Jumping aboard!

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Payday. At last. Another tight month lies ahead but the overpayments continue and I'm managing - just. This months big expense is two cast iron downpipes. What joy!
After that its curtain rail and blinds - but one month at a time as I won't use a credit card or overdraft - just have to do it all slowly eh?
I'm also paying for my daughters birthday party. A helium balloon is cheaper than a party bag so thats a saving and I'm only paying a third as I'm sharing the party. Still expensive though. Its the first year I've done a party for her and she is 5 so can't moan I suppose!!:o
And I'm getting my hair done for the posh ball thing I'm going to. Using a dress I had already so thats justified isn't it? Urgh - skint again!
One day I'll have done all the work needed to the house and it'll just be too easy to pay my way - believe it when I see it!!

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Lots in the press about economic meltdown. I can't quite get my head around what that will mean for us all really ( doubt anyone really knows). All advice seems different - take all your savings out ( not a massive problem in my case ) - don't take them out, is property ownership good or bad - will we loose on value ultimately blah blah.
So glad I sold up the house when I did and don't have that hanging over me. I'd be bricking it just now.
I'd feel a lot more secure if I had no mortgage at all however - and more than ever I want to clear it ASAP.
I worked out that if I put my two months council tax that I don't have to may in Feb and March into the pot and find another £80 between now and May ( surely I can manage that!!) I'll be under £30k - so thats what I'm aiming for. Plus paying off card and upping my savings obviously..
If we secure another project we are bidding for I may be able to relax a bit on my business's immediate future. Looks like we're going to cover our 'salaries' this year from profit which is way better than we expected. Not having to reduce our pot of capital is always good news - hard having done that for three years. Thought this was to be my last year but another stay of execution comes along....:D

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New downpipes are in so thats us all sorted for winter. A bill for £750 will be coming my way but I've got the money for that set aside. Once all is paid I'll see what kind of a dent I can make on that card this month. When you transfer to 0% they don't hassle you at all - easy to see why people sometimes just let it slide and don't pay it back before the term is up - too tempting!!
Not me though - I'm determined to sort it ASAP. My new clothes collection will have to wait (well - I've been wearing the same stuff for long enough - whats another 8 months eh? )
Decorating next - but I do that myself so its just the cost of the paint. A friend can do any wallpapering for me.
Keep looking at my spreadsheet to watch what my ( fairly small) overpayments are doing - is that sad???

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Silly me - just found out where my credit card minimum payments bit is. So - its £15.75 - and I've just paid £100. Hoping to manage £100 when the various bills come off. I'm having to write a lot of cheques just now - hard when they take time to come off but I have written all expenses down. Thankfully only small amounts.....
At least next month there are no big expenses ( apart from starting to get Christmas organised).
I'd love to be paying that card off quicker - hope I can manage a bit more then.

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I've been in my new house for 5 months today. Not much space but I did reduce my mortgage by 89% so shouldn't worry about that - well worth it. I'd be in a sticky spot now if I hadn't managed to sell up.I'm enjoying not having to worry.
Birthday all sorted for the wee one and now to put my mind to christmas - taking photos to make calenders of the bairn for grand parents ( whether they like it or not) and just kids to buy for after that. Easy!

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zzzzzzz - half asleep this morning - not up all night worrying like I used to at least - just a broken nights sleep.
Mood in the office much cheerier and another project we've bid for to hear about soon. If we got that too we're most definitely on the up. And another lead to call later in the month. Ooh - maybe there is a way out of this after all? There were times when I really thought I was out of a job and had kissed goodbye to all my investment in here. Loosing nearly £120k would be hard to take - not that I've ever regarded business money as my money - still be hard to take.:(
So - on with my frugal life. Seems strange that I ever thought it was ok to have such a big mortgage - just that we were all encouraged to believe it was safe and everything was on the up - then - crash and burn........its a hard habit for some to give up too. Everyone I know who's job is 'safe' still carries on regardless - guess it takes that hard lesson. Or a few sleepless nights. No thanks - think I'll keep within my means from now on!!:A

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Why do my best intentions always seem to miss that inevitable extra expense that comes along every single month? It all means the last two weeks of the month are a struggle despite having worked it all out. Bah!:mad: This time its my daughter's new swimming class payments coming off earlier than I thought - should have been next month but its fallen into this month ( new class - different payment rigmarole).
Hey ho - gruel for two weeks it is (again)
Thankfully I have a well stocked cupboard..........:( Fed up being skint.

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Well payday slowly approaches and all bills paid. Totally skint of course but getting used to that.
No big expenses next month and I'll try and deal with flotsam and jetsum Xmas pressies - I've set a budget of £100 to cover all kids ( except my daughter of course!) a bit of thought should get decent pressis for them all at low costs. Got to.
I want to paint my hall and put a shelf up this month so thats not too expensive - need lots of hooks - such a lack of storage ( it feels) I'm having to come up with some clever ideas.:idea:
Anyway - hoping for an easier November without any major house expenses - £100 to credit card, £100 to savings and carry on overpaying but the wee bit I can manage. If only 4 year olds didn't need childcare eh? I'd be rich!!!

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Oof. Just downloaded one of Martin's budget spreadsheets and when I plug in my actual monthly outgoings (versus my quick SOA) I can see why I'm skint all the time. Far too much on grocery shopping ( I knew that) but lots of incidental wee £20s here and there - school things / parking charges / bits and bobs - it fair mounts up. My challenge in Nov is to watch every penny like a hawk! Got to stop that - 'oh sod it' mentality ( especially when I have a supermarket trolley in front of me) and get back on track. I ought to be able to pay more off the card every month. Its coming down but not very quickly.
Those two council tax free months will be a great help but still. When I look at other people's council tax it makes me mad. £162 a month for a single persons tax - and I've only got a two bedroom flat. Ridic!! City life - who'd have it? I'm paying a bit more as when I moved they didn't start billing till a month had passed so I think its about £30 a month more - still hideous.
Downloaded some pickle recipes etc to make Xmas pressis - I'll get onto that soon. Gotta get some cheap jars.....my third frugal xmas coming up! :A

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Just checked my utilities after sending meter readings recently. They are estimating that my monthly direct debit will need to go from £54pm to £108 to see me through the winter. I'd rather be paying too much rather than too little but that was a shock. Only been here 5 months so haven't had time to get an 'average' yet. Better to pay monthly rather than face a big hike later - been there done that. :eek: