September - a new start

Kittikins

Uh-oh, I've just emailed someone about availability of their cute, tiny 1-bed gite in France for next year A friend told me her ferry to Calais was v. cheap this year including the car so I'm hopeful that soon I'll be posting that I have another branch on my money tree to save up for next year's adventures

Pippilongstocking

............sounds fun we love france, hope you're feeling perkier today I love this tree idea was it macgirl or yours - I'll scroll back and look..........x

Great stuff on the ebay listing being free this weekend.

Kittikins

Yes thanks, I think working at home rather than struggling in the office is helping as I'm at my lovely flowery kitchen table, Radio 4 burbling in the background and my mind is buzzing with slightly nicer things than yesterday. Now I hope I can keep it up!

Kittikins

Aaaaaaargh, the stress factor came back this afternoon/evening big time I blew £5 of the budget on a half-price pizza rather than make one, some overpriced veggies that DD probably won't touch (unless I hide them in a soup - evil cackle) and some crisps as she was starving - but at least instead of buying one pack for 44p, I bought the multipack for 87p, so she'll have some treats for the packed lunches!

I'm now pondering how/when I can start being active at changing my life around, I can't take this for much longer, I need to step away from what I'm doing and be happy again. The main problem of course, is financial. I have to earn at least £1,570 a month to pay all the bills and put food on the table, and that's with an interest-only mortgage! I've had a quick look around and there are no jobs in my area that will pay that, so I feel quite stuck. Grrrr.......

Anyway, I'm not going to beat myself up about the £5, will just log on to the bank and move it over *sigh*

Tomorrow is another day, yippee the weekend and DD and I are on a mission to tidy our bedrooms!!

Kittikins

Morning, what a miserable day it is weather-wise today However, I'm feeling more refreshed today and am starting to look at how I can change my life - first thing first, I need to help to relieve my job-related stress.

Ideally I want a new job, I'm thinking setting up as a virtual assistant as it's something I've been toying with for years, working for myself, I'm buzzing with ideas, looking for a new computer as I desperately need something that works rather than using my work laptop which of course I can't save personal stuff onto.

If anyone reading this is a VA or has any connections, please get in touch!

If anyone reading this knows anything about what's a good laptop to buy, please get in touch! I know very little about computers, my exOH told me what to buy with my current one a few years and he is so nasty that he probably recommended the worst one just to be spiteful.....I'd prefer a laptop for ease of going around the house with it, but think I've probably got a lot to look into.

I've put a Freegle plea out for a computer but to no avail (not unsurprising, but in my group, they have come up rarely as have all sorts of big-ticket items, even cars, so I thought it was worth a try).

In money-related news, the £5 from the Halifax credit card that I was told comes in a month in arrears, actually hit the account on Thursday, so I'm going to move £5 into the savings pot now I've already spent £266 on my card this month, so will be in line for £5 next month too.

I try to put everything on my card and move money over online from my current account to a savings pot so that I don't 'double-spend'

Kittikins

Managed a NSD today, probably due to not actually leaving the house!! DD was in the mood for a chillout day and who was I to argue

trixiepix

Well done for having a NSD yesterday, can't say i managed the same (oops!!)

Keep fired up about the virtual assistant move, it sounds as though it would be perfect, you just need to keep the momentum going and hopefully gather the info and equipment you need.

Have a good day

xx

Kittikins

Oops, sorry dear diary, I've neglected you

I was silly over the weekend, spent just over £20 in Mr T's and it was only when I got home that I remembered I had a £2 off £20 spend voucher sitting in my handbag. GRRRRR.

Worked in a different office yesterday which was blissful as whilst it's the office where the most irritating person works, she wasn't there It also means that next month I'll have petrol money to claim for!

I had small spends whilst I was there as I couldn't be bothered to bring lunch and naughtily am feeling rebellious this morning!! However, I WILL get off my lardy bum and make a salad or something as I'm never inspired by what I find in the supermarket at lunchtime and usually end up with some chocolate or carppy food.

£3 has been received from Green Metropolis, I'm at 18 leaves coloured in on my money tree That's amazing in less than a month. However, my main bank account is looking scarily low on funds, I'll have to sit down later and work out if there's enough in there to pay the remaining bills. I have a feeling I'll be dipping into my pot for money to keep us afloat soon as I seem to have a pathological fear of sticking to a tight budget!!

Kittikins

19 leaves now!! I just received the money for the sale of the dull textbook and one of DD's activities is half price as I'm a helper, so that's put me at 19 1/5 leaves

I have the day off today, YIPPEE!!!! as I'm doing some training this afternoon, so I'm going to walk DD to school, then make up a salad, grab a couple of books and my coloured pens and make the most of the sunny day down at the beach before the training. I know I should really be tidying up my utter pigsty of a house, but life's too short on a sunny day!

Kittikins

Well, I didn't do the beach but I did play with my coloured pens, did a lot more research into GCSE Science which I need before I can even consider applying for a PGCE and really enjoyed not having to think about work.

The training was interesting, a bit rushed unfortunately as others faffed around for so long doing their CRB application forms and lots of people had forgotten vital pieces of information (does noone bother to read the letter we were sent?!?), so by the time that was sorted out, we had less time to learn about how to be a chaperone for children in entertainment.

Now to hope that DD actually goes through with the show! She doesn't really have much of a choice as I've committed to chaperone and she won't be able to stay at home without me!

I also popped into a 6th form college and asked about their evening classes and if they take on private candidates. They don't, but I've put my name on a list to be contacted if they decide to run a second course, as the current one is both full up and on a night I couldn't attend.

I will do my Science GCSE this year as a private candidate and will pass with flying colours, having overcome my irrational fear of all things scientific! Whether or not I do a PGCE, I will find the knowledge useful to answer DD's questions as she grows up

Money-wise, things are feeling a bit tight and there's a lot of month left to go......but I have to think positively, the cupboards are full, we have flour to make the best bread in the world and today I am going to only buy things that I need for Rainbows and keep my credit card in my purse.