupboard Done! All food cupboards sortedwoohoo
Clean kitchen sink To do

Sort bills
Sort through 2010 bills and shred anything no longer needed To do

Computer
Sort through my music folder and put it in some sort of tidy workable order Started but it's a long job

Fitbit
Aim for 10k step per day Erm, not quite. Sunday was 4,556, Monday was 6729. Lets say I'm building up to it. lol

In other news, almost had a NSD on Sunday. But purchased a winter hat online using a gift certificate and ended up paying £3.50 for delivery. But had a NSD yesterday.

Onwards and upwards

117pauline · 14 November 2017 at 11:38AM

Good morning

Have you noticed how much more positive you sound since your first post?

There are so many good steps you have taken which will make a huge difference, both to your financial and emotional wellbeing.

Small steps, regularly taken is the way forward.

Even that one hour extra at work per week is a win. You asked and got something. The surveys can be very boring but I tend to do them when watching TV or listening to the radio. Perhaps you and your husband can challenge each other to see who can gain most in a month. Fewer men complete surveys so they tend to get more if you see what I mean. Ebay sales, again good progress. Have you decided what you will do with the extra income?

And I really liked the long term/short term goals. It's motivated me to get round to setting some for myself.

I'm glad you took my advice about listing your holiday plans even if it gave you a shock. Unfortunately you are going to have to take some difficult decisions but you are doing so, knowing all the facts.

And finally make sure you record all these successes. They will help you when the debt free journey becomes harder.

Have a great week, keep posting
Pauline

Knew there was something else...... Sainsburys have a double up event, 15th to 21st November

https://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/heads-up-sainsburys-nectar-rewards-christmas-double-up-returns-15th-to-21st-november-convert-vouchers-from-the-8th-includes-tu-clothing-electricals-toys-entertainment-and-more-2814491

Might be handy as you said you had some points

moosesquirrel · 15 November 2017 at 10:54AM

Good morning Pauline.

I hadn't realised, but reading back, yes you are right. I do feel more positive. That's because I feel like i'm doing something positive.

Never thought of dragging DH into the surveys, but i will suggest that too him. He doesn't have much patience, so I suspect he will do one and then complain like hell for the next 24 hours. lol . My daughter might be interested though. Is there an age limit?

And thank you for the encouragement, it helps a lot. And great tip regarding Sainsbury's thank you.

So yesterday was an okay day. Had to spend out, but reaped in more than I spent.

Spending - 98p postage on an ebay sale
£3.00 on 2 packs of sausages
£8.60 on DH prescription
Total £12.58

Income - £28.45 on ebay sale

I still haven't gone to a cash point, and have about £2.50 left in my purse. Hoping to hold out until Friday.

There is £28.45 in my paypal account. Woohoo! And another item will sell today, so that's another £31.00

I was going to use my paypal account for Christmas presents for the immediate family. But I'm now considering using the Sainsers vouchers first. Also yesterday I sorted through all our Christmas stuff. We have enough wrapping paper and cards for friends. I have suggested to sisters and brothers that we use ordinary cards this year and not the more expensive family cards. I already have a card for mum and dad left from last year. So just need to buy one for DH, DS and DD. So breathe! I haven't touched any of the bank accounts since Sunday, but DH is out shopping at Aldi this morning. If he comes in below the £100 I usually spend I'll be happy. If he comes in around the £80 I've rebudgeted then I'll be delirious. haha

Regarding my weekly targets:

Lose weight
lost half a pound by 19/11 Still working on it

Clear debts
keep the shopping bill to no more than £80 this week Shopping is today so fingers crossed

Tidy house
Clean and tidy one kitchen cupboard Done! All food cupboards sorted woohoo
Clean kitchen sink To do

Sort bills
Sort through 2010 bills and shred anything no longer needed To do

Computer
Sort through my music folder and put it in some sort of tidy workable order Done! Yay!

Fitbit
Aim for 10k step per day Erm, not quite. Sunday was 4,556, Monday was 6729. Tuesday was 7365, so i'm getting there lol

Finally, DH was on the phone to ESA yesterday morning for ages and between us we got all the financial paperwork together. They wanted to know everything. But we have put in a claim, and fingers crossed he will be awarded Contribution based allowance. He just needs to get a medical certificate/letter from the doc to support the claim.

Thank you MSE forum members for all the help.

Chrystal · 16 November 2017 at 2:18AM

Keeping my fingers crossed that OHs ESA claim goes through with no problems.

Stay positive XX

Doobop · 16 November 2017 at 6:52PM

Very pleased about the esa

moosesquirrel · 16 November 2017 at 6:58PM

Afternoon peeps!

Some good news. Some bad news.

The good news:
Hubby's food shopping spree came to £56 yesterday. Along with the veggie box ordered for £16 our shopping was under £80!
I received a cheque refund from Direct Line for a pet insurance claim. £60 to me.
My paypal account now stands at £62.15
I exchanged my Sainsbury's points for a £20 clothing voucher and bought a couple of Christmas presents.

The bad news:
I went into Sainsbury's yesterday to exchange my points and bought two pizzas, coke and chicken totalling £13. Money I didn't expect to spend
I spent £4.40 on ebay postage but only charged the £3.40
I went back into Sainsbury's today and spent another £10.80 on cereal and ham.

In other news my bank accounts could squeeze under the overdrafts this month.

