Blinking in the brightness of the lightbulb moment

Cat2011

March Tally of savings.
Saved £142.61

£10.00 Mystery shop
£16.00 Mystery shop
£2.65 Bank round down
£0.23 Interest
£2.24 Interest
£20.00 Mystery shop
£11.00 Mystery shop
£80.49 ISA Interest

Cat2011

March Tally of savings.
Saved £142.61

£10.00 Mystery shop
£16.00 Mystery shop
£2.65 Bank round down
£0.23 Interest
£2.24 Interest
£20.00 Mystery shop
£11.00 Mystery shop
£80.49 ISA Interest
£7.75 Interest

Cat2011

March Tally of savings.
Saved £152.76

£10.00 Mystery shop
£16.00 Mystery shop
£2.65 Bank round down
£0.23 Interest
£2.24 Interest
£20.00 Mystery shop
£11.00 Mystery shop
£80.49 ISA Interest
£7.75 Interest
£7.00 Mystery shop
£1.42 Bank round down
£1.73 Cashback

Cat2011

So. I finally got a response from the last uni to which I applied for Medicine. I got rejected. Absolutely gutted . Got the email just before lunch, and had to pop into town to do a mystery shop during lunch, so when I went out to my car I sat and had a little cry....

So what do I do now? I'm almost certain I want to try again in October with another application. So I can spend time between now and then gaining more caring experience/volunteer work etc.

Trying to look at the positives...

• I can pay off my debt this year and get back into the black without worrying about uni
• I get months to build my application so that it's even stronger
• I have learnt absolutely loads about the application process. Different unis look for completely different things, and judge your application in completely different ways, so I can take what I've learnt and make sensible choices about the unis to apply to next time.
• I could possibly apply for 5yr courses as well as 4yr courses next year. (4yr "graduate" courses you can get a student loan for most of your tuition fees, on the 5yr course I'll have to self-fund the 9k/yr fees for 4 of the years)
• I can stop refreshing my fricking email every 5 minutes!
• I could go for a promotion in April

So - lots of positives. Still gutting, but it just wasn't to be. Not this year at least...


There have been several jobs funded at work, along with 3 PhDs. I'm not sure which band the jobs are at the moment, but they might be the next one up from mine so I could apply and see if I can get promoted. The details are a bit sketchy at the moment. Another option is to start a PhD, but that would mean giving up on medicine, and I'm not sure I'd want to do a PhD even if medicine wasn't an option. I need to look into it really, as quite often to get any higher in my line of work you need a PhD. I think I need to have a quiet word with my boss once the jobs are advertised and see if he thinks I should apply for any of them.

Back to the finances:
It's nearly April so time to look at new ISAs. I could maybe lock some of the money away for a year to get a better rate as I think I can manage without access to it. The deals on my CCs run out in July/Sep/Nov/Dec/May-13/July-13, so can manage with other easy access savings.

When the cards run out I think I'll just pay off the first few, as I doubt I'll be able to get another balance transfer onto a new card. But worth asking them if they'll do a deal before cancelling. Maybe will be able to balance transfer the last few cards, at 0%, so can keep the money in a savings account earning interest.

Once the debt is paid/saved up for I need to get my credit report in order. I also have a 4.5k and a 7k overdraft (unused), which I suspect lowers my credit rating as the banks count it as access to credit. So think I might reduce those considerably as I never use them. Hopefully once the credit cards are settled they won't affect my rating too much, but they'll still be visible on the report, so I guess they might.

I've worked pretty hard this month with the mystery shopping, so hopefully that'll pay off next month. I have a fairly good amount saved up so far this month.

At the end of the month can also start filling in the tax return so I can see how much tax I owe and put it aside to pay in January next year.

I think I need to go back to doing to-do lists on here...Firstly I need a new year planner for my wall! I've entered some stupidly long/hilly bike races, and I need to see the weekly countdown to race day to get me out and doing enough training. Otherwise it's going to hurt! (lol - hurt even more than it needs to!)

I'm having a dent fixed on my car tomorrow. I've been ever so good and saved up for my car insurance which is also due at the end of the month - but that's going to get spent on the dent and the car insurance will have to be paid out of the savings account for the debt. So on balance I think March will be a low savings month :S

The above means I have to cycle to work tomorrow which will be interesting. Hopefully I'll get up in time, as I've been struggling with waking recently... so I guess I really ought to go to bed...

