XSpender - MFW in Training

XSpender

I am completely wiped out tonight and am going to take myself off to bed shortly. Only the kitchen floor and swish around the bathroom to do off my list in the morning. I just seemed to run out of time today.

No points event at b00ts but 3 for 2 on DH shave stuff so stocked up.

Picked up the baby blanket I started knitting when I was pregnant and haven't touched for 8 months this evening:eek: Not a very good idea when your an incompetent knitter and cream crackered as I did three rows and dropped so many stitches it will look more like a fishing net than a blanket by the time I have finished, if I ever do:o I would love to have it finished for Christmas and then I could have a go at crochet in the new year.

Going to the craft shop with Mum tomorrow. She wants some wool to knit DS a cardi and I want the bits for DS christening cake.

Right I'm off to bed before I nod off:o

XSpender

Not had much MFW stuff to report so have been a bit slack updating my diary.

Had another one off payment on the CTC so it appears they may have increased my award. I hope the letter comes today, I hate not knowing where I am with my money.

Bad news money wise is that NP0wer are increasing my dd by £53:eek: They made a boob last year and refunded my overpayment and took it off my dd so I was running behind. The payment was originally £125, got put down to £75 and increased to £100 a few months ago. They wanted to increase it then to £150 but I said I was £200 in credit when it was £125 so why would I put it back up to that? I need to see how long it will take us to catch up with the shortfall and look at changing supplier, with cashback of course:D

Talking of cashback, I have £110 waiting to be paid out. This will probably become payable in January and will be a nice start to the 2011 overpayments.

I have read on some of your diaries that you are starting to think of your goals for 2011. This is something I am doing also. I think I will set myself targets for 100 days,so 3 x 100 and 1 x 50 will let me have a break before Christmas 2011:rotfl:

Most of the targets will be around earning money and retraining. I have started to look into taking a diploma in teaching literacy at our local college. I am going to sign on in December so there will hopefully still be funding available for people who have been made redundant.

I was very brave yesterday and had a look at selling some of my stuff on ebay. My seller ID is still set up. I just need to get my finger out and stick some stuff on. I have bought the ad paper and ads need to be in by tomorrow so I will write them out and get DH to agree the prices tonight.

Current balance in overpayment account stands at £138.74 and I want to hit £150 by the end of the month. I think I will order a settlement figure for #2 today as it will have gone down a bit and the decrease will keep me motivated:D

XSpender

Don't post for days then post twice in the same day:o I am trying to get myself back on track.:o

Spoke to NP0wer and something had gone a bit funny with my DD as based on their estimate of my usage and the small amount of arrears I only need to pay £102 (a £2 increase) so this has been sorted out.:j

Got on to my old paypa1 account. Last time I was on there was Aug 08:eek: There is £4.58 in the account so that will be going to the mortgage account when I send them ID as it is still in my maiden name and can't transfer to my bank account which is in my married name:D

Had a chat with my DM this morning about gifts for DS for Christmas (mega blocks and a pull out jigsaw:)) and she told me that my 15 year old niece has been scouted for the ladies England team:T:j She is really good and has played since she was tiny so I hope something comes of it for her. Mind, her coaches tried to threaten her this year with losing her place in the team because she is so thin even though she was automatically selected due to her ability. I think they must be so used to seeing fat kids and having kids struggle to stay slim that a naturally tall and slim girl stands out as unusual.

I have worked out that to achieve all my targets regards savings, holidays and mortgage overpayments I need to earn an extra £10/day allowing for rtime off for christmas and holidays. Hmmmm, how do I do that then?........

Off to have some lunch and a ponder...

SmlSave

From increasing your DD from £53 down to £2 is great XSpender! I bet you breathed a hugh sigh of relief when they came back to you.

XSpender

I am VERY relieved they have not increased my DD by £53, I couldn't have afforded it to be honest:o

Mortgage account saver is now £139.63 with 11 days to payday so £10.37 still to find which should be doable (is that a real word?).

Did a quick calculation this morning that to pay off my IO mortgage by the time I am 50 (9 years and 8 months:eek:) I would need to pay £1000+ off the capital. That is a very big, scary figure and totally unachievable at the minute. I think for 2011 I will go for £3000 off the capital. This will bring the mortgage below the amount we originally borrowed and clear off the extra interest from the payment break we took in 2007. This £2000 or so is on interest and capital but I am not sure how much comes off the capital each month as my statements only show interest going on and my monthly payment coming off. I suppose as the balance goes down the interest will so more of my SO will be coming over the capital. That is if the interest rates stay the same. In an ideal world I would love to change it all to a repayment mortgage but will need to wait until I have job.

I am going to set myself a target of earning £10/day excluding any income from a job I get next year. This will help us achieve all our financial targets as I want to top the savings back up after paying for the kitchen and have a couple of cheap holidays.

