TizerCats Fiscal Adventures

TizerCat

lucielle wrote: »

Long time no see TC. Hope everything is ok.
L

Oh my I havn't been on here for ages......6 months in fact!

Quick update of the main points....

1) Overspent at Christmas ....bought Saddle and bridle and sweetitch rug for Pony 2 as treats for myself, boxing day evening! spent £500 in 30 mins on the internet :eek: told myself I was saving money in the sales :rotfl: and could pay for it in the new year!

2) First day back after Christmas was told by boss that had to take a pay cut as one of his business's had a cash flow problem :eek: from the 1st of Jan. A £4K paycut with no notice! :mad:

3) spent £800 on GG's in Jan alone as GG1 had to have vet for a kick and had to be stabled :eek:

4) Generally hid head in sand and pretended everything was going to be ok :o. In 5 months I had already missed mortgage/rent payment and was spending the kids 'rent' to me the month before it was due.


BUT SOME GOOD NEWS TOO....:)

5) sold GG3 to a friend of a friend who needed a companion ...Now a 2 horse family

6) Sat DD1 and DS1 down and showed them that now they are both adults they could pay 1/3 each of the costs of running the flat. they were not happy! but it is still less than renting a room elsewhere in this city! I do a budget sheet of what it has cost me the month before and they now pay exactly 1/3. I don't complain about them using the tumble dryer or leaving lights on now 'cos I know they are paying for it

7) GG2 has gone on full loan to a lovely girl who is training at a local riding school. GG2 has now turned 5 and is getting lots of experience in a busy yard and has even started jumping. The girls mother has asked how much I would sell GG2 for if I did, and I have given a price. so just have to wait and see what happens in November when the contract ends. Still I don't have to pay her costs until then :T

8) GG1 has been got fit by DD1 and I have got some great pictures of her jumping Xcountry and on a sponsored ride, so have readvertised her for sale. Forgot to say I fell off in Jan and havn't ridden her since as lost my nerve Made me come to my senses and realise she is too sharp for me! Only took 8 years LOL!

If she doesn't sell I will try and get a full loaner for her to save money. DD1 is cross I am selling her now she is riding her (hardly interested for the past 7 1/2 years !) but is not prepared to pay for her keep!

AND THE BESTEST NEWS...boss has given me my full time job back plus a little more hours! so from next payday I can work on the debt busting again! I am so scared he could cut them again I am more determined this time.:):)

July...goal is to pay rent and mortgage arrears off.

August... goal is to pay overdraft off. again!

THANK YOU FOR STILL BEING HERE ... TC

TizerCat

OK have spent 3 hours after work(- better internet at work) catching up on here, am sorry i've been away for so long I love reading everyones news ! !

am off to Hickstead to watch the showjumping tomorrow as have got free tickets! :TWill avoid paying for the parking too by walking that bit further! Am taking a packed lunch ...so just got to leave my purse behind and it will be a free day out.:j Fingers crossed for the weather X

Next step work out budget for next month......

TizerCat

Friday..am having 2nd thoughts about going to hickstead....here is part of my post to Lucielle...

Wages have been reinstated from this month but as I stand now I am 1/2 a month behind on the mortgage and 1/3 behind on the rent, have used all the overdraft the bank will allow - £250 - and have had an advance of £200 on next months wages already (to pay direct debits and DD's 21st birthday dinner)(dinner £80 and wasn't worth it!). I also have very little food left, am relying on allotment veggies and a few packets left in the cupboard! AND we are on the emergency electric, which is not going to last until payday next thursday. AND almost no fuel in the car! AND i've run out of puppy pads and the dog keeps peeing on the carpet! (is there a crying smiley?)

I am very angry :mad::mad: with myself for sticking my head in the sand for so long when I had been turning my finances around!

I am supposed to be going to Hickstead to watch the showjumping today. Have got free tickets and know where to park for free and am about to make my packed lunch, but of course I have forgotten I have no fuel to get there so it will cost me money. money i should put on the electric! I think I should cancel it - writing this has also been a bit of a wake up call! i think I might repost it in my diary.....

TizerCat

:jHave checked bank account £15 still available and all direct debits have now gone out:)

A friend of a friend of a friend... just phoned about last pony - has been stitched up by a dealer and wants to know if i would do loan with a view to buy- tried not to bite her hand off! - she is coming to view tomorrow evening.

am going to Hickstead to celebrate will put £5 in petrol = 25 miles driving - should get me there and to the yard tomorrow /

Will put washble rugs where dog keeps peeing - at least they can go in the machine!

Leaves me with £5 for electric and £5 for food...I think a chicken will be best as can make it stretch with vegies and rice I already have.

7 days to payday and counting...... am off to make packed lunch....

TizerCat

Hickstead was good and didn't spend anything once I go there. Just had to put a £5 in the car.

Came home and upstairs have go music on really loud! probably think no one is in! I hate to complain in case they complain about the dog barking.

Had a look at what is in cupboard as have 7 days food to find plus dog food out of a £5.

[STRIKE]3 portions pea and bacon soup[/STRIKE] in freezer and [STRIKE]4[/STRIKE] portions fish
[STRIKE]1/2 packet cooking bacon in freezer[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]2 packets instant noodles[/STRIKE]
About [STRIKE]2portions of rice[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]
porridge oat
1 litre soya milk
[/STRIKE]

[STRIKE]1 tin lentil and bacon soup[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]6[/STRIKE] 2 tins baked beans
[STRIKE]6 [/STRIKE] tins mushy peas
[STRIKE]
1 tin ordinary peas
[/STRIKE]onions/ garlic/ potatoes/ lettuce and carrots ready at allotment

So meal plan.

