I can do this.................I AM doing it!

Snowdonlily

I managed it all apart from writing the Christmas cards. At least I won't have as many to write this Christmas

Really quiet at work today so I've been doing some calculations. December is going to be a really tight month so I'm going to have to set myself the challenge of having at least 7 NSD's between now and the 22nd which is my next payday. I'm not very good at NSDs so I'm going to have to be really organised.

I'm spending about £50 a week on petrol at the moment running back and to seeing the boys. While I don't begrude a single penny if it means I get to see more of them, H hasn't offered once to bring them to see me since we split in the summer, even if he offered to bring DS3 half way it would help :mad:

Made about £60 on ebay last night, but have already spent half of it on Christmas pressies. This is the first Christmas I can remember that I haven't put anything on a credit card. I'm absolutely skint, but at least I won't have to avoid the postman in January :rotfl:

Its scary not having a contingency fund, and not having a second wage to back you up. My first priority in 2011 is going to have to be to build up an emergency fund, just in case!

Did some more knitting last night. The scarf I'm knitting for DS1's GF now measures about 12" (needs to get to about 48"!), so I guess I'll be knitting some more tonight :rotfl:

Hope everyone's keeping warm x

amber03

So far i hav'nt put anything on the cc which is a really great feeling, hopefully it will stay that way,the first time in years i will have paid cash for all my presents and my cc is staying in the drawer. All christmas cards wrote and those that needed to have been posted have been [2nd class stamps]. Did this whilst my central heating was being serviced. Got a good report on the central heating working smoothly which is good due to the current weather conditions.

I am hoping to eventually have a contingency fund soon which will make me relax abit when i think something is on the way out. My friend has one with a £1000 in it this is my aim.

Happy knitting snowdonlily. x

Snowdonlily

Hi everyone. Its really quiet here today which is no good at all!

I've had time to do some calculations and its not looking good.

The plan of action is ........ebay, ebay,ebay and more ebay! I also have some gold jewellery I don't use anymore, so I'm going to take them into town on my day off on Friday and see what I can get for them. Whatever I get can then be used as cash to give the boys for Christmas.

Depending upon how much they're worth, hopefully some of this can also go towards kickstarting my contingency fund.

H is being rather a pain in the b*m about letting me have the remainder of my stuff from the house. I have two boxes full of shoes and bags as well as an attic full of stuff that could be ebayed :mad: I was hoping we could manage this between us, but it looks like the Sols will have to get involved :mad: What he doesn't realise is that his Sols will also be billing him "by the letter" so being awkward with me is costing him money!

I have a £20 note in my purse, so my mini challenge for this week is to try and make it to Friday without breaking into it. I'm off on Friday and have about £35 left to spend on the last few pressies I need to buy. I also found a £5 Argos voucher which I'd forgotten about so that can go towards someone's gift!

Wish me luck!

Snowdonlily

Today started badly with a horrible migraine and ended brilliantly when I spent the evening with DS3 :):):):)

I miss him so much its unbelieveable. Its so nice when I go home for a few hours. When I'm feeling down all I have to do is go home for a little "fix" and I'm back on fighting form again. Can't wait to get back there

Snowdonlily

Another first for me today. I put together a flat packed table and six chairs all by myself....phew!

Took me all afternoon, but I did it! H used to make it sound like rocket science.......another myth shattered!! :rotfl::rotfl:

peaceandfreedom

Snowdonlily wrote: »

Another first for me today. I put together a flat packed table and six chairs all by myself....phew!

Took me all afternoon, but I did it! H used to make it sound like rocket science.......another myth shattered!! :rotfl::rotfl:

Tee hee. Did he also refuse to bother with the instructions and then swear luxuriously when it all went horribly wrong?

Snowdonlily

Ha ha, yes he did.............every time :rotfl::rotfl:

Been off for a few days, but its back to work today.

Finished all my Christmas shopping yesterday, now I'm absolutely skint. I had to be really strict with myself and go home once I'd finished or I would have just kept on spending!

I was really fed up yesterday. The expert we appointed to value the house is demanding more money to finish the job. I'm so angry.....its either pay him an extra sum or pay someone else a whole lot more to do the job again :mad::mad::mad: I really don't think what he's doing is legal :mad::mad::mad:

I sold some old gold to pay for it (including my wedding ring - oh the irony!!). I sold it on the High St and actually got a good price for it........I was very happy with what I got

amber03

Everytime we buy flat pack furniture i end up putting it together whilst hubby sits on the couch, mind you the difference in me doing it is i read and follow the instructions whilst he just used to put which pieces he thought went together. I've nearly finished my xma shopping and all xmas cards written and posted feel more relaxed this xmas hope it continues.

Snowdonlily

Hi everyone, hi amber!

I've also finished all my pressie shopping this year and have my cards all ready to post. I'm much more organised this year, I suppose I have more time on my hands (and less cards to write!!)

I had a bit of a wobble this morning when I realised I had the grand total of £95 to last me until the 22nd. My o2 phone bill of £35 will go out on the 15th which leaves me £60 to fill my car and buy food until the 22nd. :eek:

I could kick myself for taking such an expensive mobile phone contract but at the time (Oct 09) I thought I "had" to have an iphone to "keep up" with friends. These are the "friends" who've cut all ties with me since I left H. How stupid can I get! At least I've had my wake-up call. Its just a pity I didn't have a crystal ball this time last year

I've had to complete my "Form E" for the sols last week. Its all done and dusted now, I've completed all the paperwork and handed it in at lunchtime today. All I can do now is wait.

Its really knocked me for six this week. I think the reality of it all has sunk in. It would've been my 22nd wedding anniversary last week. The prospect of starting again from scratch at my age is really making me nervous, since I've spent half my adult life with someone else making all the big decisions.

As I said, I'm having a wobble........I'll be back to positive thinking tomorrow.....promise

I know I shouldn't have but I bought a lovely pink 2011 diary from WHS last week and a pink pen! It has a page per day and will be ideal for all my lists and for keeping track of all my spends. I can't wait to start writing in it

I'm seeing DS3 tonight, can't wait to give him a big hug!!

Hope everybody is keeping warm x

maman

Hopefully your wobble will soon be over:)

I think buying the pink pen and diary is a great idea. You will feel so much more motivated to do a spending diary and 'to do' lists in a nice book. As for the £95 until next week, I think that's quite do-able. It's only just over a week to go, so as long as you don't have lots of visitors you should be able to eat OK on the balance after petrol & phone bill. In true OS style I'd start with looking in the fridge/freezer/cupboards to see if you have anything there that you can eat. Plenty of eggs, pasta and jacket potatoes with some tomato based sauces, toast, baked beans and perhaps porage with plenty of milk. That lot should fill you up quite healthily.

Hope you are having a lovely time with DS3.