New job, new start!

LondonGirl252

happy birthday for the 12th!! Sorry I have been a bit AWOL this week, have only just managed to keep up with my diary lol!

your plan sounds sensible to me! No point over stretching yourself only to fail, I think it's better to set up an emergency fund so any unexpected things don't screw you up!

hjanea

My disney account has been added to by my first ever quidco payout-£12.59. Will update sig later.

Thanks LG, I think that the best way forward is the least stressful one. Hopefully I will be able to get more 0% balance transfer CC's as the present ones come to an end in april and august and it will be great to have a decent amount in my emergency fund.

Up late today though I've been awake since DD woke me up at 7am-today was my only chance for a lie in until thursday-boo!!! All I wanted was to go back to sleep but she kept coming in to tell me things and try to get me to get up!! Oh well, need to get the washing on and the beds changed. I also need to find the craft sets I got for DD for making cards and a foam and sequin little christmas tree that if it works can be our table centrepiece next week.Problem is I think they must be hidden with the christmas presents so it'll be a mammoth task trying to find them. We are going to mums for tea-chicken this week I think and I am hoping for an NSD but that may go wrong, had one yesterday.

hjanea

Saturday ended up being an NSD.

Yesterday however was not an NSD!! Ended up spending over £15 in [EMAIL="watr@se"]watr@se[/EMAIL] -only went for bread, milk and bacon-Whoops!!

Today we have spent £20 of treats money on chipmunks film and trip tp pizzahut with a 'kids eat free' voucher and we had the unlimited lunch buffet-8 slices of pizza and 2 bowls of salad later I waddled back to the car!!! Pleased though as only needed a slice of christmas cake and a bit of cheese for my tea. And I had thougt I'd spend more of the treats money than I did so £20 has gone back in the envelope.

Also went to Mr S and spent less than £8 and got lots of stuff that was needed for christmas-some of it reduced but will certainly last-carrots etc.
Hoping that when I shop later in the week I'll not need much and it should be under (hopefully well under) £20.

I get paid on friday but I have put grocery money into week 5 envelope as I want to work on calender months for my wages (as I used to be in the old job) rather than 4 weekly as it will be in this job so that once a year I get an extra wage. If I've worked it out right this will be in August and that can then be used as required-either towards savings or debts or possibly split between them. Also get this with tax credits but not sure when it is for next year-will have to work it out. Altogether will give me just less than £1100 that won't be part of my monthly budgeting.
I'm at work tomorrow and then at my aunties for tea so hoping for an NSD.

hjanea

Think my 'extra' tax credits will be in may next year.

NSD today-work then my auntie's for tea-and what a lovely tea-I'm stuffed and DD is shattered.

Tomorrow DD is going to her dads so need to get all the present wrapping done and the cleaning-busy day so off to bed now.

hjanea

Nightmare shop yesteray-nearly £70 :eek:!!

Today will be an NSD but I'll need some things tomorrow-not much and then that should be it until the middle of next week. However on my way home from work on saturday afternoon I might pop into a couple of shops to see if they have anything reduced that I can put in the freezer. My work is within walking distance of an M&S food so might pop in there just to see what they have.

Got all the presents wrapped and DD's rehidden-what a nightmare that was too.

Off to work shortly.

hjanea

Realised there were a few more things I wanted so after a routine dental appointment we braved the chaos in our local Mr S and got everything I'd gone to and more-much more!!!

Slight disaster yesterday as they had missed 5 hours off my pay so I was about £45 down which I will get next month. However I can accomodate that. So long as I'm not off sick at all in the next 3 weeks I'll get my first normal pay from them (1st month was 3 weeks and CRB payment taken, 2nd month I hadnt paid enough tax the 1st month so got less than expected, and this month I was 7.5 hours down for a sick day and an hour and a quarter less as 2 of my shifts were combined into a long day) and some extra for boxing day and the extra 5 hours they owe me. However I'll try not to count my chickens before I get it as I wasn't the only person who'd had a mistake made yesterday!!!

So today has been dentist, shopping, making soup for christmas dinner, 2 loads of washing, ironing done and most of cleaning as well as keeping DD occupied, though I did limit the polish when she helped clean as she tends to be very excessive with it!!!

Tomorrow I have work until 1.30 then home for a quick lunch and to put the elves christmas eve hamper somewhere DD can find it then I'll go and collect her from mums. Then will do quick vacumn upstairs and peel my vegies for christmas dinner and then watch tv, dvds with DD and hope that her excitement levels are contained and she might get to sleep reasonably early so I can be santa and get some sleep!

choogirl

Hi Hjanea

I haven't fully read your diary yet but just wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas. Hope DD wasn't too excited, mine haven't been too bad today and they've promised me they'll stay in bed until 7am tomorrow - we'll see.