Will have to be porridge with water and soya milk for breakfast.

Lunch Sat/sun baked beans on toast (need to buy bread)
4 soups will make lunch mon-payday with some bread.
Kedgeree with haddock/rice/peas x 2 portions
salad lettuce/carrot/onion and pots with 1 salmon portion
Potatoes/onion/garlic fried with mushy peas and last haddock portion.
Bacon and beans with noodles x 2 portions

Should be paid by Thurs evening!

so have enough money for dog food and bread plus 1 soya milk if needed for coffee/porridge.

will probably help my diet too as nothing left for snacks

so off to T$SCO$

TizerCat

well walked to T$sco and realised I could save on the bread too as had masses of flour under my desk left from a bulk approved foods order before xmas. then found a £1.50 mr T voucher in my purse:):)

So bought dog food for the week and some soya milk for only 76p

went home and made 3 loaves of bread ... feeling very DFW

S*$ has hit the fan with DD tho as I told her about the possible buyer for the horse tomorrow. She refuses to ride her for me and shouted at me. Said she wanted to kill her self then accused ME of emotional blackmail! Had to remind myself that she is 21! For the last 71/2 years she has been telling me to sell this horse, as she is too sharp for me, and when I advertised her in horse & hound in March DD said I was brave!
She has been schooling her for me since I fell off in February, as I've lost my nerve. Now I think she likes having the free ride! I've said she could buy her cheaply or have her on loan but she claims to have no money! I know she has at least £1k in the bank where I'm in debt :mad:

Still it leaves me with the problem I either have to ride the horse myself tonight :eek:or pay the riding instructor to ride her, if she will wait for payment until I get paid on thurs?

Oh well! housework and allotment today! then stables. Beans on toast for lunch and Kedgeree for tea

lucielle

AHA, found you! I think DD needs to be a lot more helpful. Sorry to be blunt but I think she's being incredibly mean. Have you told them anything of your financial status? If you've read my spiel on my diary I think you'll find that my boy scared the crap out of me and I tried lots of ways to overcome this but the reality bit and he had to go. I thoroughly enjoy my lessons and do yearn to have a horse but now isn't the time.

Well done on the meal planning and bread making. I'm going shopping tomorrow and need to meal plan. Hope you have a good day.
L

Eager_Elephant

Hi TizerCat

When your diary poppd up again on my subscribed list I thought I don't remember this one!!!

Anyway good to see you back.

Sometimes you have to hover near the bottom of the abyss before you can climb back out again.

Glad that the cost of the horses is reducing.

Good Luck - you will be back on track very soon.

(((TizerCat)))

EE

ETA: Now that your children are contributing to the household bills can you afford your debts or will you still be struggling?

TizerCat

Hello Lucielle and Eager_elephant,

welcome to my diary, it's good to have company!

Lucielle- yes I totally agree with what you say - except my thoughts were a bit stronger than 'mean' -we had a bit of a shouting match and the subject of the horse hasn't been raised since!

As it turns out lady luck appears to be on my side at the moment. :T:TAn hour before the lady was due to arrive, another livery came back from a hack and as she i quite a good rider I asked if she would ride the horse for me. She knows I've l've ost my nerve and agreed happily(I think that I helped her out in the winter went along way) ! She just had a quick walk trot and canter before the buyer/loaner arrived. I explained the situation to the veiwer as well as I didn't want them to think we had worn the horse out before they rode her. They liked her:), but they have a few others to look at (a sign of the times!) so I am not getting my hopes up.

Eager_elephant- Trouble with me is I seem to bounce along the bottom!:rotfl: I will do a budget and make cut backs...then spend the money! I have asked to join the long haulers supporters as this may help me look at this as a long term commitment more! Several years ago my creditors agreed to £1 amonth and no more interest so I don't have the motivation of the debt getting bigger or anyone chasing me.

I have planned to pay the mortgage arrears on payday and the rent arrears. The £200 sub from my boss will also be paid back then. I also have to pay the balance of my new glasses - am getting very bad eye strain all the time - opticians say my eyes have deteriated in 18 months, but it is normal when you are NEARING 50!:eek: (am shocked I think of myself as just turned 40!!!:()(i'm 45).

And I've looked at the car and noticed that I have to buy another parking permit (joys of living in a city:() in july.

After that lot I'm am going to aim to stay within my overdraft by the end of the month, which is about all I can manage I think. August is DD's birthday and I will clear the OD as I get charged £1 a day on it. Then I will turn my attention to the other debts.

Back soon doggie needs a toilet break....and no puppy pads.....:o

TizerCat

Back again! ...bumped into a neighbour in the block who has got a new puppy ! it was sooo cute and only 9 weeks old ....anyway doggie emptied ....back to the diary.....

One last bit of good luck on my part...DS phoned last night at 8.30 to say he had missed bus home from work and there wasn't another one for 40mins so could I pick him up. After I told him I hardly had enough pertol to get to him - $sd$ is 5 miles away- never mind get back- he said he would give me £5:T. So after bringing him home I still have 20 miles in the tank :j ! Which will get me to the yard , where they are having a BBQ for one of the farmhands that is retiring! I thought I was going to miss it as had no money for petrol after yesterday. So i am off to get ready for my free lunch at 1.

Hope you both have a great day in the sunshine! and you Lucielle try not to spend the whole day decorating the showroom!

TC