Hoping for a better 2011

Angela84

Decided to make my own 100 day challenge as well. Something to work towards!

Today is 2nd August, so 100 days will be 10th November, just before my birthday!

1. Have baby (kinda unavoidable!) and keep up with feeding
2. Found some solution to unreliable cars 0%
3. Change agents with house (no viewing in at least 6 weeks now) 0%
4. Ebay all I can/freecycle/charity shop £0
5. Train dog so not an massive hoohaa when having to leave him for a couple of hours 0%
6. Lose baby weight! Want to be 8 1/2 stone by birthday. 0/42lbs
7. Go to CAB and sort this damn loan £0/£1200
8. Pay off H of F and LW £0/£250
9. Change all post to new address 0%
10. Change all payments over to new (no overdraft) account and set up small S/O to overdraft one to clear 0%
11. Sort out OH with mortgage payments so not just burying head in sand and waiting for 'bounced payment' letter each month
(Would really like to take over finances, as know he spends SO much money each month on nothing, but don't think he'd ever let me.) 0%
12. Start saving fund for xmas presents £0/£150
13. If money is still unavailable by November, seriously think about wedding (not going to want to do this)
14. Make more food, use up what we've got, stop letting things go out of date
15. Make friends with other parents in school (Have never made one friend at any nursery/playgroup/park etc, must look very unfriendly!)
16. Get Iphone upgrade and give old one to OH
17. Start getting DS to make birthday cards to save buying them
18. OH to finish garden (to keep him busy and out from under my feet!)
19. Arrange to cook xmas dinner for the family, gonna try my best with a turkey!
20. Decide on use for £200+ Tesco Clubcard vouchers

Angela84

Well, here is Tuesday. Am off to a funeral for a friend of my nans today, but also have to get flaming car tax, thats 3 days overdue! Got the money back from the landlord today though, so thats alright. Also OH's birthday tomorrow, so need to get a card. And send off these Ebay things, I think I've made about £70! Unbelievable! Although didn't realise there's fees from Ebay, and then fees from Paypal, but think they are minimal.
Also found a watch Oh's brother had left with him whilst he's gone off travelling, so thought I'd just see if it was worth anything, and they're going for £215 on Amazon! So put that straight on Ebay!

And OH has officially now spoken to his boss about leaving his job, he's got the opportunity to buy a company from a friend. He'll be giving it a years trial, but he's all rose tinted glasses and is 100% sure he'll be able to earn a lot more than at the moment. Im being as reserved as I can be, its pretty scary to think of him going it alne, but the friend who's business it is, is a very honest guy, very helpful, and I know wouldn't have lied at all when it came to figures he could earn etc. OH is really excited about this whole thing. It really could solve our problems of course, he's said he'll put through a company car as soon as he's settled, so that would be then be able to realise the cash from his car, and be able to buy me something more realiable, and put some money away from mortgage worries/wedding fund.

I've had to learn over the years to just be overly cautious when it comes to these things. I grew up with my dad promising holidays, horses, ridiculous things to tell a young girl, and nothing everything materialised. Then more recently with OH we've talked about different things, weddings in the past, moving away, etc, and I've taken these things as 'actually going to happen' plans , and ended up feeling crap when OH has turned around and said 'Angela, you know that was a conversation after a couple of glasses of wine, its not actually happening?' A couple of years ago he attempted to start his own business and it never worked, but this is now a totally different situation. His friend has an established and already well known company. OH knows what he's doing with everything already, and is more business and money minded than his friend I would say, so if all goes well he could really grow it well.
We'll see!!

Angela84

Funeral went fine, dog had not got into any mischief when I'd got back, and now off upstairs to take pictures of all maternity clothes so can Ebay when Im ready. Got some housework to do, and then cook some dindins. And might look into some labour starting remedies!

Good day Tuesday!

pennywisepoundstupid

I took raspberry leaf tea capsules with my 2, pineapple is another thing thats suppose to help and a hot curry and if you really got desperate s*x, thank god mine where on time and didn't have to resort to that:rotfl::rotfl:.

Angela84

Crikey Penny, not gonna get that desperate, haha! I tried the raspberry leaf capsules last time, DS was a day early, but they really weren't very nice, they were massive to swallow, and repeated on me all day, and I hate the taste of tea. Might just keep up with the housework and have long walks when I can.

Been cleaning today for a few hours on and off, feel all pleased with myself, but then I realise Ive used up all my energy, and then turn into a horrible snappy mummy for the evening, so thats not good. Shouted full throttle at the dog early cause it was whining for no reason, following me round every step I took, and now it won't even look me in the eye. Oops!

