Lucielle's daring debt free journey

TizerCat

WOW Lucielle, Life seems to be on the up for you! The business sounds fantastic and you've been socialising with royalty! I am very pleased. Great to hear you are still having the riding lessons too!

sorry i've been away so long.... TC

lucielle

Lovely to hear from you TC what've you been up to? Things ok your end? My legs are killing today.
L

Seaxwyn

Blimey Lucielle, i have been out of touch for a while and I log in to find you have a shop and are mates with the queen. I must back up a few pages to find out how all this has happened! Congrats and good luck with the business - is this the same one your OH has been running, but with new premises?

TizerCat

Well the money saving took a bit of a dive over Xmas Luceille, and the winter period and i'm trying to wriggle out of the problems it caused.

Briefly the DD and DS are now paying their fair share towards the bills, have sold one pony and put another on loan.:D DD has taken over the 3rd but we are 'negotiating' over who pays! As situation unresolved have put this pony on sale aswell.:( Thought I could never sell the ponies, but had wages cut in January and the speed that I got into trouble again has been a bit of a wake up call.:(

Wages have been reinstated from this month but as I stand now I am 1/2 a month behind on the mortgage and 1/3 behind on the rent, have used all the overdraft the bank will allow - £250 - and have had an advance of £200 on next months wages already (to pay direct debits and DD's 21st birthday dinner)(dinner £80 and wasn't worth it!). I also have very little food left, am relying on allotment veggies and a few packets left in the cupboard! AND we are on the emergency electric, which is not going to last until payday next thursday. AND almost no fuel in the car! AND i've run out of puppy pads and the dog keeps peeing on the carpet! (is there a crying smiley?)

I am very angry :mad::mad: with myself for sticking my head in the sand for so long when I had been turning my finances around!

I am supposed to be going to Hickstead to watch the showjumping today. Have got free tickets and know where to park for free and am about to make my packed lunch, but of course I have forgotten I have no fuel to get there so it will cost me money. money i should put on the electric! I think I should cancel it - writing this has also been a bit of a wake up call! i think I might repost it in my diary.....

Thank you for being here Luceille....I find reading your diary very supportive...wish I hadn't stopped for so long...:beer:

lucielle

Awww TC, ((((((hugs)))))). I'm glad you find my ramblings helpful. Have you checked all coat pockets and down the back of the settee? Can your children help? Sorry, just trying to think of ways to help. I'll be back when I've had a think.
L

TizerCat

Hi lucille while you were replying ....:jHave checked bank account £15 still available and all direct debits have now gone out:)

A friend of a friend of a friend... just phoned about last pony - has been stitched up by a dealer and wants to know if i would do loan with a view to buy- tried not to bite her hand off! - she is coming to view tomorrow evening.

am going to Hickstead to celebrate will put £5 in petrol = 25 miles driving - should get me there and to the yard tomorrow /

Will put washble rugs where dog keeps peeing - at least they can go in the machine!

Leaves me with £5 for electric and £5 for food...I think a chicken will be best as can make it stretch with vegies and rice I already have.

Thank you Luceille ...writing to you helped to concentrate my mind.....:beer: hope you have a good day too and your legs feel better...was it riding w/o stirrups again? ouch!

TC

lucielle

Yes riding a very wide cob with no stirrups wasn't particularly comfortable. Glad things have picked up today. Looking back over your other post though, you are going to have to prepare for a low wage next month as you've had an advance. Will think on that for a bit and come back to you.
L

TizerCat

Yes your right Lucielle ... think I will do a budget and meal plans this weekend well in advance of payday!

Hickstead was nice and didn't spend a penny met alot of horsey friends there and most are struggling too Used to go and everyone would be laden down with shopping bags, but not this year.

You know, it was reading about your horses that you bravely let go, that has helped me let go of mine. To be honest riding lessons would fit into my life better at the moment. At least it is more flexible.

You and your husband are brave to set your business up now. I hope that it is successful and that you are able to by your perfect house soon. Have you heard anything back from your landlord re the damp?

TC

lucielle

Hi Seax, thanks for popping by, yes its the same business we've been building up for the last 5-6years. A bit of a bigger jump than we anticipated but too good an opportunity to let pass by. Hoping to open this week so getting to squeaky bum time!!! I like to think I'm a realist and if at the end of the day it doesn't work, we gave it a go and nobody died (they may be getting a lawnmower for Christmas for quite a few years!!!). However it might turn out that new sales might not be the way to go and seconhand/servicing/repairs is the best way forward. It is going to be one mahoosive learning curve. Also now we have an employee I've got to learn all about PAYE. I'm such a lucky bunny!!

TC, I certainly have the rose tinted glasses when it comes to the neddies. My ideal of plodding around the countryside and enjoying them never really came to fruition, Sam (my horse) on occasions had me scared to death, especially when he decided to rear, certainly not pleasant and he was exceedingly bolshy, lacking in manners but he was mine. The childrens pony Smurf was ace, though I have been reliably informed he was a git in his youth. I was completley gutted when the time came to let him go to rainbow bridge. However the winter we had, it really would've been cruel to keep him. So what I'm saying in my rather waffly way, is that at the moment your neddies are a big drain on your finances (which you know) if you can loan/sell it will help you get back on your feet. You've mentioned that you have friends with horses, so to get your 'fix' can you help out and ride one of theirs in exchange for mucking out ect. That means you can keep your cash.

My house is still damp and after what the environmental health said regarding the amount of work it needed doing and being potentially thrown out, I've not rocked the boat.

I'm taking the girls to get their hair cut tomorrow morning and then going to Lidls and the its back to the workshop. OH has got a chap coming tomorrow to have a look doing a spread in his paper. Hoping to open this coming week. EEk
L

TizerCat

Thank you for your support Lucielle

Good luck on your newspaper reporter...that will good free publicity fingers crossed for the grand opening

TC