Earthgirl gets back on track!

setmefree2

earthgirl wrote: »

Before the diary, I was overpaying for about 3 years at £500/month, but I stepped things up and started keeping a log, and I have wiped

£63,008 off our mortgage in the last 20 months!!!:rotfl:

Fantastic

Courgette

Just amazing! :j:j:j:j I must make sure I read your diary from the start when I have a bit more time :D:D

It really shows that can be achieved with real focus and determination though doesn't it. Well done you :T:T:T

earthgirl

Thanks everyone!

I am now going to do a round up every year - even OH was motivated by this figure! Maybe their won't be another year, as it'll be paid off!
He still told me off for being stingy about something, but I pointed out I am not stingy, but sensible with money.

He couldn't argue as I pointed out how careful other people are being now, guess its the recession (e.g. neigbours came round for the football and didn't bring bottle of wine (we kind of swap around every week and always bring wine), and other friends came to the bbq last night, not only not dropping off wine or beer, but actually taking wine away that other people had brought! Only little miss sober here would notice ha ha!!)

Anyway, I have done a few jobs, and just enjoying the lovely weekend without the exam papers!! wooohooo!

General:

-tidy and clean house
-ironing
-filing

Income:
- relist items on ebay, and find a few more to make upto 10. DONE
- do small business work (4hours) 1 hour done
-check mystery shops DONE

- check i have been refunded for 2 items I sent back 1 HAS -call credit card company next Friday about the other one.
-banking (update budget, make overpayment and payment into isa)
- open high interest account for my first go at stoozing.
- fill out expenses form for marking, get copies and post. The payment for marking should be over £1000 with tax taken off, and should arrive next month:D!!Still not sure if it was worth it?!DONE


Outgoings:
-work out the timer settings for the washing machine (and do a wash) and towel rail so that they are on at the cheapest time.
- make sure veggies in garden are ok, and plant more.
- do a shop at mr ls (haven't been shopping for ages with all my marking, so have loads left on budget for this month). Loved the quality of food at Mrl, got about £10 of budget left, which should be ok for a top up shop next weekend.

wantabetterlife

Have just been catching up with your diary earthgirl and you are doing brilliantly, that is amazing progress :j:j. When i first came across this forum almost 18months ago, yours was the first diary i read and it inspired me soo much, i think you were also working in a supermarket at the time....i was amazed and still am at how you manage to fit it all in. The best thing about your progress is that you have managed to do it all before you have had a family, and this will give you so many more choices about work etc after the baby is born... so a massive congratulations to you!!!!!

PS. think your right about everybody tightening their belts...i can definately notice a difference with people in general.....think i would have been a bit cross at your friends taking home the wine that other people brought though.

Have a good weekend
WABL xo

greent

earthgirl wrote: »

Thanks everyone!

I am now going to do a round up every year - even OH was motivated by this figure! Maybe their won't be another year, as it'll be paid off!
He still told me off for being stingy about something, but I pointed out I am not stingy, but sensible with money.

.
- fill out expenses form for marking, get copies and post. The payment for marking should be over £1000 with tax taken off, and should arrive next month:D!!Still not sure if it was worth it?!DONE

Wow - just catching up - well done on your fantastic achievement!!:T:T

Also - yes, it was - that's another £1000 to wards being mf

earthgirl

Had a lovely relaxing day today. This morning I did a little bit of banking, starting off with opening a high interest account for stoozing. I also took back the cot mobile I bought from m&ps and swapped it for a ex display model, and a set of dummies (just in case!), and have a £10 voucher as well, wonder what I need??

I also went to 'try' the outdoor pool at the nicest leisure club in the area near the retail park, it was so lovely swimming outside, like being on holiday!!

Spent another £10 on grocery items, got 3 bbq packs in m&s. Don feel bad though as we had one tonight, and it was lovely!

I've done my ironong and sorted out the garden a bit too.

Off to complete my relaxation, will make a list for the week tomorrow!

cha97michelle

I know what you mean about the effort for marking not feeling worth the reward. I would always be a glutton for punishment though and go back for more. At least it gets you a bit extra to cushion you being off.

earthgirl

Well I am really motivated to get the best out of my budget and time before the baby arrives in (:eek:) around 6 weeks, so that even if I can't op by much when I go on maternity, I have made the most of getting my mortgage down now.

I can't see anything that I really need before then for the baby, so baby spending shouldn't take up any more of my 'kitty' that I reserve for unbudgeted for items.

I got £22 from last weeks ebay sales, but spent a fair bit on energy saving things, and £25 for a digital radio for OH (so that he won't put on the tv just to listen to digital radio). I can take this out of my present budget though, as I don't tens to spend much on OH!

My grocery budget for the rest of june (£80) only has £2.39 remaining. This will have to be spent on a pint of milk and possibly a bag of fruit at the end of the week.

To ensure we don't run out and I have to buy more, I need to:
- bake some biscuits and bread
- get fruit juice and fruit as part of my lunch duty dinner at work, and use fruit from the garden (strawbs and rhubarb) to make up my 5 a day.
- use up the UHT milk to make the milk last.

Other things left over from weekends to do list:
- finish filing (1/2 done)DONE
- chase refund of one item on Friday.
- small business work 30 MINS DONE
- put heated towel rail on a timer (this involves moving a wardrobe, and it not that easy!)


I have had a big think and here are my ideas / to do list for making and saving a bit more cash at the moment:


Income:
- list 10 items per week on ebay
- do small business work - this generates leads for OH to turn into income for us.
check maternity pay start date - does it really have to start the day before due date, and not on the due date?
- take old gold items to get cash
- cash in premium bonds only £100 (but haven't won anything for years!)DONE
- check out letter from company called national shopping monitor, where you scan your shopping for points.
-get boots points on one card (use for nappies)
-set up monthly rather that yearly tv license dd


Outgoings/ savings:
- plant more vegetables in garden
- continue saving electricy and encouraging OH to do the same.
- join up to imeasure
- give bg another meter reading
-cancel automatic home insurance renewal, and shop around (due 1st July) check we have enough money to pay outright.
- look at cutting my own hair, see if its possible (recently given brand new set of hairdressing scissors, will be useful for when I need to cut babys hair)
-Bring home things from work - cards, note books.
- complete tax return online before end october.


Other:
- collect prescription
-close 2 credit cards (affects credit score I think - I have 5 with no balance!)
- update calendar/tart alert.
- make dentist appt.
- at some point do a credit check to check all is well


Just some ideas of ways to up income after baby is born:
- marking exam papers?
- Tutoring in winter (not sure if this will be possible, will need to see nearer the time)
-mshops
-Website promotion (dad has mentioned he'd pay me to do this)
- Work for small business to up OHs income.

SmlSave

Gosh, is it really only 6 weeks till baby arrives? Hasn't it gone quick!

Keep up the good work hun

Courgette

earthgirl wrote: »

Just some ideas of ways to up income after baby is born:
- marking exam papers?
- Tutoring in winter (not sure if this will be possible, will need to see nearer the time)
-mshops
-Website promotion (dad has mentioned he'd pay me to do this)
- Work for small business to up OHs income.

I've been pondering this too but from what I can work out we're very limited in what we can actually do while we're claiming mat pay. When it looked like I might have to go off sick I looked at exam marking and it's still something I'm thinking about for January but from what I understand you can only work 10 days over your whole ML or your mat pay stops, and part day counts as a full day so things like mystery shops would be out. I don't know whether you could do exam marking and tell whoever needs telling that you're only doing 10 days worth? Let me know if you find anything out about this.

If you don't mind, I'd like to pick your brains a bit about tutoring. Not now though, I'm too hot :cool::)