My new 'no spending/get myself organised' diary

pixiechick99

Ooooh meant to say...I had a nice parcel in the post last week - I won a competition and got the Guitar Hero game on DS, which is fab as it's on E's Christmas list! But...DS games were only £12 in Morrisons at the time so my Mum picked up the same game - I now have 2!! So going to hang on to both and sell one nearer Christmas...they're going for about £20 on ebay right now, so if I sell for that I'll be £8 up AND still have a copy of the game for her for Xmas...I was sooooo excited! My first decent comp win!!
:beer:

The_Dragon

millyscarlett wrote: »

Ooooh meant to say...I had a nice parcel in the post last week - I won a competition and got the Guitar Hero game on DS, which is fab as it's on E's Christmas list! But...DS games were only £12 in Morrisons at the time so my Mum picked up the same game - I now have 2!! So going to hang on to both and sell one nearer Christmas...they're going for about £20 on ebay right now, so if I sell for that I'll be £8 up AND still have a copy of the game for her for Xmas...I was sooooo excited! My first decent comp win!!
:beer:

Great news millyscarlett!

pixiechick99

Had my 10th NSD of September yesterday, hooray!:T
I didn't think it would be as E lost a tooth so the Tooth Fairy had to come and visit - but I completely forgot and went into her room this morning and remembered!! Luckily she'd put the tooth and letter by the bed instead of under her pillow so I managed to sneakily do it-wrote a note saying the fairy was very busy and she'd be back tonight to answer the list of questions Em had left her! She was very happy with this, and the £1 coin helped:p

Off on a course this morning for school - at the Cadbury factory haha, so wont be a NSD today, I have to buy a few bargains for Christmas! Also need to buy G's pens for art after school.

Must go....

The_Dragon

Yippee on the NSD and I love the way you got out of the Tooth Fairy panic bit , I'm glad you are sounding cheerful and that the kidlets are doing well - I hope G enjoys the after school art class.

pixiechick99

The_Dragon wrote: »

Yippee on the NSD and I love the way you got out of the Tooth Fairy panic bit , I'm glad you are sounding cheerful and that the kidlets are doing well - I hope G enjoys the after school art class.

Thank you!!
I was quite pleased with my Tooth Fairy excuse too - I must remember to write a letter tonight! She has a big list of questions for the poor tooth fairy...little monkey. But she was pleased that the fairy came to our house last...I wrote that it was getting light so fairy had to rush off!!

Anyway, nearly had an NSD today - the course ran on a bit so had no time to visit the chocolate shop, had to get back to school for a literacy lesson at 1. Then no-one wanted to go out to buy G's art pens so we stayed in! G's been sitting doing homework since I got home bless her, so she's just popped out with a friend to the park til 7.

Very pleased as I handed in another unit of my NVQ to college today, just 3 to go. Feeling quite motivated and keen so will try and crack on. The ex and I have been getting on fine, it's much easier that way. Not that we speak much of course but when we need to and when he comes for the girls it's been ok.

Well, house is quiet so will go tidy up and get things ready for another day at school...making Gingerbread men in Yr 1, I like lessons like that!

pixiechick99

Oh and had to mention this..... I cancelled my home insurance (just contents) with Direct line, was paying £8 a month. I'm now with co-op, went through Quidco and it's only £4 a month....AND....I have £85 validated on Quidco for that!! Fantastic! So I have made about £40 AND have my contents insurance :beer:

pixiechick99

Afternoon all,
Had a nice afternoon doing a bit of shopping. We went to New Look and got girls a pair of jeans each, cheap warm jumper for me and returned a cardi I bought in the summer but decided I wouldn't wear as it had 3/4 sleeves and I need full ones! So that knocked the bill down. Also got a jumper in Dotty P's, so I'm Ok for the winter now (until the Xmas sales anyway!). We then went to nice big Tesco and I only spent £44 and £7 of that was 2 nice Cath Kidston bags to go on ebay! So not too bad. Nipped into co-op on way back as I forgot to get wine in Tesco, essential for my Sat night! Girls are off to ex-in-laws with their Dad, just for dinner.
Tomorrow we're meeting my mum and dad for coffee and cake, then a trip into town so G can buy some stationary she thinks she needs! So not a no-spend weekend, but not too bad. The girls, especially G, needed the jeans. She still needs more tops, all last years have been given to E!
Anyway, must go tidy up before they go, then I can settle down to some tv...