Barclays £2500 overdraft is currently at £2,289.00 o/d. no other expense to come out. But my purse is empty so I suspect something will give before month end.

Nationwide 1 £1450 overdraft is currently at £1,090.00 o/d. Bills totalling £191.00 still to come out. Plus two more shops at £80 each.

Nationwide 2 £750 overdraft is currently at £726.00 o/d. Is no longer used and hope to reduce again at end of month.

Regarding my weekly targets:

Lose weight
lost half a pound by 19/11 Still working on it

Clear debts
keep the shopping bill to no more than £80 this week Yes. Well sort of

Tidy house
Clean and tidy one kitchen cupboard Done! All food cupboards sorted woohoo
Clean kitchen sink To do

Sort bills
Sort through 2010 bills and shred anything no longer needed To do

Computer
Sort through my music folder and put it in some sort of tidy workable order Done! Yay!

Fitbit
Aim for 10k step per day Erm, not quite. Sunday was 4,556, Monday was 6729. Tuesday was 7365, Weds was 9237 so nearly there lol

Wishing you all a great evening.

Chrystal · 17 November 2017 at 2:35AM

Do you have a daily charge on your overdrafts, if so it must be costing a fortune in interest..... definitely need to get rid of them as soon as you can, and hopefully if OH gets sorted with ESA there'll be some extra money too.

Great to hear your good news

moosesquirrel · 17 November 2017 at 10:36PM

Hi Chrystal, I do have a charge yes, so need to try and reduce them somehow. Hopefully in the New Year once Christmas is out of the way, I can start working on it properly.

Reading my post back it's amazing how upset I felt at having spent that money at Sainsbury's when in the past I wouldn't have thought twice about it. Also amazing that I have felt the need to log into every account including CCs to see what the balances are... daily. Considering it's probably 6 months since I last checked them that's quite a changearound.

Today's news... a NSD. Woohoo! It's the little things. But they mean a lot to me. Sold an item on Facebook for £20. Banked my cheque for £65.14 from Direct Line.

Thoughts for the day, need to get dogs annual jabs. More expense.

Also need to buy new flea collar and worming tablets. Wonder if that would be cheaper from a supermarket than the expensive vet prescribed ones.

No further progress on the weekly lists, but hope to have a good crack at the three remaining tasks tomorrow to see the week out on a high.

Regarding my weekly targets:

Lose weight
lost half a pound by 19/11 Still working on it

Clear debts
keep the shopping bill to no more than £80 this week Yes. Well sort of

Tidy house
Clean and tidy one kitchen cupboard Done! All food cupboards sorted woohoo
Clean kitchen sink To do

Sort bills
Sort through 2010 bills and shred anything no longer needed To do

Computer
Sort through my music folder and put it in some sort of tidy workable order Done! Yay!

Fitbit
Aim for 10k step per day Erm, not quite. Sunday was 4,556, Monday was 6729. Tuesday was 7365, Weds was 9237, Thurs was 8975.

Reasons to be cheerful... I didn't have to get up early this morning.

moosesquirrel · 22 November 2017 at 11:29PM

Evening all!

It's been a few days, so thought I'd better post, namely because I've been tempted moneywise and I've been resisting, but it's been hard.

I'm returning to my list of trips on page one, and the second one in May that isn't booked but which I find it hard to refuse. Tickets went on sale recently, varying between £1000 and £250. Yikes! So no way. But then my friends are begging me to go and one has even offered to share a hotel room and cover the cost. But I'd still have to find at least £250 plus train fare. And I've been sitting trying to find ways to afford it. I mean I have room on my MBNA card, right. And then I thought, what the hell I am I doing, even considering increasing that debt further. So I came here. Read a few posts and got totally into that saving frame of mind. So stuff it. Have told friend thanks, but it's a no go. I'm not even as sad as I thought I would be. In fact I feel quite proud. I will probably feel different next May when everyone is off enjoying themselves and I'm not. But even that feeling will be over, once the event is finished and the talk has died down.

In other news paypal now has a grand total of £73.83. I have bought some Christmas presents out of my current bank account money (or not money). I had a food shop this week of under £60. Wow! I have bought some Christmas food. And I haven't had any messages saying I'm over my overdraft. So I am pretty sure I'm going to make it to the end of the month.

I do have a drawer piling up with bits of paper again. Receipts that i've kept and letters about stuff that need reading. None of the bad letters though. It's a bad habit that I'm going to have to break. So I plan to sit down at the weekend and sort that.

All targets met for last week except the weight loss (managed to put on 2 and 1/4 lb). And I didn't get round to that shredding. So new targets:

Lose weight
Lose a pound by 26/11 To do

Clear debts
keep the shopping bill to no more than £80 this week Yes!

Tidy house
Clean Cooker Done!
Clear the ironing pile To do

Sort bills
Sort through 2010 bills and shred anything no longer needed To do
Clear receipts in drawer and keep it clear To do

Computer
Sort through my pictures folder and put in some sort of order. This will take a few weeks!

Fitbit
Aim for 10k step per day. Still not achieved this. Mon 4,582, Tue 6,550

Chrystal · 23 November 2017 at 4:20AM

Well done You! Sounds as though that 'lightbulb' is shining quite brightly at the moment.... and by the time Mays here you'll be so pleased at how well you're doing that you'll be extra pleased that you didn't go.

No Ifs, Ands, or Buts!

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