Champagne Lifestyle Lemonade Budget (My attempts to get debt free by April 2010)

Sun_Addict

Good morning everyone! Thank goodness it's Friday!!

Just to cast a cloud on my euphoria at having gone under £2k when I got home last night and checked my emails I had a message from someone I sold one of my ebay items to to say they hadn't received it. I posted it a week ago first class so they should have got it by now. I have now got to chase it up with Royal Mail. Don't know how I stand on this if they have lost my parcel. I'll probably have to pay the money back. I just knew this would happen! :mad: This has really put me off ebaying again. I had 3 unsold items and I think I would rather bung them in the charity bag then relist them now. It's been more trouble than it's worth.

On a lighter note I am going out for a girly lunch today with crazy man mad colleague from another branch of our office so should be a good laugh. Every man that passes her by is a potential boyfriend! If she worked with me every day I would never get anything done as she talks more than me (and that is saying something!).

Hopefully will get parcel sorted out today (please let her have received it today!). Have a great Friday everyone! :beer:

Swinstie73

Hi Sun Addict,

Hope the parcel turns up - it's one of the things putting me off ebaying, but gonna try selling one thing just to try it!

Hope enjoyed lunch and have a great weekend! x

Sun_Addict

Happy Monday everyone!! :rolleyes:

Had a manic weekend, spent far too much on stuff I didn't need for holiday, but as most of it was from Primark not too much damage was done - it could have been a lot worse. Still keep thinking there's stuff I need to buy though - I'm always like this before I go on holiday. Also had an expensive weekend as I had my highlights re-done at the hairdressers, but I had budgeted for this so not a problem.

Received £10 Boots voucher from Ipsos for surveys so this will go towards holiday toiletries. :T They also sent me two dishwasher cleaning tablets to try and then I have to report back to say how well they worked.

Re the missing ebay parcel - buyer sent me a message to say she had had a card from the post office through her door to pick up a parcel from the depot so we are both keeping our fingers crossed it's the one I sent. I should find out the outcome today.

I am on bikini panic countdown now. I don't really need to lose any more weight but would like to lose some so I don't worry so much about putting it back on on holiday. I always say I'm going to be good on holiday but my willpower disappears the minute I step foot on the plane!

Only got about £30 grocery budget money left now to last until the end of the month - not looking too good but will try very hard!

Sun_Addict

Thank goodness ebay parcel has been received. Lady was so lovely about it though and apologised but it's not her fault if Royal Mail are so slow!

Talking about ebay I'm afraid I made an ebay purchase myself yesterday. They sent me some money off vouchers and I couldn't resist using one of them to buy myself some sandals (for my holiday of course). However, these sandals match a handbag I'm taking on holiday so can be
justified. :rolleyes: I've got to get out of this holiday spending mode before I do some serious damage to my finances! Looking through the stuff I bought from Primark at the weekend, most of it I don't really need. Unfortunately I can't take any of it back as I cut off all the tags. I think I need to keep a proper spending diary and see just how much I spend on things that I could manage without. I think I'd be in for quite a shock.

Had to buy yet another clock today as one in the kitchen that was previously moved there from the dining room (as other one fell off the wall and narrowly missed the cat) has stopped working. This is the second clock to stop working in the kitchen so far this year.
What's going on!

Grocery budget is looking pretty desperate as now down to about £13. However, I could in effect start July's budget on Thursday when I get paid and seeing as we will be on holiday for the first two weeks of July we won't need so much money (in theory anyway). I think I will put in the big monthly Tesco shop for tomorrow - yes I've convinced myself!!

Sun_Addict

I knew it wasn't a good start to the day yesterday when I walked to work convinced I hadn't locked the front door (I had by the way) then I got a fly in my eye. So when I got home and found we had a power cut I wasn't too chuffed to say the least. No cup of coffee, no running on treadmill, no shower, no hot food, no broadband, etc. Freezer had gone from -18c to -6c so power must have been off quite a while. It came back on about 6-ish so started to do Tesco internet shop. Had nearly finished it when power went off again and was thrown out of internet. The power kept going on and off until 8pm. Eventually finished Tesco shop (luckily basket was saved) and finally got evening meal at 8pm. If I'd had any wine in the house I would have sunk a large one at this stage but unfortunately the wine rack is bare.

To top it all new clock I bought doesn't work! :mad: All in all not a good day. Had an early bath and went to bed!

Hopefully today will be a better day!

Sun_Addict

Good afternoon everyone

My debt has gone down by another £25 today as minimum payment has gone out. :j

Payday today for me but as my wages just cover the bills and food I can only report that July's bills and food budget are covered. It's up to OH to earn the money to pay for everything else.

