Jumping aboard!

downsizer3

Happy New year! Neck's not bad thanks - never got to 100% stage but I can move it which is good! Only hurts if I try to put my head on my shoulder or to the side - so I don't!!

My savings pot rests at £500! No idea about interest rates etc as I've not got enough to worry about. I do have an ISA - and thats where its is. I can't see any benefit from that whatsoever - I know its tax free and all that but its such a small amount. Anyway its with my bank as its easy to move money from on account to another. When I get a decent amount ( by end of year I hope) I'll look at a better account but its not worth it just now I recon. There - no help at all!!! Sorry.:o The fact that I have no bunce is all for good reasons but does worry me too. I am going to try from next month to add to it - even a few £ here and there.

Your working hours change this year don't they? Aren't you going to be doing a longer week? Ouch. What do you do?
I'm trying not to look too far ahead work-wise. Just got to scratch our way from one year to the next at the moment. Too scarey really and if you look at whats being said 2012 is looking pretty grim out there so who knows where we'll all be. Eeeek :eek: Just glad to have a job I guess.

Tried to make an appintment to get my roots done - hairdresser is shut! Tsk......my one remaining luxury. Apart from my Xmas chocs of course- nearly finished and boy - doesn't my muffin top show it!! Thats my other NY resolution..................;)

downsizer3

Hmmm. I am starting to take monthly gas and elec meter readings to keep track of my usage and in the last month my gas went up by 214 on the readings. I think thats loads but I'm not sure. Guess its only after a few months that you can know really. My monthly bill went up recently to £108 for gas and elec so over a year I'm sure it'll even out but I'm watching closely. :eek: I was home all christmas with the heating on in the evenings and mornings - still its only a wee (ground floor) flat. Oh for double glazing!!

Watching that budget like a hawk. No wine for the rest of the month as I'm getting fat and that'll help! Soup and freezer contents from now on..........

No council tax in Feb - whoop whoop.....:j

thriftylynny

Hi DS:) Typed a couple of long posts to you last cple of eves & lost them,then dozed off on sofa, so here goes again repeating myself!! So yes Happy New Year to you! Thanks for confirming the savings rates thing i just thought i might be missing out on an extra 0.5% somewhere ! Not that i can put aside much at mo,just odd £'s & even those seem to get eaten up by end of wk,theres always something isn't there? This next few mths everything extra's going to come off the 4k i owe to mort 2 at least by half,,so i can then reduce the main mort term down . I work for a local govt museum & since sept have faced the threat of redundancy,had to reapply for my job , fortunately i have been kept on but 2 thirds of my colleagues haven't & since xmas its been very sad there having to say our goodbyes....tough times eh?!!
I should do mthly meter readings aswell,our heatings been on a lot recently(21 yr old princess daughter goes round in a vest top then racks the thermostat up,spends half hr in shower ,goes to work & leaves heated blanket on all day,laptop chargers left on etc.,)!!
Its week 1 of full time work for me & i'm knackered out already,just where did all that lovely xmas time off,pottering round the house go?!! Hurry up Easter !!

thriftylynny

Bloomin' heck my post has sent !! :jHave a good day DS:)

downsizer3

Congratulations!! Glad your post came through.
Ooh - the 21 yr old energy eater sounds frightening. I have gas central heating / hot water and it seems expensive. Won't know till my next bill but I just hope I'm covered. The perils of moving - its hard to know what your bills will be.
I have a mouse under my bedroom floor - yuk. Heard it scratching about last night. Hope this kitten turns out to earn its keep!!
More painting at the weekend - doing the woodwork and shutters - takes ages - but just doing a wee bit at a time. there's a cheaper paint shop nearby so I'll have to get my paint there as its too expensive!
Your long working hours sound tough going. When I'm flagging I just focus on the debts coming down and mortgage decreasing too - I keep looking at a chart I've made - its the only way to keep me focused on not spending!! One day I'll be able to buy myself a treat!
Ebay is being overloaded this month. I'm selling my old work blackberry too - hoping to get a bit for that so I can invest in some ancy anti-wrinkle serum haha.;)
Bad news watching your colleagues leaving - its really harsh isn't it? I've had to make so many people redundant - hate it hate it. My staff are on a 4 day week just now so we're all suffering together.

