**Ms Sparkles Sparkly Diary**

Ms_Sparkle

Hi all
I like most people are a lurker, I loved reading up on people and seeing the massive achievements that are being made, and thought ding....LBM I've got to join in. I've always plodded along making minimum payments and still spending and now I can't anymore I've got to wake up out of my sparkly daydream and get real.

A little about me... I rent a room doing beauty treatments, I'm fairly new to this so am building up my clientele, but have been big time hit by the snow, and so far this month have made .... £35... aah not good. No way enough enough to pay my rent let alone any bills. The past couple of months working self employed I've taken home approx £700pm so have to hope I'll get that again.
I'm due to be getting married in 3 months to my wonderful OH and we have 2 beautiful ickle boys.. h who is 5 and J who is 2. I have no idea how to pay for the wedding, as have no money or room on any credit cards, however alot is paid for already and fingers crossed should be able to pay the rest with lots of hard work. I don't have any outgoings as my OH covers all the bills, the only ones I do is my room rent which is £200pm although this has been reduced to cover the recession and is normally £300. My products which vary from month to month, but no more than £200pm, my phone bill which is £45pm, which I am seeing if I can reduce this month, and my gym membership, which has just been cancelled.

My debt well I've put it in my signature and its far bigger than I ever imagined. So my aims are:

Not put any money on the credit card for wedding, so this may mean paying Minimum payment but not adding to the overall bill. This is only until end of March which is when the wedding is.

Then Pay off the small debt first just to get rid of it.

Build up my business.

How to do this:
I've loads of stuff to sell on ebay which I must do, not just sit looking at it.

Do more mystery shopping, need to register on more websites other than grassroots, which have hardly anything on it.

Come on here when I crave spending money I don't have on things I don't need, to help me get rid of the craving.

Advertise my business.

Work hard and hope and pray my business succeeds, otherwise it'll be a long time before I'm debt free.

My OH and I's plans are to be debt free in 2 years time, and to then start saving for a mortgage as we only rent at the moment, so the next 2 years are going to be a tough start for our married life, but hey thats life.

Well here goes, I'm wishing me lots of luck in my new venture and lots of luck to everyone in getting DEBT FREE!! :j

Ms_Sparkle

Ooh hopefully I have an appointment tonight, it is a regular lady however I wasn't sure if she was going to make it cos of the snow, so fingers crossed. That'll make me £25 for an hours work, which isn't too bad.

Just sorting out boys dinner... and finished a pile of washing so got to put that on the airer. Urm not sure everyone wants to know my every single move but it sure makes me feel good.

[Deleted User]

Hi Ms Sparkle,

Welcome to Diary Land.

Congratulations on your pending wedding, hopefully there won't be any snow and you'll have glorious sunshine.

Tea
x

Avogirly

Hello!

Ooooo, weddings...........lovely! Hope you have a magical day and it is everything you dream of.

To stop you spending on those dreaded credit cards, could you cut it up or give it to someone...........anything so it's not in your purse screaming to be used!!! I have just made the leap and cut up my security credit card, it was soooooo hard, but so thrilling!!!! Now I know my debt can only go down!

I hope your business picks up a bit, I can imagine January is hard for everyone and the snow really hasn't helped. Im in Essex too, and I think (fingers crossed) the snow is on it's way out, so hopfully your business will pick up.

Ms_Sparkle

Ooh thank you so much guys... yep the wedding is certainly exciting, can't believe its come round so quick, booked it nearly a year ago and still have hardly anything sorted out apart from the essentials, but hey thats the way I am.

I've definately got plans to cut up the CC's, at the moment there put away in a "safe place" which like all safe places I cannot remember where it is. I can't cut up till after the wedding which is why there put away, but as soon as it is then they certainly will be snipped up.

I'm so glad the snow is finally going. It has been lovely being at home but I'm now sooo bored and am starting to panick about money. I'm lucky as my boys school and preschool have both stayed open, although I've not managed to drive in the snow (as am a scardy cat due to a minor incident last year has put me off for life) so my OH has been doing the runs for me. Not sure how I'd of coped if the kids had been off aswell lol xx

Avogirly

Have you look at some of the challenges on here, such as Pay a Day, or ebay............just might help you get a few extra pennies in.

keza

hiya! im in essex, also bustin debt and also getting married this year. althou not until november!!

Where abouts do u rent ur room and do ur beauty treatments? xx

Kayleighpea

Hi Ms Sparkle!

Congrats on the upcoming wedding & good luck with the diary!

I started mystery shopping at the end of November & haven't really got into it yet but am already starting to see the extra cash coming in! I think the trick is to sign up to a few different sites - I've signed up to 9! Grassroots I've found is one of the better payers but Bare is another good 'un - just need to get the jobs!

Ms_Sparkle

Ooh thanks Kayleighpea, I'm going through looking for some new mystery shoppers and hadn't heard of Bare.

Avogirl - will def look at those challanges, thank you!!

Hi Keza, good to hear from another Essex gal, I'm not sure I can put my location on here as don't want anyone thinking I'm fishing for business lol, but its a plain little room in a sunbed shop. I don't do luxury treatments so only need a small room, but so far so good. How exciting on your upcoming wedding, believe me it comes round so quick!!!

Well last night my client was 20 mins late, she got the time wrong.... she's a regular of mine so didn't mind although didn't get home till 9.30 so went to bed a bit late. Still I got to watch Eastenders, my OH hates it so I don't normally get a chance but caught it on BBC3. Yay!!

Ok folks, my plain for today is..... urm not be lazy and sit on here all day!! :rotfl:
No seriously I'm working at 10am for an hour and half and then my friend is popping round to visit. We tend to see each other every tuesday as we do each others nails and tans which is great, but this week we're just having a chat.
Clean the bin it smells :eek:
Wash the towels... Half done so far!!
Pay a £1 a day... love that idea!!
Pay the childminder . DONE. I only have a childminder 1 and a half days a week, which my OH pays for through the vouchers, and I give him half the money a month. Works out £70. Forgot to add that to outgoings lol!!
Work tonight
Ooh and lets try and make this a NSD. I've not done this before and today I think I can do it. This week I'm hoping for 4 days of not spending my money, although this doesn't include food shopping as that comes from OH's money and I haven't included my business. So lets see how I go!!

So another day where I don't get a chance to ebay, but thursday I'm really quiet at work so hoping to do it then!! Just cannot do it when the boys are home as they don't let me do anything apart from sit or play with them.

Have a nice day everyone!! xx