The Quest

moo2moo

Are we playing MSE Hide & Seek? Everyone seems to have disappeared. I'm feeling like Billy no mates.

I've had a really, and I mean really, carp week which just got worse and worse. A few of the hens went for a wander around our drive yesterday and were attacked by a loose dog. One is now tail-less but otherwise unharmed and another one was suffering from a shattered wing and punctured lung so had to be killed instantly. The DDs are asking allsorts of questions which I can't answer. Sudden chicken death isn't anything new, we've had hawk attacks before but someones pet is something they are finding really hard to cope with. As well as the dog walkers attitude, apparently its in the dogs nature. Not the dog was unrestrained and out of control.

On a more positive note I listed a load more of my junk cherished possessions on E-bay last time they had a free listing day and about 1/4 of them sold. I'm re-using padded envelopes from work and postage stamps aquired from one of the survey companies so I've no outlay other than E-bay and Paypal fees. Hopefully around £30 profit.

The OH is away on a course for the weekend on overtime and expenses. he'll come back shattered as its been incredibly long days but he should be able to claim 36 hours overtime for it and being a very MSE fella hes been packed off with a bowl of cereal and a carton of milk to eat in his room rather than playing hunt the breakfast, his company allow them a set figure per meal regardless of what or where they eat. I'm using the time to decarp the house ready for the next free listing day. The fortnightly wheelie bin collection is this week too so will make sure that leaves jammed full.

Off to find myself a spreadsheet to see if I can revamp my budget in a techie sort of way rather than scrawling lots of stuff on scraps of paper.

[Deleted User]

Hi Moo2,

I'm here, been mooching about on and off doing different things...still got the washing up to do

Sorry to hear that you had a bad week at least it is the weekend and next week will be better.

Your poor chickens, I can imagine that you'd be angry with the owner of the dog, I would be too. Hope that the girls have got over it okay now?

Good luck with E-baying your lovely stuff, I'm sure that you'll sell lots and lots this week

Tea
x

Lula-Hula

Hello & sorry havent been about much - DD not well & the home is a disaster area - trying to have clear up before christmas - ha !

Will be back later when DD in bed

Lula-Hula

*tumbleweeds roll along the empty streets of The Quest*

Hello

Moo2, sorry you had such a cr*p last week, hope it's improved now.


It's all sunny & lovely here today which just cheers my world up so much. Not that I'm down at all, just been so busy that I havent had a chance to just 'be'. The week end went by very quickly, DD was at a friends on saturday & I spent all day clearing & tidying (actually just moving the piles of stuff from one room to another ) then on sunday she didnt feel well so we just lounged around watching tv & playing scrabble.

The good news is that I didnt spend anything from friday until today so 3 NSDs in a row . I had to top up on bread today & also got some bits for the Brownies christmas party tomorrow & picture hooks which I've been meaning to buy since the kitchen was finished - yes I still polish taps & draining board every night . I like our local hardware store; they've got wooden floors & a portable gas heater thing that reeks :eek: . So much random stuff, it's like a treasure trove of useful stuff. One of my resolutions for next year is to make more use of the local shops. Apart from the co op we have a bakery & a butcher ( havent been in there for years ) so my mission is to shop locally & support the local independent traders more.

I've had loads of work on which is great for the finances but it also makes me realise that so much of the week just whizzes by in a series of routines & time restrained activities. I missed about 7 surveys as so busy :mad: plan for next year is to do as many as possible & potentially not spend any money on christmas :cool: . I'm really looking forward to the holidays & having time to 'potter' & catch up on all those little jobs that just never get done.

Financially I am now covered for the 10 days unpaid :eek: holiday. I am not going to make a payment to the CCs for the week beginning 29th so can use that £80 to buy any groceries needed. I'm not sure about going away yet, will be having christmas day & boxing day as family days & will also need
one/two other days to catch up with other family members.

More good news, I spoke to my sis last night & we've agreed not to exchange presents. We've discussed this a few times in previous years, she is happy to give to DD but other than that we're going to make more of a deal about birthdays. Fine by me as mine is week after christmas anyway . What that means is that apart from the Dad & a few stocking bits for DD I have now completed my shopping :j . I was going to spend more on DD1 but have now decided to pay for her meal at the expensive lunch & not buy anymore presents.

I made the payments to CCs yesterday but thanks to barclaycard's interest & 'membership' fee :mad: the debt has gone up Total now stands at £ 6,236 :rolleyes:
I am not putting that in the sig . I really need to do something about that interest, will add to list of resolutions. Also need to add spending more time at the allotment doing decorating tackling own garden HUGE declutter etc. etc. etc.

Right, I need to write some christmas cards, hoover, clean the bathroom, tidy, redistribute pile of paperwork etc. / potter about on here for while before todays work load appears

bye for now

Lula x

[Deleted User]

Hi Lula,

I'm still here, you can't get rid of me just yet.

Well done on the NSD...mine seem to have gone haywire this month so will start again in the New Year.

Good news about the work, every little helps and don't be too hard on yourself about the c.c going up a bit at least it isn't masses.

Sounds like your organised for Christmas.

Enjoy the hoovering and other bits of housework.

Tea
x

Lula-Hula

Very glad you're still here Tea :A

Should be hoovering but have been sucked into the hypnotic beam of MSE, anyway just popped back to say postie just delivered my £10 argos voucher from one of the survey sites & a card from outlaws including generous cheque for christmas :j .

