The Ultimate Incentive Threadies go all out!

Birdie85

It would be good if the view from the back showed the strappy version, you can't see where they lie from the back! I think you'd have to be very tall with good shoulders for the straps, but it'd look lovely without them.

Dinah93

Hi everyone (actually I'm going to adopt Cinnys greeting and call you all muffins!). Did you miss us? Missed you. Excuse the lack of format to the post - so much to catch up on I wrote it in notepad so there are no nice quotes to tell you which bit is a reply to you - you'll just have to wade through.

Holiday was lovely for the most part, nice weather, characterful if somewhat faulty house, good to spend time with family. Brothers girlfriend is somewhat unbalanced and under no circumstances will we be going away with her again, but other than that a good trip.

We decided not to stop on the way back, meaning NIM did a 22 hour drive with only loo and coffee breaks. It did mean we got a day at home before coming back to work though (yes, its taken me 3 days to catch up). I was intending to help with the driving, but I fell asleep and when I woke up we were pulling into our estate! Mum and dad stopped for the night and set off again the next morning with grandad and brother and gf, and getting onto the tunnel was hellish apparently, took over 2 hours to check in as they had 70,000 cars pass through that day. I think the hellish part came from the brothers gf stropping for an extra two hours though!

Checked up on progress on the challenge before I started cathcing up - how sad is that? I actually have some pretty pennies put aside ready to pay off... but I can't find the clicky box I need to log on to online banking. I didn't pay it off straight away as didn't know the account number to pay it into but I have it now. Tonights to do is to unpack the rest of our holiday bits, order US visas and and find the clicky. Tomorrow night I'm going to look at currency, NIMs anniversary present and maybe some tickets for things in New York as I think there is a city pass which may work out cheaper for us. From reading the guidebooks I'm quite keen to see Radio City Music Hall (although the Rockette's aren't there till christmas), and we want to go to a good 'ol ball game (although I'm not sure how quickly I'd get bored of that it may be more the idea of it I like!)

Managed to get my to read pile down a bit on holiday too. I intentionally took books that have been there years and years, rationalising I bought them for a reason but if I don't like them any more I don't need them gathering dust. Of 16 books I didn't get time for 1 of them, 3 really weren't my thing and I didn't finish and The Joy Luck Club, Middlesex and Living The Good Life were all ones I really shouldn't have put off so long.

Excited to see Zig has a ticker. Confused as I didn't put it there and it's still on my to do list - I have to assume NIM has been efficent... although that possibility makes my very tired head hurt.

Is anyone having ticker issues? I see a few are still at £0.

Got an email through from Barclaycard saying the first payment off the 0% card will be on the 6th September for £210. Impressively clearing all the bits and bobs of debts, buying the washer and lounge flooring and our NYC spending money has meant we've run it up to the limit, but that was an agreed tactic to get the house finished as we've both had enough of being squatters now. I don't know how NIM is doing on the challenge as he hasn't moved anything over yet, but I hope to steal the lead unless you're all behind on updates once I can log onto the banking hopefully tonight (ETA wrote this yesterday, clicky has vanished entirely.)

Fridge-Freezer made it through the holiday. I used the tried and tested technique of our IT department (turning it off and on again) and it seemed to reset.

Came back to one tubby kitty. Hope she's just been eating a bit more than usual and there aren't kittens in there. We were told she'd been neutered or whatever its called but the vet said he couldn't tell for sure. She did get out the week before we went away, and was out for at least an hour. I finally found her about 100m up the street nuzzling someones garage door.

Hi CakeLover (love the name!). Sorry for the slow reply, had no real dongle signal while we were away. Jewellery jobs are with Bare, if you'd like a referal please pm me or NIM as I think we get paid to refer people New vista are decent I think, I can't say I've done surveys in quite a while, NIM used to do them but I think they paid us a few times. I don't bother selling for 1p as the postage cost for a paperback tends to be around £1.20-£1.40, you only get about £1.50 after amazon fees so even if you use brown paper not a padded envelope you're only making a couple of pence. For the 1p books I tend to put them on readitswapit to get new reading material for me, of sell them in a bulk 'car boot' type lot on ebay which only makes a few quid but its better than nothing.

Cinny - I've just been looking at blood donation as NIM has agreed to do it (and emailed them to check if I can donate) and it says it's a 4 month ban on tattoos - maybe its changed?

I think you seem completely different too Tete. You seem more collected for one, and one of those people who achieve so much and everyone kind of envies! I think you'll look back on this time in ten years time and think you did anything but stagnate, you achieved your own goals while waiting for Mr Right to come along to achieve your relationship goals. Just because you are living at home is only one area of your life, you're achieving so much more and living at home gives you the financial freedom to explore other avenues.

