Mrs. P's Diary

MrsPorridge

Feeling much more in control today. Managed an NSD which means only 4 more to go and I've hit my target. I read a post on the NSD December thread which said "I'll be able to count Christmas Day as an NSD" - now why didn't I think of that?

Managed to save another £10 towards my October hols! Its going to be a week away with 3 other girlfriends and I can't wait - we're going to hire a cottage:j

MrsPorridge

Had a bit of a splurge yesterday and spent £30 on two skirts. I really did need them!:rolleyes: I feel slightly guilty but have convinced myself that its OK as in the old days I would have spent £30 on ONE skirt alone! Decided to keep them.

Am going to get myself organised ready for January and be fighting fit for my debt-busting. We are going away for christmas but I have set a tight budget. This is the first time I have ever gone away and used a budget - normally I just go mad and spend, spend spend. I have made the budget realistic and have added in and extra £100 just in case. However, my aim is to come home with at least some money not spent.:D DH is totally on board with all my debt-busting plans. In fact I "control" all the money and always have. So really it should be easy shouldn't it?:eek:

Things I can do to help with debt-busting:

do a new soa
save £10 per week towards my Oct 09 hols
pay for electricity on direct debit
pay for council tax on direct debit - perhaps over 12 months
change phone bill to come out of current account

(I've already sorted by phone and internet by doing a combined package. However, at the moment that comes out of the credit card - so I need to change that to come out of my current account)

Ways to generate extra income:

try and get student teacher in January (I am on the "books" of the Uni but there is no one available at the moment)

Ebay items - check all my clothes (couldn't beleive I sold quite a few clothing items the last few months); anything else I haven't used for over a year that someone else might like to buy!

Keep checking these boards to get ideas and inspiration.

I feel that I have to get myself back in check again. this month I have slipped quite a bit with my plans - the only thing I have kept in check is the meal planning. I have bought Christmas presents (which of course I have known I had to do but didn't plan for), clothes for myself, other bits and pieces for myself. We had the expense of DH's motorbike. Also DS is going on a school trip in April and we had to renew the passport £46 and I have to find £125 by next week (already got £100 saved towards that), then another £125 in January and a final £125 in February. Am using family allowance for that, but have to add an extra £30 per month to that - so its doable. the biggest excuse of all ITS CHRISTMAS.:eek:

MrsPorridge

My lovely Dad has given me some money. I've been really sensible with it and have made an overpayment on the CC of £160 (going towards my £10K challenge). I've saved a bit more towards DS holiday in April and the rest has gone on bits and pieces - bills etc. I have not used it for anything frivolous and am really pleased with myself!

MrsPorridge

Going away for Christmas. I've set a budget and am determined to stick to it! We'll see. Its going to be difficult as I am away from a computer and away from MSE!

MrsPorridge

Happy New Year to all.

I just cannot believe it but I have come back from my Christmas hols and checked my online banking and I am in credit! In fact I even earned £12.62 in interest on my current account last month. Its exactly the start I needed to the new year and the boost I need to know that I can really get some serious debt paid off this year. I have paid the £12.62 off my Egg card immediately and updated my £10k challenge signature accordingly.

Horace

Happy New Year Mrs P:j

I know what you mean about food - I have pledged to lose some weight and get back to a decent weight, I just cannot believe that I have put on just over 2 stone in 18 months:eek: I realised just how fat I had become when I was trying clothes on in M&S yesterday - it really was a dreadful sight:o I need to exercise more and eat more - sorry if it sounds odd but I haven't been eating as I should do hence the body thinking that its starving and adding podge.:rolleyes:

Don't be too hard on yourself - you are doing well and it doesnt matter if you eat the wrong thing occasionally because whatever you fancy does you good. I had a little splash out yesterday with my Amex card (I get money off my bill with it anyway) and bought myself a suit and some other items of clothing - my first decent clothing shop (Primark doesnt count) for 18 months. My parents gave me a £50 M&S gift card for Christmas and had given me £25 for my birthday, I had the £5 M&S voucher from Direct Line (I asked them for a quote), a small M&S gift card with £1.39 on it or thereabouts and a card that my OH found lying in the gutter. This gift card was an absolute prize as I handed it in expecting there to be nothing on it (it was quite battered as it had obviously been lying in the gutter for a while) and found that it contained £15:j

I have achieved my first NSD of the month and hopefully I shall squeeze in some more - I am off to Spain a week on Friday for a week, I don't care that its winter but I need a break and I had to use up a flight voucher that I won last year.

Hopefully, this year will be better for both of us and that we can both beat Strumpet with the number of NSDs:D

MrsPorridge

Happy New Year to you too Horace.

Ohhh I am jealous off to Spain lots of sun and no frost!

Well done on your first nsd of the year. I had to stop on my way home and buy milk and dinner for tonight (everything else was in the freezer). Haven't decided yet how many nsd's to aim for in January but its going to be a high figure!!

Hopeful1

_party_ Happy New Year Mrs P!!

Well done with your bank balance :T That's a fab start. I can't wait to get going this year on attacking my debts. I've learnt a lot about myself and how sensible i can actually be in recent months. I think i'll be in a much better place this time next year if i can keep the momentum up. The payment a day thread has been my saviour!

Good luck with your 10K challenge. As Horace says, let's look forward to a better year.

Best wishes x

Mrs_Money_Penny

Happy New Year Mrs P.

I have gone for 20 NSD's this month. Have managed 12 comfortably so needed to step up a gear. I had one today. Off to town tomorrow thought have to buy school shoes and a few bits and bobs hopefully shouldn't come to much.
I cleared out and sorted my kitchen cleaning cupboard. Put the excess into a plastic box so that when i open the door i don't appear under an avalanche of cleaning bottles each time. Other than washing powder shouldn't have to buy anything for about 4 months. I also sorted out 2 plastic boxes in the bathroom that contain bubble bath and shampoo etc. Won't need to buy anything there for about 6 months other than tooth paste. At least its all sorted now and I know what I have.
Have a good weekend back to the grind stone for me on Monday! Mrs M

MrsPorridge

I've joined the January nsd challenge today, but unforatunately no nsd for me yet. I am doing my big monthly shop tomorrow so hopefully Sunday will be an nsd.

Today did lots of hoovering, washing and general tidying up. We also took all the Christmas deccies down and DH got them up into the loft. I know its early but I like to get them put away once Christmas is over.:D

I have got my shopping list ready. I got my meat today from the butcher. I have got stewing meat, sausages and mince meat. Tomorrow after the monthly shop I will batch cook: cottage pie; stew and dumplings (dumplings are already made and in the fridge). The sausages are in the freezer.:j

It looks like we won't be getting a student teacher this term to stay with us :mad: which means there won't be any extra income from that quarter.

Other ways to make money will just have to be Ebay at the moment. I will have to scour the house over the next week for more items to sell.

Monday back to work after a two week break.:D Its been nice to have time off but it will also be good to be back to normal.:rolleyes: