Reach for the stars...

niccatw

I'll need to look into it a bit further. Apparently, if it is the element, it's a fairly simple job to replace it. I think I'd still pay some-one else to do it though, as I'd be worried about electrocuting myself or blowing the entire fuse box for the flat :eek:. Rather be safe and moan about money than sorry!

Thank goodness for google - how did we find out information before the internet?

Lemon_Tree

aha, element.. that sounds like what she had to replace. And they didn't manage to blow anything up and considering her OH once drilled straight into a power cable that's a major achievement for them.

niccatw

Lemon_Tree wrote: »

aha, element.. that sounds like what she had to replace. And they didn't manage to blow anything up and considering her OH once drilled straight into a power cable that's a major achievement for them.

:eek::eek: Yikes! And she then let him loose on the oven! Brave women!

I guess I need to call the electrician that just put the oven in for me in February. One of these months I will not have to pay out for flat repairs! I guess I really need to budget for emergencies!

My flat-mate is currently creating havoc by setting the smoke alarm off... he's not happy he can't take the battery out (fire brigade installed it) and seems to be setting up some kind of cover over it... I've tried telling him the use of an oven tray and cleaning his burnt carp off the bottom would be much easier... but he doesn't seem to understand that. Is that just a bloke thing?

Lemon_Tree

i think that's why my sister actually repaired the cooker herself this time
but then she has also done plumbing in her house, including welding bits.

niccatw

Lemon_Tree wrote: »

i think that's why my sister actually repaired the cooker herself this time
but then she has also done plumbing in her house, including welding bits.

Wow! That's quite impressive! Maybe I need to start learning to use the tools my dad keeps buying me as presents. It'll probably save me a fortune in the long run. I'm just such a scaredy cat!

niccatw

I'm sure you've all noted I've been very quiet on the debt-busting front these last few day! I've been lax!

Eventually got my new pin throufh and checked my new A&L account. They've already credited the £100 switching incentive :j. It's already been eaten up by bills . But they couldn't transfer my wages as payroll won't allow it until they have a signature from me. I think I might just "forget" that bit... that way I can transfer the amount needed to cover my bills to A&L and leave what's left in RBS for food. Hopefully this will be more than my budget and any extra left at the end of the month can be an overpayment to that horrid RBS loan. It makes sense in my head anyway.

I'm still ignoring the spending diary... which is stuped as the pile of receipts gets bigger each day and they stare at me accusingly and make me feel remorseful. So I need to eat more creme eggs or chocolate raisins to make me feel better and yet the receipts still don't bother jumping into the spending diary and sorting themselves out!

I do need to do it though. If for no other reason than to balance out my karma. I found 20p at the gym yesterday. :j, I thought. I can have a "found money" pot. But alas, today when I went to the gym, I couldn't find my £1 locker coin... the bloke who asked me if I'd finished with my locker yesterday obviously didn't feel the need to point out I'd left my £1 in it! So I looked a bit daft in the gym today with my handbag and all! And I'm 80p down and feeling karma is telling me found money is not for me but for those in more need. So either I'm going to leave it be or set up a charity pot!

I've also now written my letter to HMRC re. a tax rebate on my professional registrations - thanks to Happytogetdebtfree who sent me her template! It's all ready to post. So hopefully I'll get a wee bit of money back, or a wee bit more in my pay as they adjust the tax rate (though that'll just have the effect of student loans taking more money so I'll never see it for the debt I want rid of most. I guess if it's all going in the right direction though, I can't complain).

And the list of letters to write is becoming longer! (2 banks, kitchen company, mortgage company, mobile phone company...) Wonder if I can fit all that in tomorrow?

First time at counselling tomorrow. Not sure how I feel about it. Bit worried I just go and clam up - it'll be no good for anything if that's what I do! But I do sometimes feel it's just life that I'm dealing with and why should I have counselling? I'm sure there are people who have or are going through much more than me and having to cope without it... but we'll see how it goes! The hardest part will be getting up and into the city centre in plenty time to find where I'm going!!!

But I've also yoga tomorrow which will calm me down! And there's still creme eggs left so it's all good .

niccatw

So much I was meant to say but I was distracted by other threads and preparing tomorrow's lunch. The recipe was a bit off the mark though... so I've now about 500g of thinly sliced par boiled potatoes I'm not sure what to do with! Made spanish tortilla with the other 500g... but 1kg really wasn't necessary. Which I should have been able to judge using the power of eyesight and filling pots and pans rather than keep merrily slicing away regardless!

Anyway, off to visit pregnant friend with my tortilla tomorrow. Hopefully get around to catching up soon

Night night x

niccatw

Does any-one know how to stop time until we get the chance to catch up with ourselves?