Congrats on the new job Tink! What is it?

I like the debt=chips and beer gut equation. Although Shrimpy I love that you don't make it clear if its the debt or the beer gut you haven't cleared yet!

Fantastic about Australia Zig, thats a real experience that will always be with you and who knows what oppertunities it will open you up to.

Starting to feel like I'm the only person in the country who hated 'Bridesmaids'.

Glad you decided to go to London Birdie even though your DH doesn't think it's fair you get treats and he doesn't. Does he have any reason to be mopey or is it just a flunk? Is he cheerier now honeymoon is on the horizon?

2 weeks to NYC! so excited, badly bitten by the travel bug atm and all this talk of Oz doesn't help. Sometimes I day dream of selling the house, handing in the notice and taking off. But then I go home and I'm perfectly happy there, and I remember NIM would only grizzle in the heat.

I don't feel like I use twitter very well listening to all of you. my personal account is pretty much dormant, I do use the business one to try to drum up interest and spread the word, but I've even let that die now until the site launches.

NIM had that issue with a currency place Shrimpy, not sure what he did about it though. I think he probably was honest about it and said they advised him they didn't have the best rate, the guy won't loose his job over it, as a customer you're actually more likely to return, and if the MS company caught you they could take you off the books I guess. The company may even train their staff this way and be looking to see if staff say this, it depends on their agreement with the FSA (anyone with a morgage has seen the document that says if they are impartial, whole of market etc, well apparently all financial services have this document for their own service). Its unlikely but I'd say honesty is always the best policy unless you omit him saying it all together and see if they get back to you and specifically ask.

Eeeek £54 for income protection?! I really hope you're not locked into that. That's almost like a gamble assuming you'll be off long term sick for that kind of money, like Tete says I'd save it myself (like Martin advises doing on pet insurance) and then if you don't need it you can use it for something else once it hits a certain level. Our FSA advised only covering the ammount you would need minus statutory sick pay not a full salary, because I get 6 months sick pay at full wage and another 6 at half, and we could survive (a little painfully and in the short term) without NIMs wage but with SSP, we chose not to protect it. Don't forget you can always take a payment break on your mortgage if you needed to as well which would hugely cut down on outgoings, and you wouldn't have one persons transport to work costs when they were off.

Glad the wedding went well Lara, you sound really happy.

Eeee your ex got me angry Zig - what right does he have to ask if you pulled! Thats just plain rude. Cinny put it well though. If it feels right then I wouldn't question it too much. Are you seeing her again?

Glad to hear the band aid is off on the dating Tete, hope the next one is more promising. Sometimes its nice just meeting different people though, one of my good friends came from a few failed dates where there was no sexual spark but a real humour one.

I had a fair few of those 'hang about' bikini moments on holiday. I've lost 10lbs gradually this year, but just over 1lb a month isn't very impressive even if it is in the right direction. Another 7 lbs to get back to my wedding weight, and I'd like at least another 8lbs to join them after that. NIM is planning to go out on the bike tonight but we've lost the garage key and his helmet is inside. If he goes I'll get on the cross trainer for a bit although it doesn't ever get me out of breath anymore. Considering starting running but its just the fear of my knee giving out.

So sorry about your OHs foot CMD, glad its something that will heal though could have been a lot worse. Thats really sad he lost his wedding ring though.

Can I have the link to the wedding photos Lara? Would absolutely love to see them. So sorry your bag was stolen, that really riles me why people think they have the right to do that.

Sorry you're having a rubbish time Amy, hope the chicken pox is on its way out now and the boys are feeling better. I think you can get compensation for long power cuts for food going off, might be worth asking on the 'in my home' board if they give compensation for knackering the fridge too. Whats your OH training to do?

Glad to hear from you Pilchard, hope you're okay and are finding a way to tackle the hugeness of the debts.

When is the new kitchen coming Cinny? We have a black gloss one and it looks glam but shows up every single chip (which it gets easily) and steak, even just cooking marks the doors and we'd have to clean every single door and polish with newspaper every time we used the hob to keep it smart - can you tell I'm advising anyone thinking of a black gloss kitchen to buy something else?! We can't wait to replace it.

Glad for car crash silver linings Starnac.

Were you still short on your 101 things Birdie? I think a F&M hamper could go on the list!

Little concerned that my laptop appears to be dying. It didn't load up at all before we came away, and now its taking about 10 mins (no exageration) from clicking on the browser to it opening even when no other processes are going on. Oh well, I have an ancient desktop if it does die.

