Tales from a country cottage

ani*fan

And I've just gained a second star...does that mean I'm getting somewhere?

Igamogam

ani*fan wrote: »

No slow cooker I'm afraid, but I'll definitely check out those books. I'm addicted to turka daal from our local takeaway. The guys in there are absolute masters of spice combination and culinary yumminess. I've tried to make it myself but it just isn't the same at all. Maybe I should include one takeaway a month in the budget, or something?

Tarka - well thats what we call it - actually we call it 'Otter Dip' ( from the story of Tarka the Otter:rotfl:) Horrifed some friends of friends who did think we where in the habit of eating Otters:rotfl:

ani*fan

Otter dip indeed...:rotfl:

Well, today I managed to get one client to fork out and pay their invoice on time. Thank god. We now have more than enough money to get through to pay day, may not even have to use the overdraft which would be good.

So far I have:

• Been to work
• Finished my reading for uni
• Bought train tickets over the phone
• Made a shopping list

I still need to:

• Do the ironing
• Pick up the cat from MiL
• Go food shopping
• Pack my bag for tomorrow
• Pick up the train tickets

Everything is pretty much under control, I think. Funny how I feel I've forgotten something...

It's always easier to manage your money when you actually have some.

ani*fan

And the things I've forgotten...

• enrole online for my course. This involves messing around with a photo which OH will need to help me with
• send off pension details to head office
• deal with the tax people who, after sending me confirmation that it's all paid and up to date have decided to send me another bill. :mad:

Think that's all this time...

ani*fan

I've just done my work expenses and am due just under £200. This is excellent news. If I hand it in tomorrow it will be in my account hopefully by 4th October. If I use this, and the £100 overpayment of debt to keep me on track with my snowballer, then my entire supervision bill will be paid off. Yippee!!! :j
Finally some tangible progress. After that I'll have 'til December 31st to pay off the overdraft. At £100 per month (Oct, Nov and Dec wages) then that's totally possible.

Very happy.

ani*fan

I love this time of the morning. Just me and my coffee and a cat on my lap. All is calm in the world.

I didn't get many chores done yesterday, possibly due to sitting on here reading diaries and searching for tips and inspiration. Oh well, it was time well spent.

I did manage to go to MiL's, post my pension stuff and also do a food shop so I at least have lunches to take to work and enough dinners 'til pay day. Still need to pick up a few bits for OH but can do that on my way home from work. Will collect tickets on the way to work. And could also do with taking some stuff to the tip after this weekend's shed clear out by OH. And there's recycling to do.

Enrolement and tax stuff will happen tonight. Then I think that's me up to date. A bit of ironing would help too.

I reviewed my mini 'financial plan for beginners' and still believe it could work. Wait for expenses, pay supervision bill, then £100 per month off overdraft. I currently have 8 debts. Paying those off would bring the total to 6. This would be a huge boost to start the new year.

I'm not forgetting there's christmas to prepare for too during this time, so things might get a bit tight. But I'm well up for the challenge.

Igamogam

You sound very upbeat this Monday morning - good on you!

ani*fan

Two more things before I go get ready for work...

• I've stolen (with permission!) Fuzzy Bear's idea for my signature. I have 14 embarrassed faces, one representing each thousand pound of debt. As I pay it off, they will be turned into something happier.
• I'm starting a one month challenge of not buying any sandwiches or bottles of fizzy drink at all. I will take lunch to work every single day and never forget, be too busy or crave a baked potato from the snack van. I will be prepared if it kills me.

Have a lovely Monday everyone.

ani*fan

Good morning Igamogam, I'm definitely feeling upbeat today. How's things with you?

ani*fan

Hi Hannellene :wave: I'm glad your week has gone well. It's quite a shock to the system eh? Being so crazy busy. I'm all excited about going to uni tomorrow.

Managed to stick to my challenge today. I took a packed lunch of a cheese and fake ham sandwich and a biscuit. It was yummy.

Nothing much else to report except that the chores list has dwindled considerably. I still have to deal with the tax people but that's about it. Everything else is done.

I had a thought about my financial plan today. I need to pay off my supervision bill asap, but moving on to pay off the overdraft next is not clever. It's a fraction of the interest of the capital one cards. So, the plan has changed and the capital one cards will be paid off after the supervision bill.

Everyone on here makes this look so easy but really it's not. DFW 101 - pay the highest interest debt first. How did I not realise this yesterday? Doh...

So far I'm on target to follow this plan through. It's all good. :cool: