One step beyond!!!

natsplatnat

Hi LT - sorry, I have only just noticed your post here!

On track.... well just, but the track has not been quite as straight or flat as I would have liked! I think we are all pretty used to that now! How did your thinking about clothes making go? (sorry, not been over to you diary in the past few days!) I was given a sewing machine last Christmas and its now neatly tucked under the kitchen table! I would love to make my own clothes (the very comment that got me the machine in the first place!) but have no idea where to start.... was thinking maybe a waistcoat was a simple starting point!!?

Good news to report today!!! I have received my 'living-expenses reimbursement' from when I house-sat!! Just need to see how much of it the CC is going to swallow up!!

natsplatnat

Ok! So in the interest of having 'goals' I have worked out when certain percentages of my debt to OH will be repaid.... so here it is

Week %

35 20
51 30
68 40
85 50
102 60
119 70
136 80
153 90

Or basically, 10% repaid every 17 weeks! (strange that, can't believe it took me soo long to twig!! lol)

When I have converted the 'weeks' into proper dates, I shall update again - until then, back to work I go!! Afteral, without my job I wouldn't be able to make any repayments!!

Laters!! x x x

Lemon_Tree

i think i've decided not to take the class, i'm going to work on other things before i take the class but i will take it at some stage. I'd really like to make some blouses for work, at the moment i wear smart t-shirts which is fine but i'd like to be able to wear blouses again without them looking as big as a circus tent. when i first learnt to sew (after school where i learnt bog all) i just bought a pattern and followed the instructions, they're pretty self explanatory, you could always just get a cheap pattern and fabric and give it a go.

funny how 17 week at £100 of a £17k debt is 10% lol i'm sure some in my department still wouldn't be figuring that out.

natsplatnat

Good morning everyone! IT'S FRIDAY!!!!

It is a little grey here this morning - but at least the horrendous wind from earlier in the week has gone! I was worried the fence panels would blow over and take my tomatoes with them! But everything is okay!

Lemon_Tree wrote: »

funny how 17 week at £100 of a £17k debt is 10%

It does surprise me how dense I can be sometimes! :rotfl:


So, as its Friday it must be time for an update......

• Assessed the CC bill last night! Sneaky people had applied interest for last month as it took them 3 days to allocate a 'faster payment' (there in 2 hours jobby!) which meant they allocated it 2 days after it was due!! Grrr - but sorted as they offered to refund it! YAY! On another Grrr note, the CC bill was HUGE, and I mean HUGE!! :eek: :mad: :eek: A large portion of it was OH's - but mine was a lot more than I had budgetted for - so thats all my 'living expenses' gone, plus more!! Hey-ho!!:o
• I need to send £100 to my SIL-to be as next week she is starting to book up her hen-do (June next year!) and I haven't sent her any money yet.
• Did a bit of over-time last week, so wages were a little higher than usual today! YAY!

Following a recent discussion with OH, I decided to research maternity pay last night (for the future, not now!! lol). And my resounding opinion after what I read online and the calculations based on my wages is......."how does anyone ever afford to have chldren???!!!" After 6 weeks off work, my pay would drop by approx 2/3rds!!! :eek: How on earth does that help???? Ok, so I haven't factored in any extra benefits that might come my way, but I can't see them making up that defecit!! Unless I am wrong, in which case can someone please let me know! lol So, as well as clear my debt to OH and trying to live a fulfilled yet (semi) frugal life-style I/we need to think about how we can raise the money for a 'baby-fund'!! Hoping ERNIE will draw my premium bind numbers really soon - not going to be greedy.... £100,000 prize would do!

Thats about it I think - still toying with the idea of dragging the sewing machine out and having a play - I just never seem to have time to do so!!

Need to have a scout about for a cheaper renewal on our contents insurance (no buildings as we rent!) - currently gets paid by OH for some odd reason but I want to pay it out of the house bills account! I have done one search so far and have a monthly figure of about half what he pays now, just need to check the cover is the same. Will keep seaching though as cheaper would be better still!

Must dye my hair this weekend - feel the need for a cheap home-pamper session.... nails, brows etc. Working tomorrow though which seriously eats into my free time! lol And.... I will be missing the rugby match as its on in the morning and I will be as work! Pah, to them holding the world cup in NZ with its stupid time difference!!

Will update signature too!

Laters, hope you are all well? Nats x x x

ps, Small reason to celebrate..... As of this month I have cleared the OD on the house bills account!!! Not bad considering it was bouncing off -£800 back in January. It is amazing what a bit of juggling and reducing bills can do!!! OH has agreed to us continuing to over pay each month- as its going out already we don't miss it!! I will be setting up another 'savings' account to transfer the surplus into to earn us a few extra pennies on top!!! (off to have a look into savings accounts now!!)

Lemon_Tree

completely on top of things aren't you! i loved getting rid of my OD, it was so liberating but it's also a debt that often feels hidden as it comes and goes each month.
I need a cheapy pamper weekend this weekend as well, think i'll put that on saturday's agenda.
i looked into the Maternity pay thing a couple of years ago and worked out that i would need to save over £3k just to have 18 weeks off, where i am they pay half pay after the 90% but only for 12 weeks then you're onto the SMPittance. In the end it turns out to have been a wasted investigation but it was something to work towards.

natsplatnat

I am not even sure what the allowance is at work! I think I will be the first employee in the history of the company to take maternity!! lol

So my findings are based purely on the SMPittance! Don't really want to ask work yet - mainly as one of the bosses is my ex and the other is his brother!! We are all really close, but still - don't want them to know what we've been discussing!!! :O)

ps, In the interest of being [STRIKE]nerdy[/STRIKE] organised, I have already replicated my eSavers spreadsheet for my new Savings account!!! :D

natsplatnat

Geek alert!

Having run some ideas through my house bill account, I am proud to announce that as from the 31st October 2011 I will be sending £100 a month (and £200 for the months where there is no council tax) to the new savings account I am going to open! This still leaves a small surplus building each month in the house bills account just in case something changes and I miss it!!

Nothing like a new plan to cheer my soul!! Have a great weekend all!

Lemon_Tree

have a great weekend, well done on the plans with your bills account. I have to admit i run ours at less than £30 before payday but i know everything that's going to come out within an inch of it's life
i was scheming to try and work out how to get a regular saver account for my nieces and nephews when it's a pig of a job to get hold of their passports, going to try in the bank tomorrow, maybe they'll say something different to the woman on the phone.

natsplatnat

Hey LT - just passing by to wish you a great weekend too - enjoy the pamper session!

natsplatnat

Ok ok..... so I was 'sposed to be online to log onto my banking so I can do my Friday update..... but then I stumbled across these little beauties...... not quite in keeping with my usual pics, but they tick every box of what I want for this winter. All donations gratefully received!!!!