We've just swapped our curtains in the bedroom (study ones were in there 'temporarily' for 6 months while we got around to putting a pole up) for the ones which will be going in the lounge. But they're cream with a black pattern so the room feels spacious but very bright on a morning. Going to order a blind in the next few days I think.

What the heck do you do Archers that requires steel toed boots and a hairnet at the same time?!

Aaand caught up. Phew. Off for a lie down.

Oh and Cinny - maracas.

shrimpy_80

Dinah93 wrote: »

Oh and Cinny - maracas.

:rotfl:

Glad you had a good time Dinah and no surprise that you will be taking the lead in the challenge despite not being in the country for much of it so far!

You win the mega post award too - that'll teach us for complaining it was quiet!

Birdie85

Wow fantastic catch up post Dinah! Nice to have you back! I also LOL'd at Maracas! :rotfl:

My ticker isn't broken, I am!

Glad to hear you had a nice time, your brother's GF sounds... interesting!

I really need to look into that income protection thing, it had fallen out of my head with other things I had to do so thanks for the reminder! OH has cheered up a bit now but I did upset him a little at lunchtime as I said that even my Mum (who used to firmly believe that he's perpetually cheerful) has noticed that he's inclined to get moody if he's not doing not he wants at all times so he kept pouting and saying, 'I'm not miserable!'. Hoping that he'll realise that he's not been the happiest chappy recently and he'll shake himself out of this funk he's been in. I think he's just ready to go away TBH and he'll perk up once we're away, he's bored of being skint now! It'll be lovely once we get back as we're upping our personal spends to £350 a month, which means I can throw a lot at the debt and he can take me out for dinner!

I can't believe you're off to NYC so soon! How exciting! I just ordered an 'Eat and Play Card' for Orlando and noticed that they do them for NY too, might be worth checking out as you can save quite a bit in restaurants and shops.

Hope the cat's just been a bit spoilt rather than 'in the club'! :eek:

shrimpy_80

Birdie85 wrote: »

My ticker isn't broken, I am!

:rotfl::rotfl:

Birdie that really did make me chuckle. My OH told me I'm always complaining the other day - yes, complaining about him and his bad moods! He also told me he was worried that after our holiday he'll be depressed because he'll have nothing to look forward to! And they say women are complicated!

Birdie85

Ooh I think that whole 'complicated woman' thing is a myth to cover up the fact that it's the men who are the complicated moody ones!

I'm dreading the post holiday blues when we get back, OH is a horror after holidays and takes weeks to settle back down. At least I can tell him we've got Christmas to look forward to, hope it works!

poddle911

Dinah93 wrote: »

Oh and Cinny - maracas.

shrimpy_80 wrote: »

:rotfl:You win the mega post award too

Lol, nice to have you back Dinah, you definitely deserve a lie down after that!

Birdie85 wrote: »

My ticker isn't broken, I am!

:rotfl: aw Birdie! You'll be back on form when you're back from honeymoon - you'll be all blissed out and have that extra cash to keep your OH out of his funk and/or chuck at debts.

Hope the cat's just been a bit spoilt rather than 'in the club'! :eek:

:rotfl:

wendz86

Sounds like you had a good time Dinah apart from the brothers girlfriend thing! Nice to have some time to read some books and relax anyway.

Hope the cat is just a bit fat and not expecting although kittens would be very cute.

The maracas thing made me laugh too.

Flower08

Welcome back Dinah (and NIM) - that was a mammoth post catch up!
Glad to hear you had a good time, apart from brothers girlfriend, she sounds like a bit of a nightmare!

How exciting that you go to New York soon, I'm very jealous!!

archersluck

Woahhh mega post, welcome back Dinah and Nim. Glad you had a nice holiday, whats wrong with your brothers girlfriend? I just don't get how people can be nightmares like that, I would never be anything but polite and accommodating if I was away with someone else's family.

I'm not sure why I have steel toe shoes really, you need a pair of shoes especially for wear in a food factory and my ones are just very sturdy. I have a helmet to go over my hairnet too! But that is good as there's plenty of machinery to bump into if you're a clutz like me. I finish off my outfit with a lab coat and ear protectors, it is gorgeous! I like the days where I'm in the office best and I look like a normal person.

I have a grumpy man to add to the grumpy mens club! When we were in Oz he spent 2 days sulking because we would be going home soon... get over it and enjoy yourself fgs! Luckily he is normally a chirpy soul.

Is it wrong that I'm a little bit hopeful of baby kitties...

I just casually picked up a wax strip and started doing my legs, my god the pain is awful! I feel I should continue though, why do people do this to themselves!?