My pal was round for tea on Sat - and her line isn't suffering - she keeps moaning about being skint and racks up her cards - but its on holidays and handbags - not living - she's lucky but just doesn't appreciate how lucky. So many people on here who were in that boat till redundancy struck..........
Hey ho - at least we're surviving eh? :A

thriftylynny

Evening DS :wave: Usual thing for me now,dinner,wash dishes,slouch on sofa,watch tv & doze off must be getting old !! So you're doing very well with all the painting,soon be done eh? Do you have to buy curtains & new bedding etc.,? Painting shutters are a real pain aren't they,we had 3 outside large pairs in the marital house & they took ages to rub down,then paint? It'll all look lovely when its finished tho, then on to the next project for you !! As for me ive yet to start Flamin' mouse,hope it doesn't keep you awake all night,know what its like cos we had something large moving about for wks between mine & neighbours roof cavity last yr, think it may have been a squirrel got in somehow :eek: but then it just stopped,pest controller thought it must've got out thank god,it drove us mad padding about up there ! Our local council came out for free you could try yours if kitty fails?
Good luck with ebaying thats another thing ive gotta do,my daughter gave me a state of the art digital camera for xmas so now i have no excuse & i have a whole garage full of stuff from when i moved here 5 yrs ago plus loadsa bits cluttering house. I have lots of little money makin' schemes in my mind just need to get my podgy a**se into gear !!

downsizer3

Ah yes - motivation is key on these things - and after a long day at work - the last thing you need is to be photographing old tat! I do it in my lunch hour - but it is tedious.
I don't do much painting during the week - I still have to sleep in that room - so doing woodwork is too whiffy!!
My daughter is starting ballet classes in a couple of weeks - urgh - more expense. Still on schedule this month but will be skint when I get my hair done.
Did a roast chicken last night - I can make that last a week!! :A

thriftylynny

Oh dear had a little too many wines at lunchtime & on an empty stomach, all very sad having to say farewell to a close colleague,incredible that there are so few of us left there Needless to say i have a splitting headache tonite! Oh god next week i have that 7 day sat -fri stint plus a 3 hr evening duty on the thursday, i am so tired already & scared how im gona cope with it all ,why does life seem to get harder & never easier ? That mortgage free day cannot come quick enough ! Sorry im on a downer tonight

downsizer3

I'm not surprised you feel down. farewells in redundancy situation are awful - and the hours you are working are harsh.
Do you have time to do a note of the extra you are paying off / spreadsheet or something? I do find it helps when I feel rubbish and hate being skint / fed up with work. Helps to see the prgress I recon.
I also look at the debt free wannabe forums to get inspiration. When I see what some people are struggling with I get a bit more of an 'I CAN DO THIS' attitude - much like watching the biggest looser and trying to reduce my muffin top...............;)

Bit cheesed off myself - different reason. My daughter is 5 and they are learning letters / writing sat school. The lady that looks after her was saying 'she's really struggling' in front of her last night - really annoyed me. She's 5!!!!! I said - she's not - we just need to practice and she's young for her class etc but I've been fizzing all night. Hardly good for her confidence - and this woman is supposed to be a nanny ( and costs me a fortune). Have left a note asking her not to speak like that in front of her and will also speak to her tonight about it. :mad::mad::mad: Amazing how these things get to you.

Anyway - hope today is better and the headache is gone. I'm off the wine till Feb (calorie issue and financial!!) not that there is any difference - waste of time!!! Bah.

downsizer3

I knew it was too good to be true.
Thought I might actually have a few £ to spend next month but no. My chimney needs an emergency repair and scaffold going up now. The high winds of late have made it really unsafe - huge bit of stone hanging off. A worrying night as it was windy - thought I might have a stone feature in my bathroom this morning.
Anyway - informed my insurers - excess is £150 though..........argh.
Hoping the bill comes at the end of the month.
The good news is it falls on a month where I was going to be ok so I can manage that - just not the wee treat I had in store for myself - new cushions woooo.
Typical eh?
Otherwise all is well and ticking along to payday..... ballet classes and a playdate at soft play for my daughter are extras that have crept up and when I get my hair done there won't be much left. My diet maybe an enforced one. Just got fruit to buy till end of month so ought to make it. Soup it is......