The Ultimate Incentive to have an amazing 2010.

poddle911

Glad you're feeling a bit better today Dippy, so sorry to hear about your cat I think putting some photos up is a really sweet idea.

Lara44

Aww DippyKitty, ((huge hugs)), that is awful news.

I have had a *@!% week, doing this presentation for uni is like plucking a gorilla with tweezers. Mammoth and unpleasant! I started again today and it is supposed to go off to my supervisors on Monday. Time to stop caring and send any old carp :rotfl:

In exciting money news, I just spent loads - yay. We are going to Malta for a week on July 2. Thank goodness as I think OH is about to sink into a mega depression. Hopefully holidays will perk us up a bit. We got flights from Ryanair for under £200 and then a nice flat in the centre of Valletta for £450. No sea view balcony though as they were all booked. There's some *amazingly* romantic apartments there like this and this. They seem very reasonable out of season for romantic mini-breaks.

Also just purchased some nice chairs and a table for outside from John Lewis, as we had vouchers. And a duck down summer duvet from Debenhams for £17 delivered, half price in the sale with an extra 10% and free delivery codes from MSE.

Dinah93

Malta is lovely Lara, you should have a nice time, I went a few years ago - stayed in Buggiba - only went to Valletta once as they didn't seem that different (although Valletta had more ice cream places!). Try to take one of the many day trips to Gozo while you're there - it's absolutely stunning and it really stuck with me, I'd love to go back.

Flower08

Birdie85 wrote: »

I've got till 4 then I'm outta here! Got nice plans for the weekend?

I'm working all weekend, im exhausted already - looking forward to having a day off and doing some serious unpacking!

Dippy - what a lovely idea to put some pictures of your cat in a frame. I used to have two cats, one sadly passed away three years ago now and i have a picture of the two of them together framed in my bedroom - still makes me smile when i look at it.

clearmydebts

Lara - I have been to Malta as well and I loved it. We stayed in St Julians and went exploring the rest of the Island as well. I loved Valetta - they even had a topshop there and because I was living in Ireland at the time (and had no topshop where I lived) I was very excited!!!

We also really like Mdina - the silent city and we spent an impulsive night in Comino in the hotel and had a great time at the blue grotto there

Lara44

Yay thanks ladies, we are really excited!!!

poddle911

Lara, that's great - nothing like a last minute holiday to cheer you up! And yay for booking your wedding venue too

Is that your table and chairs in situ? It looks really sweet!

dippykitty

Hi everyone!

The holiday sounds great, Lara. Never been to Malta but it looks lovely!

Dinah93

Dinah93 wrote: »

• [STRIKE]Do 4 Vine reviews[/STRIKE]
• [STRIKE]Finish Lifesize[/STRIKE]
• [STRIKE]Write and post aunties card[/STRIKE]
• [STRIKE]Send NIMs invites to Ireland (with or without addresses!)[/STRIKE]

• [STRIKE]List 20 ebay items[/STRIKE]
• [STRIKE]List 20 ebay items[/STRIKE]
• [STRIKE]List 20[/STRIKE] ebay items 10. Still 50 in a week isn't terrible going for someone who hates ebay.
• List 20 ebay items
• List 20 ebay items
• List 20 ebay items
• List 20 ebay items
• [STRIKE]Finish sewing outside edge of veil[/STRIKE]
• Reply to job centre letter
• Book cat in to vet
• [strike]Get quote off shelves guy [/strike]
• Send off vet receipts
• [STRIKE]Look into when exactly the cat insurance ends[/STRIKE] The 11th of June....
• Sort out all the filing and the big clear box
• Order contact lenses No money
• [STRIKE]Do Ceasar Bingo offer on NIMs quidco[/STRIKE]
• Look at other bingo offers where cashback is more than wager on quidco
• [STRIKE]Make fathers day present[/STRIKE]
• [STRIKE]Call doctors regarding BUPA report[/STRIKE]
• [STRIKE]Get NIM to scan passports to financial advisor[/STRIKE]
• Contact Alliance & Leicester, find out where our refund on the survey fees has gone.
• [STRIKE]Make appt to see business guy[/STRIKE]
• Order velum, fabric tape, gold leaf for frames See previous no money statement
• [STRIKE]Find receipts for ebay items that seem to have gone awol[/STRIKE]
• [STRIKE]Fill in new diary[/STRIKE]
• Fill in new address book

Not doing so well on my 'getting things sorted week'.

Could have been worse, could easily have been better. Friday afternoon I found an ebay groove, listed 31 things in about an hour and a half. Hope to find that same groove again this week.