Looking back on my targets for June:

1. Lose 4½lbs - only lost 1½lbs but am content I've lost enough now.

2. £280 June Grocery Challenge - have started on July budget now but may as well as money is in bank now so have stuck to this challenge in effect.

3. £5 Weekly Spending Challenge - had no choice but to stick to this. Thank goodness back to £10 a week next month!

4. Get debt down to under £2000 - yes! I did it!! :j

5. Save £300 towards holiday spending money - yes! :j However, still have another £400 to save. This was supposed to be coming out of OH's tax rebate but his accountant has infuriatingly not even submitted his accounts yet (it's only taken him two months so far!). Hopefully he will receive his rebate before the end of July but with this painfully slow accountant who knows? I think I'll have a go at it myself next year and save him £250 in fees.

6. Sell 2 more ebay items - yes! What a palaver though!

Plans for July:

1. No weight loss target as will be trying to lose weight put on during holiday (hopefully not too bad).

2. £269 for July Grocery Challenge

3. £10 Weekly Spending Challenge

4. Pay £100 off debt - doubt if I'll be able to pay much of in July as OH will be two week's wages short as he doesn't get paid for holidays. That's always supposing he has work to come back to after holiday - he's trying to get some lined up.

5. Pay off the remainder £400 holiday spending money - hopefully via OH's tax rebate but otherwise will have to save it.

So all in all June has been a good month as OH has had work for the best part of it. Hopefully July will be the same (or at least the part of July we're not on holiday).

Sun_Addict

This time next week I will be in Menorca :j

Had a really busy week at work as we have been short staffed due to annual leave and I'm so glad it's Friday. Only 3 days to work next week as I'm breaking up on Wednesday so on a real countdown now.

Have already made inroads into my July grocery budget by spending £95.65 on a monthly Tesco delivery and £13.54 in Sainsburys yesterday so now have the princely sum of £159.81 to last until the end of July. However, this shouldn't pose a problem as we are on holiday for the first two weeks of July so only have the last two weeks to cover, although I still have to get DD's ready meals to last her while we are away. She will be back home from holiday on Monday and it's been so lovely without her (sorry DD but it has ). Hardly any cleaning/washing/ironing/mess - just the two of us - heaven! Maybe I can persuade her it's time to find herself a little place of her own (and pigs might fly!).

Trying hard (not as hard as I should be though) not to spend money on unnecessary holiday spends but keep thinking of something else I might need :rolleyes: Currently have it in my head I need a new cardigan/wrap type thing to put over my shoulders at night in case it's a bit cool (I am the most nesh person ever and it has to be about 100 in the shade for me to say it's hot!). I can keep using the excuse "it's for the holiday" at the moment but I must get back to normal afterwards - nose back to the grindstone and all that

Anyway have a brilliant weekend everyone - hope the sun shines - it would be nice to have a relaxing pre-holiday weekend in the garden with a chilled vino in my hand. :beer:

Swinstie73

Hi SA,

Well done getting under £2K! Yeah!

Why dont you get a 'summer' scarf type thing that you could put round your shoulders if it's cool, shouldn't be too expensive. I got a lovely one from Tie Rack for £6, cream with gold threads through it.

Count down to hols if always great, especially the working days!

Enjoy the vino if you get it! x

Sun_Addict

It's Monday again! Not too bothered this week though as I only have 2 more working days to go this week! I'm manically trying to tie up all the loose ends at work - have got a massive to do list!

Spent an obscene amount of money since Friday on "holiday extras". Swinstie - I ended up with a cardigan on Friday :rolleyes:. However not too bad as Zara sale was on and got a lovely one for £9.99. Have bought CDs, new flight bag, a second pair of flat sandals for day, make up, bracelet, etc - you name it if I can be bought under the guise of "holiday stuff" it's been bought. Have totalled it all up and in the last two weeks OH and myself have spent just over £200 on these "extras" :eek:. This has now got to stop before it gets out of control. Maybe I should be posting a confessions of a shopaholic thread! Hopefully OH will have work when we get back off hols so we can actually pay for these things as they have been put on spending credit card that gets paid in full every month.

However, I now realise I must stop acting as if I've won the lottery and get back to normal. Nothing else must go on the card - if the cash isn't in my purse it doesn't get bought. Will be glad to get on holiday away from shops other than food shops.

Swinstie73

Hi Sun Addict,

I am exactly the same and so probably are most people, I always try and make do with last years holiday clothes, but either they don't fit or I just don't like them anymore! Just go, enjoy your holiday and then get down to the business of paying it all off when you return, no point in worrying about it now.

Right I'm off to the shops..... kidding! x