OberonSH's DFW Diary Thread - 1 Woman, 1 Toddler & A Whole Lotta Debt!

The_Golden_Goose

boredofbeingathome wrote: »

Wonders off to sort couch out, am slacking on searching for coins.I have images of Golden Goose, sewing up pockets.lol

Stitched up and stapled shut!!!!! Doubly so, just to make sure.

OberonSH

Evening Chicks,

My goodness it's been hectic. This post has been written 5 blinkin' times, but for some reason Martin doesn't love me any more, and it won't load. The lappy has been threatened with having it's wireless card ripped out, and it seems to be behaving itself. It will get it's own back - mark my words - in a few days it'll beep smugly and show me a little grey box telling me I have a 'Shlurm in Port 9 Error'. Computer's aren't stupid - you can tell how upset your machine is with you by how expensive the component it decides to ignore is.

So - the move. It went.....okay. By okay I mean the kettle and teabags arrived in more or less the same place as us. My favourite mug got bust, the washing machine is plugged on the other side of the kitchen (thanks to some stupid person not realising that installing a plug socket near where the plumbing for your major appliances are might be a good idea), we locked ourselves in the lounge thanks to some bizarre yale lock on the door that we hadn't noticed, the sofa needed taking away, cutting up and reassembling in the front room in order to make it fit inside the house, and the first few hours were spent shouting aat some hapless utility guy who couldn't explain to me how a card meter worked. Eventually worked out that inserting a debit card doeesn't make it go, andd that when proper card is found, credit obtained and the right (mystical) combination of buttons pressed, you still have to hold down the big red one for half an hour to make everything go again.

Like I said. It went well.

But on a happy note....

Florida holiday for 2010 is booked!!!!! First family holiday, my first holiday in over 6 years. We're going with a friend and her family, and even Mr Obi has been ZEALOUS about handing over any spare cash he has. We did have the deposit after christmas, but found out his brother had an overdraft that was swallowing up his entire JSA each month, so lent it to him to sort himself out. So taken til now to be able to book it, and what a lovely feeling it is. I'm looking forward to it so much I've even found a countdown generator to tell me how many days there are left (538).

So, apart from slowly but surely paying off the debts, saving for my 2 weeks barfing myself silly on 'coasters and ebaying everything not nailed down (and then only if I can't find a claw head hammer to undo them) not much has changed hereabouts. How's everything with you guys? Who's solvent?

hypno06

Good news on the holiday :T

I counted my £2 coins last night, and converted them into euros today for my ski trip on Friday :T don't ya just love moneysaving :j

OberonSH

mmmmmmm £2 coins...............dvasdbkjdbvdkj [homer-esque drooling]

The_Golden_Goose

Wicked news. Am so jealous.

Mr GG keeps coming home from work telling me about all the holidays his variou colleagues have booked. We both wish we could go on hols but we have no cash-a-roo (and the small fact I have no job) means defo no hols this year. Tell you what, for the most part I am glad cos we cant spend money we don't have.

Mr GG keeps saying we could have a little one, and I say no cos we got a right loada stonking debt to reduce first. This little gem of a reminder soon puts him back on track.

Oberon - pleased the move went well. The second day after we moved into our new house, we managed to lock ourselves out and nobody had a spare set (estate agent/old owners) so it cost us £40 to get a locksmith out. Duh.

I still only have 8 £2 coins and they are stashed away tightly.

hypno06

GG - we can't all afford to go - so OH is staying at home......I reckon he will have just as good a time.....complete control of the TV remote, and no nagging from me or bickering from the kids!!!

The_Golden_Goose

LOL!!!

A man's favourite holiday indeed - Home Alone and a free TV pass without a single interruption!

MrsTinks

Well with sproglet on the way holidays are off the schedule for a while for us too Apart from going home to see my relatives which i DON'T count as holiday as I get home and feel I need another one to recover! :eek:
We could do with a break though

dottyanne

hiya Obi - hows things? x

OberonSH

Hey hey hey, Dotster! Where you been hiding lady? Hows life on PLanet Dotty?

Well chicks, lucky yes indeedy - but just in case someone is thinking 'why a holiday when you have debt?'

a) our debt is now firmly in the longhaul category. Debt free date is 2027, and that's a long way away. If I don't get a holiday before this date I will go spare and start shooting people. You have been warned.

b) this holiday is going to be paid for, 100% before we even leave for the airport. Plus (and this is the best bit) I'm going with a fellow MSE'er (Hi Fran) and we are combining our considering Scrooge-like powers to ensure we are getting the cheapest holiday short of sleeping with the travel agent.

So that all out the way - onwards with the saving! Today I got my first mystery shop - £12 for a short trip to the next town to check out a bank - and also got my clammy paws on 2 (2!!!!!!) £2 coins. Hurrah for £2 coins. Everything on budget and ticking over nicely.

I did however get a letter regarding a water bill apparently from 3 years ago - £350 - so have nicely asked for proof of this. Cheeky b*ggers. So on balance, all is well in Obi land.

I hope all my fellow chicks are happy, healthy and spending absolutely zilch.

Todays tip - you know when you make a fabulous stew in the slowcooker/oven, and the family pick out all the meat? You're left with a load of sauce and you're not sure what to do with it - well keep anything tomato based, thicken it up a bit if it needs it and slap it on top of homemade pizzas. Makes a nice change to plain tomato.