rlc22's 3 year challenge!

rlc22

Yet another week over - I think that someone has put time into hyper drive or something as I feel like I never stop!

It's my last week at work this week. Makes me feel a bit sad as everyone I work with is really nice and I like it there. I need to focus on the excitement about the new job though as I'm sure that the people are lovely there too, and the job itself sounds fab.

I've managed to get all the bricks for the garage conversion, and now have the window too. Next on the list is to get the building inspector out to check the concrete slab. DH was very good this weekend and took all the junk to the dump. All that's left is a few bits that we're going to take to store at my parents house until the room is finished.

The good news is that I've managed to acquire some building materials that my dad has left over, so that will save us a few quid - great news when we're trying to do it as cheaply as possible to leave more for the mortgage pot.

Am still stressed out with our neighbour problem, can't go into it too much as it's looking likely that we are going to have to go to court to resolve it. We could really do without that from both a cost and a stress perspective, but it's most important that the situation is sorted out

I really can't wait to go away at the weekend. It will be lovely to just get away from home for a few days and for us all to spend some time together, something we don't get to do all that much with juggling work, organising house projects and trying to catch up on housework.

On the OP front, I have been chipping away at the mortgage, using my work expenses to pay in. My quidco account got credited with some money today, so looking forward to receiving that next week and I can over pay that too. Roll on pay day as I will be paid an extra 30 hours for time not taken, so that will be a nice little OP

rlc22

Counting down the hours left at work now... 22.5 left now and still got lots to do.

Tough day today as it was DS's first day in the toddler room at nursery. DH dropped him off there this morning and then helpfully emailed me to tell me that DS was very upset at being left , cue me booing it while sitting at my desk. Quite embarrassing! I called them a couple of hours later though and he was fine, so that made me feel better. I'm dropping him off tomorrow so let's hope that it goes better.

A couple of products that I suggested on Dooyoo have been accepted, so now need to review them. Let's hope that the words flow easily...

rlc22

Back from Disneyland Paris now. Had a fab time. It's so expensive there though, although we only spent the money that we had taken in cash with us and have even brought back about 60 euros so that's not too bad. I think I'll keep it in euros rather than changing it back into £ too as DH is due to go to Germany with work again soon.

I was wondering what DS would make of it all but he had a great time. We decided to go for character dining on our 2nd night and he spotted Piglet, ran up to him and gave him a huge great cuddle. It was the highlight of my holiday. He absolutely loved meeting all the characters and gave them all cuddles.

One of the horrors of the holiday though was the car parking charges at Ashford... £46 :eek: Hopefully should get Quidco for that though as I made sure that I used the credit card that I have registered with them.

So, I got back to a credit card bill which, for the first time this year, isn't horrendously huge and is much more in line with what we should be spending, so am feeling much better about everything as I was worried that we were getting into a perpetual state of overspending.

I also got £9.08 from Quidco so that's been paid into the mortgage account.

Payday for me on Monday and I should be getting close to a full month's salary even though I left on the 17th.

Start new job on Monday too. Am feeling quite nervous about it now, but hopefully it will all be ok. Have got training booked in for days 2 and 3 so it looks like there won't be any leisurely start for me there!

rlc22

I start my new job tomorrow so I should be all tucked up in bed, but I can't seem to turn my brain off. (I suppose that still having the laptop out doesn't help).

I'm quite nervous at the thought of being the "new girl" again. That's weird for me as I've never felt like this before - I usually love new things, new jobs, houses, new anything!

I don't know if it's related, but it seems to be since I had DS. Almost as though my confidence has taking a bit of a pounding. Perhaps because when you become a parent you don't really know how good a job you're doing and you kind of have to muddle along I think. At least, I think it's that anyway! I suppose that the fact that my son is happy, healthy and loved by everyone he meets is a sign that we're doing a good job with him, but for some reason I'm still not convinced... I'm hoping that I'm not the only person who feels like this.

So, back on a MFW front, from tomorrow I will be earning an extra £120 a month. That should help me get on track with the OPing, but I really need to be disciplined. My spending diary has gone out the window, although ironically we did really well last month when I wasn't keeping it.

I posted in the "Small things" thread about doing lots of shopping today for clothes. The good news is that I've just tried everything on and there's definitely stuff to take back - around £70 worth so that's good news.

The other thing is highlighted to me is that I definitely need to shift some weight. I did really well after giving birth and was back to pre-pregnancy weight within a month, but from then on the sleepless nights and eating lots during the day to try and keep my energy levels up have taken their toll and I'm the heaviest I've ever been.

That seriously gets me down. I really need to do something about it and I need to start now. So, my "new job resolution" is to take a healthy lunch with me and not buy any snacks or drinks while at work. Hopefully that should help me out on both a weight and MFW front, but I really hope that I have the willpower to do it...

[Deleted User]

Hey Rach
Sounds like disneyland was fab and bless your little one- he must have been over the moon to meet piglet and the rest!
I can well imagine that becoming a mum is one of the hugest life changes anyone will ever go through and like you say parenting doesnt have a "checklist" of things you are doing well at! Id certainly go with your instinct though as all the things you mention sound like the making of a very happy well cared for little boy!
Good luck with your first day - I know what you mean about being the newbie- something I also hope to be soon tho! ....sure you will soon settle in, and I find often the first day is over the nerves settle down!
Am also on a healthy eating kick and I think a few others are too - there is probably a thread somewhere! Am trying to bring in all healthy stuff from home so I dont go shopping at lunchtime (my only passtime in my lunch hour!) :rotfl:

rlc22

Thanks tyo.

I think I would prefer it if parenting really did come with a checklist. I really like dealing with "definite" things! I actually find it a lot easier now than I did at the very beginning. It's interesting to think back now and realise how daunted I was by this little thing I'd brought home from the hospital.

I'm sending you lots of good luck in your job hunting, I really hope that you find something soon.

I'm off to find the healthy eating thread

x

Froggy-G

Good luck for your first day Rach! Fingers crossed!

Froggy :rotfl:

cha97michelle

Hope today goes well for you. Don't get too stressed though. It is hard being a mum. It definiteyl all falls back to you, and i find i have a lot less time to myself as there is always a little person saying, mummy, please may i can i have a ......., and then doing the chores and the fun stuff to. We are not robots, so no wonder we need a little energy boost now and again.

Let us know how it goes, and take your time to settle in rather than trying to do x surveys and y reviews and getting yourself in a tiz. Your old routine will come back once you get used to it.

museumworker

Hope your first day went well, it is always nerve wracking being the new girl.

Good luck with the taking lunch in and avoiding snacks, it does save both lbs and £££s.

Definitely take cha's advice though and settle into the job, all the rest will fall into place in time.

rlc22

Thanks guys!

Well, I survived

It's quite a different environment to my last workplace, but there's going to be LOTS for me to do once I get into the swing of things which is really good.

Thanks for all your good wishes. I'm definitely going to take it easy on the surveys etc front this week and get some early nights. Am going to a training course for the next 2 days so I expect I will be quite zombiefied by the end of it.

Oh - the good news is that lunch and drinks are provided for the next 2 days. I'll be saving money without even trying! Just need to stick to the good stuff though.

xx