I'm taking back control.....

ClootiesMum

Okay folks - long time lurker here and your diaries have been so interesting I thought I'd try one to see if it will make me take action.

A little bit about me

House consists of myself, DH & 2 small doggy boys. Both of us work full time and although we can pay our way each month we would now like to look at escaping the rat race and moving abroad somewhere so we really want to get rid of our debt. I'm not posting an SOA at the moment as things are a bit up in the air at the moment but hopefully will be able to do this in a couple of months.


I will have to work through this in small steps as due to a hellish last few years my brain does not seem to be able to have room to take in much information at times.
My first task is to aim to complete 5 things a day - some of this will include MSE stuff but some of it is to do with being proactive and dealing with things that will make life easier and give peace of mind. I will try to post the 5 daily tasks at the beginning of the day because I love lists and scoring things off them...... (sad, I know).

Today's tasks are

Scrub rugs and leave to dry outside - scrubbed and drying
Tidy house - Done
Sort out bills for end of month - also done (& feel much better for this)
Weed side of garden - Mostly done but back in now as rain is now blowing through
2 Bzz agent reports to be done - Done

So here we go - if you want to join me and give me necessary kick if I'm slacking I'd be more than happy.

CM

Intergalactic_Floozie

Well done! I think 'Tidy the House' equates to so much more than one task though!

ClootiesMum

Thanks IF - Tidy the house really is just a tidy - putting things away and clearing bunkers & tables - no cleaning is involved. It doesn't take long as I have a lot of cupboards and drawers. If I'd intended to clean them out - well that's a different story.
And I've also done the bill calculation now as well - it was preying on my mind but now looks so much better on paper. Looks like we might be able to buy food again this month.....

kissjenn

Tidy house is too massive to contemplate here so well done.

Your end goal sounds great...do you know where you'd like to go and when?

ClootiesMum

Hi KissJen
In answer to your question - anywhere & asap.

We fancy the States but I know getting residency is hard. We're still toying with Spain/Portugal/France but as we have no ties here now (sadly due to deaths of mothers in the last year) we're not bound by having to be available to come home at short notice.

We're prepared to work where-ever we go so we hope that will bring things forward a bit - but we are hoping that this will become a reality in the next 2 years.

That's why I'm hoping this diary will help - I have so much stuff to e-bay/freecycle as we don't intend to take much stuff with us.

And the dreaded rugs are done too.

CM

ClootiesMum

OK folks - todays list is.....

Call & cancel International Herald & tribune (from Freebies board) - Done
Meet Estate Agt @ Mum's house @ 6 - Hard one, but done
Ironing - done
Bin out/recycling & post mail - Done
Clear out 1 file from the box of bills/paperwork file - OK was a small file, but done

Some of the things I am trying to do have been getting put off for ages so I'm trying to break them down into smaller manageable sizes.

Must go and look like I'm working now though -

CM

ClootiesMum

Day 3 folks and today's tasks are

Phone Thai bank re Dad's estate - have tried (so counts as done) but cannot get an answer - will try again tomorrow but even earlier
Phone and cancel 2 subscriptions for Mum - Done
Transfer money for direct debits on 1st as today is payday - woohoo - Done
Clear out another file. - Done
Another EA @ Mum's at 6pm and done

I'm aware a lot of these don't look very MSE ish but in my own wee way they are.

We're still trying to settle Dad's estate after 3.5 years and as it involves several countries, it's not easy.
Also there was a quote on here by another MSEr made many moons ago who said that although they had no spare money they were able to do things to tidy & improve their home which was their greastest investment - I liked that & it makes me look at boring work round the house a different way.

Also DH is off today & has been given orders to visit the garage for a tidy & to discover some hidden treasures for an ebay assualt which will start later this week. Wish me luck on that as I am, as yet, an e-bay virgin.

OK - off to make phone calls now - time differences & all that

CM

ClootiesMum

Have just resisted the steak pie & bride van at work and settled for a chicken sarnie & a yoghurt - joint MSE & trying to be healthy. But boy could I kill for a steak bridie & brown sauce. Somehow these things seem soooo much more attractive when they're off limits.

ClootiesMum

Day 4 - & I'm impressed - normally I have a very short attention span but there is something addictive about putting the 'done' beside the tasks.

A bit more MSEish today, I think

Read Martin's e-mail (can I count this ?) - Done
E-mail FLA to see about getting PPI back on 2 GE Money cards (both letters to GE Money failed miserably) - Done
Phone aunt abroad - this IS a task as much as I love her, boy can she talk, - at least an hour at a time - have tried - she's not in (honest)
An hour's gardening (weather permitting) - Done
Take a note of all card balances and monthly amounts paid to them (it looks like DH & I mght have a bit of money soon and we want to work out who we should clear first).

I'm in meetings at work all morning so I'll be busy tonight with all this - so wish me luck

CM

ClootiesMum

I know it's sad but I'm feeling so chuffed with myself. All these things were preying on my mind and now they're done. I've even worked out what needs to be done tomorrow.

Phone Thailand again - hopefully I'll get an answer this time. - ooops, slept in this will have to added to tomorrow's list again
EA at Mum's at 4.45 - done
Another hour in the garden - the weather's meant to be lovely again tomorrow. - and done
There's a wee drop ironing to get done - Done
Set up a signature on MSE - this could be fun..... - Think I've managed this...

If I keep this up until Monday then I'm aiming for an increase - per day 5 MSE things & 3 non-MSE things.

My aim is to clear all our debt asap and then look to move elsewhere (as I've said before). I'm too ashamed to post an SOA at the moment but hopefully I will get that done in a couple of months because as I've said, there will be a bit of money coming in & this will hopefully be enough to clear everything outstanding (apart from the mortgage).

I know I shouldn't be shy as all you MSErs are lovely & so kind but that's just me.

On to finish today's list now - and drink some wine.

CM

ClootiesMum

'E-bay for dummies' arrived today - God bless Amazon. I'll have a read of this and start on a foray into ebayland next week.
DH was supposed to find treasures to sell in the garage yesterday but decided that a lounge on the couch all day was a better idea - so - can you sell DHs on ebay? And do you get any money for them?