Floozie does Frugal 2010

whatatwit

(((big hugs)))

It must be awful being in a work situation like that.
Could you take up knitting, or do you have to appear to be busy?

Instead of banning yourself from buying on ebay, how about only spending what you have in paypal, so you'll have to start selling...is that an option?

No thoughts on the weight malarkey, I'm sat here at my heaviest.....was going to start again at Slimming World last Thursday, but had to work...so postponing it till next week. Damn, just realised I'm working this Thursday too....that's almost 2 more weeks of me stuffing myself because "I'm not yet on a diet"

Intergalactic_Floozie

Thanks for the reply, I thought it was going to be a slap and tell me to pull myself together LOL.

1. Knitting - tried it, can't do it. A very patient lady tried to learn me when I was 20 and expecting DS1. Bought me wool, knitting needles and patterns etc - she wasn't patient for very long, I am truly cack handed.

2. Ebay - don't have much to sell, and can only get to post office on a Saturday morning due to having no transport, and local post offices being shut down.

But thanks for the ideas.

moo2moo

Pant, pants and pants again.

Can you use your free time to write your CV and apply for jobs preferably with a desk laden with copies of The Dummies Guide to Job Hunting and How To Land that Job. Perhaps then they'll get the idea you hate it. Theres nowt to stop you asking your new boss if you can utilise them as a referee on your application forms.

Surely there must be something you can do to kill time. Don't the kids have some toys you can take in or a giant jigsaw puzzle or playdough?

natsplatnat

Hi IF - sorry to hear you are having a bit of a carp time!! *big hugs*

I would normally be on hand to supply the slap and tell you to pull yourself together.... but I don't think thats what you need right now! (although I am willing to oblige if you feel it necessary!)

I'm not too sure what to suggest - apart from the usual......

substitute all food for the healthy option (I usually find this reduces the amount I eat any way)
Drink loads (fruit juice, squash, water etc)
do allow a 'treat' each day - something little but tasty (not a family sized bar of chocolate)
take no money to work to stop you buying anything

As for things to do to make the time pass more easily.....
Sudoku
Crosswords
Cross-stitch (don't laugh)
Start writing a book - escapism is good... doesn't actually have to be any good (although you never know!)
Sketching
Have you any sewing you need to do - ie, buttons etc on clothes you already have

Thats me pretty much out of ideas I am afraid.... I am not the most imaginative person in the world!!

I hope things improve for you soon - don't be a stranger on here!!

Nats x

Intergalactic_Floozie

Hello all,

I'm a much happier Floozie than I was the last time I posted.

As of last Thursday I am back at old job (the one I like). To cut a long story short happy-job-new-big-boss lady realised happy-job-Line-Manager was correct and I was needed back so she came up to unhappy-workplace last week, and asked for me back, and to send a colleague (who wanted to go and work there) in place of me, and it was accepted. Even after two days I can tell that I am much happier and if I only have six months of 'work-life-as-I-know-it" left, I might as well be working it out in the place I am happiest.

Obviously that is worst case scenario, I have no idea what will happen between now and the review finishing on 5th November....

The news about child benefit maybe stopping when child reaches 13 has also panicked me to the core as that will be £ 52 - £80 per month I'd be worse off. I hope they bin that idea.

Anyway - we're nearly onto a new pay period (as of Tuesday). I'm shocked to see that not only have I spent all May's wages (including £300 overtime), but I've spent £100 into my car fund, plus have spent on the CC this month (don't know how much) so I could have spent anything up to £600 over my income this month - V V bad.

So - back to basics this month. I've got at least one week's worth of food in the freezer so should just have to buy kids bits, accompaniments and stuff for packed lunches when I go shopping today.

When DH gets paid at the end of the month he should have his first wage increase which will be around £116 but I am going to try and ignore that until I know what's happening with Child Benefit and my job. Hopefully if they decide to keep CB and my job doesn't get made redundant then I'll have £580 by the end of November, which will be Xmas paid for! (or two months loan payments if I have got no job)

However in view of the above (gulp) after everything is paid out for (inc groceries, and petrol budget) I am only left with £174.74 for everything else so I simply Have. To. Stop. Spending. On. Crap.

I should manage though because it was my birthday on Friday and I have got £55 birthday money but can't think of anything to spend it on!!! Surely that must mean that I don't need any more material goods Goddamit.

DH has got a little side-line providing IT Support for his boss's mother-in-law who has her own business and knows absolutely nothing about IT, so he's agreed an ad-hoc deal with her where she calls on him when she needs him and in return he gets £15 per hour. We've got cheques worth £342 to bank although £180 of that is reimbursement for computer equipment he purchased on her behalf but at least it will replenish my car savings. Hopefully she'll call on him again soon.

Have no idea how much my Tesco CC is. Why oh why have I ran it up. I'm exactly the same with my weight loss - lose a few pounds, then go mad and put them back up again.

