BB's 2011 'Motivate myself' Diary!!

brummiebabe

Well - haven't checked in any more often!! Now have my new laptop so will hopefully find this easier to do.:T

Busy day ahead...work, kids..you know how it is! Am hoping to set up my new spreadsheets tonight..still trying to work out how to use Excel!!

Work is very stressful at the moment & only my work colleagues make it bearable to be honest....the joys of working in the NHS!!

February's budget is looking ok at the moment..although it's early days!

Hope everyone has a good day. Am hoping for a NSD - taking lunch to work and dinner from meal plan!!:)

Have a great Tuesday x

brummiebabe

NSD achieved!!!:T

DD seems to have a bit of a temperature...Calpol given so she'll hopefully have a good sleep.;)

Don't feel brilliant myself...head feels strange and am shattered, really should be having an early night! Just watched the Gypsy Wedding programme....enough said:eek::eek::eek:

brummiebabe

OK - haven't posted here in ages!!!

To update - thinga really haven't improved all that much:(

As you can see from my signature - I still have the Virgin debt (0%) - and I also have around £160 on my other credit card:o I do still have around £1000 left from the inheritance money, but am trying to keep that to do car repairs/house improvments etc...

Tax credits are likely to be reduced this year too, and I imagine they'll stop altogether once my DD goes to school in September.

I have taken my eye off the ball to be honest and am overspending every month (still!!) so really need to try & focus on this again - that's why I'm back, posting on my old diary.

So wish me luck - I'll try to post more regularly from now on & will summarise my current situation tomorrow (too tired now:rotfl:)

brummiebabe

Hmm...never did update did I. LOL

Am still in a relatively small (compared to some) amount of debt - can't update the total as I've managed to lock myself out of my Virgin Credit card online account:mad: But I think it's around the £1600 amount, with around £130 on my M&S card.

Time continues to hurry by...work's busy, home life is hectic etc.

Am going to try & post on here regularly to keep track of where we're at. I've found if I take my eye off the ball then things start to slip:eek:

So, my plan for today:

• 3 loads of washing - 1 in, 2 to go!
• Ironing:(
• Take DD to a party
• Phone virgin to unlock my credit card account access
• Try to maintain my sanity with 3 kids & the wet weather meaning they're stuck in :eek:
• Change DS' beds
• General tidy up before the week starts again
• Get DS2 to do his homework.

Think that's enough for now....will update tonight, will hopefully then be able to update the actual totals of my debt:cool:

brummiebabe

brummiebabe wrote: »

So, my plan for today:

• [STRIKE] 3 loads of washing[/STRIKE]
• [STRIKE] Ironing:([/STRIKE]
• [STRIKE] Take DD to a party[/STRIKE]
• [STRIKE] Phone virgin to unlock my credit card account access[/STRIKE]
• Try to maintain my sanity with 3 kids & the wet weather meaning they're stuck in :eek:
• [STRIKE] Change DS' beds[/STRIKE]
• [STRIKE] General tidy up before the week starts again[/STRIKE]
• [STRIKE] Get DS2 to do his homework.[/STRIKE]:cool:

All in all a successful day...just about managed to hang onto my sanity..kids now in bed:j

Have checked my actual debts....

Virgin £1640.72, M&S £136.14

Am back at work tomorrow so am hoping for a NSD. Packed lunch is the order of the day I think!

Have £10 left to last until next weekend (not including petrol/grocery money) but it had kind of slipped my mind that it's father's day next weekend:o, so need to tweak my budgets a bit to try & get some extra money. My Dad will be happy with a bottle of wine (he always says he doesn't need anything) & my hubby isn't bothered...but the kids will want to choose him something...

Plan to have an early night before the maddness begins again tomorrow:rotfl:

brummiebabe

Hmmm...been awake since 5.30am, thanks to DH's snoring :mad: However, it's been quite nice having a bit of peace & quiet first thing in the morning! Have got a very busy day at work ahead, lots of visits one after the other.....am so glad I'm Part-Time!

Feeling very tired & haven't even motivated myself to go & make a cup of tea! Really need to get off the sofa & start to face the day:D

Am hoping for a NSD, shouldn't need to go near any shops. Need to phone payroll to ask when I can expect my P11D form - I need it to complete my Tax Credits renewal, but it hasn't come through yet.

