Greyhound Angel – Rising From the Ashes, A New Life Starts Now

boredofbeingathome

Woohoo GA, just joining in.Will have a look at your SOA later, but one teensy thought would be not to class mortgage as debt for the moment. A big amount overwhelms and you don't need it.

I know how it is with things at the moment, but keep posting you will get there and that was a very heartfelt first post hun. xx

GreyhoundAngel

GreyhoundAngel wrote: »

Tasks for the week!!
Finalise last info for Probate filing - Priority !! In progress, have to wait for extra info
FreeAd Listings
Ebay Listings - Postponed to next week due to late finish at work tonight :mad: - I really want to have them on a 10 day listing to get the best chance of sales :rolleyes:
Store cupboard list / Shopping list & Shop - Half Done - just the shopping list to do
Complete MS profile updates - Will now do this at same time as new account info (see below)
Start Daily clicks routine (every other day to start with) - Made a start with just 2 Sites for now - in progressBatch cook - at the weekend
Sort all paperwork - bin / shred / file / action - Done Most, but some items left needing action / filing or further sorting
Locate spare garden "tubs" and plan veg planting - These seem to have vanished :eek: Will have to beg, borrow or *gulp* buy some
Make Payments on C/Cards - Scheduled for Saturday
Chase outstanding money from last company - Prepared for sending tomorrow
Update Companies with Payment details with (hopefully) new account info - Pending Account details :T

Think that's probably more than enough to be getting on with for now - and I will mumble my progress during the week :rotfl:

Angel x

It's been a funny ol'e week this week, real mixed bag :rolleyes:

After We agreed that anything that needs charging (phones / razor etc) & washing loads / slow cooker batches etc, gets done overnight to cut down electric.... 2 nights this week already, I've come home to find things on charge & the washing machine on I know that his mind isnt it's usual state, but I didnt expect things to be forgotten quite that quickly after being agreed

This is proving one of the biggest things I'm really really struggling with right now with OH, I finding it difficult at times to be patient. It's especially upsetting when it's something to do with finances or other important matters. When I try to (nicely) remind OH of things - it just seems to cause arguments - the usual one being that "it wasnt discussed or I didnt say something (when I did) or OH told me something (but hasnt) - I'm just really at a loss as how to deal with it ... I thought it would be getting better as time goes on, not worse

Paperwork did mainly get sorted - everything binable was binned, anything sensitive has gone into a box for shredding (and will then go to our chicken lady for bedding etc). Most bits needing action have been done, just got a couple of stray bits to finish off. The spare room seems to have been invaded by "paper pile" aliens ... mounds everywhere :rolleyes: however they ARE at least in "organized" piles ... I have been good though, and all the financial stuff has actually been filed. I'm doing a little more filing & sorting each evening and it will be mainly completed by the weekend Can't say what a HUGE relief it was, just getting that done.

AND - thanks to my papershuffle excercise - I've come accross 2 letters which are offering refunds due to an error on their part, so will call them to get them paid to me (more for the kitty!!) ..... and I also came accross my yorkie tokens - so can send off for some vouchers for free yummies :T

Added to which, I also stumbled over an envelope containing the Tesco Stamps I'd started getting (and then forgot where I'd put them ) so now I'm already ahead of my "Debt free Xmas 2009" challenge as I've got £15 of stamps :eek: I have now homed these in my H/hold folder (getting waaaaaaaaaaayyyyy too organised) and will add the quarterly Tesco Vouchers to it (I always save them for Xmas period), while I can use up the "immediate" ones on this months shop - ever hopeful that I will get another batch giving me extra points rather than money off - it adds to my next lot :rotfl:

Another piece of good news .... I've been granted the Basic Account :T :j so now I can get all my updates done for online companies, complete with the new account details, in one go.:D MS et al ... be afraid ... I'm BACK !!!!

I managed to do my cupboard stock-take, so can now compile the shoplist for Sat. Think I'm only going to get 2 weeks worth, just enough to tick over with, as I want to start doing online shopping utilising one of the cashback sites and of course making good use of the regular free delivery vouchers which I've seen popping up on the OS board :rotfl:

My spending diary spreadsheet is ready to go and as I get paid tomorrow (last working day of month) - I shall start it tomorrow, as the wagon needs fuel. Hoping that this will focus my mind on all the little "bits" I know I must be spending :rolleyes:

Think that my rambling quota for one night, more coming soon !

GA:A

tealady

Hello. Sounds as if you have got off to a good start. This site is addictive isn't it! There is sooo much advice about cutting back (sez she just getting up to switch a light off!) Having said that have you checked with your gas/electricity to see if you are getting the cheapest tarif and if you get a direct debit reduction?
Don't forget https://www.petrolprices.com to see who has the cheapest petrol locally, it all helps.
Good luck

falady

hi angel,

Jut wanted to say that i think you are acheiving an amazing amount! Don't wear yourself out with too much though.

