The Debt Monster Must Die!

Keebs

352 Days! :j


Thank you everybody, feel a little bad at badmouthing my sis in (albeit virtual) public, she is after all family. Part of the frustration lay in envy I guess, that they had a house to move in to (But. Just. Would. Not. Go :mad:), it’ll be another 2 years before I even have a deposit together.

However, good news… The lodgers are almost gone, moved themselves and their belongings out yesterday _party__party__party_


… but left their dog :huh:


Have no idea when they plan on removing her too but have advised I am nights from tomorrow and (after 10 months of going without) would appreciate some sleep. It remains to be seen whither they take the hint or not.

On the finances front I am a total muddle, have no idea what I’ve spent where or how much. Up till now have been pretty good at filling out my spreadsheets, thought I could manage without for a month and have been proved resoundingly wrong


I have 3 bank accounts: 2 current and one savings. Wages are paid into current account 1 from which all direct debits go, I pay my monthly budget from account 1 into account 2 and then transfer allocated amounts from account 2 to my savings account. I then keep track of how much of the money in each account belongs to which department via my spreadsheet. Simples. So long as I remember to use the spreadsheet, without it things become very muddled indeed.

Need to work my way backwards through all the transactions and try to work out some semblance of order _pale_. In the words of Captain Oates

“I may be some time….”

Happytogetdebtfree

I have just divised the spreadsheet and will be ending this month at zero balanc so january can start a fresh im sick of been unable to make sense of spreadsheets its no fun and messy bank balances do not help lol im starting nights tonight hope its a steady one xx

Nottoobadyet

Keebs wrote: »

Where in Thailand did you go (not that I'm looking to steal ideas or anything :whistle:)?

Actually hardly spent any time in Thailand - the main thrust of the holiday was trekking in Nepal, and I had about 10 days for Thailand at the end. I decided to go to Laos instead, which was a fabulous, fabulous place with stunning scenery, friendly people and fantastic food! Nepal was the highlight though - an amazing place with knock your socks off scenery, lovely people, beautiful cultural riches and enough adventure just under the surface to keep even a junkie like me entertained!

In Thailand itself I just went to BKK and to Kechanaburi (sp?), which is nearby and has some lovely scenery of its own, as well as historical significance as a remaining section of the Thailand - Burma railway built by forced POW labour during WWII. I found Thailand a bit too touristy and "easy", but I really didnt give it enough of a chance so will need to go back to do it properly.

Good luck with the dog, the nerve of some people!!

Keebs

Happytogetdebtfree wrote: »

I have just divised the spreadsheet and will be ending this month at zero balanc so january can start a fresh im sick of been unable to make sense of spreadsheets its no fun and messy bank balances do not help lol im starting nights tonight hope its a steady one xx

Hope you had a good night, can be a tricky balance between being busy enough that it doesn't drag and quiet enough that you can still get stuff done.

Good luck with the spreadsheets, I'm going to have a rethink over what worked and what did not this last year and try to have a better sytem for the new year. Any tips appreciated.

Happytogetdebtfree

No tips as yet, il be glad to make an even keel this month i dont like getting paid early it messes the rest of january up doesnt it lol xx

Keebs

Nottoobadyet wrote: »

Actually hardly spent any time in Thailand - the main thrust of the holiday was trekking in Nepal, and I had about 10 days for Thailand at the end. I decided to go to Laos instead, which was a fabulous, fabulous place with stunning scenery, friendly people and fantastic food! Nepal was the highlight though - an amazing place with knock your socks off scenery, lovely people, beautiful cultural riches and enough adventure just under the surface to keep even a junkie like me entertained!

Ah of course, your holiday in the clouds, how could I have forgotten! Sounds like you had the most amazing time I don’t suppose you think Nepal would be viable for someone who is a little erm… physically challenged shall we say?

