£7k in 7 months...I hope!

jtr2803

I have this really really bad habit of what I call 'holiday window shopping' and have just spent about an hour looking at various photos and hotels in the Maldives! I have always wanted to go there and now I don't just want to go..... I NEED to go! :rotfl:

Even OH agreed that it just looked amazing! It has everything I want in a holiday - gorgeous beach, peace, greenery and reefs and fish and dolphins and sun and did I say fish, oh and dolphins

I am going to get a decent print/collage done of my favourite maldives pictures and I am going to pin it on my desk at work as my motivation, I swear that I am going there within the next 5 years (preferably 3!) even if I work my fingers to the bone earning the money for it :rotfl:. Might not be that bad - after all, if the debt gets cleared this year that frees up £250 a month, if I carry on working at the pub that's another £200ish a month and hopefully November payrise will be bring another £100 a month so this could all go towards the 'Maldivian Magic fund' :j

Little_Miss_Red_Head

That sounds like a really good idea - if you know your going to get something you really want at the end as well its extra motivation:D

LittleMoog

That remind's me of DH's stepsister, about 6 weeks before every holiday, she cut's out a picture of some skinny celebrity in a bikini and sticks it on the fridge door to remind herself that she has to slim down (not that she actually does, she's 5'10" and absolutely gorgeous:p)
she did one for me before our honeymoon, but I found it a bit depressing!

Kepp

Hi Jody, just dropping in!

Sounds like a great idea for putting up some pics for the holiday.

Whatever keeps your motivation up can never be a bad thing!

jtr2803

Little_Miss_Red_Head wrote: »

That sounds like a really good idea - if you know your going to get something you really want at the end as well its extra motivation:D

Thats what I was thinking, have spoken to a few people who have been and they have said it looks exactly the same as it does in the pictures and is a must see place! I am hoping to convince OH that it should be our last holiday before we desperately save for a house, my reasoning is that my defaults wont fall off my credit file until the later half of 2012 and as I am the higher earner I need to be on the mortgage so we cant think about buying until then anyway!

julespickles wrote: »

That remind's me of DH's stepsister, about 6 weeks before every holiday, she cut's out a picture of some skinny celebrity in a bikini and sticks it on the fridge door to remind herself that she has to slim down (not that she actually does, she's 5'10" and absolutely gorgeous:p)
she did one for me before our honeymoon, but I found it a bit depressing!

I thin I would find it depressing too! It has hit me how much my weight is getting to me lately, my psoriasis is also awful at the moment and with the two of them combined it's making almost a recluse . I am doing better with my eating but I really need to start exercising.

Yesterday was quite nice, I had a few little bits to do at work in the morning and then I had a very informal meeting with my managers and someone from the bank and then we all went out for lunch and sat outside. We were all allowed to leave early for the football too so I went straight home and went to the pub with my OH and some of his mates. Walked home in the lovely sunshine before having a lovely relaxed evening - was great!

Had to buy some cigarette filters yesterday and bought OH's chinese as he paid for all my drinks in the pub but only spent about £8 in total so not too bad. Have already done most of my spending analysis for the month so will report my findings tomorrow and work out a budget for the next month based on that. Fairly pleased with myself this month and am sure I can do it again or better it next month, so here's hoping :j

Working at the pub Saturday then will think about booking my car in for a service and brake check, hopefully wont be too much but will be well in excess of £100 but it is essential I guess. Might see if OH wants to wander up to the heath for a drink tonight to get me exercising again :cool:

AnnieG

Hiya
You won't beat my record for spending on your car for this month, I think I can well and truly claim that prize!!
I had a go at a running programme acouple of years ago, but gave up because my knee was painful. I might try and give it another go, I've been going ot the gym so maybe it'll be ok because it's had some exercise... I'll give it a go and see. Perhaps we could train together?
The Maldives is a great thing to aim for. I'd love to go there.... but I have my heart set on a cowboy holiday in the states first, they look brilliant.
I'm glad the pub went well, it sounds to me like you're going to enjoy it... well, as much as you can enjoy being at work! And it wasn't half as bad as you'd thought it could be, so that's great.
Keep up the good work!!

jtr2803

beccie wrote: »

Hi Jody, just dropping in!

Sounds like a great idea for putting up some pics for the holiday.

Whatever keeps your motivation up can never be a bad thing!

