Smart Mart's 2009 diary...

Smart_Mart

Funny old day really...it was the best of days and the worst of days...

First things first. DS2 ( the older twin by twenty mins ) was ill last night, not good at all, so went over and picked up DS3 and took him to school. Went shopping, spent £16.64 in Asda. Came back, delivered 108 catalogues, had lunch then picked DS3 up from school. Took him to football training then collected the ill one ( a little better but not himself still ). We've spent most of the evening cuddled up on the settee under a quilt watching football.

Also had my landlord / freind / customer round. He put my house on the market two weeks ago and an acceptable offer has come in already...:eek: . The planning permission for the garden is being heard on March 3rd and provided it goes through, contracts will be exchanged and I'll have to be out by March 20th...:eek: . He did tell me it might happen to be fair but it's all moving ahead now.

Diet's gone to pot... I always eat when I'm stressed but I'm not going stupidly over the top.

Tomorrow all depends on how DS2 is but we won't be going far.

Other spends. £8.00 on petrol ( not a supermarket, bang there goes another resolution ), £3.11 on Calpol, £12.00 on gas and £1.50 on football training.

SuziQ

Well Martin,have caught up on a few days and what a mixed bag! Well done on your weight loss,don't worry about a day 'off the wagon'-just get back on tomorrow and dont you dare undo your good work. Wish I could lose 10lb-I'm waiting for surgery and my consultant has warned me I will probably lose up to 2 stone afterwards as my system recovers so he doesn't think it would be a good idea to lose any weight (am about a stone overweight I reckon but not too bad.)
Great news about the CSA-my husband had many dealings with them over the 8 years we were together and the number of times they 'got it wrong' was unbelievable. Since I am now on IS they are chasing him-and suddenly out the blue,they reckon he is over £1,000 in arrears to his first wife-yet he's never missed a payment. They have yet-after 5 months-to provide him with a breakdown.

I hope your son is feeling much better today.

Rats about the house-have you started looking for somewhere? I was in an estate agents using their fax yesterday and the lady was saying there is loads of good quality rental property at the moment at very reasonable prices,I know you are in a different part of the country but hope the same applies where you are. I am in the process of applying for mortagage interest help from IS but the form is soooooooo complicated-I am having trouble getting details from the Abbey when the mortgage started how much etc.A major project for next week,methinks.

Good news about my other major problem-one of my husbands creditors was trying to make us both bankrupt. Case has been dropped as he managed to get the people who owed him the money to pay up,so he was able to pay up-if you see what I mean! So just the landlord to negotiate with now-that meeting is tomorrow night so deffo in Church in the morning!


You seem to be keeping a tight control on your spending. I am amazed you deliver so many papers-it would drive me crazy! I do it voluntarily for our Church occasionally but I really hate all the hassle with gates,dogs etc!

Keep up the good work and enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Smart_Mart

Thanks Suzi.... good news about our husband's creditor....:j

The papers are a means to an end and I wish that I didn't have to do them but it's reasonable money really. The whole six paper rounds take around five and a half hours for which they pay £78 cash every two weeks ( £156 in other words ). For what it is, it's easy money.:rolleyes:

T'other son has got it bad now just as first one is better. Tonight is going to be a long night as I have an 800-word article to write yet I reckon I'll be changing sheets and pyjamas later on:eek: .

Today was a no-spend day today as I haven't even been outside today. Tomorrow's football match has been postponed so I doubt we will / we can go far really.

Smart_Mart

It's been a long old day today but it's nearly over.:rolleyes:

DS3 was only ill once in the night but all day he's just been a shadow of himself really. He went to sleep twice on the settee (so unlike him) and he hasn't been dressed since Friday bedtime, he's been so dull and lifeless. I hate it when kids are ill, I feel so helpless! :eek:

They went home at 4.00pm, finished proofing the football programme and tonight went to the quiz. We came third tonight, a point behind the joint winners. A drink was bought for me so only splashed out a pound for the entry fee. That's a NSD followed by a one quid spend day...:T . Tomorrow will change, believe me...;)

Smart_Mart

Up and at 'em early today. Did the morning post run then met DS3 at school as he was still far from 100%. His mum was without electric today due to work in the area so I had him for the day while DS2 went to school...:D :j . I've seen loads of them recently which is ace...:D

Watched Kung Fu Panda on DVD under a quilt on a sofa before his mum came to pick him up. Did the evening post run, prepped some 350 leaflets, loaded the van with 170 catalogues ready for tomorrow then popped out to cover for a shortage at skittles.