(am thinking back to my last trip to Asia where I huffed and puffed (purple in the face and dripping with sweat – nice ) up hundreds of temple stairs whilst locals and tourists (invariably German for some reason) trotted past me barely out of breath – that’s the level/lack of fitness I’m talking about)

No? Thought not.

However, I am most interested in your Laos experience as fate would have it (could it be fate? Oh I so very much hope so :cool:) I meandered back onto the travel fish website last week and am now thinking of spending 1 week in Cambodia (for to see the temples again) and 3 in Laos :T


Have been finding it hard to get enthusiastic about my previous itinerary ever since the LM fiasco, also the sheer number of flights involved (8 in 4 weeks :eek: as opposed to 4 in 13 weeks on my last trip), means there’s a real danger I’ll see more of airports than anything else.

The only thing that’s put me off Laos so far are the horror stories about bus travel. Alas, I do not fare well on hot cramped twisty buses and tales of locals/tourists reacquainting themselves (and anyone within a four foot radius) with their breakfasts on twisty 9 hour journeys fills me somewhat with dread. However have found travel tales to be much exaggerated and am hopeful this is the case here, please tell me it is so.


PS The dog has gone :beer:, the front door has been repainted :T(she had a severe dislike of all delivery peeps and would try her damndest to break through the door to get at them), and now we hear she's returning for a 'holiday' on Sat, no idea why nor for how long. Really wish my Dad could take the apple out of his eye when dealing with my sis, might get the full picture then :rotfl:

Keebs

Happytogetdebtfree wrote: »

No tips as yet, il be glad to make an even keel this month i dont like getting paid early it messes the rest of january up doesnt it lol xx

It surely does, I'm going to try and act like it hasn't been paid early but finances are still such a mess not sure I can do that as yet :rotfl::o

Quick question if I may. Are you familiar with the term "Mrs Brown" as it applies to nursing? One of our auxilliaries is laying claim to having invented the phrase and I am having a hard time believing him, if it were known outside of Fife then I reckon that would defo put paid to his lie

Nottoobadyet

Keebs wrote: »

don’t suppose you think Nepal would be viable for someone who is a little erm… physically challenged shall we say?

Oh yes it is!!! its true that most people go for the mountains and the rafting, but I think there is a lot to be said for getting off that trail and really exploring the cultural riches. There are so many fantastic Hindu and Tibetan Bhuddist sites that the trekking crowd just shuffle by, but that could easily fill a very colourfull holiday on their own. There's also the more rainforesty part of the country down south, with elephant riding and all that jazz.

Let me tell you though, the busses are a nightmare. Granted, Im young enough to live for this stuff, but I spent 9 hours on the roof of a bus going up and down mountain roads at breakneck speeds, inches from the edges of cliffs and holding on for dear life Even with that it was much more pleasant than being inside, where the lunch loosing happens. The tourist areas are connected by normal busses with AC though, but hey whats the fun of that, eh?

I had no problem at all with the transport in Laos - some of the roads are bumpy and twisty so there is possibly some lunch loosing, but nothing like Nepal. I only had time for Luang Pabang, which is fantastically beautiful and has increadible food and lovely scenery. I'd be happy to PM you my picasa album, if you'd like?

Laos is lovely - really affordable (in LP you can go to the night market, pay 90p and get a big plate to fill with as much fantatsic vegeartian food as you can fit!) and laid back. The traveler scene is a bit weird in some places, like Vang Vieng which is popular with the 24 hour drinking crowd who "tube" down a river between bars (several people had died in the weeks before I arrived, all in that town and all from increadibly over the top alcohol consumption leading to drowning or falls), but mostly it attracts a laid back vibe of people doing the circut of Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand.

My feet are itchy again already!! :rotfl:

Keebs

Nottoobadyet wrote: »

I'd be happy to PM you my picasa album, if you'd like?

Ooooooh yes please! :T:j:beer:

Happytogetdebtfree

Mrs brown? explain further ? lol