Cat2011

Managed to get up and sort the bike on Friday . Dropped my car off for the dent repair, and then made a rather poor route choice into work. Cycled 11.5 miles in in 55mins, then on the way back I checked out GoogleMaps first, and the route back I cycled 6.2miles in 28mins. Cycled nearly twice as far as I had to in the morning! Never mind - all good exercise... Dent on the car was repaired very nicely and got chatting to one of the guys that works there. He mentioned a cycling club that he's a member of, as he saw me cycle in. I've been out once on their mountain bike ride (they do road rides too), but was too unfit/crap to keep up. Think I'll give them another go tho, maybe try the road rides, as that's more about fitness than technique, so I can just work hard for 20miles, rather than worry about getting over rough terrain.

That brings me onto another subject - I realised I've lived in this town for 4 years now. And I know nobody here! I know some people through work or my housemates, and one or two people through other friends, but I've not actually made any friends here. Which quite frankly is ridiculous. I think if my friends described me they'd say "Cat? - Oh she's really nice - bit shy though". I guess I've been putting off diving into my life here as when I first moved here I had a boyfriend, so thought I'd maybe move somewhere for a life with him, then thought maybe I'd move jobs, then thought maybe I'd move for medicine. I guess I didn't want to go to the effort of meeting new people if I was leaving in 6 months. But 4 years later I'm still here. So I think I need to start throwing myself into life in this town. There's a triathlon club and the cycling club. When I'm a bit fitter I could join the running club. There's a salsa club too - I adore salsa - I'd love to get better at it. Money to pay for these is a sticking point at the moment. The salsa is quite expensive >£20/mth if I go every week. But the triathlon club is more like £15/yr then a couple of quid a week, so I can start with the cheaper clubs til the debt is gone.
This is going to sound stupid, but I need to get used to talking to people more... I'm not very good at the whole conversation thing. I'm fine with my friends, happily chat away, bit of banter etc. But I think I need to get used to striking up conversations with strangers as well. Think that'd help a lot. Hopefully this will help with the whole finding a boyfriend thing. It's a lonely life sometimes...

I was meant to be going to visit a friend of mine this weekend, but she's in hospital at the moment (pregnancy doesn't agree with her - it's not serious, she's just having her blood pressure monitored). So we had a nice long chat on the phone instead. But this does mean that I have a free weekend - and it's free eBay listing! So onto the weekend's to-do list:

• List at least 30 items on eBay.
• Investigate car boot sales - see if I can go to one tomorrow morning (for all the crap I can't sell on eBay)
• Buy a year planner so I can write in my races for the year to persuade me to train
• Put the bins out
• Go for a long bike ride (>30 miles)
• Mow the front lawn (it's horrific...)
• Take recycling things to the tip.
• Sort car insurance renewal

Think that's it for now...

Cat2011

Well I seem to have organised going to a car boot sale tomorrow morning . Starts at 6.30am. ugh! It's very local, and they hire out tables for £5, which is great. £6 for entry, so lets hope I make more than £11!. Not sure how popular car boot sales are this time of year, so might make a huge loss - but who knows. I'll be taking my winter warmers and a thermos of tea that's for sure!

Will stick to listing the more expensive things on eBay, but reckon all the shoes and jewellery can go to the car boot.... right.... need to start packing!

ZTD

Cat2011 wrote: »

then made a rather poor route choice into work. Cycled 11.5 miles in in 55mins, then on the way back I checked out GoogleMaps first, and the route back I cycled 6.2miles in 28mins. Cycled nearly twice as far as I had to in the morning! Never mind - all good exercise...

That's what riding a bike is all about, the journey, not the destination. Pretty good times though.

Cat2011 wrote: »

That brings me onto another subject - I realised I've lived in this town for 4 years now. And I know nobody here! I know some people through work or my housemates, and one or two people through other friends, but I've not actually made any friends here. Which quite frankly is ridiculous. I think if my friends described me they'd say "Cat? - Oh she's really nice - bit shy though". I guess I've been putting off diving into my life here as when I first moved here I had a boyfriend, so thought I'd maybe move somewhere for a life with him, then thought maybe I'd move jobs, then thought maybe I'd move for medicine. I guess I didn't want to go to the effort of meeting new people if I was leaving in 6 months. But 4 years later I'm still here.

