Starting my journey

choogirl

Busy day today, all the presents are now wrapped, 2 christmas cakes have been baked but now I have to decorate them.
I am going to have a hunt round the house and see how many lost pennies I can find and use those for debt repayments, every penny helps.
There is a box of stuff waiting to be listed on ebay and any proceeds can be used for repayments as well.
Both the children have been out all day and its so quiet- I miss them:(
I am going out with work colleagues for Pre-Christmas drinks this week, hopefully the boss will be paying. :beer:
Two more working days this week and then thats it until 2011 - a nice rest.:D

choogirl

Hooray last day at work tomorrow until the New Year so I can spend Thursday catching up with my best fab friend, finish my food shopping, housework and ironing. I'm going to be exhausted before the day even arrives. Bought my last few pressies today and now I'm finished, I haven't totalled up yet but I am confident that I am just under budget.
Everyone at work has really wound down so its got a really nice atmosphere at the moment instead of the usual manic madhouse.

choogirl

Hi
I have made my payments to credit cards today and have broken through the £11k mark:j

I dug a little deeper into the budget and have now got nice round even numbers owing - all nice and tidy now. The balance owing is now £10695 so its going in the right direction. I have also joined the 2011 challenge to pay off £8000, its a good motivator.

All food shopping is done, picked my meat up from the lovely butcher who winks at me I might have to buy my meat from him every week:rotfl:

choogirl

Happy Christmas to anyone who may read this, hope everyones had a good one!

DD and DS were delighted with their presents, felt guilty just before Christmas that I hadn't spent as much on them as in previous years but kids don't care about that. They were so pleased with their stocking fillers and DH commented that he thought that they would have being pleased if thats all they had received.
Its one day at the end of it all and I'm so glad I haven't gone OTT this year it will give me more to pay off my balance.
Had the in-laws round for lunch today and I thought that they were never going to go leave, DH father gave a few snide comments so was pleased when they went home.
We're planning a day out tomorrow to blow some cobwebs away as there are only so many days that you can sit in the house eating roast dinners and chocolate!

little_h_2

Hi choogirl, just wanted to say hello and wish you luck on your journey.

I will subscribe to your diary I have been there with the accountancy exams, passed my CIMA about 5 years ago now and it was the hardest i have ever worked for anything, but i am proud of it. I am in awe of you doing exams while having a family to run round after, i find it hard enough and i only have me to look after!

I was going to recommend flylady too but see someone else has. I read the website regularly and it has changed my ways. for me just something as simple as having a pile of clean cloths available means i can swish and swipe when the whim takes me (means things get done a lot more than they used to!). and it saves me lots on kitchen roll!

Happy new year! x

choogirl

little_h wrote: »

Hi choogirl, just wanted to say hello and wish you luck on your journey.

I will subscribe to your diary

Hi little_h

Thanks for joining me on my journey, I've just had a quick read through your diary and you've certainly had a roller coaster ride over the past year, I hope you're getting through it all.

It is hard studying and working whilst having 2 children but luckily I get alot of support from DH and my best friend so its made it abit easier I will be so glad when its hopefully all over in the summer. I still find it ironic that I've ended up in this mess doing the job that I do however its now getting sorted and is tidier so thats a good positive step.

I've also subscribed to your diary, Good Luck and Happy New Year x

choogirl

Had a quick pop to the supermarket today and bought christmas cards that had been reduced by 70% so they will be tucked away for next year. I was naughty and bought a half price selection box as well which will be munched tonight whilst watching Christmas dross on the tv.

I am also resisting the urge to look round the sales although I got some Monsoon vouchers for christmas and still have some Oasis vouchers left from my birthday so I will wait until another day when the stampede has ceased. I am not a rummaging kind of shopper but I do like a bargain.

Right time to go and swish and swipe the house which has stayed in remarkably good shape during Christmas.:T

choogirl

Well popped into town today and walked past a shop that had a dress half price which was gorgeous and I just kept on walking. I would have been in there a year ago with my CC, bought it and then wondered as I was still buying it how I was going to pay for it. Lesson has been well and truly learnt.

I love clothes, shoes, make up etc but obviously won't be buying anything much until my debt has at least halved. I so want it gone and not just for the materialistic side of me but just because I am sick of thinking it about it.:(

mummytogirls

Hi Choogirl, just found your diary!!

We sound very similar as I recently completed my bookkeeping course, this is also where some of my debt has come from :eek:! Hopefully it will pay off... one day!

Re being organised...

1. do you lay all the clothes out the night before?

2. get the kids packed lunches bits that can be left out the night before ie bananas and non perishables?

3. Menu plan? then I have a whiteboard in my kitchen and I write what we are having all week and get the meat out on a night to defrost and put it in the fridge the next morning.

4. Put a load of washing in on an evening and hang round the radiators and will be dry by the next evening (also saves on electricity from using the dryer!)

Hope these help. It does taking some getting there but once your in the routine it gets easier. Well done on walking straight past the dress aswell :T!!!

I also feel like im sometimes talking to myself on here, but it keeps me focused! x x

choogirl

mummytogirls wrote: »

Hi Choogirl, just found your diary!!

We sound very similar as I recently completed my bookkeeping course, this is also where some of my debt has come from :eek:! Hopefully it will pay off... one day!

Re being organised...

1. do you lay all the clothes out the night before? No need to do this

2. get the kids packed lunches bits that can be left out the night before ie bananas and non perishables? - I start to do this and then forget as the week goes on
3. Menu plan? then I have a whiteboard in my kitchen and I write what we are having all week and get the meat out on a night to defrost and put it in the fridge the next morning.- I do meal plan but writing it up on the board is a fantastic idea

4. Put a load of washing in on an evening and hang round the radiators and will be dry by the next evening (also saves on electricity from using the dryer!) - Will try this

Hope these help. It does taking some getting there but once your in the routine it gets easier. Well done on walking straight past the dress aswell :T!!!- I even looked at it online and I'm not so sure about it now so job done

I also feel like im sometimes talking to myself on here, but it keeps me focused! x x

Thanks for all these ideas, part of the problem is I am so tired on a morning I just can't get out of bed so I end up rushing around. In 2011 I am going to start going to bed at 10pm. I agree with you that the diary keeps the mind focused.

Well done on passing your book-keeping course, are you going to do some freelance work? I am hoping to develop a sideline of accountancy/book-keeping when I qualify in June. I found out last week that I've passed the tax exam so I just need to take 3 more exams and I'm finished. I can't wait I need to catch up on lots of things at home when I'm finished and start to earn more money to debt bust.
I've also subscribed to your diary. Good Luck x:T