Smart Mart - Health, wealth and happiness

Smart_Mart

After several good day, I guess I was due a bad one. The important thing is to not let it turn into a run of bad days like normally happens...:rolleyes:

The day! Most of it was spent going to, attending, annd coming back from the football. Shortish trip to Oxford today but my forward planning went out of the window big time, I'm afraid. If the boys come with me, I either try to get my press ticket swapped for a normal one (free) or buy one. Had to buy one but should have done it in advance to avoid the surcharge of paying on the day. Ticket cost me £17 instead of £15...:mad:

I started getting low on petrol too when I should have filled up before I left. Ended up paying £1.15/litre at M4 services instead of £1.09 at local supermarket. Worse still, I had to withdraw money from a charging ATM machine (£1.85). Stuck in £30 which would have cost £28.43 at cheaper place. Slightly redeemed myself by claiming thirty Nectar points....:D

Got another tenner of gas tonight, bought a programme at football (£3) and got a bar of chocolate at the services (£1.50). Spoilt my diet and my money organisation today but tomorrow is another day...:D

Smart_Mart

Back on track, I'd say!! :rolleyes:

The main event of the day was the boys football match which they won 12-3 after being three nil down near half time. I refereed it ( not thereason they won btw ) so had eighty minutes running around on a cloggy old pitch to keep me fit. Kept to the diet pretty well yesterday too having a pasta bake for lunch and a pasta salad for tea, no chocolate, sweetener in my coffee and no alcohol until the quiz at the pub last night.

Came second in the quiz so won eight free drink vouchers - these get redeemed against alcoholic drinks only so I'll have to have a pint next week at the pub...;)

Only spend of the day was a mini-shop at Tesco Express for bread, milk, pasta salad and a small bag of crisps and £9.30 at the quiz last night.

Smart_Mart

Did the morning and evening post run today as per usual on a Monday. Squeezed in two paper rounds this morning as well...:j

Direct debits to the football club (twins training and match fees of £30) and my car insurance of £24.00 went out today while my only spend was £25.00 of petrol (25 clubcard points)....

Interviewed former top football referee Graham Poll tonight for the programme and I'm interviewing famous commentator John Motson tomorrow afternoon so a week with the stars looks likely.

Decided that I'm looking at a paperwork day on Thursday so will post my SOA then, I promise.:rolleyes:

Smart_Mart

Funny old day today.

Got down to the football club to find out tonight's game had been postponed so I'd no need to go down there, could have worked from home. Ah well, no point in returning home so worked from my office at the club until 6pm and came home then. Interviewed John Motson this afternoon as promised which was great....:D

Bought lunch in Asda this morning which cost £2.15 as there was no food in the cupboard at home...:rolleyes:

That's it. Tomorrow brings the weekly newspaper delivery, the children from 3pm till 8pm and football training in the evening.

Oh and by the way, the diet took a hammering today...:mad::mad: as I ate a great big lump of cheese and a packet and a half of jaffa cakes....:eek:

Smart_Mart

For the second day running, the diet has taken a battering. :mad:

Delivered 240 papers this morning so that helped a little but back to the old ways of eating again. Went shopping this morning so have got a little food in now which should help.

Had to top-up the gas card today as well so still no NSD this month. Maybe tomorrow?? It's SOA on here tomorrow provided I get time and looking at the weather I'm pretty sure I'll have time...:rolleyes:

POSITIVE_AND_FOCUSED

Well done with the weight loss Smart. Thats great, and all the best with your SOA. Have a good day!

scrooge2008

Fabulous weight loss. I think it takes a lot more time, than we allow ourselves for real changes to take place, and the tendency is so strong to fall back into the old habits, that it can be overwhelming at times.

I've become a great believer in just being kind to myself when I muck-up, and saying nice things to myself. Then I pick myself up again and plod on, rather than giving up completely, which is what I used to do.

All the best on your journey.

Smart_Mart

Thanks again for your post, Scrooge....:T

Haven't done too much today in the way of practical stuff except for taking a huge basket of laundry to the launderette to get dried. My washing machine is on the way out hence the washing comes out sopping wet and as I have no tumble drier and the weather has been carp, I swallowed hard and went to the local laundromat. Spent a fiver in there but came out with all my washing nice and dry.

Spent the afternoon preparing my application for a SRO. I have debts of just under £9,000 and spare income of less than £40 a month so qualify. I took advice from CCCS last month and they suggested going for one. I wish there was some other way but it appears it will take me ten years to pay it all off unless I win the lottery. I've sent off for all my paperwork so maybe this is the right way. Here's my SOA anyway...

INCOME (per month) - £1,308
Housing Benefit - £324
Working Tax Credit - £204
Income from Courier Business -£410
Income from Media Business - £370

EXPENDITURE (per month) - £1,217
Rent - £600
Council Tax - £30
Water - £40
Gas - £35
Electric - £40
TV Licence - £23.75
Housekeeping - £150
Car Insurance - £24
Phone / BB / TV - £44.45
Football fees (for twins) - £30
Fuel - £200 (average -this varies widely dependent on work)
Maintenance - assessment at the moment!

The debts total £8,926.85 though this should reduce significantly once the CSA assessment is completed. More than £3,000 is back maintenance which I don't owe according to the CSA but they are having trouble removing it from my account. Another £1,200+ is a Provident loan (yes, I know I'm stupid :eek:) and another £1,000 is water rates but some of that is this year's so wouldn't be removed by a DRO. The rest is either arrears on loans, overdrafts or utility bills on previous properties.

I have to get this all sorted for my own sanity soon. Told you it was bad....

tootallulah

Ok you've written it down now so the only way is up! Do what will get you on your feet and mean that you can build your work up and look after your children. I always read your diary but rarely post, good luck and well done on the first 7lbs.

Smart_Mart

tootallulah wrote: »

Ok you've written it down now so the only way is up! Do what will get you on your feet and mean that you can build your work up and look after your children. I always read your diary but rarely post, good luck and well done on the first 7lbs.

Wow, thanks tootallulah, nice post...:D:T

Went shopping this morning and spent £11.71 there as I'd already done a half-shop on Wednesday. Could have got more but wanted to keep some money aside for this weekend.

Spent this afternoon writing two articles for the next football programme. Nothing of interest to anyone other than football fans really; a 1,000 word piece on John Motson, the football commentator and another 1,000 word review of season 1954/55 for the club.

Picked up the boys froms school but couldn't do anything of substance with them as the rain and wind started five minutes before I picked them up. Got chatting to a couple of women at the school... one of them makes me feel a bit :smileyhea though I think she's with someone. She lives about 150 yards down from me in the village and asked me my name today....:D:eek::D

Not sure what's happening tomorrow. I have a football match to do but I'd imagine there must be a 50/50 chance of it being postponed, I would have thought. If we don't, I guess it might be a quiet day in.

Spending wise, all I spent today was the shopping.:T