Good luck!

Ali xx

sillylittlejill

Hi :wave:
Just read all of this now, you seem to have had a tough time of late, I know the feeling :hug:
I would maybe, as a person who has suffered from depression/stress suggest that your OH goes out and does things, as I have noticed in the past few weeks since being unemployed, that I have not been my usual self and have been in the house without leaving for 3 days straight, it's not a healthy way to live. Going out for a coffee with a mate can really cheer you up. I think (and I hope I don't offend you here) that you and your OH need to get to the doctors, as whatever he is on is not working as well as it should, and I think you might benefit from counselling, someone to talk to and moan at without them yelling at you etc. My doctor wanted me to go, I decided not to but it was included on the NHS so shouldn't cost you anything.

Congrats on being so pro-active, I am finding it impossible to do anything pro-active, just don't know where to start.

I will keep on popping in, hope everything keeps on going well, you seem to be more on-top of things than you realise. The only thing that seems to be really getting you down is your OH so I think you both need to go to the doctors and see if they can help you both.

Hope I haven't upset you, but thought I may as well be honest.

xxx

GreyhoundAngel

Thanks guys, it's nice to have some company on my ramblings !!

Tealady - yes it's very addictive! I've actually been a member for quite a while, but there was a long period when I didnt visit for various reasons (time basically) and then when I came back I'd forgotton my login etc, and basically lurked & read for a while - but really wanted to participate more so of course had to re-register Ever since I've been trying to catch up on those threads I'd been following - quite a daunting task !!:eek:

Falady - Your words are very wise, last time I visited these boards - I was so inspired by soooooo many things, that I wanted to get involved doing all the tips & challenges etc - then found I got overwhelmed with all the things I was meant to be doing, finally ground to a halt !:rolleyes: Hence this time, I'm doing it slowly.

By chosing a few things to start with in each "area" - and wherever possible, things that will have an impact in more than one area (ie paperwork & decluttering = less stress, and finding items that can be sold etc), it's less intimidating and only when I've got those into a routine - do I add more (bit like the Flylady way) Build it gradually, set the foundations right and the rest will (hopefully) follow

Sillylittlejill - No, you havent upset me at all. To be honest you havent really said anything wrong at all. We've got an appointment next week with his consultant, and I'm hoping to be able to broach some of this while with him - guess I'm hoping that doing it that way will be less "personal" for OH. I'll mention that I'm not sure if it's a continuing symptom of the stroke or perhaps the "brand" of medication that he's on.

I've also had the same thoughts about OH needing to get out and mix with people other than just me, alas - although we used to mix with lots of people in the activities we used to do, they arent really friends we / OH would meet with outside of that. We're also no longer in the area where we participated in those. I'd like to try and find an "outgoing" support group that he could perhaps go to, but I know that OH would probably want me to go along to start with - which isnt possible with me working :rolleyes: But I'm still keen to at least look into it.

I'm sorry you're finding it so hard to be pro-active, I remember what it was like being unemployed and getting demotivated with the passing time. There are loads of really inspirational threads on the boards to read, which I tend to find then give me a boost to do something - and I'm more than happy for you to take any nuggets you find (after sifting through the drivel that is) on this thread to help.

On another topic,,,, another bit of good news (and totally unexpected) - my wages went in today, and there was a fair bit more than I should've had. When I got my payslip later today - due to being on emergency tax for a couple of months, I got a rebate :T So after taking enough for my car Tax (which I was scraping together penny by penny) I've still got a nice little bit extra that I can dump in the overflow account. With everything I've accumulated so far in there - I should have a nice little amount to hit some of the debts a bit harder this month.

I also managed (due to a glitch with the online system which basically told me I was at my limit on Monday) to get to the end of the month with some of my o/d untouched, which I only discovered yesterday ! :rotfl: So that little bit extra is going to be used to "reduce" my OD limit. Think I may be updating a few more debt lines on my summary on Sunday than I expected !!

Tomorrow is payment day for the C/Cards & I will probably use some of the windfall to payback a bit of the MTGE holiday amount. With all the re-shuffling of bill / debt payments both amount wise & date wise, all outgoings bar the car insurance will be paid by Wednesday which means that everything left in the account is "ours". I don't have to worry about what bills might be coming out later in the month anymore. It's a great feeling even if it's not "debt free" type "ours".

Having proved this month, how "little" in comparison we can get by on and with the help of batch / freezer cooking I'm hoping that I will make it to the end of Feb with some to spare again - and can snowball some of the other payments again.