pixiechick99

Hooray, last day of Sept and it was a NSD! So I managed 11, 1 more than my target.
I received my £60 tax back in my wages this month, very nice. So have shifted it to the savings acc ready for our weekend away in half term. Had a good bargain as I bought a few jumpers from Dorothy Perkins online, with a 20% discount. I took all 3 back on Sunday and noticed today that the chap refunded me the full prices, not the 20% off price, so I ended up £6 better off I think after paying postage :T
So...new NSD challenge starts tomorrow, going for 10 again. Also £200 Grocery Challenge target for Oct (I do payday to payday)...but already spent £54 ooops and not even 1st Oct yet, must try harder!

I feel quite in control of my money though - hate it when I use my debit card a few times and I'm not exactly sure what bank balance is! I could get quite obsessed with all this.....!

Off on a school trip tomorrow so off for a reasonably early night;)

pixiechick99

Nearly thought I'd had my 3rd NSD of Oct today...but then I remembered the Tesco shopping was delivered this afternoon...damn!
Hopefully tomorrow will be - I think I'll do what I did today and leave my purse at home! All I need to do at lunchtime is post a free return to my catalogue and pay in £50 cash that the girls owed me. they bought a DS game each yesterday and didn't have their money so I used my card. Must put it straight into my bank though, not in my purse or it'll get frittered away.

Tesco shopping came to £54, £4.50 of that was delivery and I used a £5 off code I found on the codes part of the forum...and it came up as £10 off my bill! I did have a decent stock up - 2 lots of half price frozen chicken breasts for £6.60, so that'll last ages. Girls away this weekend so it'll be a cheap one, I'll have something to eat out of the freezer.

I'm a bit low money-wise this week as my rent comes out on Wednesday, £600. Luckily my tax credits go in on Thurs so it'll be fine. Had a reasonably cheap weekend - we went to my sister's as it was my niece's bday. I paid £10 for the girls to go bowling and my sis treated us all to Pizza Hut dinner, fantastic! They had a 50% voucher so it was a real bargain! So I bought cards for my Mum (her bday tomorrow) and niece, paper, some pens for work and a book for my Mum for Christmas as it was half price. It felt like I spent a lot but wasn't too bad. Oh and 2 bottles of wine for us on Sat night - but I wished I hadn't done that as I had a right headache all yesterday and was shattered as we stayed up til 3.30am....;) I'm way too old for late nights and alcohol!!!

So, on a mission to spend as little as possible now. I have a few bits on ebay too, and loads more winter clothing to list. Might do that this weekend when girls are at their dear father's.

Arghhh girls gym fees due though by 18th Oct - £44 each, or £34 if I renew their membership at £15 each. The ex used to go halves with me on that but I expect I'd b wasting my breath if Iasked for half now...useless.

ANyway, must get girls in from outside now - getting too dark sadly.

pixiechick99

Just a quick one (I often say that!) - girla away this weekend. I've just had 6th NSD of the month :j Really pleased with that. Tomorrow will be a spnd day, but not a big one, just getting some food and trying to keep that as low as possible as already on £122 out of £200 for this month's GC. Going to list a few bits on ebay later. I sold a cd on Amazon and jacket on ebay so made about £20 this week on that.

Nothing much else to report, very quiet week. I should pay off some of the catalogues I still have lurking about - I think I have 3 with outstanding blances, none over £100, but just irritating to have still. Must have a good look soon and clear them, then close the accounts.

Anyway, off to find a not-very-exciting dinner out of the freezer!