DFSD's motivational ramblings...

Chocforever

Hi DFSD

Hope you are OK. After about a week of no money coming in, everything came in at once today so my total is looking healthy. However, what you can't see is the size of my credit card bill! I think I need to focus a bit more on outgoings rather than just raising more money. But I'm not going to worry about that until January.

I have finished work for Xmas and now have a bit of time to sort things out before visiting family. So tomorrow I'll have the Christmas carols on and really get into the spirit whilst I get the house spruced up and sort out the final presents.

Best wishes,

CF

Chocforever

Merry Christmas DFSD!

Hope you are having a lovely time with your family.

Very best wishes,

CF

debtfreesomeday

Thanks for the Christmas greetings Chocs, hope you had a wonderful Christmas too.

We had a lovely Christmas Day - things were a little stressful a couple of days before Christmas when my Mum was taken ill again and Christmas looked bleak (hence me going AWOL for a while before Christmas); but thankfully, she improved a bit and we were able to have a lovely family Christmas together. We stayed with my parents for 4 days, and I was really sad to come back yesterday and I'm feeling quite homesick again . My parents are feeling it a lot more this time too and have said they are sad and missing us a lot since we left, which makes me REALLY sad.

Back to 'normal' life, and we are doing ok money-wise so far this month. We have spent some money on a couple of things for the house, but this has been supplemented with some Christmas money we were given too, so it's all within budget.

We had a quick look around the sales today and were unimpressed. Apart from some rolls of wrapping paper and crackers for next Christmas :rolleyes: and a £1.69 free range chicken from tesco which has gone in the freezer :rotfl:we came away with very little! I was hoping to get some presents for next Christmas and birthdays etc., but nothing caught my eye. I'm not too fussed though as I do already have quite a bit for birthdays throughout the year.

We have a shopping delivery coming tomorrow. A big one at nearly £100, but it's lots of bits for our New Year celebrations and some storecupboard essentials we've run out of. This leaves us with about £50 for the rest of the month in the shopping budget plus £20 or £30 in sainsbury's vouchers we kindly received for Christmas AND we haven't spent the £35 - £40 in Nectar points yet either, so that's all looking healthy. My parents very kindly :A loaded us up with groceries and goodies when we cam back too, so we are very lucky to have our cupboards and freezers full now.

Hubby's bonus has expired on BB now, with no further wins to report. 10p & 25p on scratchcards today, and I also signed up to jackp0t j0y via Quidco today for £15 CB & 100% matched deposit. I wagered £15 but so effectively cost me nothing, but won nothing (seems quite a long shot to win on there:rolleyes:). However, they do have a free daily game thing on there which I shall be doing from now on, if I remember.

Your £15 a day target is looking VERY healthy chocs! Well done. How's it going on achieving the last £50 in the last few days of the year?

I need to work on my moneymaking now in January - I was kindly given a new camera for Christmas, so I will be able to ebay a few things now.

I think that's about all for tonight's update. Over the next few days I'm going to try and mull over a few things and come up with some targets I'd like to achieve in 2010... if I write the masterplan down here, then I have to stick to it right!?!

Hope everyone had wonderful Christmas, and if I'm not loitering on here much before New Year, a very happy 2010 to you too!

DFSD
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Chocforever

Hi DFSD

I am pleased to hear you had a nice Christmas in the end. I was a bit worried when you disappeared and wondered if your Mum was OK. I'm glad she recovered (or at least felt better for a few days) so you could have a nice family Christmas :j.

I'm still on the friends and relatives tour so my normal life is on hold. I was hoping to get some more MS money in the bank but the last payment hasn't arrived yet. If it arrives tomorrrow then I'll make my £15 a day target. I'm still a lot closer than I ever expected so I'm not too worried about it .

I'll be looking out to see what your plans are for 2010. I'm still in Xmas rather than New Year's mode so I haven't really thought about it. I wondered about trying a version of the sealed pot, maybe putting £10 a week aside so next Xmas is paid for in advance. I may investigate whether I can open a savings account I can see with my online banking and have a virtual sealed pot. Have you ever tried that challenge?

If I don't manage to get online tomorrow, have a lovely New Year's Eve.

Best wishes,

CF

wam73

Hi DFSD,
I'm back. Things have been manic but i've read through your posts, caught up and you've put me back on track!!!
I love reading your posts your so inspiring. WELL DONE on your cc balance. It is so amazing how much you've got it down in the time i've been away.
Glad to hear you had a good christmas with your family and hope your mum is feeling better. It must be horrid for you.
Well I've joined bb bingo and am getting my free money, Thanks for that. No wins yet but here's hoping. Joined Tombola ages ago so back on that every day for my free game. Checking the Grabbit and freebies board as you do. Didn't know they were here but reading your posts sent me to them. So thanks again. Have managed to get 3 free albums from one of the boards which is great as really got to watch my money and love my music.
Really need to be honest with my finances this year and reading your posts really do help. So thank you so much.
Hope you have a lovely new year and looking forward to reading more from you.
The way your going wont be long before your Debt Free!!!
Well done
Wendy x

debtfreesomeday

Happy New Year Everyone!!!