It does sound like you've been waiting for your life to start on it's own, rather than starting it.

Cat2011 wrote: »

So I think I need to start throwing myself into life in this town. There's a triathlon club and the cycling club. When I'm a bit fitter I could join the running club.

Woah there, doesn't "triathlon club" imply a certain level of good fitness? :eek:

I used to do marathons a long time ago, but then they changed their names to "Snickers" and so I stopped.

If I'm honest, don't run. It's bad for the joints. Swimming/cycling - it's all good.

Cat2011 wrote: »

There's a salsa club too - I adore salsa - I'd love to get better at it. Money to pay for these is a sticking point at the moment. The salsa is quite expensive >£20/mth if I go every week.

What do you get for that?

Cat2011 wrote: »

But the triathlon club is more like £15/yr then a couple of quid a week, so I can start with the cheaper clubs til the debt is gone.
This is going to sound stupid, but I need to get used to talking to people more... I'm not very good at the whole conversation thing. I'm fine with my friends, happily chat away, bit of banter etc. But I think I need to get used to striking up conversations with strangers as well. Think that'd help a lot.

Yep, I have the exact same problem. I can talk to people I know, but not those I don't. At that point there comes the problem of getting to know people...

Cat2011 wrote: »

Hopefully this will help with the whole finding a boyfriend thing. It's a lonely life sometimes...

It is.

:grouphug:

Cat2011 wrote: »

I was meant to be going to visit a friend of mine this weekend, but she's in hospital at the moment (pregnancy doesn't agree with her

Rather her than me...

Cat2011 wrote: »

• Buy a year planner so I can write in my races for the year to persuade me to train

Or put them here. And be nagged.

Cat2011 wrote: »

• Sort car insurance renewal

This is important. Go through a cashback site.

Cat2011

Thanks ZTD, you always make insightful comments . The running club tend to sprint off into the sunset and I struggle to keep up, but with the tri club I can probably keep up with the cycling, and the swimming is just done at your own pace, so might be easier to join in.

The salsa club is £5, once a week for an hours lesson and then an hour or two of "freestyle", where I try and find someone who doesn't mind dancing with a bit of a beginner, so I can put it into practice. I went to the local session once a couple of years ago, but didn't really like the atmosphere. I/the club may have changed since then so could give it another go, or go to a nearby town instead.

Cat2011

Made £66 pure profit at the car boot sale this morning! Very pleased with that. It was a bit hair raising at first - especially the first 30mins after they let the public in - they were almost running between the stalls! I sold quite a few things, but still seemed to have a car load on the way home... think I'll try that one again next time I'm free on a Sunday. Or could try another local one. I had a few things in the car that I didn't put out as they were pretty dusty from being boxed up for years, and I didn't have time to clean them. I have a whole load of wax figures, and little pottery bits and pieces, so will clean them up and put them out next time.

Progress so far:

• List at least 30 items on eBay. - listed 4, one of which I sold at the car boot. Will put some more of the higher price stuff up this eve, like the Lipsy dresses I have, but will probably save the rest for the car boot, so doubt I'll make 30.
• [STRIKE]Investigate car boot sales - see if I can go to one tomorrow morning (for all the crap I can't sell on eBay) [/STRIKE]Done and dusted. £66 profit
• [STRIKE]Buy a year planner so I can write in my races for the year to persuade me to train [/STRIKE]Done
• Put the bins out
• [STRIKE]Go for a long bike ride (>30 miles) [/STRIKE]- Off in a mo for a bike with my friend
• Mow the front lawn (it's horrific...)
• Take recycling things to the tip.
• Sort car insurance renewal

Cat2011

March Tally of savings.
Saved £226.50

£10.00 Mystery shop
£16.00 Mystery shop
£2.65 Bank round down
£0.23 Interest
£2.24 Interest
£20.00 Mystery shop
£11.00 Mystery shop
£80.49 ISA Interest
£7.75 Interest
£7.00 Mystery shop
£1.42 Bank round down
£1.73 Cashback
£66.00 Carboot sale
£7.74 Interest