Lost in the middle - getting organised and debt free

Marru

I should be studying as have my first exam tomorrow and here I am distracting myself with all kinds of very important things like updating my diary after not being here for weeks and weeks.

So how is it going then

Get F&F offers from all my creditors
3 paid, 3 to go

- couple of letters to do, can't tackle these until my next exam next Monday

Be up to date with other payments (ie rent + nursery)
- Find out balance outstanding to nursery

- Still haven't found the balance for the nursery and now I am getting behind with school club payments

Live on £5,000.- for the year (doesn't include: rent, car+travel, child care and study)
Spent/Remaining 0.-/5,000.-

- Get cheaper mobile contract
- Get cheaper land line
- See how to get gas bills down

- Nothing done, if I don't move to live with BF by September these are going to be priorities

Declutter: going to go through the whole house and put everything into one of the following piles: * Need it, * Love it, * Sell it, * Freecycle it, * Chuck it

Umm - nowt done but I have couple of months after next Monday when I am not studying so this will be priority for rest of June, July and August

Make as much money as possible from selling all the stuff that I come across
Earned so far:

See comment above

Get rid of all my books (approximately 5000 of them )
Logged so far: 246 books
Sold:

See comment above

Run Sport Relief Mile in March - completed

Run Bupa 10km in end of May - raise £300 for Guide Dogs
Training schedule

Bupa run done - only £40 raised :eek: I don't know what I will do if I can't raise the rest as I simply can't afford to pay it myself

Start Matched Betting again
In saving pot towards MB float:

MB float had to be used elsewhere. World cup is starting this week which would be ideal MB time but I just don't have the float. Will look into this next Monday after my exam.

Do at least 3 units towards my professional certification

Hoping to get one done tomorrow and another next Monday - I am getting more worried by the minute

So after next Monday:
1. Check out if doing MB is possible
2. Get spreadsheets up to date
3. Start sorting out books
4. Start serious decluttering
5. Continue job hunt so can move to live together with BF

Oh and continue running training, next race is Cardiff half but I would like to do a 10k in August or September and perhaps one or two 5k before that.

ETA: Ok, another job application sent. Must log off and keep on studying...
ETA2: Recruitment agency called already - they are looking someone with manufacturing background - I am always been on the service side. But it was very positive that they called so quickly and promised to register me to their books. I am crossing everything.

Pippilongstocking

Marru goodluck tomorrow - we all 'distract' ourselves with other things to do before an exam - xx

Be thinking of you! xx

Marru

I am in a bit of a limbo, my job search has brought no result and I am not so sure I actually want to change jobs now and move. But then what is the option? I put into FB tarot reading a question: What should I do now (I know it is random but hoping to get something that might trigger my thinking) and this is what I got:

Recent past: Queen of Cups Reversed
A woman who has been hurt in love. Fear of deep feelings of commitment and attachment. An emotionally immature woman. A woman who prefers to remain alone without encumbrances of a relationship. Desire to set out on a different course without romantic attachment. Deep feelings of love not possible at the present time. Selfishness. Abandonment. A deep hurt from a past relationship.

Current situation: Four of Wands
Time to define goals. Possible new ventures undertaken with partner or partners. An easy project with a good team of people working toward completion. Simplicity in business ventures. A project that seems to 'be right.' Easy to define direction and set course. Everything going along as it should without worry or strife. Reactions positive to what you are seeking. Trying is not needed, only desire to do.

Future influences: Ten of Wands
Overburdened. Load too much to bear for one person. Everything now settled and in place. Cycle complete and order can be maintained. A gathering of all pieces and putting them away in completion. No more discussion, it is done and finalized. A monument to hard work materializes and stands testament to perseverance. What was begun is now done.

I think that was so spooky, especially the first one as those are the thoughts that have been whirling in my head all day. But I don't think I have a clue what is that "project that seems right". I guess that is why I am so restless as I can feel that something needs to happen but I don't know what.

Anyway - enough being philosophical and time to go to bed...

Marru

I am discusted with myself for how little I have achieved. It is time to stop prograstinating and get things moving.

I am going to stop my job hunt and stay put for at least another year. During that year I am expecting for my role to change at work to be more demanding and also me being able to get those study units ticked off. Both of those will make me more employable in the future.

Also for planning on staying here I can have longer term focus on things and really commit myself instead of having this "possible move" hanging above me.

Here are the things that I have repeated on my lists so many times before but now they will get done by the end of this month:

- Get spreadsheets up to date
- Reduce those outgoings that can be reduced
- Budget some money towards clothes and actually use it for that purpose
- Get correspondence up to date
- Get filing up to date
- Start sorting books to sell

Other:
- Do 15 minutes decluttering every day
- Contact at least 3 friends/relatives every week
- Keep on top of washing up
- Keep on top of washing

If I could get a good start with the book sorting this month then next month could be dedicated to other decluttering. In September I need to start studying for next lot of exams.

Also at some point I would like to arrange my working hours so that I could have half a day off every week to go and do voluntary work in an animal rescue but this can't be done until later this year.

And I am looking into getting myself certified as Excel and perhaps also as Access user, need to contact local college to ask about the exams. Ideally I would be doing that in the end of February after December exams and before starting to study for June 2011 exams.

My training for half marathon starts in the end of this month but I have time for my runs in the mornings before going to work so that should be ticking over nicely.

I guess that is enough for now. For rest of this week and next I shall be doing some serious spreadsheet busting, cheerio...