I will obviously have to find a very MSE way of getting said pics printed and mounted of course! Part of me wonders if even when I save enough to go, will I actually allow myself to hand over that sort of money? :rotfl:

AnnieG wrote: »

Hiya
You won't beat my record for spending on your car for this month, I think I can well and truly claim that prize!!
I had a go at a running programme acouple of years ago, but gave up because my knee was painful. I might try and give it another go, I've been going ot the gym so maybe it'll be ok because it's had some exercise... I'll give it a go and see. Perhaps we could train together?
The Maldives is a great thing to aim for. I'd love to go there.... but I have my heart set on a cowboy holiday in the states first, they look brilliant.
I'm glad the pub went well, it sounds to me like you're going to enjoy it... well, as much as you can enjoy being at work! And it wasn't half as bad as you'd thought it could be, so that's great.
Keep up the good work!!

I am going to see if I can find a really basic walking programme first, just the walk home from town yesterday made me out of breath - very shocking! I just lack motivation, especially after a long day at work, I just want to sit down with OH!

Can't say the thought of working Saturday is filling me with joy but I know when I walk out with £60 odd quid I will feel better, just a shame I will soon have to spend it on the car! Spent £20 tonight as picked up some corals someone was holding for me but they are so pretty it's almost justified! Almost up to £10 on onepoll, not sure I will see any money out of it this year :rotfl:. Still waiting for my £100 of cashback from Quidco too, will start chasing that up early next week

x

jtr2803

Morning All!

It's payday! :j

Just a quick update as I have managed to analyse spending. This is what I spent last month:

Petrol - £65. This was lower than usual as I was on courses
Food - £141. My OH did give me some money towards this
Smoking - £14.39. A massive improvement from buying cigs at £5 every other day!
Fish Stuff - £189.67 Majority of this was for lights and is a one off
Presents - £50.60 For OH birthday and mum
Lunch - £8 It's always fish and chips on Friday so would be rude not to!
Misc - £68.40 This was for lottery, fast food, parking, beauty stuff etc
Ebay Fees/Postage - £13.80
Clothes - £50

There is some room for improvement but this is a huge improvement over what I have been spending previously! The clothes was a one off and so were the lights. I will need to spend some money on presents this month for my mum and daughter but hoping I can claim an Amazon voucher from VO.

I just made a little transfer to my savings account which now stands at £188.35 :money:

Still got £20 in my purse from the pub and working tomorrow night so all is well for now, just got to keep it up!!

OrangeFairy

Sounds like you are doing really well Jody!!

Great to see your saving account growing!!! xxx

jtr2803

Thanks Kel, it's almost disappointing that I know it will have to be drained soon for the car as my brakes played up again tonight .

Went round mums for dinner and games tonight, ended up being £2 up on bingo so that cancelled out the £2 I paid for Scampi at work today :rotfl:. Bought some more live food for one of my fish which was £6.49, petrol - £20, tobacco £5.82 and sugar £1.02, National Lottery £6 - yes I know this is naughty but you have to be in it to win it right (just writing it here as I have left my spending diary at work :mad:). Mum had a mini catalogue that had been sent to her house from Bonprix and oh my days, they had some lovely clothes in there and I have a 20% off and free delivery code but I am resisting :A. Just trying to think about all the clothes I can buy when I am debt free!

When I got home I found that OH has hoovered the bedrooms, cleaned both bathrooms and had a go at sorting the dry washing, bless! Maybe it's because last night I told him I think he does 20% of the housework and I do 80%, I think he was a little offended

Not much planned for the weekend, chilled day tomorrow as I am working 6 till close in the pub and then we will undoubtedly be watching the footie on Sunday. I am off Monday as supposed to be visiting that old friend I wrote about but she hasnt given me her address yet so will wait and see.

Finally got over that £10 hurdle on onepoll, I check it a few times a day so hope I can rack up the £40 before xmas, got almost £19 on the daily scratchy too. Might pay my small change into the bank next week so try and make myself feel better about spending money on the car service. My mum has told me to drop what I give her by £50 a month from now on which was nice of her. Unfortunately Tax Credits have overpaid me by about £300 that I need to pay pack so will use the extra from Mum to pay that back for the time being *insert rolling eyes smiley*. Oh well!

Did some more 'holiday window shopping' last night and may have found the single most expensive two week holiday possible - £25K for a villa in the Maldives, and it was only bed and breakfast :eek:. I will have to wait till I won the euromillions for that I think :rotfl:

Hope everyone has a good weekend