Gosh - what an essay that turned out to be !! So much for a "quick" update tonight - think I've been on "BOB's" threads too much recently - her wittering is obviously catching:rotfl: :rotfl:

Think that's enough for tonight
GA:A
x

GreyhoundAngel

Just a quick update tonight, been running around today like crazy doing more bits on this weeks list and one or two other bits that presented themselves during the day :rolleyes:

Been lovely to see all the "ticks" being added to my actual diary - and I've already got a few things to list for next targeting next week

Feeling quite pleased with what I've achieved this week, having this diary has made quite a difference (when I'm not being sidetracked by other threads that is :rotfl: )

Even though for unforseeable reasons, I didnt get everything done that I aimed for, it's still a great feeling.

Tomorrows new list for this week is not going to be so "big", as I've got a couple of days travelling mid week which limits what is practical to do.
Lots to update on last Sunday's to do list and the summary post, which I will do in the morning, as I'm feeling a wee bit tired tonight & thinking I'll have an early night (well for me that is!!)

GA:A
x

GreyhoundAngel

Quote:
Originally Posted by GreyhoundAngel

Tasks for the week!!
Finalise last info for Probate filing - Priority !! In progress, have to wait for extra info
FreeAd Listings & Ebay Listings - Postponed to next week due to late finish at work tonight :mad: - I really want to have them on a 10 day listing to get the best chance of sales :rolleyes:
Store cupboard list / Shopping list & Shop - DONE
Complete MS profile updates - Will now do this at same time as new account info (see below)
Start Daily clicks routine (every other day to start with) - Made a start with just 2 Sites for now - in progress
Batch cook - This weeks batches done.
Sort all paperwork - bin / shred / file / action - Done Most, but some items left needing action / filing or further sorting
Locate spare garden "tubs" and plan veg planting - These seem to have vanished :eek: Will have to beg, borrow or *gulp* buy some
Make Payments on C/Cards - DONE
Chase outstanding money from last company - SENT
Update Companies with Payment details with new account info - Work in Progress - last few remaining.

Think that's probably more than enough to be getting on with for now - and I will mumble my progress during the week :rotfl:
Angel x
End Quote:

Well I guess not too bad for completed things this week, though not as much as I had wanted to - mainly due to a couple of days of unexpected longer working hours. This week is also going to be "short" timewise due to being away for a couple of days midweek. :rolleyes:

My summary is looking quite nice, managed a couple of higher / extra payments & still have a wee bit left to do some more reducing (not quite "PAD", but working towards it). Will look to do these a bit later in the month, as I'm hoping to have a bit more coming to me which I can add to it.

All in all, I'm pretty pleased so far - giving me a good base to build on for pushing the dream machine forward. All I've got left to do is the final updates on my spreadsheets.

Good day yesterday, if a bit busy! Did manage to pick up 7 Ink cartridges for my printer for the amazing sum of ...... £5 :eek: Chuffed to bits with that one !! Also, I've just been given a 2nd hand little freezer which is fab - I'll now have the space to do the batch / freezer cooking I want to do :T Just gotta make some room for it now, so one task for this week will be a space reshuffle for the freezer.

So this weeks task list is looking like this atm:

1) Make space for new freezer
2) Do Ebay listings postponed from last week
3) Do FreeAds listings postponed from last week
4) Do another Batch Cook
5) Send C of A letter to NSI, so that at the end of the month I can cash in some P/Bonds (had them 20yrs and never yet won on them - so think the money would be of more use to me atm. I can always re-invest in more at a later date)
6) Plan & Create Motivational Collage - My dream vision to keep me moving forwards at low points.

A short list for this week, but with everything happening this week I'd rather achieve 100% of a shorter list, and then perhaps do some extra - than fail lots with a longer list.

As you may have seen in this weeks task list - I came up with the idea of a Motivational Collage - This will be pictures / photos / spreadsheets etc of things that matter to me & "snapshots" of where I want to be in 5 yrs time with a couple of "milestone" ones to help me achieve things. This will keep me focused on my plans, and help me stay positive when things are perhaps not going quite how / as quickly as I'd like. I'm hoping that when I look at it, inspiration will also come calling with open doors I've not previously thought about.

It's an idea I came up with during one of my training sessions for my coaching course, I came accross it while I was sorting my files out - as soon as I started reading my course notes, I remembered how much qualifiying means to me. It's part of my business plans, and is something I will accomplish this year.

Forgive me if I don't update until later in the week - as I've alot to do before I'm away, but I will post as soon as I can.

GA:A
x

GreyhoundAngel

Think I should've just hibernated for the week - Haven't even managed to do my updates, in fact - didnt to do much from my list last week. Guess I need to accept it just wasnt meant to happen for me

Got a few bits to update on, but no great shakes - I'll do these tomorrow (tonight now!), so those of you following this can see how things (havent) progressed :rolleyes:

Still working on this weeks list, which will have to be added to last weeks - really need to get the feet moving this week to catch up with myself.

Early start again - so goodnite for now

GreyhoundA:A
x

boredofbeingathome

Lists are an aide just to remind us...don't beat yourself up about it..that's our job ( attempt at a joke there):D

You will be on that road soon enough.:j

Sleep well.x