Debt free before baby.

LexieLou

Hi Sazzle,

I'm so sorry to hear about all your sadness recently, i've been away for ages, but it's nice to be back.

Today is the first day of your school holidays isn't it? well enjoy and i hope the weather changes cos at the min it's shocking.

Pop back soon.

LL xx

sazzle81

Hi Lexielou, it's great to see you back, thanks for your comment. We are still sort of muddling on, it takes absolutely ages to get anything - even changing name on tv licence requires a formal letter!!
Unfortunately not quite the start of the school hols. Our kids go until Thursday and then we've got a training day. But definitely on the slow down :j
I've not got much to report on the MSE front. STill deciding what to spend the vouchers from the wedding on . Although we have decided to get some steak knives and a new kettle!! Busy weekend but then didn't use any petrol which I was pleased about and went out for lunch with OH's mum yesterday which was lovely.
All in all a nice weekend, just need to get this week finished.
Have been looking on the preparing for winter threads. We signed into Scottish Power on a deal last year, just before the two hikes :eek:Tied in for another year or face fines so busy looking at making the hosue as snug as possible. Going to invest in some fleeces for behind the curtains so we can cut the use of the heating, as ast year we went crazy! Hoping this year isn't as bad but forecasts aren't looking great

sazzle81

I have sort of been lurking about on the website - spent a lot of time on the old style moneysaving forum preparing for winter!! Haven't updated anything because to be honest we haven't been particularly good with money We've drastically cut down on take away as OH is dieting.
However, we are finally getting round to sorting out our living room and dining room furniture as I had a paddy and said I was sick of putting up with furniture that didn't work with the room or our lifestyle! So have ended up having to fork out to have the bodge job done by the last aerial engineer fixed, looking at getting a new front window (luckily getting a bit of help from MiL for that ) and need to order some furniture. We're going to have to get the furniture on credit which I'm not sure how I feel about.
Anyway, I've given us a deadline of Christmas to get it all sorted so hopefully wee'll be able to save some money towards it and get less on credit

sashybo

Hi sazzle, long time no "see". :hello:

I'm back, have been lurking a bit but need the discipline of posting in my diary to stop silly spending and keep focused. Also need to get moving with exercise again - see my diary for the horrendous supermarket incident. :eek:

Sounds like a good idea to get your living room and dining room sorted. It will make a big difference to how you feel about the rooms and spending time in them. Okay getting the furniture on credit might not be ideal but you will work towards saving and paying it off.

sazzle81

Hey Sashybo, just posted on your diary!

I really really really wish that when I had a lightbulb moment, the lightbulb wouldn't then go out again :mad:

Was doing a particularly cracking job of ignoring everything, loan getting paid off, money (just) left int he bank at the end of the month. So what if we had no savings, or weren't even thinking about what will happen in winter when we couldn't afford to have the heating on as much.
Then today I received my payslip. Complete with deduction for strike day - all £102 of it :eek:.
So starting September a significant portion of my wage down, and with more strikes likely. Am really starting to stress.

So, it's all go on the survey sites. Have stuff to put on ebay tonight (as long as OH gets back from football in time) and really need to pluck up the courage to do a car boot. Have things that no longer match colour schemes that can't really go on ebay.
Also decided that we are going to put furniture buying on hold. Even if we could afford it without it being on tick I really don't know what will be going on with my wage over hte next few months. So we will basically be left with a sofa, shelf, television and dining table. With a couple of pictures on the wall. Roll on Xmas when I can put the tree up!!!

sashybo

Hi sazzle, sorry to hear about the uncertainty with your wage over the next couple of months.

With the furniture, you're going for the minimalist look and at least it will be easier to keep tidy.

sazzle81

Haha, I like it Sashybo! Hadn't thought about the minimal cleaning too!!!
Well, training for the Great North RUn has well and truely ground to a halt due to sciatica :mad:
Have tried running on it but its agony so had to go and see the drs yesterday who told me to stay off it until its better. So holed up on sofa with hot water bottle and day time tv for company. Really frustrating as I had got up to 9 miles and was doing really well.

Anyway. On the getting the living/dining room sorted, have ordered lights and have an electrician friend whose going to put them in tomorrow. Have had a few quote for replacing front window from the extreme - 9k (after reductions:eek:) to a more reasonable £500, going to go and see the showroom of the £500 to look at the quality of the windows. Luckily MIL is giving us money to help :j.
Very excited it's all coming together!!

Off to watch a particularly fascinating episode of Homes under the Hammer

sashybo

Sorry to hear about the sciatica - ouch! What a pain (literally) when you've been doing well with the running.

Hope the windows are good quality and great of your MIL to help out. :T

Homes under the Hammer is always fascinating! :eek::rotfl: Actually I do quite like the cheesy daytime tv since I don't watch it very often.

sazzle81

Haha, I do have a secret love of Homes Under the Hammer Sashybo. Like to think what I would do if I ever had the money!!

Well not much to report. Bought two lights from Next for the dining room end. Got an electrician friend round to put them up and fix the dimmer lightswitch that had blown. Only to find that they weren't lights but jsut light shades!! An awful lot of money for light shades. To top it off parts were missing :mad: So took them back and have decided to make do with what we've got. They aren't too bad just not the colour I wanted but heigh ho.
Bit of background on the switches. We bought the house of Mr Gadget who was also Mr Bodgejob. He installed dimmer switches in teh living room and dining room which were cool for precisely 3 weeks after we moved in and got shown to EVERYONE. However, now we never use them:rotfl:. Anyway, one of them blew and so we spent ages sources them to replace the one that blew so they matched which would avoid having to replace them all.
Spent £19 on a lightswitch (I know, I know but it was cheaper then repalceing all the light switches honest!!). Unfortunately our friend thinks that he's overloaded the system with too many dimmers/spotlights and just general clarty gadgets. (at any one time we have a third of lightbulbs blown in the house. We've never managed to have all lightbulbs working!)
So it's back to the original plan of replacing all the light switches only this time we are £19 the poorer. :mad: Yet another lesson learned in the "don't buy a house because you like the lights up the stairs" saga!
Still on plus side have a quote for replacing front window and two doors which we are going to go for so should be toasty warm in the living room come winter. Which judging by the weather up north today has officially arrived!!
I really really really must get some work done for school...

sashybo

Hi Sazzle - everyone loves Homes Under the Hammer secretly. :rotfl:

Sorry to hear about the light switch saga. In our first flat we very weirdly had a dimmer switch in the bedroom - nowhere else in the flat - just the bedroom...:rotfl:

Good news about the quote for the window and doors - it will make a big difference to you. :beer: