Old Style Diary Archive - DEC 05

ms_london

Queenie wrote:

Goooooood Morning :hello:

Now that all my Christmas preparations are complete, I've been thinking about the coming year.
So much has changed in the past few years in Queenie Land, and certain aspects are still a tad unsettled, but, the one thing that remains constant in all our lives is money! We all need it and we all have it in varying degree's - but, if life throws you a few low-ballers, it's so easy to become overwhelmed when those "varying degrees" well ... vary!!! And it's all too easy to lose focus on practical issues and attitudes towards them.

So, I found Martins article, written at the beginning of *this* year, a useful reminder that, even though "money makes the world go round" and I can't stop it, I can actively slow down the speed that it spins around if I remind myself of a few simple basic strategies

Moneysaving Resolutions

And if I should have any problems with any Christmas purchases ... I've printed off another of his articles on Consumer Rights:

So, pretty much a "reflective" morning here LOL

On a practical level - aside from the 20min whip round, the day will be spent with my boys enjoying their company (If it's dry later, we'll wrap up warm and go for a walk to see the house decorations around the neighbourhood )

B: Crumpets and freshly squeezed juice
L: Vegetable Soup and a mince pie
HM fish pie with steamed veggies; Natural yoghurt with a teeny sprinkle of dark brown sugar :drool:

Have a Thrifty (but fun) Tuesday :wave:

Good post Queenie!!! I will be entering the new year with my new debt free status, and feel so relieved for it!! It is a huge weight off my mind and means I can do the things I want to do now, rather than being tied down.

I absolutely love Martin!! His new show is fab, so are his books & I am so happy I discovered this website!! We definately should spread the word - some people just have NO idea!!

So now Ive done the Money Diet, I need to go on a regular Diet, hehe!! Thats my new years resolution!! (give me paying off debt any time!!).

Have a good day.xx

calleyw

Washing machine fixed :j Husband manged to sort it out. So now I will have to be very nice and nurse it along for as long as possible and they hope there is a good sale on somewhere when it finally conks out.

Did a mad dash in to town picked up a turkey breast and dessert for christmas day. Then bought some thing presents on behalf of my brother for my mum. So he now owes about £12 just in time for a few christmas drinks.

Washing out and need to do some gloss painting :rolleyes: I hate painting.

And then this afternoon have to nip husband to Dr's for results of blood tests and chest x-rays.

Also had a dream this morning my husband came home and told me they had let him go. He is 3 months in to 6 months probation period. Just hope that does not come true.

Yours

Calley

taplady

:santa2: Morning all! am going to tackle Tesco's today :eek: with my mum to get everything finished!

been working all weekend Sat ,Sun and Monday and now finished till a week on Thursday! :snow_laug :j

Going to make mince pies later and decorate a birthday cake for a friend of a friend! :xmassign:

Glad you had a better night PennyPincher :j

Have a great day all! :santa2:

frugglewump

Today I am popping into work to pick up all the coursework handed in on the last day of uni. Then coming back to my nice WARM flat to do marking and all those cleaning jobs after the party that require hot water. Except washing up - I did that by kettle as I couldn't stand to leave it there all day.

Phonecall from estate agents this morning - surveyor is going into the prospective house tomorrow morning. Eep it's all going very fast.

Sweet_Pea_2

Hi All, :santa2:
I love being at home and being able to read all your posts. :snow_grin
I am alternating between extreme stress and extreme happiness at the moment and its very disconcerting.
I am extremely happy as I am off work, Christmas is approaching etc. :j
I am extremely stressed at the moment, FIL has just arrived. We have a minute drip coming from the pipe that leads into the hot water tank, which is in the airing cupboard. So minute in fact that over the last couple of days it seems to have stopped altogether. Anyway, OH and FIL are now demolishing my house in order to sort it out. I have massive toolboxes FIL bought wedged against the back of my chair as I type. I cant get in the kitchen as they are dismantling kitchen cupboards and removing tiles from the walls, (only had the kitchen re-fitted last year) to get to the central heating pipes in order to drain the system. They are also draining the hot water. :mad: So I am freezing, I have no water at all, I cant get in the kitchen to retrieve the ironing board, I cant get in DD1's bedroom (where the airing cupboard/hot water tank are) to put away the ironing I did yesterday, I cant go to the loo as it wont flush. :eek:
Did all my housework yesterday, will need to do it again probably, after they have finished. I dread the words "I'll need to ask me dad" from OH because this is always the result. FIL shakes his head and says "thats not a 5 minute job" and the house descends into chaos as FIL wont do a job in 5 minutes if he can take a week and get all the floorboards up in the process. :mad:
At least its moneysaving as hopefully we wont have to pay a plumber.
Im having lots of plumbing problems this week, the tap in the kitchen was stuck on full and wouldnt switch off on Sunday, OH had to replace the tap. Yesterday the handle on the toilet would not go up and down or flush, OH mended that too. And now this.
I will stop moaning now and go and find gloves and a coat and try and gain entry to the kitchen for the ironing board before someone decides its a good idea to switch the electric off too just to be on the safe side! :xmassign:

Yorkielass

Sitting here supposed to be working but have mug of tea, HM cookie I bought in with me and thought I'd have a quick check on here

Grabbed some fruit and other bits for lunch so shouldn't have to spend any money and will make spag bol for dinner

OH is at home today so he'll hopefully do some more washing, finish the washing up etc.