Today's spending...

Petrol - £20.00 ( Tesco, 20 Clubcard points )
Shopping - £20.57
Gas - £10.00
Electric - £10.00
Skittles - £3.90

Smart_Mart

Long day yesterday.

Got up and sorted some paperwork out before delivering the 170 catalogues left in thevan. Only 200+ left now but no chance of doing them today. Bought lunch out (:rolleyes: , I know, I know), home for a shower, more paperwork then my landlord came round. The house I had as a back-up when this one is sold in March has now gone too...he's rented it to another friend.:eek: This means the search for a new property begins in earnest NOW!!

Down to football last night to see my team beat Huddersfield 1-0. Poured with rain so hard that I had to move back five rows in the stand as my front row seats were sopping wet...:D

Total spending was £2.78 on lunch and at football, I spent £12.08 in total on a book, two calendars, parking, two Bovril's, a Mars Bar, a lottery ticket and a pint after the game...:rolleyes:

Smart_Mart

Delivered 350 newspapers today, did a spot of shopping and went to a football meeting tonight. Also did both morning and evening post runs, picked up the boys from school and dropped them back at 7.15pm.

Have the serious hots for an ex of mine for some reason tonight, ought to go to bed really as plenty to do tomorrow.

Today's spend was £14.05 on shopping and £12.00 on petrol ( Esso, I'm a naughty boy )

Smart_Mart

Busy old day again today...:rolleyes:

Prepped around 120 leaflets, delivered the remaining 351 newspapers this morning before returning home for lunch then off to Asda for the weekly shop. Spent £20.53 but had already bought some stuff earlier in the week hence the lower amount. Also popped into WH Smith and Wilkinson's to buy some tolietries, stationery and a couple of newspapers totalling £7.00.

Sat at home now on my lonesome thinking about life and its meaning. :eek:

Tomorrow means I get to see the boys again, collecting them and taking them to school in the morning then going back for them later on for the weekend. I've got about 180 more catalogues to do so will try to crack on with them too.

See you tomorrow...:beer:

SuziQ

Smart_Mart wrote: »

Thanks Suzi.... good news about our husband's creditor....:j

.

'our husbands creditor' martin?-made me smile.

I have come on over to your thread to 'stalk you' as you were complaining you didn't have one (a stalker that is!)

Are you finding this diary helps you? I keep a journal but of course that's private-but have started to put all my spending down in there as I stopped going on to the grocery challenge thread to do it,couldn't always get online then would forget/forget the 'safe' place I had put the receipts.

We tried to negotiate with the landlord in the second court case we had going-but his idea of negotiation was that we just handed him a cheque for the full amount he is asking for. So a defence and counterclaim has been lodged and we wait for a hearing date now. Not nice but just have to pray it will work out.

Martin have you ever considered doing the 'mystery shopper' work? One of my friends is doing quite well out of it. She only takes the jobs that fit around her children,often gets freebies to test and enjoys it too. Last night she went for a meal and was allowed to take her 2 kids as it was testing how family friendly it was-they all got a nice meal,a night out and she gets paid for it too. I registered with a company last year to do it and then got distracted by illness but may have another go-wouldn't make me a millionaire but every penny counts. (plus I get pretty bored as I worked non stop for 30 years before last year.)

Smart_Mart

Yes, I think the diary does help as if I were to waste money, I'd have to be honest enough to log it on here then someone would pull me up for being too "spendy"...so I guess it does help.

I ought to get my **** into gear and do some mystery shops really. I'm just focusing my time and energy on clearing the last of the catalogues before then looking for somewhere else to live...:rolleyes:

Hope everything goes well with our husband's creditor...:rotfl: