The Ultimate Incentive to have an amazing 2010.

Tete_en_l'Air

I'm very jealous too Tink, sounds amazing - don't worry about the money, it's the opportunity of a lifetime!

Jealous of you too Cinny! The weather is lovely here today and set to get better by the weekend, wish we had something planned to make the most of it...

Dinah93

I'd imagine you'd want to cover it if you ever have an interview or any other smart event. At least its white though.

Anyone done their AQA application yet?

Birdie85

Hey! Beautiful morning, and I've had as much sun as I'm going to get all day now from the walk from car to work!

Nice to hear from you Lulu, and that you've got money coming in! It's not very nice about the 'main' job people mucking you about, what are they playing at?!

Tink, that trip sounds amazing! The money will come from somewhere, just enjoy it! And make us jealous with the photos when you come back!

Dippy, consider yourself kicked! Although I think I need to be kicked too!

I looked at the AQA application test, struggled enough with the first question and then got distracted so I didn't do any more. I don't even know if it's worth applying since I don't have a degree.

tinkerbel

That's what I thought about the money right now to be honest, you can only get these opportunities once so I need to take it! (good job I bought those flip flops (Thanks Cin!) this weekend to tell OH I was ok about india! Means we can only see each other for 1 weekend in 8 weeks though just because of the overlaps etc! And we've allready said we will go to a wedding that week!
I need to get some Dinah Inspiration though in regards to the extra money making!!
Don't know how though really, perhaps after my exams there will be a free listing day on ebay and I can go through the stuff I don't need any more...
I have two weeks as well after my last exam so perhaps I could look for some agency work but I probably just want to have my last few weeks of fun!! I didn't send for that AQA thing yet cos it looks really picky and y punctuation isnt very good

Dinah93

Just done our monthly budget for each month between now and September payday. Basically going the full transition from buying house, to owning but not living there. Its suprised me a bit actually. While there are some good months, with more being saved than I expected, the post wedding budget isn't overly pretty. There is only £280 spends money, which isn't much to cover all clothes, trips out, meals out, bits and bobs, oil for the car, etc etc for two people. Guess I REALLY need to learn to stick to a budget. So I've decided I need to make changes. Being off has meant a lot of ebay shopping! So I'm going to try NSDs, from now till the end of June is 43 days, aiming to have 50% NSDs is enough of a callenge to me right now - so going for 22 NSDs. Also, I have a LOT of stuff to buy as in paint, flooring etc, urgh, I can see this being one I fail at badly!

The good thing on the budget though is it indicates I should be able to save a little more over the next few months, about an extra £500, but this only works if I can stick to our normal budget for all other things and not overspend. Because I think we'll need the £500 leeway I'm adding it to the house fund, rather than reducing the wedding shortfall in the sig. Realistically I still think I may have underestimated the cost by about £1000. But if we have to wait on recarpeting a few rooms or something, then so be it.

Birdie85

But at least your spending has been for the house, right? It's better to get as much as possible whilst you can because once you move in so much money will be 'lost' on things you forgot you needed! That said, good luck with the NSD challenge!

Want to hear something really sad? Our kettle broke ages ago so every time we want a hot drink we have to boil water in a pan (and OH spilt it when he was pouring it into a mug last week and burnt his 'bits'! :eek::rotfl: ) there's just no money left at the end of the month for a new one! I want to redecorate (just painting the walls) but that's another thing that's going to have to wait!

Realistically speaking, you only need to have the living room, kitchen, one bathroom and one bedroom in good, ready to live in condition. Everything else can wait until you have the money. There's no point in stretching yourself too thin and ending up using the CCs to get you to the next payday.

Dinah93

Lol I recently admitted to NIM I've never owned a kettle!

Nope, priority is the new bathroom - I don't want to do up the downstairs, only for builders to trapse through, ruining the new floors and scuffing the new walls, and covering everything in dust! Its not about to be a CC to payday situation, more a 'the remnants of the wedding might end up on the CC' situation! But I figure if we have to I can accept that, its a one off, that I know we could pay off within 6 months max.

Cinny91

Dinah - I think although the NSD challenge will be a struggle with all the stuff you'll be needing to buy, even if you do fail it it's still a good thing to do as you'll be thinking a lot more about what you're buying. Like if you need to get it today or if you can put it off until such and such a date when you'll be spending money anyways. Good luck!

Dinah93

Its mostly to stop me spending on non house things, make me think before hitting ebay!

Dinah93

Wondering why I've emptied my wardrobe and posted a piccie? Sadly, I haven't. This is 100 items, about 1/4 of what I own, ready to go on ebay. Plus 14 games/dvds, and 20 CDs. And a few books. Scary thing is I'm still not sure all my clothes will fit in the cupboard. But I figure hoping for an average of £3 an item (well, I'm hoping for more than that!) that's £300, granted some items in the pic cost £150 on their own (there is probably about £2500 of stuff in the picture :eek:) - but I do not need this many clothes! So I'm looking at this thinking - this is the money to pay the DJ at the wedding, or buy the centerpieces, and I'm trying not to get irrational and stuff if all back in the cupboard, even if I do love some of it!

To do list about to be extended to put listing all my lovely clothes on it.