Regular Ramblings from LookingAhead

LookingAhead

Hello! I'm back....well I got back yesterday evening but have only just come back online.

I had a great time away and didn't spend much at all! I was able to change my left over Euros back at the airport and got over £20 back which will help with things I have to pay for this week so, result there.

I was in Holland for a couple of nights and I met lots of new people (friends of a friend) and they were all absolutely lovely and I got so many offers of accommodation in the future if I go back (and lots of people said they hope I go back) - I was so touched by people's generosity & kindness out there towards me. Such lovely people....awwwwwww!

Well hopefully going to have a no spend day today - really don't fancy going out today, just want to stay at home and catch up on stuff before the monotony of another working week begins tomorrow....sigh.

So how are you guys then?

GirlRacer_2

Hi LA, glad the weekend was a success and within budget. Bet your really glad to be back home and thinking about another week in work lol.

LookingAhead

- Bet your really glad to be back home and thinking about another week in work lol.



Yeah....I just can't wait....._pale_

taxi73

Hi LA ...glad to see you had a fantastic week end and that you made loads of new friends and free offers of accomodation..glad to see you back

hypno06

And the really good news is that you came back with spare cash

Glad you enjoyed it, and hope you have a relaxing evening to recover.

LookingAhead

Crikey how long since I had a ramble??? Shocking.

So anyway.....let me try and unravel my head, which is currently spinning around all over the place.

What have I been doing. I've been mooning about at lunchtimes (whenever it hasn't been raining) talking myself out of getting on the bus to go home and never go back to work again ever, on a regular basis.

Really not enjoying my job these days and I am taking steps to do something about that. But hey it's pay day next week though - that always helps as I can amend my signature and show another payment off my loan which cheers me up .

My overdraft was quite impressively low for most of July - then we decided to redecorate the lounge. Whilst we were in Focus, I spied a table & two chair Bistro set for the garden which we've been after for what feels like forever and it was reduced to £39.99. So I bought it. I thought "If you're going to buy it - you'd better buy it whilst it's cheap!"

The decorating stuff all came to......err....quite a lot of money (too ashamed to write it down) but we did have to do everything - ceiling, radiator, windowsill & walls of course. And it looks so much nicer now, much more sophisticated I think! It was a bit bright before and was starting to get a bit grubby in places.

Hopefully BF will give me half of all the money spent towards it however he has paid off the holiday balance this month (got a week in the UK in September) so...not sure how his funds will be looking. If he can give me some cash that'll be great but I won't bank on it.

So - the overdraft will soar up to about £800 - £900 by the end of August I think but I have had a busy month so far and June wasn't exactly quiet either. August will be a lot more restrained - it's going to have to be! Much budgeting and doing 'frugal' socialising things. That translates as "Your place or mine for the coffee and gossip?"

I joined the Change Jar Challenge which is good - got over £6 to take to the bank - hopefully more after the weekend.

I am out tomorrow night but have warned my friend I cannot stay out late/get very drunk as I have an important appointment at 11.00am on Saturday, and I have to be on good form. So that will automatically save money. BF will drop me off in town and I will get a taxi back - that money is already tucked away in my purse so, no visits to the speed bank necessary.

I was thinking recently about when I first had my LB moment and I had two overdrawn bank accounts - the first of which was my "spending" account which was quite a high APR and I thought nothing of running it up to the maximum as long as I could have a good time, buy whatever I wanted and go shopping. OUCH.

Anyway post LBM I started to whittle it down via selling on Amazon & EBAY and I cut right back on going out, buying clothes etc. Its time for that approach again I think. Bit by bit.

I haven't got anything big I can sell and there is not a lot more I can cut back on now so it really is a case of chipping away penny by penny - but it's how I got there before with my other account.

I'm so glad I won that PigsBack comp recently - I then had 2000 points so I got 2 x Boots vouchers (have I already said this...?) so I stocked up on shower gel and stuff - a big help in keeping the grocery bill down!

I have had a good social 'run' recently and a trip away (DFW style too with the free accommodation and food etc!), the holiday is booked & paid for and I just can't face shopping for any clothes (am I ill?) so....staying in and having a quiet time of it for a couple of months at least is no hardship at all. No problem staring at the walls....after all they are freshly painted and looking great!

MinnieSpender

A-hem!
:naughty:

LookingAhead

MINNIE! Believe me - I have been researching & practising on Excel etc tonight - I really have!

(I think that is what the "A-hem" was for!)

MinnieSpender

I'll believe you if you can talk me through pivot tables. Because I have no clue and it might come in handy!

LookingAhead

Actually I looked at Pivot Tables today - generally they are a way of manipulating data - in a table! You can place bits of information wherever you want within that table so that things sit side by side to suit you.

But that's as far as I got.

I think you have to work with them to really know your stuff - and I don't. I get the general idea but I've never used them before. Luckily this role I am going for provides training as long as they believe you to be a quick learner with a "can do" attitude. The usual!

Lord I hope they don't ask me for strengths and weaknesses. "Choosing good colours for the home and.....fair trade milk chocolate..." just won't cut it.