Have a lovely day xx

hjanea

Hope everyone had a good day yesterday.

Not sure whether I did or not. First thing with DD was great and eveything in my dinner worked-in fact I think they were the best roast potatoes I've ever done and they were definatly the best roast parsnips and it all went together nicely and I didn't forget anything.
But in the morning we went to DD's grandmas to see her dad (for some reason he decided not to come and see her at home this year and spend some 'alone' time with her whilst I got on with dinner prep-don't know if this was his girlfriends idea??). His family are all drama queens and make a real fuss about everything and DD actually said she didn't want to go in and it was like before going on the stage for her nativity-should a 6 year old be feeling like this on christmas day? Anyhow they all crowded round and made the fuss whilst she hid behind me. Then they made a fuss about presents and she didn't like them all watching her. (Oh and grandma got me an old ladys scarf square-lovely!!!). Then came her dads presents. He'd asked me what to get and I'd given him a list of things (the sensible ones) that she had seen in the disney store near his home and a couple of other things. Well he'd managed to get one of them and made a great fuss about where he'd got it-and left the price on!!, and then said re. one of the things that he'd got something else as it was out of stock-this was ok as it was a doll and she likes it. But she had really liked a rapunzel castle thing at £35 which was pricey but she could also have used it for her mini princess dolls and her polly pockets. Instead he had got her a plastic pink dressing table and stool-for a 2 to 8 year old (shes nearly 7 but very tall and in 8-9 trousers) that really would be great for a 2-3 year old if you like plastic tat but needs to go back as thre is no room for it and its basically just rubbish. The castles are OOS online but I hope they come back in and we can exchange it-what a waste of money as this was £35 as well-he left the price on!!
So I was a little annoyed about this but did not show it-just persuaded DD that we weren't going to open it and assemble it there and then. He also gave her a jigsaw set (that the GF had chosen) which was appropriate for a pre schooler (and she's a primary school teacher!!)
Then he started to tidy up and was trying to get DD to join him , presumably so he could take her off into the kitchen which she was refusing to do. He went out to get a bag and his sister ([EMAIL="b@tch"]b@tch[/EMAIL] face!!) said something like 'shes not getting any encouragement to do it' and grandma agreed-now I don't know if they meant the tidying or the socialising with BF's new boyfriend (DD has never met him before and doen't like strange men)but I really felt that they were getting at me and now wish I had made a fuss and taken DD home. I can't think that they hadnt realised that I had heard as they certainly said it loudly enough. Then her dad persuaded her to go upstairs to look at something and that was that they were off playing upstairs while I was left sat with the nasty cows downstairs for about an hour until the other brother came-another strange dysfunctional creature who thinks he's it and who still hasn't given DD christmas and birthday gifts from last year never mind this year!! Oh and at one point grandmas appologised to BF's boyfriend for my DD-cheeky f'ing [EMAIL="B@tch"]B@tch[/EMAIL]!!!

I have never been so pleased as to get out of there-it was 95 minutes of hell and I'm not doing it again!!!

Sorry about the venting but I really needed to get that out as its kept me up half the night.

I'm at work this afternoon and DD is at my mums- at least I know she's not going to get pressured to do things she's uncomfortable with there.

I have £40 in my purse and I'm really hoping that I won't touch it this week. I have plenty of food in the cupboards, fridge and freezers to last until friday so I don't need to shop-just need to not want to IYSWIM.

Right off for a shower and to do some tidying.

hjanea

Had a good but busy day at work yesterday-I was ( and still am) shattered.
This morning I've done some washing, washing up, made brunch for DD, assembled various play items for DD, got turkey curry simmering on the hob for tea.
I've joined Mr Bloaters 2 stone 2 grand in 4 months challenge. I'm definately trying for the 2 stone but with £200. Today is day 1, hence the curry is mainly vegetables and I'll be having ham salad shortly for my lunch (with LO gammon). I've lots of houmous and pate in the fridge but have just searched on the OS board and found that I can freeze them both which is great as I do not want to waste them or eat them at the moment.
Still hoping for an NSD today. I have no need to shop-except for a slimming world magazine but will try and wait until friday.

hjanea

Managed to stick to my diet yesterday and so far today.
DD has gone out with her dad and I'm supposed to be clearing up and cleaning so I've been on the lappy for nearly an hour!!
He thinks that what his sister and mum said on christmas day was directed more at him than me but says they were really laying into him before he left. He fully understands me not wanting to be doing the same next year.
Not spent any money since saturday-can I manage to resist the shops today?? Don't NEED anything but last year got all this years christmas cards at 70% off, and there are a few things I would like food wise. Hmmm will have to see.
Right I must get all these toys put away.