Trotting along nicely - my MFW diary

Ayeshalush

Haven't posted in a week or so as life has just been a bit hectic! My dad was taken ill last weekend and ended up bein taken into hospital on Monday night, meanwhile my mum was in Crete on holiday with some friends and panicking that she couldn't get home to my dad because of ash cloud. Dad got out of hospital on Wed afternoon and is on the mend and mum got home last night so normality is resumed!

I have been trying to keep up with everyone's threads and have managed in the main, but just haven't had the energy or concentration to post on anyone's or even my own thread.

I've been plugging away at the usual surveys, etc while at work but haven't kept any kind of record so will just update my sig at the end of the month. I was managing to stay out of the supermarkets until dad fell ill and then I was there almost everyday trying to find something that he could face eating, as well as keeping him supplied with manuka honey to try and help fight the infection!!

Nothing much else to report moneywise (except one 'majorish' thing which I'll write about over the weekend) so just need to concentrate on getting my head back into 'tight git' mode, lol!!

A
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Froggy-G

Glad your Dad is on the mend.. Enjoy your weekend!

Ayeshalush

gratefulforhelp wrote: »

Love her. We have a choccy lab pup and a golden danio fish whose name changes weekly!

Awwh, lovely - I am very tempted to get a dog and it was either a chocolate or a black lab that I fancied. Always said that when I was in a position to get another pet I would get 2 kittens and a puppy so that they grew up used to each other. Now I'm not so sure about all the work keeping on top of the hairs, lol!!:D

Vixstar wrote: »

Hi fairly new on MFW too. Just read you're dilema about the Kindle and just want to add my thoughts. I saved Amazon vouchers for mine as couldn't justify the expense and I have to say I wouldn't be without it now. I also notice you're crafty so maybe you could make your own cover - I made a fabric one and it seems fine for keeping the scratches off.

Thanks for that Vixstar:D. Haven't yet come across anyone who has regretted getting one so I think I've pretty much decided to go for it. Like you, I am going to use Amazon vouchers and have £67.80 so far, with another £25 on its way. I just have to be patient (which I'm not very good at:o). Good idea about the cover - hadn't thought of that - I find it hard sometimes to find things to make that are not too 'homemade looking' and will actually get used and that is something that I can definitely do!

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Ayeshalush

Froggy-G wrote: »

Glad your Dad is on the mend.. Enjoy your weekend!

Thanks Froggy. I have been keeping up to date with things in your camp and am so please to read that everything is going well. Kepping everything crossed for you both (along with everyone else on this board:D).

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cha97michelle

Sorry to hear your dad was ill. Glad you could be there for him and your mum to reassure them.

After saying i didn't use my kindle i started using it this week. Love it. I think i am equally addicted to finding free books as i am at paying off the mortgage.

gratefulforhelp_2

Ayeshalush wrote: »

Awwh, lovely - I am very tempted to get a dog and it was either a chocolate or a black lab that I fancied. Always said that when I was in a position to get another pet I would get 2 kittens and a puppy so that they grew up used to each other. Now I'm not so sure about all the work keeping on top of the hairs, lol!!:D

She is hairy and smelly and when it is raining and she comes in she goes galumphing all over the sofa...

just a quirk of fate that when it was reupholstered a couple of years ago, we went for chocolate coloured linen...it used to be cream:rotfl:

Ayeshalush

cha97michelle wrote: »

Sorry to hear your dad was ill. Glad you could be there for him and your mum to reassure them.

After saying i didn't use my kindle i started using it this week. Love it. I think i am equally addicted to finding free books as i am at paying off the mortgage.

