Not Tiny, Not Courageous, but definitely in debt

tiny_courageous

Vodafone are messing me about something royally at the moment - think that's the impetus I need to leave them when my contract's up. Yes, my last few deals have been very decent with them (and I'm currently only paying £15 a month), but customer service leaves a lot to be desired and I can barely get any signal in my house for the last few months, so enough is enough. Am 12 months into an 18 month contract so that last six months will go quickly enough.

Approved food order done, next target is to tidy the kitchen, bedroom and front room.

Went shopping yesterday but didn't buy anything. Looking round the shops I couldn't justify any of the prices and I kept thinking that I have a massive wardrobe full of things and that was enough to put me off.

Vodafone

Hi tiny_courageous,

I am disappointed to hear that you have been unhappy with the service you have received and that it has made you want to leave us.

If there is anything I can help with to turn this around, feel free to email me personally via the address here with WRT135 FAO Heidi in the subject.

Many thanks,

Heidi
Web Relations Team
Vodafone UK

tiny_courageous

Thanks mr Vodafone (or mrs!) but as it took 9 emails to get a fairly simple question answered, I'm mooching off elsewhere.

Today has been very productive so far. Two loads of washing done - got 1 1/2 dry but its just started raining. Cleaned out all the kitchen cupboards, and it all looks much tidier now. I now have a storecupboard where I've stashed all my couscous/bulgar wheat/rice. Have noticed my tin cupboard is looking a bit bare so will start stocking up there next. Managed to throw some bits and bobs out as well so decluttering done also.

Treated myself to some flowers from Morrisons yesterday, reduced from £10 to £2. It was actually searching the house for a vase that inspired me to do the kitchen.

Putting aside a few hundred quid for the MOT as I'm sure there are a few things that need doing on the car. Will try to get it in the garage next week I think.

I think I'm going to have to be ruthless with my clothes. Far too much that I don't wear. Wardrobe is ridiculously full.

Going to try a meal plan for this week. Basically, the freezer is full of yellow stickered stuff so may as well start using it. Got some stewing steak so will get that out to put in the slow cooker for tomorrow. That will do for a few days with dumplings (19p approved food veg suet, fab stuff). Think there's some fish as well so will probably do that during the week with a nice couscous salad. Still working our way through the AF fajitas too!

Right, in the time it's taken me to write this, I think the rain's stopped and I can see some little rays of sunshine. Washing needs to go back out, I think.

Vodafone

Hi tiny_courageous,

I am sorry to hear that you have decided to leave us. If there is anything I can do to help moving forwards, feel free to contact me.

Best wishes,

Heidi
Web Relations Team
Vodafone UK

tiny_courageous

Had a lovely, if quite spendy, weekend so far. There are also some car expenses due to impending MOT and mechanical type problems, however I do have the money for these, which I'm quite pleased about as previously it would have just gone on the credit card.

Have placed another AF order, the last one I swear! Cupboards are full, won''t need pasta, rice, cooking sauces etc etc for about 6 months at least. I have noticed my tesco bill is significantly less since I started ordering from AF as well.

Have just got a cable and some software that should allow me to hook up the tv to the laptop so I can not only clear the hard drive on the Sky+ box but also start to convert some of the many videos in the house so that they can be decluttered.

Am kind of watching the Olympics, kind of not. It's more of a background entertainment than actually watching it properly.

Was a little bit hungover this morning so no drinking for me tonight. There isn't any in the house apart from a bit of vodka I think (and a bottle of gin, but I can't stand gin) so I won't be tempted either, which is an improvement for me. Have really cut down on the drinking recently, and I'd like that to continue.

Tomorrow, I intend to make some soup in the slow cooker, do my ironing, tidy the wardrobe and make a start on getting this cable thing to work on the computer. If I'm feeling particularly inspired I might even do the wardrobe tonight. Maybe even the ironing if I get really bored!

tiny_courageous

Well wasn't last night's Olympic action amazing! I almost feel inspired to get fit. My inspiration currently involves reducing my alcohol intake as much as possible, and not spending money. The first isn't going too badly, the second? Well we will see.

In the interests of moneysaving I've today phoned Sky and got 12 months free multiroom, a new HD box and reduced the phone package as well. When the engineer comes round with the free HD box he's also going to set up Anytime+. Which, at least, saves me the cost of an ethernet cable.

Also, in the interests of tidying up, have shifted some bits around to make more space upstairs, and have dumped the printer/scanner/photocopier in a large drawer as it's not often used but one of those things that's useful to have.

Soup is in the slow cooker smelling quite delicious, washing is done (although currently negotiating the intermittent rain to get it dry) so more Olympics and ironing for me later.

tiny_courageous

The weeks go so blooming quickly! Having a quiet one this weekend. My kitchen's currently looking like I'm preparing for world war three (had another AF order delivered and did a big shop at tesco as we had a £12 off £60 voucher - worked out well, got loads of cereal as OH goes through it by the bucketload, so got a petrol voucher as well). All I need to buy for the next few months will be bread, veg, and dairy products.

tiny_courageous

Having an extremely lazy weekend. Sometimes it's just got to be done. Washing up and washing and ironing is the absolute limit of what I'm doing today. Well, that and sorting work lunches for the week.

I don't know where this warm weather has gone, it's persisting it down up here and has been for the last few days. I give up, I really do. Bring on winter, I prefer my winter wardrobe anyway!

Looking forward to payday, as always. Now I've got my tax sorted I'm £100 a month better off so that will go straight onto debt repayment. Still aiming to get the credit card paid off by Christmas, which basically gives me 4 paydays after this month's. I think it's unlikely, but I'll give it a damn good go!

Debating what to have for tea, this is about as exciting as my life gets! I might make a cheesecake. Cake for tea's perfectly acceptable, especially as it's sunday.

tiny_courageous

Payday and savings policy came through on the same day, so just paid £1200 off the credit card. That feels really good. Really, really good. I'm back in debtbusting mode after a little bit of spending giddiness (managed to resist getting the 64gb Playbook currys had on offer yesterday) and hitting the surveys in style, the plan being to get as many sainsbury's vouchers between now and Xmas to pay for my Xmas shopping. We've got a lovely big Sainsburys near here so it's a nice treat to shop there.

No plans for the weekend so far, I'd almost forgotten it was a bank holiday so the extra day off seems like a lovely treat. I think I'll do some housy related things involving tidying.

tiny_courageous

Up early on this bank holiday weekend (I think I'm destined never to get a lie in again). Washing machine is on, washing up is done, got some mince out for tonight - will be making lamb koftas and falafel with spicy couscous and probably make another meal out of the rest of the lamb as it's a big pack. Just need to go to the shops later to get some natural yoghurt and salad. And stock up on my yoghurts for work (a big pot lasts a week and means I can have breakfast at my desk) as they were sold out in Tesco the other night.

I don't particularly have any plans. I'm debating whether or not to be really ruthless with my wardrobe. I keep doing little clear outs, but there's so much stuff in there that doesn't fit or never gets worn. I need to be really ruthless and start again, I think.

I have about £25 in my purse which I think should do me for the weekend (and maybe even the week if I'm good).