Tonight I'm going to brave Tescos and possibly the out of town shops (unfortunently the other side of town) just need to get a last few bits, some more wrapping paper (been using up last years so far) and a couple of extra bits to tide us over - but we're away over Christmas so no big food shop for me :j

Thanks for the thing about new years resolutions Queenie was only thinking about that this morning on my way to work

Hope you're all having a good day :wave:

Penny-Pincher!!

Hello Again :rudolf:

In the new year anyone in the south east or further a field are welcome to pop in for a coffee. Think it would be a lovely idea to see some fellow OS's-swap tips/advice etc..it would be great :j :j :j

Getting that extra 1-2hrs kip last night has definitly helped. Pity its not all the time but has made me feel a little more positive today I think keeping on top of my pain killers too is helping. Hate aking them but need them ATM to take the edge of..never mind. Maybe they will find some miraculous cure for Lupus/FMS etc etc in the new year....well I can wish cant i..lol.

I really cant believe that this year has gone so fast. My baby is now 11 and OH & I have been married 12yrs (we're 31) and have been together since 13 :rolleyes: where has the time gone????? Have worked out this morning that this website this year alone has saved me over £6000 :beer: THANKS MARTIN-I LOVE YA!!!!

I am determind to try and sort my mental health out next year. Sick of the ghosts in my past. I really cant let them win anymore! Need to put my past behind me and move on with the future-easier said than done though isnt it. I have decided to write a book about my life and see whether it would benefit others who have been through similar things to me, so more of a self help book really. Even if it never gets published, I think it will help me to move on IYKWIM.

Hope your all having a great day. Hugs and kisses to everyone.

PP
xx

BWZN93

Morning!

Well, dad visited yesterday and got me a xmas prezzie (yey - lovely new red handbag for me) and bought myself some shoes from Boyf for xmas (yey - lovely red shoes!). Ive wrapped the presents, done a bit of cleaning and booked in the car for an MOT at 4pm today. All's ive got to do today is hoover, clean out the car and give it a once over to check for any problems that might fail the mot and sort them if possible, and wash a few cups. Ive also organised the gas bill to be paid by DD as it came in this morning, £52 for a quarter. Im not sure if thats high or not tbh...

Anyway, Ill take a shower shortly and do the car, taking it to a garage if necessary and and pretend to panic girlie style to get them to check my car quickly (I love being a girl who knows about cars, best of both worlds - woman in distress but knows enough not to get ripped off) and maybe nip over to the big boots to spend another £15 of vouchers that dropped through my door this morning (I love pigsback!). Sausages for dinner this evening and possibly a trip to tesco/lidl to stock up on a few bits.

Im going to have to raid the savings fully this month to survive, so im glad I have been saving for this kind of occassion. Its made me realise the importance of budgeting, saving, and not having debts. This afternoon im going to start working on the resolution to get completely debt free and have a budget planner in place to make sure it happens, and to have a decent sized savings account for the unforseen so when things go wrong there is no need to panic.

On that note, off for a shower!

Jo xx

kiwichick

Hi Again,

Am feeling a little more accomplished now. Washing mashine has been emptied and clothes hung on airer, yesterdays 3!!! loads of dry have been folded. Havent done the ironging tho :rolleyes: I've managed the washing up made the kids lunch. What with the depression and stuff my poor kids have been surviving on crisps and bisuits for meals today is the first day in, well, as long as I can remember if I'm being honest, that they have been given proper food. All 3 had weetabix for brekkie and are tucking into sarnies and apple now. A small thing I know but it makes me feel better as a mum.

JW1069 - my gas is £25 per month for a family of 5 (our heating and hot water are both gas), dont know how that compares???

PP - The book sounds a great idea, I imagine it would be a theraputic experience to write it all down.

No idea what to do for dinner tonight, might go and investigate the freezer contents in a mo. MUST remember to watch :money: today, I keep missing it :mad: .

Off to read for a bit now.
Chat later,
Al.

Aril

Hi everyone!
Have not been on the board for several days as have been mega busy- we celebrated my inlaws 60th wedding anniversary at the weekend. 60 years!! My mum wasn't even born then! It was a lovely party and a chance to catch up with some relations I haven't seen since our wedding 12 years ago!
This is my last day at work today before Chrimbo- OH is at home decorating the tree with the small person and I've had a lovely surprise. An unexpected Christmas bonus- told the OH and the first thing he said was 'oh good we can have takeaway!' Not very OS!!
Am heading home this afternoon to watch the latest of Martin's programmes that I've videoed. Apart from being a really useful programme [I think it's great that it covers such a wide range of people so the savings aren't as easy to come by] it's inspired me to really look at things like the mortgage. One of the problems is I rarely make it off the OS board and we've had so much to deal with post redundancy that I haven't been able to face it. However, that's going to be one of my aims for the new year aswell as popping in here for inspiration.
Tonight we're walking into the town to see the lights and having chips en route.
Everything for Chrimbo is sorted save the shopping for perishables.
Hope you all have a fabulous break and see you in the New Year! :xmassign:
Aril