Minniepoos versus The Black Hole

minniepoos_2

Thought I'd better make an appearance - it has been nearly 10 days!

Not much to report though...no more sales to add to my total - but will hopefully get around to listing some of my text books this weekend. (I know, I've said that before )

The new owners of my main work have offered me 32 hours per week, with a view to go full time in 6 months or so. Have accepted (:D), so have just had to hand my notice in to my new 2nd job. Totally gutted about that bit, but just wouldn't be able to fit both in now I've got more hours, and I'd much rather someone did that job who had time to do it properly. Feel quite bad though, as the boss is a close friend, but have to do what is right for my family. Plus they have said I can do 4 full days, which gives me a whole day off each week to try to fill with MS assignments (and to keep up with my OU course).

Hoping my headaches will ease off now - I've been so stressed out about this whole job thing that I've been really suffering. I'm really hoping that now I know what I'm doing my brain can relax a bit.

Should get my redundancy payout in the next couple of weeks. Will use it mainly for paying stuff off, but am going to have to get a dishwasher. Have been putting it off for years, but I've worked mad hours over the last 3 weeks and have ended up washing up the dinner things either at 5 in the morning or half 9 at night! And I'm going to have less time with DD, so want to make sure the time I do have isn't housework time.

Will be doing some major shopping around though

I played £10 through Sun Bingo (& Quidco) the other day. I've just received my £20 high street vouchers (which I can put towards a dishwasher), and I should be getting either £10 or £20 cashback too.

I finally found out the cost of the gas I've used so far......£157! I've set up a direct debit for £30 and will see how it goes. Still, the elec came down by £51, so even with the new gas bill I'm still £21 better off (and one heck of a lot warmer too!)

We've started looking at cars on ebay to replace ours. We both love our car but it is very thirsty, and will need some big jobs done to it soon. We're thinking about getting something that is Cat D damaged, so we might be able to get a good newish car very cheap, and just have to replace a wing or something like that. OH is very handy in the car dept, so can do most jobs himself. Just have to find something cheap, economical and close, with a big boot (for the dog). We're in no desperate hurry though, so don't have to rush into anything.

Didn't think I had much to say but have whittered on for ages

Night all x

minniepoos_2

The SunBingo tracked at £20, so looking forward to getting that.

Got my dishwasher - B&Q had a 20% off deal, so it ended up £159.20, which was great. Also been and got our running shoes - special ones, because we both run a bit weird (!), so that was £137 gone, but we had the money in the savings account, and it will be replaced by my reduncancy payout soon (which will go to my folks).

And then after all that spending, we got home and just as we got onto our road the car packed up. Needs a new something-to-do-with-the-clutch-thingy. (I think it's because I mentioned looking around at other cars :rotfl:). Couldn't get the part as it was the weekend, but fingers crossed OH will manage to find one tomorrow.

Bit stressed about it, but thinking positive thoughts

My new hours at my job start on 1st April, and I am really looking forward to them. Found a great after school club for DD - and she has had a look at it and is begging me to let her go, so that's a massive relief. And they have a place available on the same 4 days that I want so maybe we're having a little luck (finally). It works out at £24 per week, so once I have my new contract I'll see if I can organise that childcare voucher scheme (once I work out if it affects my child tax credits, that is). - Have just checked this out and I was getting a bit confused I think. It won't affect my Child Tax Credits - and we're not eligible for the Childcare tax credits so no worry that they'll be affected! lol I did my last rota'd shift at my 2nd job today, so can start catching up of housework and stuff now. That's a good thing as a few too many things have been let slide while I've been working mental hours.

I think spending is up this month, but income was up too - will work out my EOM figures on the 26th as usual.

minniepoos_2

Meant to say as well....DD has really embraced this money saving lark. She used to nag for 'treats' in the supermarket but now she spends her time looking for offers and reminding me to check out the reduction areas

She still asks for a few treats, but now they are either reduced, on a killer-deal, or are in Mr T's value range so I'm happy to treat her a little (just a big softy, me!)

minniepoos_2

Fingers crossed (and touch wood) the car is fixed. We couldn't find the part we needed at a price we could afford (over £135 new) so FIL got a friend to kinda repair our bit and put a bit out of something else in, which OH has out in the car tonight. Seems to be working, which is a bit of a result! I hate relying on others for help getting to work, and there isn't a bus from my town to the town I work in - I would have to get a bus about 15 miles in the wrong direction so I could get another bus to work! Mad!!

