Anyone fancy a mutual support partner?

JoJo_Sparkly

:grouphug: Oh Tracey - so sorry to hear your sad news.

Jojo

hypno06

Well, here we are, 2007 - our year of positive moves to a better life.

First of all, Tracy I was sorry to read your sad news. Sending hugs over the thread.

Well, having had 3 days where I have not even left the house (hubby and children are away so relishing the peace and quiet) I have spent nothing, not one single penny, for three days. I would quite like to make today the 4th day in a row, but now sure how much longer my milk will smell ok so may have to venture to the shops at some point.

Last year I cleared out my Dad's house but couldn't face doing anything with the stuff (obviously we shared out the important, sentimental stuff) so just put it all in my garage. The idea was that we would ebay/car boot as much as possible, but in reality never did a thing with it.

Last night I decided that I could put it off no longer, we need the cash and the space, so this morning I have, for the first time (!) put something on ebay and will try and put a few more bits on over the course of the day. It actually feels quite liberating.

I have also got to get some paperwork together to finalise an insurance claim for a flood that we had in Sept 2005! It seems that they still owe us around £400 and have said if I get copies of the paperwork together then they will sort it out. That would certainly make a small difference to the situation, every little helps!

Here's hoping you all have a positive start to 2007. I am DETERMINED to make 2007 MY year, make it YOUR too x

JoJo_Sparkly

2007 and a new beginning - :j Happy New Year to You all :j

Hypno you sound supreamely organised! I'm very impressed.

Tracey - which insurance do you use for your animals? - Mine's up for renewal in Feb so I think I may shop around a bit.

What do we all plan to do differently this year?

I'm looking into growing some veg in pots in the garden and making more meals rather than paying out for ready meals.

I've targetted one of my debts (£406) to be paid by April and I'm going to try the January Grocery challenge of £60 per week.

I've also started to sweep my current account each time I log into it - I take away any money to round down to the nearest £5 or £10, so the most I can sweep at once is 4.99, these small amounts don't really notice off my account but already I'm up to 17.89 in my savings account - which I would certainly have nticed had I taken it all at once.

I've used the Old Style Board for cleaning tips and am now converted to the benefits of Vinegar and Stardrops which has had a dramatic effect upon my cleaning bill.

I have loads of clothes to ebay but I'm hanging on with them for a few weeks - not sure there's much money around for anyone straight after Chrissie so I might hold off the listing on them until Feb time.

Have a couple of gifts that would be useful for "re-gifting" later on this year - got a couple of birthdays in the next few months. I also "harvested" some of my daughter's huge pile of Christmas pressies before she got to them and have put them to one side for her birthday on 12th Jan. Did get a couple of toys in the sales together with some Clothes and I know rellies and friends will buy her bits and pieces so not going to get anything else now.

I've rambled on and on now - better go!

Jojo

hypno06

Organised I am not! That is why I got into this mess in the first place!!!

But, that is what I intend to do differently for 2007. To, quite simply, get my act together.

Every year I start off by saying I will save money (or pay it off debt) and lose weight. Then by the middle of Feb or March I have forgotten all about it and struggle all round.

This year, I have am at the advantage of having lost the weight in the second half of last year, so just (!!!) a case of keeping it off, and I am better prepared, with snowball calcs etc, for the debt reduction.

But I really do need to make this year the year that counts. If I do not, then I will be in debt for ever, and I cannot bear that thought. I so dearly want to be in control and to only have the mortgage outstanding. No-one else is going to do it for me, so I simply have to give myself a kick up the backside every so often to keep myself on track.

I have joined the flylady challenge on OS board so that will hopefully help. I currently pay a cleaner £25 a week and would like to be able to be so in control of my house (long way to go yet) that I can stop having a cleaner, without my family realising!! Some challenge, but that would be £1200 a year I can put to better use.

JoJo_Sparkly

The flylady challenge has got me hooked too -although its taken me all day to get the decs down!!! and I can't even think about Hot Spots yet - but a sense of achievement having it all packed away and up in the loft by 5pm. (did keep up one little decoration till 12th night - superstitious ole' me just can't face any bad luck!)

Jojo

pixie1

Its the first time Ive read this thread, goodness knows how Ive missed it but i was wondering if there was anyone out there who has recently set up an iva as i could really do with a buddy to help me through the proces which by the time ive got all the paper work together will be end of Jan I suspect.

Pix

JoJo_Sparkly

Hi Pixie
Join the gang - you are very welcome !
I don't know much about IVA - but I'm sure there are others here who can help.
Any other support I can give - I'll be happy to offer .

Congrats on your LB moment - that's the hardest and most important step on the journey.
Jojo

I_was_a_fool

Hi all

Tracey, sorry to hear your bad news, thinking of you. Hugs xxx.

Jojo I got two of those annoying letters too from MBNA, you will probably get the pretty, friendly one next, then another annoying one! You phone them up & its the same conversation every time. Them "No we wont accept the offer, we want more" Me "Cant have any more, havnt got it, what now?" Them " Well, we will write to you again...."

Hypno, well done on getting organised & on the weight loss! Im hoping to lose some weight as a natural result of saving money, but it isnt working so far!!

Family are all well now, thank goodness. I have joined the MSE 2007 olympic challenge (bronze), to make 1007 extra by July. Havnt a hope really, but it is something to focus on :-)

Need to get OH involved, he is getting irritated with me obsessing about money saving all the time!

Welcome pixie1!

Brassicks

Hi All,

Sorry havent kept up with the postings.Been pushing a lot of overtime just before xmas...Took the holiday,unfortuantley that has realy blown my budjet through the roof,however i will recover.

CCCS have taken my first couple of payments and have started paying my creditors.My new years resolution is to now keep within my budgets and keep strong.

JoJo_Sparkly

Ooo hope you had a great holiday.

Back to normal work hours now - I'm actually quite pleased as it means I can focus on usual routines and less likely to want to spend money.

Mind you have already fallen off the flylady wagon - my son decided to cook a special meal from his new recipe book as a surprise last night - Every pan used and a strange pasta sauces covering most cupboard doors, floor, Ceiling and cat! couldn't face clearing it all last night and have only loaded the dishwasher today - will need a sand blaster to get the rest off! - so much for a shiny sink!

Did 3 Mystery Shops today but I could have kicked myself, one was a fast food drive through but it wasn't untill I got home and looked into the bag that I realised I hadn't been given a receipt - and the food was _pale_ pants too - so I ended up paying for a lousy meal that I wouldn't have chosen to eat :mad: Won't do that again in a hurry.
Hopefully the others this month will be better - all helps the piggy bank.

I'm up to £32 towards my target debt of £406 - and any Mystery Shopping is going towards it too so might be at £100 by end of the month. (fingers crossed)

Nothing much to report otherwise (Ooh I did buy some herb seeds for kitchen window and a bag of seed potatoes for an early crop in the garden - strike while I'm keen!)

Take care

Jojo