Hope everyone has a great day, despite it bring Monday:rotfl:

brummiebabe

Had a busy day, but no crises with any clients, so that was a bonus!

Ended up having to get some fruit for the kids lunches, so had to have a little spend from my grocery budget (£3.37:mad:) No NSD for me then.

Am still adhering to my meal plan, that's one thing I find so helpful - not only when writing my shopping list, but also in releiving the stress of having to think what to cook every night!!

Have tided up & now sitting down watching the programme about the Walton Sextuplets...blimey.....:eek:. DH is meant to be putting the rubbish out, but is talking to the neighbour..about football!

Will be cleaning the kitchen floor in a bit....wow the excitement is killing me:rotfl:

brummiebabe

Think I need to try & do something differently ....I work out a budget at the start of every month, but we're overspending every month!! At the moment we've got some savings which we're dipping into, but those are really meant for doing some work on the house & the pot is dwindling fast!!!

I know a spending diary is going to be helpful, but DH just won't do it! I'm going to go back to using the 'envelope' system & draw all the money out at the start of the month so that it's all accounted for. Have found this works best for us as DH will adhere to the plan :-)

I'm still waiting for my Tax Credits decision as I've done the renewal - have kept some of my payments to one side in case of being over paid, but hope that I won't have been, so can use that money for other things.

So, have set my budget as it's pay day today.. Will look to take the money out tomorrow or Thursday & split it into envelopes.

I know I'm doing the right thing in trying to get myself straight, but when friends tell you they're getting new cars, having foreign holidays etc it can get you down ....mind you...I know they're going into more debt to do it.....so am not too jealous:rotfl:

brummiebabe

So today is the first day of my 'month' and I've withdrawn our spending money and put it into envelopes. Am really hoping that this helps us to keep on track. It's a short month, due to us going on holiday on the 23rd (spending money for this is saved:money:) so I'm hoping that I'll be able to reduce my overdraft by £100 this month and to clear it next month.

Over the next few months I'm hoping things will get a bit easier. My DD's days at nursery are being reduced over the summer, as she leaves at the end of August to go to school!! This will mean the end of nursery fees.........after 10 years of paying them!!! I don't begrudge it (well..I do a little:rotfl:) because my children have all done so well & been so well cared for, but with Tax Credits being reduced/stopped it'll be a relief to no longer have them.

Long term plans are to save for a foreign holiday next year.....we've never taken the kids abroad and really want to be able to do this.....it won't be cheap though, with 3 children and 5 passports to buy!!!!

By the end of the year obviously we need to have saved for Christmas....:eek: - can't beleive it's only 6 months away. We do spend a fair bit on the kids at Christmas but they don't get lots of toys/clothes all year round so like to spoil them.

We also want to obviously clear our credit card..it's not a huge amount, but I hate having it nonetheless. Am still waiting for my Tax Credits decision, as losing these may well impact on the amount we have to pay off the debt.

I'm also trying to keep a better track of our money & spending.....I find that when I don't , that's when we really overspend:o

It's our anniversary this weekend and we're celebrating by taking the kids to the local fair. It's £1 entry then 50p per ride...which, compared to £2.50-£3.00 per ride, is a bargain. No romantic meals for us.........:(

Kids are off school tomorrow but we shall be doing free stuff. DS2 is going to his friends' and DS1 may arrange with his mates to go to the local skate park. I'm hoping it'll be a fairly chilled day.....but is bound to be stressful. My children just seem to love arguing a the moment.

Catch you all later x

brummiebabe

Had a lovely day yesterday, so much better than I'd expected!! My eldest went off with his mates, DS2 went to a friends (and I stopped there for a coffee or two & a chat) then DD & I went to my mates for more tea & gossip!! DD played brilliantly with her girls......so a relaxing & free day was had by all.

Today it's been back to reality....work/school & now sitting at swimming lessons with DS2. Relatively low spend, Friday is 'sweets' night after school (the only night I buy them) so spent £2 there & then £2 on my DD's swimming badge:A

So , the budgeting is all good at the moment. Have some money left for this week so will take the kids to the fair as planned. Other than that it's another busy weekend....dancing lessons (DD), footy tournament for DS2 and then trying to do some more of the decorating:(

Hope everyone has a great weekend x