Buddiebabe's new beginnings....

buddiebabe

Hey

Didn't get too much more done this afternoon. Went to Morrisons to get some stuff for making lunches during the week and spent £5.69. Only got enough stuff to do my boyfriend his lunches until Friday and mine until Wednesday. Will need to buy some bread probably Wednesday or Thursday but that should be about it. There is enough stuff in the house to make dinners all week so am not too worried about food shopping.

I was on the old style board having a look for some ideas when i came across a thread about mould in the bathroom and how the grout in the tiles has gone a funny orange colour. The same thing had happened to me and a Dettol Mould and Mildew spray was recommended. I had some in the cupboard so just went and sprayed some of the affected areas and it disappeared before my eyes :j there is so much more to do but my skin has broken out cause i forgot to put some gloves on and the smell is really strong so i will use it during the week to get the rest of it done.

I got an email from Quidco tonight saying that they had posted a payment to me for £67.54 (i was only expecting £17.54) so went on and checked and two enquiries i had from the days when i was gambling had come back successful and paid so i will have an unexpected £67.54 in my bank sometime this week.

Now the dilema is that i should pay this directly to my Debenhams card as this is extra, however, i owe my mum £36.09 she has said she will wait until i get paid on the 12th for this but think i should give her it earlier. I'll wait until the money arrives in my account before i decide.

Am off to bed now am back at both jobs this week and am really not looking forward to it i really enjoyed doing nothing at night.

Buddiebabe x

Seaxwyn

Hiya - that sounds like a very productive weekend, well done! How nice to have the surprise £50 from Quidco. I think you should pay it to your mum when it arrives, especially as she has let you off the bigger debt, this could be a little way of saying thank you.

buddiebabe

Thanks Seaxwyn I tried to give my mum the money this morning... i had the difference from the mortgage available so thought i'd use that to pay her back but she's said she will take it when i get paid on the 12th.

I have paid the loose change to debenhams today £6.80 and i have also made a payment through the direct banking of £38.52 which is the difference in the mortgage payments :j

I have no money spare at all this month and it takes me to my overdraft limit but if i didn't pay it to the Debenhams card i would have just spent it on rubbish.

I have spent £1.30 today on a bottle of fresh orange juice that will last me all week at work and the 70p change has went into the pot to go to Debenhams this week.

I have £9.00 left in my purse to last me until Thursday.

Better get ready to go to my 2nd job now

Buddiebabe x

MrsPorridge

Hi buddiebabe - talking of lunches (and apologies if you do this already), but I sometimes take leftovers from the previous evening's meal and re-heat in the microwave at work.

That's great news about the extra from Quidco.

Good luck.

buddiebabe

Hi MrsPorridge I would love to take something to work that i could reheat in the microwave but at the moment i don't really tend to make anything that there are any left overs from although on Saturday night i cooked a chicken and had that in sandwiches today!!

I just don't have the time with the two jobs to make something that i will have more of than i need and to be honest if there is any extra we usually just eat it

I would love to be able to cook more home cooked meals and it is something that i am going to try and do more often even if it is only once a week when i have the night off.

Im trying to make March the clear the cupboards and freezer months.
Off to see what i can fling together for dinner then im going to try and plan out the meals for the rest of the week.
Buddiebabe x

Seaxwyn

Great news about the overpayments to Debenhams - that must feel good. So have you paid £200 off that card already this year? It'll be gone by summer at this rate.

It's a long time since I've made an overpayment. I must get back on track, I remember how I used to love the feeling.

buddiebabe

Hey Seaxwyn

So far this year i have paid off £211.63 off my Debenhams card :j i have made 7 extra payments it is a good feeling paying that wee bit extra towards the card i just hope i can continue to do it.

The only way im manging to pay so much towards it at the moment is by me not taking into account the extra money i should have from the difference in my mortgage and if i make any savings from any other bills or direct debits then i am paying this on the day i make the saving so i am not missing the money.

The other thing is by saving my loose change im finding it adds up. Sometimes its only a few pounds but every little helps.

I do find that im struggling to get by every week at the moment as i always have to find extra money from somewhere as my income doesn't always cover everything but i always manage to muddle through. I would find it so much easier to just not pay the extra to the cards but then again i want them paid off asap.

You will get there we all will we just need to keep going!!!
Buddiebabe x

MrsPorridge

Hi Buddiebabe - OK I know what you mean. I too used to work two jobs and never had time to cook from scratch. I now have the "luxury" of working one full time job and I do cook from scratch most of the time, but I have a very helpful DH (I know I'm lucky).

Good luck with your month of using up freezer and cupboard food. We sometimes have funny combinations - but if you can laugh about it then you are half-way there.

Take care,

buddiebabe

Hey

MrsPorridge im off work 2moro night so am going to make lasange to use up some jars out of the cupboards but also to take for lunch on Friday.

I checked my bank account today and my direct debit for sky came off today and was only £26 instead of the £46 i had put aside for it. So i have made a payment for the £20 difference to my Debenhams card today.

I also received my quidco payment today of £67.54 so i have paid my mum back the money i owe her £41.34.

I paid £8.37 towards my Debenhams card from this quidco payment to round this down to £420.00 now outstanding.

I also paid the £2.51 towards my RBS M/C 2 to round that down to £5120 that i owe.

Well better get ready for 2nd job now before im late!!!

Buddiebabe x

MrsPorridge

Buddiebabe - you are so organised and disciplined. Reading through your diary has given me great inspiration. All those little amounts really do mount up. I first started on MSE in October last year and joined the payment a day challenge. I was amazed at how much those £1 per day added up! I have now started doing what you did with your "extra £20" - instead of saying "i'll spend it on something" I now put any extras towards paying off the CCs.

I had left-over spag. bol for my lunch today!

Take care.