I really am going now ...

Lula-Hula

Morning all

Yesterday was a NSD & today will be too :j .

I finally plucked up the nerve to ring barclaycard about interest rate :mad: . The deal is that as long as I can make the minimum payments the rate stays, if however, I cant make the payment they will kindly put my account on stop & make me ring another number to arrange repayments & I can then neogtiate freezing/reducing the interest - not guaranteed :mad: . Putting the account on stop will immediately blow credit status to pieces. "Do I wish to proceed with that option ?" Like hell :rolleyes: I do.

Next option is to try for a credit limit increase on CC1 & shift the balance... :eek: . Even at the rate I'm currently paying I would still save £45 a month in interest. I think i'm going to compile my case on paper including a full SOA to demonstrate my ability to pay the total debt although the minimum payments would still be a few pounds short of what I'm actually paying CC1. In my view there's no reason why they shouldnt do it...but I'm still scared to ask

If anyone has any other suggestions I'd be glad to hear them but I'm not prepared (yet) to go down the DMP route yet, I do still want access to credit for section 75 if nothing else :rolleyes: .

I also redid the budget yesterday as the increase in rent & the doubling of fuel bills :eek: has impacted & due to christmas spending I havent taken this into account which is very silly. I am declaring that tomorrow will be the last of the Christmas shopping, need to get something for Dad & a few stocking bits then I'm done.

Surpise visitor so back later ...

mum2one

As long as u have been making payments, in theory the other card should allow an increase, but if it doesnt dont take it to heart that its sumthing u have done its the damm credit crunch. x

Lula-Hula

Hmmm, this is quite a while 'later'

Surprise visitor was DD1 wanting to visit while her car being mot'd ( & have a lift each way too of course :rolleyes: ). Quite lucky though as she spotted I have 2 chips in the windscreen :eek:, I turned the heating off pretty quick.

Must ring & arrange repair - somebody nag me please .

I've been thinking of new challenges to set myself for next year & my favourite so far is the crazy clothes challenge. I have a lot of clothes & it's not their fault that they hang around being unused because I've expanded . I've still only managed to lose 6lb :mad: but I'm back to doing some yoga every day so that should help.

I dont need any more clothes except maybe a few tshirts for the summer so my challenge is ... to only spend £100 on clothes next year :rotfl: . This challenge doesnt include underwear, footwear or accessories & there is a contingency fund in case of special events like weddings, winning an oscar, becoming a pantomime horse etc etc.

This challenge is just for me & not DD; kids grow :rolleyes: .

If anyone would be interested in joining me (think I have a couple of the single & in debt peeps on board ) then let me know & I might start up a new thread.

Had a spendy day today, last few bits for DD & her friends birthday present too. Neighbours have their lights up & DD feels left out so mummy goes & buys 3 sweet little plain while light trees at £20 .

Have started decluttering the living room to make way for the tree & the family :eek: & now wondering why I didnt do it before .The wii games & bits are now neatly packed in a basket & the 2ft high pile of photos in boxes & empty albums is now cluttering up my room. This is strategic relocation as I want to decorate my room during my week off so I'll have to do something, thinking a skip would be best :rolleyes: . Sorting through the photos is one of my missions for next year too. I have a few project & plans so will be starting The Quest 2009 in the new year.

I need to get some sleep now so bye for now & G'nite

Lula

moo2moo

Hello All!

You sound to be very busy again Lula. I'm sure you'll sort something out with the credit card companies eventually. I like the idea of the £100 a year clothes challenge although I doubt I spent that last year. I hate shopping. I did find a pair of jeans which fitted me so I bought one pair in every practical colour on the shelf ooh and 3 jumpers for £20 at Decathalon. Other than undies thats it. I'm a low maintenance girl. I am vaguely considering a new coat this year as the monstrosity hanging in my wardrobe which I wear at the point of freezing to death was purchased by my dad when I was around 14 from C&A. Its hideous, thats 1980s hideous, so in imaculate condition but it is very warm. Makes me sound like a bag lady.

Good luck with your house decorating Christmas Challenge, I've been told to take the entire school holiday off regardless of not having enough holiday hours to do it. I'm still trying to work out what to do with it.The littlest DDs room needs the plaster patching, 2 rooms downstairs need ceilings plastering where we ripped out the fake beams and the plasterboard to expose the original 12" thick beams and gained 4 inches of ceiling height in the process so the tops of all the walls need filling too, and I've a rooms worth of laminate to finish laying to get rid of the manky 30 year old carpet that we inherited with the house.

I'm avoiding Christmas decorations at home until the end of next week when school breaks up. I'm sick of trees already, school has 14. The penultimate X-mas bash happened yesterday so normality will shortly be resumed.

OH has dropped more and more subtle hints. Oblivious of the girls frequent requests for Nintendo DS lites because all their freinds have them hes declared that as his next request. Hes spending an awful lot of time on aeroplanes and in hotle rooms so I guess its justifiable really. I gave in and ordered one from Argos in silver with sight training and an accessories pack for £106 then phoned my step mum whos been on the phone for weeks wanting to know what we'd like, shes seen Brain Training and More Brain Training for £18 so thats him completely sorted. If he suggests anything else I will thump him!

DD2 turns 6 on tuesday and is still adament the only thing she'd like as a present is a chocolate cake with chocolate buttons on top of it.