Lunars next chapter

pandapaws

Thanks - glad it wasn't patronising! That sounds like a good plan to me, although you may be able to get a better rate on an account in the littl'un's name than your own ISA. You'd still be in charge of the account and it would still be tax free. Worth a look.

Greg is awake AGAIN. Time to give up for the night I think! Take care!

(And thanks for updating your countdown days!)

lunar

Hope you didnt get woken up too much last night panda. Days updated again, just for you!

Just paid £150 off the egg loan taking it under £5000, and meaning i only have £100 to go to reach the christmas target i set myself. Im not sure if i should close the nat west card now the balance transfer is finished or keep it to see if they give me a better offer in the future. I think i will prob close it as i like seeing them come off my credit file.

lunar

third no spend day in a row! I also have some things on ebay that have been bid up to £310 with 2 days to go. Feeling really positive about my debt busting today. i will be making up for the no spending thurs and friday as i have 2 days of christmas shopping ahead of me. Ive got my list, compared online prices and got a load of vouchers ready.

Im wondering if hayley has gone into labour as no posts today, i need positive stories about how wonderful labour is if you have your baby first! Im getting nervous now and really wondering how i will cope with everything.

millionaire_in_training

oh Lunar labour is fab. Lol. Well what arrives at the end of it is fab and just take all the painkillers they offer and you will be fine. The gas and air is just like a good old drink so have some of that on me. xx Good luck

lunar

Ill be taking you up on that gas and air, not too sure about the painkillers as most make me really sick, paracetamol is about the most i manage.

Feel free to ignore ramblings below, im just copying my post form the other thread i started. I enjoyed reading my old diary when i retired it and this post really shows the progress i have made to myself with regards to my attitude about money and responsibility. I just want to be able to look back on it whenever i come to retire this diary, i hope nobody minds.

Some support and a big thank you
As I am sat at home on my maternity leave I have been looking around on the boards more than I normally do. I know this is a very difficult time financially for everyone. Im not sure where this post really belongs, so im adding it to DFW as this is my home.

People in debt are facing increaced interest payments, people who saved for houses are loosing thousands in equity and are struggling with increased bills, and those savvy enough to have savings are living in fear that they may face the possibility of them being frozen in failing banks.

Martin and the MSE team seem to be getting a really hard time across some of the boards. I imagin people with savings are terrified of loosing money that not too long ago we all thought was 100% secure and are looking for who to blame. We are all responsible for our choices in life, I got myself into a horrendous level of debt and am working hard as are many to get out of it. If it wasnt for seeing Martin on tv i would never have found this site and i have no doubt my situation would have become ever worse until i was declared bankrupt. Even then i dont think i would have learned my lesson on how to live within my means without all the support on here.

I dont even blame the 'greedy' bankers for todays troubles, its human nature to push our limits and take risks. The people in the banking world at the top are there because they took risks that paid profits and made everyone money. Lets face it nobody gets to the top by going against the grain and saying no when there is money to be made, and if they ever did im sure they would be replaced by someone who is seen to make more profit for shareholders.

The one thing I do think could have been done to prevent this mess is to never have let individuals build up so much debt, that in many cases it was never realistic they could pay back. At my LBM my minimum debt payments were more than half my wage. I know im 100% to blame for spending what i did and am now paying back every penny i have borrowed. I really dont think I should have had access to that level of debt, and neither should anyone else. The government needs to answer for this and take some responsibility.

Since joining this site I have paid of more than half my debt, learned to live within my means, reduce my household bills and interest rates. More to the point I havent handed over a credit card to make a single payment in over a year now. That it not to say i have blindly followed every suggestion I have seen posted on the site, I have made choices based on my lifestyle and what is right for me.

We all need to be responsible for our own decissions, if you take the highest risk for the highest reward its just that the highest risk. the warnings on savings and compensation are there for everyne to read, it just seems people will read the benifits to themselves but not the possible pitfalls.

Martin and this site are not responsible for money anyone may loose through todays banking crisis. So I just wanted to post some support for the site and people who have helped me so much. Now is not the time to find one person to blame, the current situation will effect everyone for years to come and i really hope martin and his team will be there to help us through it.

Thank you for reading my long rant, really sorry about the spelling, not got the spell check working at the min!

lunar

I went and did a load of christmas shopping today and got some brilliant bargins. I only spent £8 actual money which was from ebay sales so not my wage. I also spent £40 vouchers for various places and seemed to get loads for my money. its not like i have been out looking for cheap options, I think i have just fallen lucky with plenty of special offers that places had on.

Will be going again tomorrow to get everything else bar food. then can hopefuly get it all wrapped over the weekend. Still no signs of baby yet, i just seem to be getting bigger every day!

lunar

Christmas shopping is done, spent an absoulte fortune yesterday but i got everything i needed. there is a couple of things to come i have ordered online. My house looks like a bomb hit! with the credit crunch it seems its even worth bargining in shops. I found a really evpensive coat for OH, origionally £200, reduced to £100 in the sale, I told the man working in there i had only really been planning spending around £60 and managed to get it for £70 in the end. i would never have thought to ask normally, but i couldnt justify spending £100.

I got loads for my money all paid for with ebay profits and vouchers collected through the year. The only thing i didnt get is the food obviously but ive got vouchers ready and waiting for that. I have wrapped a few things, starting with pressies i will have to post. got them all labeled so they will be ready to just go to the post offce nearer to the time. Im just trying to do as much as i can to prepare in advance this year. I still have about £150 cash that was from ebay sales that i intended to use for pressies so im quite proud. at least i have it if i discover i have forgotten anything.

pandapaws

Wow Lunar, I'm in complete admiration of everything you've achieved. I can't believe you've WRAPPED Christmas presents - that's fantastic. I keep wondering if we hadn't moved the day Greg was born, and stayed in our nice clean and tidy (ish) house whether I'd have been super-organised by now as well. Never mind!

Love the other post by the way - I totally agree with just about every word of it.

Right, no more stalling... must find this god-awful Ebay challenge people have been talking about.

lunar

I think I remember you did more than enough panda when Greg was born, never mind the moving there was all that mortgage stress as well! I am mostly just sitting, wrapping the odd thing then sitting again.

Im startng to get rhe impression that this baby wants to stay put. I get contractions for an hour then nothing for ages, every time i think they are stronger and am about to tell OH about them they stop. for some reason i really wanted him to come this weekend, im sat eating loads of pinapple like my midwife told me to, not sure what it is supposed to do though.

pandapaws

Pineapple? Can't remember that one!

Is it 8 days to go today or less? I'm going to be away next week so hope I don't miss too much!