early 40s and not fabulous at all

plush_2 · 26 September 2017 at 9:36AM

Good morning.

Back to update my signature as I made payments to both Sainsbury's and Barclaycard today. No more credit card payments until October payday, unless I'll have a surplus by then (wishful thinking). This month I paid off £678 ( £300 Halifax overdraft + £65 Barclaycard #2 + £110 Sainsbury's + £203 Barclaycard #1). The next immediate goal is to stay in green - don't touch the overdraft and Barclaycard #2 until next payday.

Barclays is looking healthy, all my bills and regulars are there, no expected surprises. The spending account, Halifax, has £490 in it, and I'm due a £25 refund from a pair of trainers I bought two weeks ago and returned. This week's grocery shopping is already paid for, and I also bought a present for a friend. Today and tomorrow will be no shopping days.

4 weeks left until pay date, so that's £125+ each week. This should be doable, and some!

plush_2 · 26 September 2017 at 10:12AM

PS. My horoscope agrees with me this week :j. I love the Free Will Astrology horoscope - it's always fun - even though I don't believe in it at all

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): I found this advertisement for a workshop:
"You will learn to do the INCREDIBLE! Smash bricks with your bare hands!
Walk on fiery coals unscathed! Leap safely off a roof! No broken bones!
No cuts! No pain! Accomplish the impossible first! Then everything else
will be a breeze!" I bring this to your attention, Virgo, not because I think
you should sign up for this class or anything like it. I hope you don't. In
fact, a very different approach is preferable for you: I recommend that
you start with safe, manageable tasks. Master the simple details and
practical actions. Work on achieving easy, low-risk victories. In this way,
you'll prepare yourself for more epic efforts in the future.

EssexHebridean · 26 September 2017 at 3:23PM

All looking good there then - you've made such a great start on all this!

I bet it feels great to be in control of your money rather than feeling as though it is controlling you!

Happierdays · 26 September 2017 at 6:46PM

Hi well done you for tackling the debt and other things too! One thing I will add about kids costing money is that though this is true and the costs seem to get higher as they get older I actually found that as my 2 entered their teens and started their paper rounds / other little jobs it reduced some of the pressure a bit as they actually enjoyed buying some of their "extra" bits and bobs themselves... I don't mean essentials but maybe things like playstation games etc
Anyway wishing you all the best with your progress

plush_2 · 26 September 2017 at 7:03PM

EssexHebridean wrote: »

I bet it feels great to be in control of your money rather than feeling as though it is controlling you!

Thank you. I don't feel in control yet - but I really hope to get there sooner rather than later!

plush_2 · 27 September 2017 at 8:23PM

Aargh, not an NSD today. A friend asked me to go to a film festival in October and because films sell out quickly we had to buy tickets today, £14. At least it wasn't a £60 theatre ticket (I'm known to splurge on those...).

Spending Tracker is up to date, I need to review spend after one month, then every month. I'm only entering non-bills spend - basically whatever happens in my Halifax account.

In true MSE fashion, I found a 10-week free course - Tae Kwon Do self defence for women, funded by our local council. It should be fun, and it starts in October, so looking forward to that. Miraculously, it fits into my schedule - being a single mother I don't have too much free time, and my child isn't yet at the age to be left alone, especially in the evenings.

Finally, here's my to do list for the remainder of this week - just the big things really:

- attempt a 5k run
- low carb for 3 days
- wardrobe clear out for both of us, too much stuff that doesn't fit
- deep cleaning and decluttering bathroom (I'd love to get a cleaner but my conscience says no)
- find one item to donate or sell

EssexHebridean · 28 September 2017 at 12:18PM

All sounding good there Plush! wardrobe clearout was on my list of things to be tackled last weekend - "bag to charity shop" will be on my list for this one!

Well done on the free course - that sounds like a good thing to have a go at! :T

plush_2 · 29 September 2017 at 1:03PM

So I've done both wardrobes in one evening. Not a deep clear out but I managed to fill 2 large bags of clothes that I donated. From the list I posted above I only have the 5K run left to do (if not raining too heavily), and the deep cleaning of the bathroom. Both for tomorrow.

The weekend looks super quiet apart from a kids b-day party. The rainy weather is depressing me, I feel lonely and fed up with being single. Nothing I can do about that, can I?

Tea&Kittens · 1 October 2017 at 2:53PM

Well done on the wardrobe clear out and getting through your list!
Hope the weekend is going ok!

UncannyScot · 1 October 2017 at 2:57PM

This reminds me... I need to have a clothes clear out as well as I have stuff that I'm not wearing / using that someone else might find useful.
Will all be going to charity shop

early 40s and not fabulous at all

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