Meersy's debt free, healthier & happier life diary

meersy22

Morning all

Another weekend :T . Well I went shopping yesterday but only for thermal linings for my bedroom curtains £19.99 (Argos). I new I had to buy them as I nearly had frostbite last year in my bedroom:). Thurs night was so cold in that room I couldn't sleep. I know winter is only starting but I'm going to be prepared this year. I need to order coal and oil but waiting to see if the oil prices might drop slightly (I doubt it).

Today's plans

• go watch nephew no1 play footie (expect to be wet & cold after:))
• shopping (only buy whats on list - rarely happens:o)
• sort out wardrobe and prepare for the next free listing day;
• i suppose i should really start the day by getting dressed.

I can't believe it's only 2 paychecks to Xmas:eek:. i have money in my Xmas fund (should be £210) but really that won't cover much. Oh wants us to go away at Xmas so that we don't have the dreaded decision of who's house to go to but really I don't have the money for that.

Right - kick up the bum time and I've got to hit the road.

Tomorrow's plan is the dreaded bootcamp which will be the first time I've been in about 8 weeks. Scary.

Have a good day everyone.

meersy22

Morning all

I need to be out of here by 8.15 as I want to be in work earlyish.

Well managed to do everything on my list yesterday and feel so much better for it. I had got into a habit of opening my post and dumping it in a pile to be looked at later (never happened). I have sorted through it all and found a credit card bill from my holiday for £37 which i had forgotten about:eek:. I still have time to pay it but it shows how easily things slip.

I have £24.38 to last me to the end of the week. Pay day thursday:T

I haven't planned ahead so I need to buy lunch. I did go shopping on Saturday but forgot bread. Drrrrrr!!!

We had a birthday party for my nephew yesterday and I have another b'day party next week and the one after.

Ok need to take on the world. Have a great day everyone

meersy22

Hi all,

I spent £3.05 today on tuna sarnie and paper. so that leaves £21.33 for the rest of the week. I've already made lunch for tmw and that should save some money.

Tomorrow I have slimming world £4.95 and that is hopefully the only spends. I have another leaving present to contribute to. I know it sounds really selfish but it's the 3rd collection in 2 weeks and I could do with that money. Wed should be an NSD but best laid plans and all that.

The electric has been on and off all night with the storm, so I'm typing this quickly before I lose broadband again.

My cousin had her home flooded yesterday and the insurers were there today and it will probably take about 2 months before she can move back in. My cousin has had such a hard time of it lately as her youngest daughter is very poorly. It always makes me appreciate what I have.

I will attempt to get out of bed early tomorrow but am really struggling in the mornings.

Chat tmw

Meersy

meersy22

Morning all

Thurs was pay day:T. I found myself looking at the New look website and their lovely winter dresses but caught myself on at the last minute. This month I need to buy a cooker as ours is 100% kapoot. I had a guy out looking at it and he did what he could but it's old and done.

I'm going shopping today for a cheapish but decent cooker. I will put it on the credit card but it's 0% for 18 months and pay it off over the next 3 months (factoring in Xmas spends). I hate the thought of having money on my credit card but at least it's not like the old days when there was over £5000 on it. I still don't know how i was able to cope with that.

I'm going to a birthday party today for my niece and don't have any plans to spend money other than on the cooker.

OH is doing up the spare room so I will leave him to it and go and enjoy birthday cake

We're almost into Nov. So my anticipated spends for Nov which are over and above the usual-

• I need to pay for 3 Xmas dinners £60;
• Flights to Manchester to see sister for me & mum (£130);
• spends in Manchester (£100);

My Mum's flight is also her Xmas present - will buy a small box of chocs as well.

I'm not sure what is happening at Xmas. OH wants to go away (I have no money). Sister in law has proposed that we only buy for god children but that would mean I'd buy for 1 brother and not the other - couldn't do that. I think tins of sweets all round

meersy22

Morning all

I need a strong cup of coffee before I start my day. I have to get nephew (4) ready to go to mass in a bit and he will probably be doing laps of the church with me chasing him .

I didn't spend any money yesterday as couldn't decide on cooker. I wanted the sales man to be a bit more like a sales man but instead he told us the size of the cookers and left us to it. I thought we were in a recession and they wanted my money . I'm going to do a bit more research today and head up to Belfast this afternoon.

I have £200 in my spends account this month but that is for everything. It will be another tight month and as it's Xmas I think my savings are going to get a little rattle.

