Miss Optimistic's Diary to stay focused & stay organised!

pavlovs_dog

remember baby steps missoptimistic - you'll get there :beer:

MissOptimistic

Well, I am feeling a lot more positive than I was last week. The first development of the week was that I had a surprise phonecall. Just before Christmas I applied for a job but didn't even get an interview, however, they called me up this week to offer me an interview for another job that has come up - It is the same pay, but more hours so it works out a better wage. The interview is next week. Although I love working in the shop, most days both me and OH are there, and it does make financial sense to not have all our eggs in one basket. It won't pay the debts off quicker, but it will mean that if the takings continue to fall (which signs are that they are) - we will still be able to pay our mortgage and the business won't get deep into debt by supporting 2 adults and 3 kids!
My Goals for this week are:

• To finish the book I am reading, my 4th book of 2009
• To list some more stuff on ebay
• To lose another 1lb in weight (of the 4lb I put on over Xmas!)

paybacktime2008

Good luck with the interview.

MissOptimistic

Still on track with my goals for the week - I finished my book (it was 'The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillipa Gregory if any one is interested and I can highly recommend it)
I have also just listed another 6 items on ebay, I have 4 or 5 things finishing this Sunday, 3 of which have got bids on them so I should be able to update my £10 a day figures then (I'm seriously falling behind, so I need to make up some headway)
I have also applied for another job (just in case I don't get the one I am going for on Friday) - The closing date for it is Friday too, so I have had to apply before I find out about the other one.
As for the losing 1lb - well, only next weeks weigh in will tell, but I managed to run 3.5 miles on the treadmill last night (all up hill) so that can't have done any harm!
A bit annoyed with my Egg card - I was paying about £160 a month, at 15.9% but then last month they put the rate up to 21.9% for no reason - the minimum payment went up to £195, which I paid, but when I checked on line for this months minimum payment is it going to be £215 - about £55 more than I was paying 2 months ago and all interest I presume:mad:
Citicard which also has a frightening apr have recently send me some life of balance cheques for 5.85% so I'm thinking about shifting the bulk of the Egg card onto there - do you think that would be a good idea?

pavlovs_dog

MissOptimistic wrote: »

Still on track with my goals for the week - I finished my book (it was 'The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillipa Gregory if any one is interested and I can highly recommend it)

have you seen the film? ive been told its not as good as the book (am yet to read the book), but it was quite enjoyable to watch. mind, im a sucker for all things period :rolleyes:

MissOptimistic wrote: »

A bit annoyed with my Egg card - I was paying about £160 a month, at 15.9% but then last month they put the rate up to 21.9% for no reason - the minimum payment went up to £195, which I paid, but when I checked on line for this months minimum payment is it going to be £215 - about £55 more than I was paying 2 months ago and all interest I presume:mad:
Citicard which also has a frightening apr have recently send me some life of balance cheques for 5.85% so I'm thinking about shifting the bulk of the Egg card onto there - do you think that would be a good idea?

im no expert but that seems to be quite a good deal - would cut your interest rate by about 10% on that debt wouldn't it? how much is the 'cheque' for - would it make a big dent in the debt?

the one thing to watch is how they prioritise your repayments. if you have any outstanding debt with citicard then be careful. if your repayments all go to the new cheaper debt at 5.85% rather than your existing more expensive debt with them (sorry, bit confused if you do have a debt with them or not i've just looked back at your soa but couldn't see it) then it might not be quite such a good offer as it would first appear. maybe if you put the figures into the snowball calculator that will make things clearer?

MissOptimistic

Well I have woke up today feeling sick to my stomach (my interview is at 2pm today) - I haven't worked for anyone else for 4 years and the thought of it just makes me want to cry. OH hasn't spoken to me for 24 hours because he feels like I am turning my back on the business and leaving him to it, meanwhile our kids (who know money is tight but don't understand how I feel) keep telling me that they believe in me and that they are sure I will get the job, and then we will have loads of money. I know I will hate the job, it sounds really boring but it pays a net wage of about £1000 per month. Half of me thinks I just need to grin and bear it, the other half of me thinks that life is too short to be miserable every day.
I am a complete mess at the moment, my stomach is in knots and i haven't done any preparation for it, but I am on my own now until 1pm - when OH is (begrudgingly) coming to pick me up for the interview

clearmydebts

Hi,

Sending you a bit hug and wishing you the best of luck. It's lovely that your kids are so behind you and have so much faith in you.

Lewby

Hi there Miss Optomistic. I have just read your thread and I'm really impressed with your eternal optomism! I'm a 'cup half full' person myself but know how hard it can be to pull yourself up by the britches and say 'today's another day'!

I truly believe that going for this interview could be the making of you and will open up an entirely new opporunity for you and your OH. It can be claustrophobic at times, living and working together. I love my OH dearly and we worked together at the same company for 12 years until I left. We worried and argued about it as it was a life changing thing but now we now have things to talk about that are just not about work!! It's really refreshed our relationship.

From a financial point of view I don't see how you can not take the chance to bring an extra £1k into the house each month and once that first pay cheque comes in your OH will see the benefit. Well done to your kids for believing in you!

My debts are at about the same level as yours and my debt free date is 2012. Every little step towards reaching that date or bringing it forward feels like another step towards freedom. I imagine what life will be like when we get paid and we have over 50% of it spare!! We could go on holiday every month ..... instead we won't be having a holiday for 3 years!

Don't feel sick and worried .... nothing ventured nothing gained. Even if by some miracle you don't get the job (after all they rang you!) then just going for the interview will be a valuable experience.

I'm here til 12pm so post if you need another kick in the right direction!! :rotfl:

GOOD LUCK!!

Lewby xx

MissOptimistic

Hi Lewby - Thank you so much for your post - that was just what I needed to hear just now! I think the problem lies in the fact that i actually like working in the shop and OH hates it - the thing is, he is virtually unemployable (has no qualifications/has always been an entrepeneur and worked for himself) so it makes sense for me to get a job, I don't think he thinks he can cope there on his own if he doesn't have my company, and thats why he sees it as me leaving him in the lurch.

Clearmydebts - Yes, the kids have been lovely - the youngest DS said to me that if I saved my wages every month for 1000 months then we could be millionaires - you should have seen his face when I worked that out to be over 83 years:rotfl:

Well, nothing ventured, off to get my suit on now - I do have another job application in at the local Uni if this one doesn't work out so not all lost
I'll let you know how it goes!

MissOptimistic

Well, I'm back from the interview and it went really well - I feel like I gave a really good account of myself and it was so not worth all the worry and stress (btw - if anyone is trying to lose weight, I thoroughly recommend the pre-interview diet - stomach in knots so can't eat and going to the toilet 5 times in one hour! :eek: )
They had 7 people to interview, and they continue until after 5pm tonight so unfortunately they won't be letting anyone know until Monday which means sitting it out over the weekend - but if I don't get it, then at least I know it wasn't down to me and I still have that other application in.
My sis is coming to visit today until Monday, so looking forward to that - I think I will suggest going to Pizza Hut tonight as her train doesn't get in till quarter to 7 and I have a 50% off Voucher. so it should work out reasonably well, hope you all have a really good weekend