Jo_R's debt-free diary, slow and steady progress!

Jo_R_2

One of "those" days today:eek: Fridays DD2 can start nursery at 8am so I planned we would walk up (only 15 mins walk from home), drop her off then walk back down the road to the main road (only a couple of mins walk) where the bus stop is.

Of course kids never go to plan so we were late leaving, late getting to nursery and so missed the bus to school:o Only ended up being 5 mins late but involves having to sign DD1 in at the office and walk her into her class, and DD1 was terribly worried - she's a worrier like her mum:o

Had to wait for bus home then upon getting back had a message from Home Start saying my visitor had broken down en route and so wouldn't be coming today Had all sorts of plans for things to get done. To be fair baby is quite good at sitting and playing with toys whilst I get stuff done but it's always easier if it's just me to get on with stuff, but never mind.








So to do for today:[STRIKE]

• pay for DD2's nursery breakfast and lunch
• pack and post two ebay items
• check online banking and credit cards online - note next month's minimum payment
• wash up and tidy table from breakfast
• put load of washing on

[/STRIKE]

• (this evening) do SOA for October

Better go as baby trying to crawl - whilst lying on his face (aw)

Jo_R_2

Fairly good day today; got lots accomplished. Planned spend of £2.35 DD2's breakfast and lunch at nursery; other spends include £5.90 on ebay postage (done via debit card then have transferred postage costs from my Paypal account today), withdrew £10 in cash which paid for £4.35 bus fares, £3.45 for potatoes and broccoli for tea and milk for mum, and £1 for a bottle of Dr. Pepper (okay so shoot me!:o)

Had a right panic earlier. Have been waiting for the OU to send me their registration forms, and after not receiving anything for going on two weeks, despite emailing them to query, I suddenly realised it was not long til the start of October, when the course is due to start, and I hadn't properly registered, or paid, because I hadn't been sent anything...:eek:

I phoned up just before teatime, and basically the woman I spoke to didn't really explain why I hadn't been sent anything but that I could register and pay over the phone, and I only had the rest of tonight and tomorrow... Only thing is I'd have to pay in full as it was too late to arrange to pay in instalments - I'd planned on paying in instalments (was going to use Clubcard points but changed my mind) :mad: I said I'd have to call back as obviously a big decision.

Sat and thought about it after and was like, hang on, I'm a bit angry here if I've lost the chance to pay by instalments through no fault of my own other than they haven't sent me the paperwork they should have done in time... So I called back, explained precisely what had (hadn't!) happened. Turns out there's some glitch in the system that has only arisen today, which involves people who have a similar or same name as other people who have reserved or registered. I remembered something coming up online when I reserved a place asking if such-and-such details were my details (odd question, said no...) Basically because of this it has taken the "system" a week to sort this and send out my paperwork which apparently was posted out Wednesday (but not arrived yet...)

Seems it has happened to a few people, and having only just realised, I have now been told as long as I complete and send back the paperwork by next Friday then I will be able to still pay in instalments. Phew!

Keeping_Positive

oh what a shock so annoying when you have done everything right.

Jo_R_2

"Next month"'s money has started coming in. This is odd, as I plan things calendar-monthly but most of my money comes in every 4 weeks - so I can foresee at some point in the year I will end up having a surplus of 4 weeks' worth of Tax Credits and Child Benefit, although not worked out when that will be yet.

Been working on October's SOA to print out soon. Will have slightly less surplus due to balance transferring so having two payments on CCs has bumped up my outgoings a little. However I cannot foresee needing to spend much at all on clothing (budgeted £20 for this month) although petrol will need to go up slightly I think until we get a feel for how much we're using - although as DD1 is changing schools and we will be walking I suspect that will go down anyway.

Not much to do today, my main aim is to sort through baby's old clothes and get some on ebay this evening along with any of my old clothes.

I do need to do shopping - as OH is pretty skint we've agreed to go halves, so not actually going to have any surplus to use on overpayments this month - but hey, the money is there and not strictly for any other essential spends so all in all it's okay, I suspected that would be the case so left the surplus just in case we needed it this month. So should come out evens.

Jo_R_2

Aargh spent £52.53 on shopping and *still* forgot stuff - and that's with a list! Always happens when I go and do a shop myself rather than online - although I suppose the bonus is that I get the price less delivery charge, but online is so much easier to police!

No paperwork from Open University yet - getting worried now as it needs to be filled in and sent back by Friday so if it doesn't come tomorrow I'll have to ring them again.

bevan840

Heya Jo

I hope your ok and the OU paperwork arrives tomorrow. I'm trying to find an evening class somewhere local but not proving too easy as a lot of them want paying at the beginning, if not they want it within 3 months! One of them was over £900 and they wanted it within 3 months! Not likely lol

I tend to write my list the night before I have to go, while at work go through mysupermarket.com, print my list out at work (hehe) then go straight from work to save me having to go out again Although luxury for me is I don't have to take any little ones with me

Good luck with ebay xxx

Jo_R_2

Didn't get any ebay done last night after all! Had a bit of a night 'off' and just relaxed with OH in front of the tv.

OH borrowed money from my purse here and there and last night told him he owed me £30 plus half the shopping so about £55 LOL... Don't think he found it funny though!

Am itching to get my hands on OH's finances. He's pretty good generally but I wish he'd plan ahead more and have the foresight to keep tabs on things through the month because it's really working for me on my money, but am still worrying about his lack of foresight affecting me.

Jo_R_2

Got paperwork from Open Uni yesterday and have posted it back. Payment plan is £360 in instalments amounting to £49 per month.

Is going to be cutting it REALLY fine with SOA, my initial playing around with figures shows that I would have a surplus of only £13, however I could probably shave some off here and there, mainly thinking of savings as a buffer zone. as am putting £50 in there. Will go have another play over the next few days and see what I can come up with.

My plan is to set myself an ebay challenge each month to achieve £50. Will mean stepping up a gear as am fairly casual with it at the mo!

Payments start in November so have a month in hand as it were.

Good news:

• DD1 is moving schools probably next week all being well, so will bring car running costs down over the month
• my first month of super-efficient-accounting-for-every-penny is really working well, am keeping receipts for everything and knocking it off pots so know where I stand

Bad news:

• OH 'borrowed' £30 and owes me £25 for half of the shopping which I haven't seen yet:rolleyes:
• still need to download new spreadsheet

Jo_R_2

Well a new week and lots of new things to do!

This *should* be a quick post, although DD2 has started nursery in the mornings I don't seem to be getting much done in that time I usually don't get to nursery til a good 9.15 anyway as is in complete opposite direction to DD1's school so by time I get back it's around 9.30, then baby wants feeding and falls asleep on me, then by that time I put him down and rush round and don't seem to get much done by the time I have to go and fetch her!



Anyway I digress! Lots of things to do today/tonight/tomorrow:

• check online banking to see if child maintenance gone in yet - checked - not in yet
• shopping list with menu planner as need to go grocery shopping in a bit - done - came in at £51 so average shop
• go through receipts and tot up totals and see where I am for the end of the month (prob do this evening when kids in bed) - just trying to do now
• change dentist appointment - pay to see hygienist but going to move it to after Christmas
• do SOA for October (again prob when kids in bed) - going to do shortly
• pay council tax in time for 1st October
• think about birthday present for mum (not til mid-October but being organised LOL)

Better get cracking on my shopping list!

Keeping_Positive

Fingers crossed the money is in. Its scary how time flies isnt it? I was going to do loads today but in the end barely anything.