• List 20 ebay items
• List 20 ebay items
• List 20 ebay items
• List 20 ebay items
• List car
• Order English business sample
• Reply to job centre letter
• Book cat in to vet
• Get quote on skip
• Get quote on industrial floor sander
• Send off vet receipts
• Sort out all the filing
• Sort out the big clear box
• Order contact lenses
• Look at other bingo offers where cashback is more than wager on quidco
• Contact Alliance & Leicester, find out where our refund on the survey fees has gone.
• Order velum, fabric tape, gold leaf for frames
• Fill in new address book
• Get halfway around sewing inside edge of veil
• Sort out shed into 'taking' boxes and 'to list boxes'
• Photograph all to list items
• Write descriptions of all to list items
• Sneak any boxes of to list books/CDs into house without mum noticing so I can list them when I'm laid up after surgery.
• Redo post wedding budget.
• Price up wedding cake

Most people would plan to slow down the week they have surgery!

I'm feeling more upbeat about money this weekend than I have in a long time. As you can see from the list, we have made the decision to sell NIMs car. We're going to car share the month I'm back at work before we go on honeymoon, then when we come back he is going to get the train to work (7 mins walk from our house, 10 mins walk from work), and I'll drive the car. We made this decision as running two cars will be a lot cheaper, and also because NIMs car is making a bit of a racket and is likely to go soon enough and we can't afford to replace it, and we could do with replacing mine too as its just being a bit funny. This way we don't need to find anywhere near as much money as we only need to replace one car, pay one set of car insurance, road tax, petrol etc.

We went to have a financial review with HSBC yesterday, and I have to say I was very impressed. They highlighted areas in our fiancial planning that are at risk, such as NIM not getting sick pay and not having unemployment cover (although I'd get a bit of redundancy), and NIM not having a pension. Apparently you can start a private pension from £20 a month, which is so small we wouldn't even notice it, and at least it would start him off.

Interestingly she also raised the option of investment, given we have a little free cash which we tend to save. We're both very keen on this option, we can invest in one of their funds from £50 a month, it would be a long term thing, to hopefully have enough to send our kids to private school in 15-20 years time. £50 a month is not huge, bit of a gamble maybe compared to the safer option of savings, but its not so much that it would really hurt to loose it. So we're thinking about starting this up once the debt is paid off.

Got a letter through from the premium bonds people reissuing my certificate the other day. £100. I thought I cashed them all in. So I'm going to be cashing that in asap! I have no idea why they reissued the certificate when I didn't request it though.

I need to redo our post wedding budgets tomorrow to make allowances for only one car, see how things are going to lie.

On the downside the lady who was doing my wedding make up has just emailed to say shes now going on holiday. I have absolutely no budget for a make up person, so I am now going to have to hit youtube or something to find out how to get makeup to last the full day, and how to get myself capable of looking better than just okay. Cinny, advice or pointing in the right direction very, very much appreciated. If we can find the money I'll still try to find a person, because I don't want me to look at all our wedding photos and think I look washed out/orange.

Our wedding list went live yesterday, very exciting. Although I have discovered a rather alarming new hobby - I just sit on House of Fraser's gift list site searching for random surnames and then if one pops up having a look at their list - I started doing this as a way to see if we had missed anything off, but then I just started judging their tastes!

Bought an oak desk on ebay on Friday, £30. The woman is now being very difficult about picking it up, and has already tried to cancel the sale on the grounds that 'buyer is uncontactable'.... which we're not! Clearly another example of someone with no reserve not happy with the sold price.

I realised today as well that I can list on ebay after the surgery when I'm stuck on the sofa, I can't sort out all the extra to sell stuff in the shed. So I'm going to try to get a fair bit of that sorted before Thursday, hoping the weather stays decent as I do not want to be doing it in the cold!

Cinny91

Just a flying post so I'll just reply to the stuff I'm helpful with!

Dinah93 wrote: »

On the downside the lady who was doing my wedding make up has just emailed to say shes now going on holiday. I have absolutely no budget for a make up person, so I am now going to have to hit youtube or something to find out how to get makeup to last the full day, and how to get myself capable of looking better than just okay. Cinny, advice or pointing in the right direction very, very much appreciated. If we can find the money I'll still try to find a person, because I don't want me to look at all our wedding photos and think I look washed out/orange.

Urgh, that's a total bummer! Longer lasting makeup is just in the application more than anything. Make sure your skin is really moisturized and nice and smooth! (Use a face mask the night before - the ones you can get for 99p from Boots are pretty fab!) Remember to use a primer (I've heard great things about E.L.Fs Mineral Primer and it's only £6) for a good base. Then apply your foundation with a foundation blush, blend in with your fingers, then 'blot' all over your face with a blending wedge. For all day I'd set it with a light weight powder (Once again, heard good things about E.L.Fs HD powder - it's been compaired to MAC so must be good!) and that should do you all day! Also I'd get a pen like YSLs Touch Eclat and keep it in your bag/clutch. It's amazing for under eye touch ups during the day, makes you look all nice an awake again! Obviously if you don't fancy spending £24 on it, Aldi do a dupe for about £3.49?? But personally, if you can afford to spend the extra £20 I would - it's worth it!

For good YT videos I'd suggest MichellePhan, Swalkermakeup and Panacea81. If you let me know what look you're after, I can have a little think and give you a couple cheaper makeup suggestions.