Got a couple of CC bills today. Not normally a stressy time as we both know what to expect, but I had a look at the MBNA one, and it's made me a little tetchy. I always make the minimum repayment (but round it up to the nearest £10), and afaik it always covers the interest and chips a teeny weeny bit off the capital. But last month I rounded up to £240 and the interest charged was £251.39 - if I hadn't happened to make a small overpayment last month of £22.44, my balance would have increased :mad::mad::mad:

Bit bleedin' devious don't ya think?! The MBNA one is the one we're working on first, and I shall be very happy to see the back of it. Only another £13,282.20 to go......:(

Talking of which, I really must do another snowball soon. It's been over a year, and we've moved some stuff about and changed how we do things, so it's be good to get a fresh one and see when it predicts we'll be debt free. I'll try to do that in the next few weeks.

Sun_Addict

Hi Minniepoos

Just catching up with your diary. I hate the way people are charged huge amounts of interest on loans/credit cards but get next to nothing for savings. I wish my DD was as switched on as yours re money saving. She's 23 and although she pays board it hardly touches what she costs to run!

minniepoos_2

Sun_Addict wrote: »

I wish my DD was as switched on as yours re money saving. She's 23 and although she pays board it hardly touches what she costs to run!

Bless her, mine's fairly switched on but does have her 'normal' moments too!:rotfl:

I used to worry that we were being too tight (and that by being tight we were punishing her for the spending WE did before we re-entered reality), and that her friends seem to have a lot more 'stuff' than she does, but to be honest I think she'll end up with a much better idea of the value of money than a lot of her friends.

Or.....when she leaves home and gets a job she'll be so amazed at how much money she has that she'll blow it all on all kinds of overpriced rubbish!! :rotfl:

minniepoos_2

Finally got OH to get the loft open for me on Wednesday, and had a good look through my old books. I'm going to be ruthless and get rid of them all - I can always buy more when we are in a better place.

So.... I got my butt in gear today, and have started my big weekend of listing stuff on Amazon & Ebay. Got 16 books on Amazon so far (that's 50 including the ones that were already on there), and have more to do. DD has dug out some stuff she wants to sell (she's saving for a new phone) so will try to get that all on this weekend.

Not sure if I'll get it all done, as the car has packed up again. OH phoned the only place he didn't call last week for the part, and they can order it in and it'll be £21+VAT! Bit different from the £135+ everywhere else seems to charge!!

It should be in stock on Tuesday, so MIL has put me on her car insurance which is very nice of her, and has got us out of a muddle with work until OH can fit the part.

Hope it's a nice weekend as we have some stuff in the garden to go on Ebay, and I want to clean it all up, photo it and get rid!

minniepoos_2

Right, time for my EOM figures....

Not a bad month to be honest. Shopping was up on last month but still down on every other month since I started in Sept 09. Petrol is the lowest so far, but in fairness I think it may be a bit to do with not having a car for a couple of days.

Spent just over £50 on presents (& cards etc) this month. Bit steep, but there was a couple of birthdays and mother's day to buy for. And I've found a couple of things that have been put away for either later birthdays or christmas.

Entertainment was the biggest yet, with just over £125 for the month :eek:
£50 of that was for a celebratory meal with my family - I got my redundancy payout this week, and had promised them a treat to make up for the stress we've had for the last 3 months. I will definitely try to cut back on that now, although my folks will be back in England for a couple of weeks, so we usually try to do stuff with them as we don't see them very often.

The 'other' spending was fairly high - not at it's highest but still fairly high. It was things like the dishwasher, a breakfast table for the conservatory, OH's new phone and our running shoes that bumped that up so much, but what with my redundancy money and the npower refund it's still not been too bad a month. I've not had my holiday pay or notice pay but it looks like these won't be coming. Bit of a shame, but can't worry too much about what we haven't had.

Just got a cheque for £17.50 from Fonebank through the door which is good. Just have to wait for my £3 Quidco money to go with it.

I've just transferred everything except OH's wages from the spending account to the savings account, and now on the savings we have a grand total of £611.34. Will be making a payment to my folks soon, I'm thinking £500 (a third of what we owe them), but I'd better wait and see what OH thinks before I do anything.

Will have to start shopping around for my home insurance soon as it expires at the beginning of May. Be nice to get some more Quidco cash in

Well that's me done for now, back to my listings!

minniepoos_2

Oh yeah, forgot to say....I emptied my 10p jar and paid another £5 off the MBNA CC this week. Very satisfying moment, and I'm looking forward to doing it again soon!

minniepoos_2

Two of my Amazon things sold over the weekend, and I'd put an old DS game on there for DD which has sold too! I'll post them on the way home, then update my sig this evening with what I have made (want to make sure I allow for the right amount of postage).

Very encouraging though, and we have dug out some more things to go on Ebay, so must get round to listing them. Finding it hard to get excited about ebay, because it seems so much effort compared to Amazon. But... as long as it brings in some pennies it'll be worth the effort I suppose.