I am desperate to get mine now!! Just wish Toluna would hurry up with those vouchers but knowing what they are like it could be xmas before I get them!!

gratefulforhelp wrote: »

She is hairy and smelly and when it is raining and she comes in she goes galumphing all over the sofa...

just a quirk of fate that when it was reupholstered a couple of years ago, we went for chocolate coloured linen...it used to be cream:rotfl:

I always say - you can either have a perfect house or a pet, but not both, lol ! Would have the pet any day! In saying that - although I feel very lonely in the house at the moment (this is the first time in 15 years I haven't had any pets) something is stopping me from doing anything about it, but I'm not sure what! I know that I do want another pet and I will definitely have one but just not sure when. Maybe I'm just not ready yet.

Pinned Mario together last night so planning to sew him up tonight. Can't wait to see my nephew's face - I'm sure he's going to love him! Started knitting first pair of socks ever last night! What a palaver getting started as I've never used DPNs before, never mind 4 of them at a time. Was fine once I got into it though, and worked out where to have all the needles so that I didn;t risk poking my eye out, lol!

Been doing all the ususal surveys, etc. Onepoll has been quite good today.
I have to confess that I have spent quite a lot on semi-precious gemstones recently for jewellery making. I can't bring myself to tell you how much:o. I attended a night class at the start of the year and loved it, however I don't get a lot of time to actually make anything but I keep getting tempted by all the pretty stones!! Wouldn't be so bad if it was acrylic beads that were tempting me!! Anyway, after chatting to a couple of friends, I have decided that I will set Monday nights aside (was originally my night class night) to make jewellery, and once I have enough I am going to have a jewellery party. I am not really interested in a jewellery business as such - but just trying to recoup some of the money and find a home for some of the jewellery/gemstones as I have far too much stuff just to make jewellery for myself (that was the original plan:o).

I'm really enjoying all my 'crafty stuff' at the moment - just wish there were some more hours in the day as the housework is suffering.:o

Too many confessions and embarrassed faces in this post so far!!

End of month update:

Month: Payment (Std / OP) / Interest (per day) / Net reduction / Balance

April: £300.00 (£173.00 / £127.00) / £15.98 (£0.53) / £389.99 / £26,912.19
May: £300.00 (£173.00 / £127.00) / £16.34 (£0.53) / £553.72 / £26,358.47

Not bad going, but could be better if I stopped needlessly spending!:mad: Without this diary though my Net Reduction would probably have only been £283.66.

Off to update my sig.

A
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Edited to change the format of my figures as I preferred the layout that Twinklie used in her diary (hope she doesn't mind me copying it:o).

Ayeshalush

Quite please with my progress today - only 2 days into the month I have already overpaid £191.10 (not including my regular monthly overpayment). Would be nice if I could manage that every 2 days, but unfortunately it's not possible.

I have just changed the tariff on my mobile phone so that will be £5 a month less. I am tempted to phone the mortgage company to increase my monthly payments by this to ensure that the saving goes to the mortgage every month and doesn't get swallowed up in other monthly spends, but I'm just a bit embarrassed as it's such a small amount. Will ponder on it .

Still keeping on top of the surveys, but they seem to be a little sparse at the moment.

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cha97michelle

It's not that small - it is £60 over the year. Alternatively, discipline yourself to move £5 at the start of the month to your OP pot. I do this.

This morning i sent £0.70 as that was the interest paid on my current account. I never had it, i don't miss it. Do it enough, and you end up with a fair old overpayment.

Ayeshalush

cha97michelle wrote: »

It's not that small - it is £60 over the year. Alternatively, discipline yourself to move £5 at the start of the month to your OP pot. I do this.

This morning i sent £0.70 as that was the interest paid on my current account. I never had it, i don't miss it. Do it enough, and you end up with a fair old overpayment.

Thanks Michelle, that's probably what I'll do - at the beginning of each month, I allocate that month's allowance to each 'pot' on my spreadsheet i.e. food, petrol, utilities, etc and anything left over usually gets swept into the mortgage savings account (unless I know of any additional unbudgeted items due that month) so it will get caught up in that anyway.

I do regularly transfer small amounts, like you, to my savings account.:D