Regaining my sparkle! Milly's diary part 2

pixiechick99

Lovely - £50 has been received by Quidco for my new mobile I got last month (better phone, cheaper contract and £50 Quidco, cant go wrong;)).
Girls are back now, had a good time. Got my bro in law coming tomorrow to cart new tv back to my house....don't think it'll fit in the back of my Ka:p

Think I was reasonably productive today - I hoovered downstairs, tidied lounge, cleaned kitchen floor and hung up 2 loads of washing. Lay on sofa and watched a film this afternoon. Crohn's sore bit is painful now....it often is in the evening, so not moving from sofa:rolleyes: DD2's cough kept her (and her dad!) up last night, bless her. Fingers crossed it's not bad tonight and lets me sleep;)

pixiechick99

My new tv is sooooooo lovely;) Bro in law came here this morning and within an hour we'd been to Argos, got home and it was all set up. girls playing the wii on it now - looks good:p

Not much planned for today...dd2 and I may nip out later...fancy getting out even if just to wander round town (in the rain:rolleyes:) for an hour.

I need to get my signature ready - think I'll do that now, update all the totals.

I've joined a few challenges again, been slacking with this recently. So all ready and raring to go with grocery challenge (£220), £5 a day in Jan (will have a good start with £50 coming from Quidco) and NSDs in Jan - going for 12.

I must meal plan for next week and pick up the bits we need at the weekend. Have soooo many nibbles, crisps etc that it'll be fresh stuff and a little meat to buy. I wrote a list of what's in my kitchen cupboard last night - 9 packets of sugar free jelly?!:eek: Shouldn't need to buy too much this weekend....definitely no crisps til Easter:rotfl:

Ok, off to sort out the sig:D

debidoodle

You have been busy, good news on the Quidco front and the shiny new TV which I expect the girls are loving with the Wii.

Good luck with the new challenges and the NSD's.

Spreadsheets totally confuse me so well done on mastering them.

Still in my pj's so now off for a bath.

pixiechick99

Had a lovely, quiet afternoon today then girls and I nipped into town at 4ish for a wander. DD1 spent some money in Paperchase, I resisted:o I did buy a cd (Muse) for £5 in HMV sale with money ex-mil gave me for Xmas and also bought the new wii fit game. Figured I need to get fit....or at least it'll be fun trying:D

We got into the queue for the park and ride bus then I thought s*d it and we ended up in Mcd's for dinner:rolleyes: Ah well, tis the school hols....a nice treat. Will keep the chicken I'd defrosted for tonight's wraps for tomorrow instead.

Not much on tomorrow - need to nip out to buy my niece a bday present. It's her bday tomorrow and we'll see her on Thurs. I have a £10 Entertainer voucher so hopefully can find something there. Otherwise it'll be a relaxing day at home, girls enjoying the wii (which is good, it doesn't often get used and I think it a waste of money....but won't sell it if they play it!!!)

debidoodle

I see you have updated your signature, total debt is decreasing.

I figure it is good to have treats and as you say it is the school hols.

My daughter is the same had a Wii for her birthday in May and hardly used it, now she has moved out it is still on the floor of the lounge :rolleyes:

pixiechick99

debidoodle wrote: »

I see you have updated your signature, total debt is decreasing.

I figure it is good to have treats and as you say it is the school hols.

My daughter is the same had a Wii for her birthday in May and hardly used it, now she has moved out it is still on the floor of the lounge :rolleyes:

The debt's not gone down anywhere near what it should have:o It was a couple of pounds under £5k this time last year - so really not made much of a dent have I? I guess I've just been plodding along paying the minimum payments - luckily Lloyds is the only one with interest on (and Next), the ccs are all 0%. I suppose I was using any extra this year to pay for the holiday. Haven't decided if we'll go away this year. my sis and family are going to my Dad's in florida so we won't be going with them...hmmmmmmm.

ALso been thinking about my student loan - I get about £1400 in 2 weeks - wondering whether it'd be more sensible to use most of it to pay off the Lloyds loan...if that was gone I'd have £86 more each month. I just love seeing my savings account with lots in....daft really, it should pay off some debt shouldn't it??

debidoodle

You are totally correct regarding savings and it is great that you have a buffer.

This is just an idea you could pay off the Lloyds loan with your S/L & savings, seeing as it has interest added and then it would be cleared.

Maybe then you could use the money which was paid to Lloyds to clear your Next card, just another idea and would save money in the long run I think.

Florida is a lovely holiday destination, I love it there but you do need substantial spending money.

pixiechick99

Eeeeeek:eek:
My small trip to Tesco turned into £64:eek: I did get my niece a little present (£5), paint set for DD2 to do her homework (£5:eek:), 2 packs of mince for £5, chicken £4, loo roll bumper pack for £4.50...it all adds up I guess.
My meal plan's done til the end of next week - will just need some bread, milk and fruit for back to school.
Off to my sis tomorrow and her and I are going shopping for the day - need to return a top my dad gave DD2 for Xmas, has a little hole in it:rolleyes: Don't plan on buying much else, school shoes for DD1, the ones she wants about £10.

DD2 just made a load of fairy cakes - she got a gorgeous cup cake book for Xmas....so we spent a fair bit in T's on stuff to decorate them - there's another good few pounds there:o

Off to have a shower and wash my hair in the posh new shampoo/conditioner I got for Xmas....early start tomorrow to my sisters.
Staying in tomorrow night as usual - just an evening of wine and games:D

pixiechick99

I've just transferred the £1023 I had in a cash ISA to my bank account - it seems pointless having it sat there, so will use that to pay off some of the Lloyds loan.
I have student loan of £1400 in a couple of weeks and same again mid-May. I do want to buy the girls a laptop for their bday in May - they've saved £100 each to help pay....I might see if I can make that a challenge for myslef - to make the money to buy laptops from ebay sales etc. One of my friends bought her daughter a laptop, phone, Dsi, ipod touch all for Xmas and Bday in Dec - what's going on??!!:rolleyes: If mine want a laptop for homework etc, then they know they need to help pay - they sold their ipods and some DS games and have saved £100 each, seems fair.

I'd love to get rid of the Lloyds loan as it's the one with interest. Repayments are £86 a month, so if the loan was gone I'd have that money to pay of other debts.....hmmmmmm:p

mooomin

millyscarlett wrote: »

One of my friends bought her daughter a laptop, phone, Dsi, ipod touch all for Xmas and Bday in Dec - what's going on??!!:rolleyes: If mine want a laptop for homework etc, then they know they need to help pay - they sold their ipods and some DS games and have saved £100 each, seems fair.

I think you have the right attitude there to be honest. You're teaching the early that you can't just have things you want and that you have to be willing to save and work for them. :T Maybe your friend needs a LBM of her own?