I'm back! I've been browsing on the boards a little lately but not been posting much as no real moneysaving news to report; BUT, it's back to work tomorrow and to reality for us so back to the diary for me...

We've probably overspent a little as we've picked up a few bargains in the sales - but haven't gone mad or anything, and of course, we no longer use the credit card so it's all paid for. I do need to update our budget though to see how much we have left as I haven't added the past weeks spends on there.

Today we have been quite busy and have de-cluttered and tidied the house. We've both sorted our clothes out and got rid of several things for charity / ebay or bin. The food cupboard and freezers has had a stocktake and we've made a list of all the groceries we have in. Hopefully this will help us meal plan and manage the grocery shopping a little better. As soon as all the 'naughty Christmas foods' have gone from our cupboards, we're throwing ourselves head first into a healthy eating regime. We're both feeling sluggish, overweight and 'orrible so can't wait to get fit again.

This week we will be rejoining the gym which is £20 per month, but I consider it a small price to pay to get healthy again and to find a little bit of confidence again.

Today I 'won' 50 free spins on a game on jackp0t joy, won £11.70 on it but got told I had to wager £85 in order to withdraw - which WON'T be happening! :eek: So, I played the winnings and won diddly squat, so nothing lost and nothing gained there. Still doing the scratchcards most days, but tend to wager them on bingo to try our luck, rather than let them build up over months.

We've both made our breakfast and lunches for tomorrow already and even prepared some of the veg for dinner tomorrow! I'm sure this super-organisation won't last long!

Still working on my aims for 2010...


DFSD
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debtfreesomeday

Nice to see you back Wendy, sounds like you're doing really well with your freebies and daily games - good luck and hope you win some money on them.

I saw that Bingo Britain had upped their minimum withdrawal to £50 - that's a very high withdrawal threshold - I don't think it's fair they keep changing the rules and making it so hard for people to withdraw their money.

Hope you had a good Christmas and New Year and that the new year brings better things for you. Remember it's the little steps that all add up.

DFSD
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debtfreesomeday

Chocforever wrote: »

Hi DFSD

I am pleased to hear you had a nice Christmas in the end. I was a bit worried when you disappeared and wondered if your Mum was OK. I'm glad she recovered (or at least felt better for a few days) so you could have a nice family Christmas :j.

I'm still on the friends and relatives tour so my normal life is on hold. I was hoping to get some more MS money in the bank but the last payment hasn't arrived yet. If it arrives tomorrrow then I'll make my £15 a day target. I'm still a lot closer than I ever expected so I'm not too worried about it .

I'll be looking out to see what your plans are for 2010. I'm still in Xmas rather than New Year's mode so I haven't really thought about it. I wondered about trying a version of the sealed pot, maybe putting £10 a week aside so next Xmas is paid for in advance. I may investigate whether I can open a savings account I can see with my online banking and have a virtual sealed pot. Have you ever tried that challenge?

If I don't manage to get online tomorrow, have a lovely New Year's Eve.

Best wishes,

CF

WOW - Look at your £15 a day challege total! Well done Chocs and a very happy new year to you X

Chocforever

Hi DFSD

Happy New Year to you too! Hope it brings a good year for everyone on here.

I'm still dragging out my Xmas/New Year's holiday so also haven't done anything on the DFW front. Or does consuming other peoples' food, heating etc count?!

My main plan for the year is to move house. Just writing it here makes me feel stressed! I need to sort out my flat to make it sellable and then get a very big mortgage to hopefully buy a small house.

I'm very impressed with your super-organised start to the year. It's a really good idea to prepare the food in advance when you aren't in a rush and have more energy. I also hope that some of your enthusiasm to get fitter rubs off on me. I know I feel better and more energised if I am fit, yet prioritise almost anything over the gym when it comes down to it.

I was so pleased with the December £15 a day total - as you saw, the MS money and a bit from Amazon came in on 31st to get me over the target. I can't see me making much money in January, so I will focus on not spending too much instead.

Have a good week,

CF

debtfreesomeday

Chocs - consuming other people's goodies definitely counts!
And I can safely say I was definitely not motivated to get out of bed to go to the gym this morning - not that we've joined yet (thank goodness!).

Good luck with the possible move - just think, this time next year you may be in a lovely little house of your own. :T