Marru

It seems that I am very good at planning but rubbish at actually doing. But I have made a start. I have now downloaded this year's statements into excel so that I can analyse where my money has gone and then start building a budget from there. Also I am doing major declutter through my paperwork. Early days yet but I am quite chuffed for finally reaching a momentum that will keep me moving into the right direction.

I have now decided not to move for at least another year and that has given me peace of mind. I hadn't realised how would up about the move I had become. I can fully commit myself to my work here and my studies and also I won't have a panic of getting everything sorted in one big panic but it doesn't mean that I can just leave everything as it is for another year. I would really like to see some progress over next 12 months.

One thing I really need to do is stop buying books as I so know there is too many already. However I found a book today that I just couldn't resist. It is about (ha ha) how to get organised and stop prograstinating. I know, I know. I am prograstinating by reading a book instead of just getting started. As they say - every little helps. I shall continue my paperwork sorting thou until I have a decent managable budget and also major catcup with the correspondence needs to be done by the end of this week.

Other tasks for this week:
- clean piggies
- call and confirm that DD is going to the party she has been invited to
- pay school lunches
- payment towards C tax
- washing up to date
- nag HR about my gym membership
- buy ant killer stuff

Marru

Feeling very aimless today. Have been wondering around this forum and lurking in my old hunts like a homeless person. I almost posted into the Small things thread and then I almost asked in Frugal living if I can go back but then decided that I don't want to go backwards, I need to go forward.

Anyway I did find some very useful informatio in the ebay forum so when my BIG FLOG IT CHALLENGE begins I can go and have another look there.

However I have managed to get rid of the ants that were invading my kitchen and I have got my gym membership sorted. DD is spending tomorrow with her dad so I shall go to Pilates class and perhaps also going to have a swim.

Paper sorting has been continuing but a bit half heartedly. I have been naughty and been sorting stuff that is not really important leaving the important stuff sitting in the filing tray.

Calling it a day now thou and read something before bed, perhpas THIS :rotfl:

Ok - I have found a new "home": Weekly flylady thread. That is in line with my current goals so should do me good and keep me out of mischief...

Marru

I am trying to get into habit of writing here every day.

Ex had DD today so I spent 3 hours in the gym and then dashed home to have quick bite before dashing again to fetch DD. Ex got me out of sorts again but I have now calmed down. He just has the knack. I am tempted to take BF with me next time but I am not sure I can control possible consequenses of that i.e. holding them back if they get at each others thorat (figuratively I mean). Ex is a nasty piece of work and very clever verbally to trash anybody and I know that BF won't take any nonsense. Hey ho only 11 years and 3 months until DD is 17 and can drive herself to see her dad. That means that I only need to meet him 135 more times, not that I am counting :rotfl:

I really enjoyed the gym, first pilates class then 15 minutes on cross trainer, 30 minutes on bike and quarter mile swimming. Not to mention couple of visits to the sauna. I was promised few free pertonal trainer sessions so I will take these up and get a programme done for me. My shin is still hurting so I need to take it easy for couple of weeks so that I can start running again. Cardiff half is not that far away.

C00p had offer on berries, 3 for fiver so I got some strawberries, raspberries and cherries. I think I shall log off now to enjoy some of the cherries while reading. I got a new book it is called: "The Luck Factor - four simple principles that will change your luck - and your life". I shall report back what I thought about it after I have read it.

Marru

Have been out with DD most of the day. We went to this new playground and DD loved it then took her to the swimming pool and back to the playground. They have lots of sand and this water thingy there and she payed with it for ages while I was sunning myself in the grass with a book.

After we came back and had lunch (a very late one) I fell asleep. Bless DD, she was watching CBBS and let me sleep until she got hungry and woke me up to give her tea. Lucky I had stuff I was able to scrape togehter quickly so she got fed and put to bed. I wasn't hungry so perhaps I should go now to see what I fancy.

Next weekend I am going to be house/dog sitting for 3 nights and two days and I also have my friend's dog to look after. BF is going for his college's reunion meeting. I am going to be very lazy and grab some nice ready meals from Mr S as don't fancy cooking in the strange kitchen and then have all that mess to clean up.

My muscles in my back are hurting from the pilates yesterday and little bit my tummy muscles as well. Ouch. Anyway - it just means that progress has been made.

The book about the luck factor is very interesting, I am already half way through it. Shall post summary here when I get to the end.

Better put a wash on before it gets too late, I should have done that ages ago instead of leaving it this late, slap wrist...

Marru

Bit deflated today. Difficulties getting up in the morning and hence didn't go to the gym. I did do a fast dog walk this afternoon. Really really miffed that my shin is not getting better and stops me running. Nothing done when it comes to sorting out paper work either.

I have started skipping my evening meals and just snacking which is not good. Better go and get something. How many months have I had mealplanning on my to do list?

Marru

BF just called from hospital, he had had a bash on his head and he couldn't remember anything. I tried to ask if he remembered visiting here last weekend of June and he didn't. I was ok as long as I was talking to him but was losing it when I called his BL to find out what had happened.

He had been hit by a machinery that was in front of a tractor (he does farm work) and was taken to hospital, brain and neck scans were clear but his short term memory is gone.

I am really upset mainly because I can't just jump into the car and dash there to see him and I can't even go this weekend as I have already committed to this house sitting. Plus that I think I would be more in the way anyway due to the situation up there (long story).

I shall go an have some tea and perhaps raid the last of DD's chocolate coins. I think I should buy a double chocolate chip type of cake and slice it and put in the freezer for emergencies like this. How sad is that...:(