Have a good day

Meersy

meersy22

Evening all,

Well my flight to Manchester is booked but it was dearer than I thought £178, my sister asked us to catch a later flight and it makes sense as she has that day off.

I'm going to buy a cooker tomorrow so that will be more onto the card. I know how to clear it with the help of this site so I'll just have to get cracking.

I have so much to do tomorrow it's unreal -

• list on ebay ( i think it's free listing);
• ironing pile;
• buy cooker;
• grocery shop;
• cut hedges;
• weed garden.

I shall be shattered if I get everything done tomorrow but if i'm up at the craic of dawn it's doable

meersy22

I am sooooo ready for a glass of wine. I have ticked off everything that was on my to do list

• [STRIKE]list on ebay ( i think it's free listing);[/STRIKE] - wasn't free listing but it's done;
• [STRIKE]ironing pile[/STRIKE];
• [STRIKE]buy cooker[/STRIKE]; - £489 spent:eek:
• [STRIKE]grocery shop[/STRIKE];
• [STRIKE]cut hedges[/STRIKE];
• [STRIKE]weed garden[/STRIKE].

Unfortunately I am no longer debt free. My credit card is now sitting at £978.36. This is a combination of new cooker, flights to Manchester and some Xmas pressies. I'm ok with it as it's interest free for 18 months and I've set up a dd to pay off £100 a month and after Xmas I will try to increase that. Isn't it scary how quickly you can be almost a grand in debt

It has been a good day as I got everything I wanted to do done. I also managed to wash and hoover out car. I don't have a clue where the energy came from today.

Tomorrow I'm off to my nieces christening.

meersy22

Hi all

Christening over and it was actually a really nice day. OH is just away to pub for a pint and I have kicked off boots and good clothes and now plan to veg on sofa with paper and coffee.

Todays spends were -

- £5.15 - papers, milk, and fruit bread
- £8 - 2 glasses of wine at christening.

Hopefully the rest of the week should curb my spending. Oh well Monday again

meersy22

Monday again:)

I have a meeting at 10 this morning which is in the opposite direction to work so I can pootle round my house until 9.30 which is a bit strange. I'm usually rushing out to beat the traffic.

I've been doing a wee bit of Xmas calculation and trying to anticipate all my spends for Xmas and the new year. I'm going to put the plan down here and it will be interesting to see how I do.:o

I have 9 nieces and nephews and another one due at Xmas so that's 10 to buy for :eek:. This year I think I will give £10 to the 2 eldest and £5 to the rest. One of my sis in laws suggested we only buy for the god children but not sure if that will happen.

Xmas & New Year spends

• Nieces & Nephews = £80 (new baby present also included)
• Food & Wine = £70 (between 2 houses);
• Xmas cards & wrapping = £5;
• Sweets for work = £5
• Hotel for Xmas party = £60;
• Xmas parties - £40 (food already paid);
• Spends in Manchester - £80 (2 nights);
• OH pressie - £100;
• General just in case spends over Xmas & N year - £100
• Beauty treat - £20
  

Total £560

The 'general just in case spends' are totally up in the air but Xmas always turns out to be more expensive than I had planned. If my office party wasn't miles from home I wouldn't have to pay overnight accommodation etc. OH is coming with me and I said I would drive but after last year when the roads were treacherous I'm a bit [STRIKE]scared[/STRIKE] reluctant to drive at night.

I'm not sure what we are doing for Xmas but I always pay for some of my Mum's food. Hopefully New Year will be a bottle of wine at a friends house.

I have £210 in my Xmas fund and will have £400 in my general savings fund but hopefully I can cut costs somewhere.

I know it's only November but I love Xmas.

Ok time to hit the shower and put some washing on before I head to work.

meersy22

Hi all,

Today's spends £2.85 on a sarnie as I thought I was getting home from work but ended up in back to back meetings.

I started the Xmas spends today - the card spends is 76p over budget as forgot 2 of my friends have b'days in Dec. I went to book my hotel for the Xmas party and it was on a special offer of £29:T which wasn't there when I checked last week.

Xmas & New Year spends

Nieces & Nephews = £80/£11.09
Food & Wine = £70 (between 2 houses);
Xmas cards & wrapping = £5/£5.76;
Sweets for work = £5
[STRIKE]Hotel for Xmas party[/STRIKE] = £60/£29 paid - saved £31;
Xmas parties - £40 (food already paid);
Spends in Manchester - £80 (2 nights);
OH pressie - £100;
General just in case spends over Xmas & N year - £100
Beauty treat - £20

Total = £560/£45.85