Ladies & Gentlemen, please fasten your seatbelts ...

benbenandme

We've had a lovely day out, went ringo-ing then to a wooden adventure park then the pub for lunch followed by ds swimming lesson. The sun has (finally) been shining all day and I haven't paid for any of it, all Mums treat :T :T

The cable from the laptop has decided to play ball for a while, so I'm desperately trying not to move even a fraction so the battery can charge andmaybe then I'll get an hour or so on here this evening too

benbenandme

Just done a qualifying bet that should hopefully make me about £20 which will cover most of the cost of the cable without messing up septembers budget

Double_Trouble

benbenandme wrote: »

So ladies and gents, my next new idea is Phoeenix Trading. For any of you who haven't heard of it it is a direct selling business, selling greeting cards / gift wrap etc. I have been considering something like this for a while and I used to sell Usborne books, well when I say I used to sell them it never really got off the ground as it was around the time ex left me so I never really gave it a proper chance, and then with me moving down here etc it never got going.

The reason I am thinking about this one as opposed to going back to Usborne is that they (Usborne books) are now available in so many shops on promotion that I don't believe in what I'd be selling anymore. Howver, the Phoenix cards are beautiful, great quality, and cost £1.20 each (or £1 if buying 10). The advent calendar I bought yesterday was one of theirs, it cost £1.50 and is gorgeous

So, tonight is going to be spent reading all the threads about it, trying to do some basic calculations and thinking it all over some more ....

This is a coincidence I had never heard of phoenix until last week until a friend mentioned it and I am thinking of giving it a go too.

DTxx

benbenandme

Morning all, postie didn't bring the new cable today so I may be limited on here again today However, the sun is shining and its the last day of my holidays so all the more reason to be out and about.

Still no csa money in my account yet ...

Did I mention I've been chatting to a gut from pof?? Well, we're still chatting and I have now discovered that he just missed out on a place in the GB Triathlon team ... think its time I rediscovered that Shred dvd

benbenandme

Just picked up a mystery shop for saturday

benbenandme

Woohoo, a survey account balance has finally reached £50, which means I should receive it mid-October :j I will add it today to the mortgage pot so don't let me re-add it when the cheque arrives

benbenandme

Guess what .......

















:j :j :j :j HE'S PAID THE CSA !!!! :j :j :j :j

Woohoo, am in a state of shock!! Not just the remainder that he owes but also some towards September so its not so much next month!! I am incredibly shocked, very pleased, relieved that at least I know I've got money on its way, slightly p*ssed off still that I've had to cope all summer holidays without a penny, but pleased all the same that at last I will get it and won't have to keep chasing the csa :T :T :T

Other than that we've had a lovely time out at a local harbour, watching boats, trains and buses The car park was free (have a permit for that one), spent £2.50 on 2 t-shirts for ds (one was plain white for school, the other was a nice stripey one), £1.30 on a magazine for me (to read while he bus-spotted) and £3.40 on an ice-cream each. I had a lemon meringue pie one and it was heavenly

I am stunned now, I really am, I think I had basically resigned myself to either not getting the money or not seeing it for a long long time at least. Now, do I chuck it all in the pot as planned or do I put some in the holiday pot ... I think I will maybe keep a bit back as I have already started septembers money a couple of days ago, so maybe I'll start from scratch again today with Septembers budget, maybe keep £100 or so of it for food/petrol that has already been spent, put in the £50 to the holiday pot and then the money from the tescos vouchers can go into the mortgage pot. Oooh, its nice having decisions like this to make

benbenandme

Oh, and forgot to mention, I have just completed another survey which has taken me to payout there too, so another tenner on its way to my bank account :j :j

benbenandme

Okay, I had £11 left last time I calculated, and if I add up petrol, food, laptop cables and other bits in total I have spent £125. Take off the £11 I had then that means I have spent £14 out of Septembers budget so far. It also means that I can put £100 of the maintenance money to cover all of these spends, another £50 into the holiday fund for September and the remaining £500 goes into the mortgage pot, which if you look at my signature you will notice has not only waved goodbye to January 2021 but also December 2020 In fact, next month when the mortgage payment goes then my mortgage will be down to 10 years exactly :j :j

Wow, who would have thought the last day of the holidays could be such a happy one??

dangers

That's great news Benben. At least you can start the new academic year knowing that (for now!) things are on a slightly more even keel than it has been recently.