For gods sake still not sent off my Ebay stuff, feel terrible as some ended Saturday and some Monday! Promise promise promise to send tomorrow! OH has day off tomorrow so not sure of our plans, but tonight off to Pizza Express (with voucher of course, and orange code)
just dyed my hair today and chuffed with result, so thats another thing ticked off list to do before baby arrives, just had haunting images of 2 inch dark roots staring back at me in every picture everyone takes of me!

NSD today, and had phonecall from DWP about Maternity Allowance, so that'll be another £125 a week from Monday. That'll certainly be a bg help with savings, debt clearing and mortgages. God, so annoying we're paying 2 mortgages, both on rubbish rates. Christ, just crossed my mind I bet OH is still paying council tax for the old empty place as well! Better ask asap!

Angela84

Yeay, sent Ebay stuff finally. Am less than impressed that it cost me more than I had planned for, but still, learnt for next time!

OH has had a lovely birthday day off putting up garden lights, thay look lovely as well, makes me feel a bit holiday-ish. He got £30 for his birthday from relatives, so thats paid for those.

Really haven't made a dent on my debts, but I think thats cause of the mortgage stuff I've had to be helping with recently. Hopefully as soon as OH starts with his new business, and I start receiving MA, things might be better. Its almost comedy when I think about it, how good life would be if these 2 houses could just sell, and OH could just sell his car and get a car through work. Driving earlier in OH's car, the window just falls down without warning, you've got to pull it back up when you stop.

I know people might think if we really wanted to sell these houses we could just put the price down lower, but that would mean making such a loss on both, we'd have no deposit to buy a new house. Think I might be starting to realise I'll be staying in the house for the foreseeable future. And thenif we aren't trying to move we can just rent out the other place to cover the mortgage. Would save us the other mortgage payment each month, but means Im stuck in a house I wish I wasn't. OH I think is trying his best to do it up, and make it somewhere Im happier with, so mustn't grumble too much.

pennywisepoundstupid

Hi Angela, ebay parcels are a nightmare, post office website have a thing where you can put the weight of the parcel and how your sending it and it gives you price of what it should cost, i weigh mine on kitchen scales.

Angela84

Yes Penny, thats what Ill be doing in the future!

Just off to my dads today, he's got a lovely stables and chickens, and DS can go in his pool he's put up for the summer, so should be a nice day.

Can't even follow my own advice, last night got talking about houses, and we both said how much we'd like to convert the loft to make another bedroom and bathroom, and extend the kitchen. If we're going to stay here for the foreseeable future might as well make it big enough for us all. Well Ive gone and woken up a few times in the night just thinking about plans, woke up early this morning googling things. Jumping the gun, getting my hopes up as usual!
Would be an idea to put our wedding gift list as an 'Loft conversion' fund and that would certainly help, not that thats the reason to have a wedding, but a few donations would certainly help; and OH is keen to try and do some of the work himself so would keep costs lower. Would be a nice big space up there for DS1 & DS2, and any more that come along maybe!

Angela84

Had a cracking day at my dads, don't go there often so was nice to see family.
Tonight went out for OH's birthday again with his family, nice meal and a drink in a bar, and then I went off home and left them to it. Good gracious my feet; they wouldn't even fit into one pair of shoes, and now they look like elephants feet! Not an ankle bone in sight.

We talked a little more about extensions/conversions last night, seems O

OH is as keen as me about it all, where the money is coming from is anyone's guess, I wouldn't get a loan, OH won't get a loan, and would take a long time to save up so not really sure. I think we've decided on extending the ground floor first, turning a small dining room and a small kitchen into one big kitchen diner, and put an archway to the lounge as well so one big space really. Looks lovely in my mind anyway!!

Going to have to look into chaning DS's school, seems such a shame that he'll get settle at one place and then move again.

Angela84

Oh, and forgot to say I got my old post from the flat today and one letter was from a debt agency about the loan, so called them and a very nice girl arranged a £12 a week agreement, which would take 2 years to clear, if I never throw anymore money at it, which hopefully I will. Good to know that's at least sorted, no more letters, calls, and no more interest. This week will clear house of Fraser I hope.
Nice family roast planned tomorrow. Mission for week is to talk to oh about his finances, and about not burying his head in the sand with d/ds bouncing. And also to get other house rented our asap. 1 very easy way to save £500 a month!