DH still hasn't ordered a new bank card. The only time I remember is when he asks to borrow mine to go and get some money out, so I think I will get out £200 cash and keep it to one side and just dole it out to him. He's just going to the cash machine willy nilly and I have no idea whose cash withdrawals they are as I am not keeping track.

So: Money figures:

Days to payday: 32

Grocery Budget: £300
Petrol Budget: £130
Everything Else Budget: £174.74
Grand Total: £604.74

Money in purse: £10.20

Today's spends: Nothing yet, but going to supermarket later.

We're off to Oxford next weekend, driving down Saturday and coming down Sunday to visit some friends as their son (my Godson) is having his first Holy Communion. The hotel room is paid for (on the CC) and we currently have a full tank of petrol. As far as I know she's providing our evening meal on Saturday, and a buffet lunch on Sunday so apart from sticking some money in a card for their son, I can't imagine we'll be spending any money but you never know.

I'll be back with the new spending diary laters

whatatwit

Great news on the job situation

I hadn't realised that child benefit was one of the possible cuts :eek: although as with heating allowance for pensioners, I don't think it should be a blanket allowance that everyone gets. (ducks behind parapets to avoid shotguns).

On the finances front, I do find cash so much easier to work with, using cards doesn't feel like i'm spending money.

Intergalactic_Floozie

It's just stupid, children don't stop costing money once they get to 13. Kids are so big now, that at that age they are in adults shoe sizes (my DS is an 8) and sometimes clothes so they're much more expensive than babies are, not to mention that they eat more, need money for bus fares and school trips etc. I don't qualify for a free bus pass and although he gets a lift to school in a morning it still costs me £1 per school day in bus fare to get him home. It does need to be means tested however the threshold for entitlement would need to be quite high, I think. I would really struggle without it though.

I also don't think you should hide behind a parapet for voicing your opinion either so come out of hiding LOL.

moo2moo

You sound sooo much happier!

Intergalactic_Floozie

Oh yes Moo, I am a LOT happier. Poor sap who replaced me, has told one of my colleagues that she feels like a spare part "but is sure it will get better once she knows what she is doing" - I had to bite my tongue and not say "I spent the last six weeks telling myself that and it didn't happen!". Big boss lady was off today resulting in carnival atmosphere at work *Mexican Wave*

Days to payday: 31

Grocery Budget: £300 / £56.56 spent / £234.66 left
Petrol Budget: £130
Everything Else Budget: £174.74 / £1.80 spent / £172.94 left
Grand Total: £604.74 / £546.38 left

Money in purse: £10.00

Spends today:
£1.80 - bus fare into town. Bought pass at lunchtime so that's sorted for a month. Note to self - I owe everyday money tin this!
£56.56 - Morrisons yesterday. So much for only buying a few bits but I am going to try and not go near the place til the weekend! Multisaves £4.84

Moneysaving things I did today:
1. Didn't re-join the tea fund. I only occasionally have milk and bread anyway, so hammer the chocolate bars to get my moneysworth, but I've decided not to re-join. Saving £1.50 per week and a few centimeters on the waist.
2. Took my own lunch today.
3. Took advantage of birthday buns on offer (hooray). There has been 8 birthdays in the office in June this year - EIGHT!
4. Change machine at work is still not working and I don't think it ever will be, so rather than break into a £20 note to get some change, I went to the bank and spent my lunch break queuing to see if they would be happy to change me £40 into pound coins.....which they were! I didn't even have to show my account card, well done HSBC!!
5. Did all my light speed questionnaires last night but sadly they were all ones I didn't qualify for, so just got lightspeed draw entries. 1265 points which is £9 or 135 points to another £3 of paypal. I think I am just going to stick to doing these ones, can't face Toluna-ing again.
6. DS2 has his tea at my mums, so I don't have to make him a proper tea this evening.

Natwest CC statement came today, when I make my next payment it will be under £2k and I think I have two more months left of interest free, and then I will shift some of it to the Post Office, hopefully they will still have their 0% offer.

Intergalactic_Floozie

Days to payday: 30

Grocery Budget: £300 / £56.56 spent / £234.66 left
Petrol Budget: £130
Everything Else Budget: £174.74 / £1.80 spent / £172.94 left
Grand Total: £604.74 / £546.38 left

Money in purse: £10.00 (I still owe my activities tin £1.80 for the bus fare)

Spends today: £0.00 - no spend day!!!

DH came home with his pay slip yesterday. I had estimated that his wage would be £116 more per month thanks to his 2k payrise, but I miscalculated and it is £143 more (whoop, whoop) so I am going to try - NAY, I AM - going to put it to one side (well, until MOT and tax @ 12th August).

DS1 doesn't like me today as he can't go to his mate's birthday party on Sunday because we are down in Oxford. He also doesn't like me because the bus broke down 0.5m away from home, and I refused to send a taxi to pick him up.