Macgirl's "I Can Do Anything....If I Put My Mind to it" Diary

macgirl

Good evening!

DD1 is singing her head off and bouncing around now - so it's fair to say she's made a complete recovery. I remembered that she'd eaten some snow on Tuesday evening :cool: So that *could* be the cause of the sickness. Kids.

I feel shattered today. It was a palaver getting little DD to school. She insisted on going on the sledge, yet they had very kindly cleared and gritted all the pavements around the school, so she was most upset! I ended up parking miles away from the after school club we could sledge part of the way home.

This evening I need to move some money about and do that annoying thing of paying a cheque of £1 something to a card I thought I'd paid in full - grrrr.

Tomorrow I want to take down the living room curtains ready for their refurb and hang some from the playroom as a temporary measure. I've also got some work to do to catch up from yesterday and I want to clear the snow from the path and drive.

Hope everyone's had a good day and has kept warm

gilligansyle

Glad DD is better now. Aren't children amazing the way they recover?

Many years ago, in another life, I was a student nurse at Alder Hey Children's Hospital, and people used to say to me that they couldn't work with sick children, but they rarely moan, and bounce back from everything in the most incredible way.

taxi73

glad DD is loads better...bless her x

macgirl

Good morning - brrrrrrr! It's soooo cold here (remind me why I love old houses??)

Once I've taken the kids to school, I'll be coming home to do the usual chores and get out all the Christmas presents I bought in the Summer sales. Then I can have a recce of what I still need to buy.
I also want to go through the new house budget, now things have settled down. The fuel bill and water meter rate have been set slightly higher than I'd budgeted for, so I need to remind myself of the exact amounts so I don't get too comfortable and start overspending.
The tenants have signed up for 12 months (so 10 to go) and said they want the house for 2 years. But - I need to be in the same mindset as DH - if they move out and the house is empty for a period things could get tricky. We do have a "slush" fund, but I don't want us to touch that.

For 2011, my goal is never to be in debt again. This will take work as I'm still not naturally frugal and have kind of cheated my way to debt freedom
The main aim is to try and overpay the mortgage. Even a few £100's would make a massive difference. Then I want to start saving on a regular basis.

I know we're not in the New Year yet, but I just need to get my head in the right place.

Keeping_Motivated

Mac have you cleared all your debt yet?

You keep sounding guilty about the way things have turned out about being able to pay the debt off...I don't think you should at all...any of us would be grateful of a windfall or any sort and if you had your old mind set you might not have paid the debt off you might have done a full refurb of your house, bought a car, booked a holiday etc etc but because you had already changed your mindset you have used the money wisely so please don't feel guilty feel proud...its almost like you're brushing over it on your thread because you feel guilty?

Karmacat

That sounds a great plan, macgirl, setting yourself up for the new year - very like Hypno - like I'd like to be (like I will be, as I *will* keep on getting well!). I agree with KM tho, you still sound guilty about the df-ness: I'm df because of gifts, and you know what - I deserved those gifts! I wouldn't be able to say that within the family, maybe I never will, but on here, thats how it is. I deserve all the good things the universe gives me! Say it after me .......

taxi73

I agree with the others.Don't feel guilty you deserved whatever the windfall was.

hypno06

I've told you before, mac, and I will tell you again - you have not cheated at this.

I have used most of my bonuses over the last few years to pay down debt. I've earned those bonuses and I have put them to good use.

What is the difference.........???????

macgirl

thank you :kisses3:

I think what I mean is, that I didn't do it the hard way, thereby am worried that I haven't fully learnt my lesson. I'm terrified of being in debt again, because - if I'm really honest with myself - the urge to spend spend spend is still there....

Anyway, I've just got my first bills from Sainsburys for gas and electric. They start on the 15th of Oct yet British Gas have billed me to the 17th :cool:

It might not be much, but I'm going to ring them both and make sure my bills are correct. I did write down the meter readings as soon as we moved in - but do I know where they are now?! :wall:

macgirl

Right, I'm making a to do list because I've been chewing the fat with my Mum for the past hour or so on the phone and the clock's ticking:

• Clean Kitchen, empty dishwasher and refill. Sweep and mop floor
• Tidy Living room and hoover, put all kid's gubbins away
• Hoover whole of downstairs and stairs and upstairs
• Make beds and tidy bedrooms
• Clean bathroom
• Washing and ironing - an ongoing project
• Move the sofa and do my 3 test pots - my Mum's a "do-er" and was urging me to get it decorated before Christmas. She thinks the wallpaper is easily paint-overable!
• Take down the curtains and put up the others. Or I might wait until next week, as...
• I need to put my sewing machines together. They are industrial and DH took them apart when we moved. I might need to get them serviced, so will ring up the man today and get a price for that.
• Ring Sainsbury's and BG to sort out the bills

Just heard Frank Sinatra singing "My Way". It brought a tear to my eye thinking about my dearly departed Grandad. He was a real character and *loved* Frank

Catch up later x