Lemon_Tree

sorry not sure how to do that but if you do find out please can you let me know, i've just lost the spreadsheet with all of this mornings work on and it's busy enough as it is without having to do things again. argh!

niccatw

Aaaaaarrrrrrrggggggghhhhhhh! Lemon Tree that would have me screaming in frustration at the computer! Hopefully there'll be a mad scientist or magician reading my diary and we will be enlightened as to how to stop time! Although I seem to recall Dumbledore being very strict with Hermione when he allowed her to mess with time, so we'd best be careful .




Right, as I seem to be procrastinating yet again, it's time to make a list of things I should be getting done... Please chastise me when they have not been scored off as completed!

1. Write to Kitchen Company to demand money back.

1. Write to mortgage lender to complain they are not doing as they agreed they would do. Give them explicit instructions in plain English. And time-scales for response.

1. Write to Bank 3 to cancel the stupid monthly fee they told me was the only thing they could set up so as not to charge me for going over agreed o/d. Be sure to remind them money going in on the same day as money going out should not take you over your o/d limit anyway and they are just being an evil bank. Maybe threaten to leave?

1. Write to mobile company to complain they treated me as though I was not a customer when I upgraded my contract and accordingly charged me more. Remind them I've been with them for about 10 years and usually like them but now I've fallen out with them. Threaten to leave for a laugh.

1. Write to new bank to tell them it's ridiculous I have to sort out all the stuff their switching service is supposed to do. Tell them its worth more than a £100 of my time and ask what are they going to do about it. Maybe charge them an hourly rate for sorting it all out myself. Threaten to leave for a laugh.

1. [STRIKE]Have a wee think about when I became such a Moaning Minnie. [/STRIKE] Turns out I've always been one. It's apparently just more pronounced in your 30s...

1. [STRIKE]Smile because MSE taught me to question everything! It just might work![/STRIKE]

1. Write to utility company to complain I can't make my account an online account as they don't like my email address. Be sure to point out their online help was useless. Remind them I went back to them because I liked their online service and without it they are as bad as all the others. Threaten to leave and tell them I won't pay the "get out" money as I’m only leaving due to their utter incompetence. It’s quite inconvenient for me really. What are they going to do about it?

1. [STRIKE]Have a rant at the utter uselessness of all major companies and rue society today. Wonder if there are any countries in the world that would be worth uprooting to and starting over.[/STRIKE] I feel this should become a part of my daily routine to give it the time and thought it deserves.

1. [STRIKE]Post HMRC letter and Mother's Day stuff. [/STRIKE]

1. [STRIKE]Print off photos from proper camera place since my printer is being temperamental and stroppy. [/STRIKE] Even out them in frames... now where to put them...

1. [STRIKE]Hang washing out (put up new washing line first or it might get tricky!).[/STRIKE] Putting up nw washing line was tricky. Oh what a tangled web I weave!

1. Write to my professional college and tell them they are cheeky blighters for sneaking up the price. They stated my direct debit would remain the same. Point out what that direct debit is. Remind them they are the professional body governing communication so they should really be modelling clear, honest communication. Not using sneaky, underhand tactics. Remind them I don't actually need to register with them anyway (neglect to mention that, despite this, my NHS trust requires it). Pah!

1. Admit I might well be a bit hormonal today! Never!

1. [STRIKE]Beat myself up because I can't be bothered to go to the gym, and then let it go. [/STRIKE] It's Friday for goodness sake women!

1. Work out a meal planner and shopping list. Half-heartedly in my head. Not good enough.

1. Look into online shopping for meal planner through Quidco.

1. Start photographing that massive pile of eBay stuff.

1. Get that bl**dy spending diary up to date!

1. Put cheque into bank. Remember the 1p cheque from recently closed bank account.

1. [STRIKE]Have a look at the OS thread to figure out how to unblock drain in bath using bicarb soda, citric acid, lemon or vinegar, or magic combo. [/STRIKE] Haven't done anything about it yet though...

1. Clean the flat.

1. Get rid of the old oven and [STRIKE]computer monitor [/STRIKE]that have been cluttering up the hall for months.

1. Take old printer to only charity shop that accepts electrical stuff.

1. Phone the electrian about the element on the oven.

1. Have a think about the most impressive looking, but simple, meals to cook for girly get together next weekend.

1. [STRIKE]Check mad scientist and or magician haven't posted on my diary how to stop time so that I can actually find the time to do all this stuff![/STRIKE] Come, now, don't be shy... stop lurking, just post...

1. Remember new yoga class starts tomorrow! Time will tell

1. And that I'm visiting my friend Sun -Tues. As above

1. [STRIKE]Make cuppa to de-stress from the length of the above list. [/STRIKE] Several!

1. [STRIKE]Remind myself it doesn't all need to be done today but it'd be good to get it done within this century at least.[/STRIKE] Perhaps been a bit too good at this one...

1. Remind myself I'm not superwoman.

1. Find superwoman and get her to do it all for me.

1. Smile because I am such a terrific procrastinator.

1. Wonder where to find Mr funny, intelligent, financially savvy, eco-friendly, handsome man to delegate above tasks to since superwoman was hormonal too and told me to b*gger off.

I need to lie down now !