I have had an increase in my CTC award. Well it has gone in the bank but not had the letter yet. It seems I will get an extra £4 week as my income has dropped from £30k+ to £8k this year. I know it's extra money and we don't necessarily need it but it certainly isn't an incentive to take on all the stress and travel again I had in a job like my last one instead of staying at home with DS which I would do if £ wasn't an issue as my income will drop to nil next year.

Going to tackle BT this morning about the extras on my bill as I do not have calls with them. I boobed and didn't realise that they would charge me for stuff when I took my calls to Sky. I have a caller ID thing I didn't even know I had and it's about £4 a month!

DH was in the bad books this morning as his phone bill was a tenner over the contract price which he says is cos he rings me on his way home from work. Knew it would be my fault. Men!

First things first, I am going to ring and get an up to date settlement figure on mortgage #2 ordered and then I can see if I can work out how much I am paying in interest each month and how much is coming off the capital.

XSpender

Well I have bitten the bullet and submitted my claim for JSA, just need to hear when I will have to go for the dreaded interview now. I also need to update my CV as it is 2.5 years out of date:eek:

I didn't get around to ringing BT yesterday so will do that this morning.

Other plans for today are:

• Go get DS weighed at the clinic to make sure he is still on target now he has started weaning.
• Have a good tidy and vaccum
• Wash kitchen floor
• Sign up to 2 MS sites
• Make something decent for tea as we have had odd things the last couple of nights
• Write a meal plan up to the 26th
• Cancel veg box
• Make DH the apple cake he has requested and a cheese scone round for his team at work
• Start updating my CV
• Ring BT

I still haven't had a leter about the CTC. Should receive the up to date sett fig for #2 next week so my sig should look a little more healthy:)

XSpender

I dont seem to be achieving much at the minute. I hardly achieved any of the tasks I set myself yesterday.:( I just don't know where the time goes.

Was duscussing re training and going back to work with DH last night and I think I will be ready to start looking for a new job in the new year. DS will be 8 months and I expected to want to be off for for much longer but I was off for late Jan 2010 with a bad back so I will feel like I have been off a year. Obviously, I won't know how I will feel leaving DS for 3 days or so each week in nursery but I know I won't feel great been at home full time either.

DH said 'just think when you go back to work all your wages will be extra money to us' and I thought yeah, to go to the mortgage:D

We have agreed that we will sit down and look at what we have spent over the last month, as I have written every single thing down, to see if we can tighten our belts anywhere.

Another 85p from STC gone into overpayment pot. I have had to move the money in my pot over to the current account for cash flow as my CB is not due until the 25th and I have a £20 DD coming out and I always worry that there won't be enough in to cover things. A hangover from when I was up to my neck in debt I think and got charged all the time:o I will transfer it back next week as I do not need to spend any of it.

I have done a budget for 2011 which I may post for other's comments. The income side is still a bit vague around DH wages and mine too if I am going to go back to work but the expenditure bit is correct, or is what I want to do with the money as regards to saving/overpaying.

I ordered a hand made cake topper of DS and our 2 dogs to go on top of DS christening cake as it would be a keepsake for him. It was not cheap and I am a little dissapointed with it. It is quite a bit smaller than I was expecting so I think I will have to rethink DS cake. I may have to do 2 tiers so it stands out more as it may get lost on the large round cake I am making.

XSpender

Well, I have been to sign on at the the job centre and have to say it was a much nicer experience than I was expecting. I feel quite enthused about finding a job. I got the bus there and walked back as the bus was £1.30 for a mile and a half:eek: It would have been cheaper to park but spaces are limited since they demolished the multi storey.

Discovered 2 cheap card shops in the local town centre and got DH, DBIL and DGM & DGD Christmas cards and a 50th card for £3.19. I love the words in the card I got DH and it was only 89p:D

DH is off this weekend and has taken Monday off to use up his last few days off as he is off all over Christmas. I think we are going to the lakes on Monday which will be lovely and get a few jobs done over the weekend including preparing the ads for the paper next week and sorting out my paypal account . Hopefully, he will have DS for a few hours and I can get my CV done.

I have planned my budget and goals for 2011 around JSA and extra earnings so if I do get a job this will all change and I will really be abl to hit those overpayments:D

SmlSave

Hi hun, glad the job centre was ok

XSpender

Thanks SmlSave.:)

I have actually found a job I want to apply for since I got back from the job centre at lunch time:eek:It is full time but flexible hours and if I am honest I don't think I will get a part time job in my field so I am going to apply for it and see what happens. There is also 3 positions of a bit lower grade on their website so I might be considered for these too but they are not flexible hours.

Gawd knows what I will do with DS if I get a job as I haven't looked for a nursery place for him and the one nearest to me is outstanding and fully booked I think. I will ring them later and check that out.

Postie has been with my settlement figure on #2. £24889.90 but it doesn't take into consideration December's payment so this would bring it down to £24,459.30. A bit of interest will go on after the 14th Dec but as I am not looking to clear this first (unless I win the lottery;)) I will use the revised figure...it will keep me motivated seeing it under £24.5k. Here's hoping it's under £20k by the end of 2011:beer: