Trying to make my dreams a reality!!

icontinuetodream

September is here!! Woohoo!!:j I always feel relieved when it gets to this month as its such a very expensive August with all the birthdays and this one also had two weekends away so can't begin to tell you how happy my bank account is that its over!!;):rotfl:

Started it off by making the first mortgage payment and I intend to have a NSD today....only need coffee and milk this week I think so will hopefully be able to keep spends to a minimum!

Spent all day yesterday slobbing on the sofa and reading the OS boards on 'sneaky ways to save the pennies'.... come to the conclusion that I really need to find somewhere that sells stardrops!! I'm not doing a lot of travelling this week though, so think that I will have to wait until I am out and about next week to have a mooch for it....I hope its as good as everyone says as it sounds like it could save me a fortune on cleaning stuff!!

Not planning on doing much today either....still have job lots of lasagne left so will not have to cook, will have a quick swish & swipe around the house and catch up on the couple of things that I record during the week.....yep, I have such a hard life!!:D

gallygirl

icontinuetodream wrote: »

Spent all day yesterday slobbing on the sofa and reading the OS boards on 'sneaky ways to save the pennies'.... come to the conclusion that I really need to find somewhere that sells stardrops!!

Wilkinsons and Tescos (I think - mysupermarket site is down :eek:)

icontinuetodream

Thanks GG...will check it out!!:D

Another day spent just reading the threads on here....on the plus side, another NSD!!:j

I am challenging myself to do as many NSD's as possible this month, I should be able to manage it without too much difficulty but not feeling brave enough to join the NSD thread just in case it all goes hideously wrong!;)

I have lots of plans for the week ahead, clear up all outstanding work at work, sort my house out (really need to clear some old clothes out as can't close my t-shirt drawer properly anymore and am going to see my sis towards the end of the month and always end up with loads of 'new' stuff from her!:D) and also need to sort some books out as my new table and chairs are arriving on Saturday!! Whoop Whoop!!:j:j:j

I have wanted these since having my kitchen done but have waited until they came into the sales as didn't want to pay the full price for them and knew that eventually they would be reduced.....feeling very virtuous for waiting and also very :money:

Happy days!!!:D

icontinuetodream

Chaotic week....couple of major family issues that I have had to deal with and ds quit his job this week so it is likely that the op's will take a hit for a while too Oh well, he seems so much happier that it is definitely worth it....his employers were shocking to say the least....not really sure how he has managed to put up with it for as long as he has....I would have set fire to them by now!!:rotfl:

Table and chairs have arrived and are all sorted and in position in the kitchen!!:j:j:j Really happy with them but have been out to the butchers to buy stuff for dinner to enjoy for our first meal and by the time I had finished with that and the wine, flowers etc had blown the grocery budget for the week!!:o Not really bothered though...its totally worth it!:D

I have finished everything I needed to do at work this week too so feeling pretty good about that....trouble is, its been so mental for the past few months I think I may be pretty bored next week!!:rotfl:

icontinuetodream

Busy day yesterday....cooked Sardinian style lamb (which we had for dinner...stacks left over), made chilli jelly, apple & blackberry crumble, baby tomatoes with greek basil, garlic and olive oil and cooked off some potatoes for filled jacket spuds for the freezer!

So, dinner plans for the week;

Tonight we will have the sauce from the lamb with pasta and salad,

tomorrow we will have puy lentils with the tomatoes, garlic and greek basil served with rice

Wednesday I will make a cannellini bean, lamb, olive and chilli stew served with polenta (from store) from the remaining sauce, some of the leftover lamb, olives from the store cupboard, some chilli jelly and a pot of cooked beans I have in the freezer....

Thursday is dd's birthday so will be going out to dinner

Friday we will have battered fish from the freezer and the stuffed jacket potatoes with salad

Saturday we will grab something out of the freezer

Sunday, I am doing vegan haggis with veg and mash

That's the week sorted without having to buy anything else other than milk! :j

I am also going to make some pasties from the leftover lamb (it is a whole leg and there are only three of us eating it!!) so they can go into the freezer for a meal later in the month....

I am pleased that I am getting the groceries under control....now that ds has no job, the impact of the loss of income needs to be mitigated somehow...if we can get grocery spends down to a minimum, it will really help to do that...

Planning on spending the rest of the day sorting the house and myself.....house isn't too bad so will probably on that for the rest of the morning and intend to spend this afternoon just having some quality 'me' time I am looking forward to a long hot shower, a bit of pampering and a relaxing afternoon of doing nothing!!;)

icontinuetodream

interesting week....dd is moving back home in a couple of weeks which is great in lots of ways, sad in others and financially will impact on the op's....just when I think that I have a handle on things my kids throw spanners into the works!!;)

took her out for her birthday on Thursday and it was awful!!:mad: refused to pay for two of the meals as they were so bad - annoying but at least it means that it was a cheaper night :rotfl:

I am hoping to have a really low spend week with the groceries this week - have meal planned and think that I will probably only need milk, coffee, toothpaste and shower gel - just need to resist the wine aisle and I will be okay!:D

Put my September details into MFiT-T3 this week and am still in the amber so pretty pleased with that to be honest....not sure that with the financial changes coming that I will still be there for the December update so will bask in the glory of the moment!!:rotfl:

icontinuetodream

Have been a bit fed up about the money situation over the past couple of days....losing ds's rent would have an impact on my mf plans and I know that psychologically, that won't be a good thing for me so have spoken to dh today and we are going to re-arrange a few things so that we can keep the payments the same :j

I am so relieved, it's crazy how much it has been bothering me that we would lose time on it, I guess that is the downside of being relatively close to end date! Hopefully ds will get another job soon and then will be back to paying me cash, but at least we have a plan to keep us on the straight and narrow until that happens

I am going on my hols at the end of this week....really looking forward to it....am spending time with family (who never let me pay for anything!!) so no expense while I am there and have already paid for the travel costs - lets just hope that dh doesn't blow the grocery budget while I am away!!:D

icontinuetodream

It's been an interesting couple of weeks since I last posted....day before I go on my hols, am taken into the office at work and told that my job is now at risk of redundancy!!:eek:

Bizarrely, I felt nothing but relief as over the past few months I have become increasingly despondent about both my job and the charity I work for....they are losing their way and I am tired of dealing with other peoples misery and fighting their battles for them. I have done the type of work I am doing for well over ten years and I think that I am just getting to the point of burn-out....:( so, although there are uncertain times ahead financially, I am looking at this as a whole new opportunity to change!!:D:T

I have decided to take the redundancy and get out with a bit of a pay off...it won't be much - probably just under 2k- but, other than a couple of hundred quid which I need to change me and my wardrobe (Haven't had a hair cut for over two years or bought any clothes for over three years!!) it is all going towards the mortgage

Thankfully, due to the amount we currently overpay, even if I am unemployed for a while, we can still manage financially (and continue to make small overpayments)- it will be massively tight but it is definitely doable!! Got to admit, I'm actually very excited about the future for the first time in a long while

Unless I find a job with similar pay in the next couple of months, I will have to change my targets for my overpayments and clearing the mortgage, but the way I look at it is that even if I couldn't make one more OP I would still finish my mortgage earlier than it would have been gone if I hadn't started this journey and that has to be a good thing!;)

In other news....I have finally found stardrops!!:j:j:j Found it while I was away and have bought two bottles which are now sitting under my sink, waiting for me to use up all my other cleaning products before I refill those bottles with the solution The next few months (until I find another job) will have to be particularly frugal and I know that these boards will help me enormously....I certainly wouldn't have been able to not go into meltdown over the loss of a job before I started using them and am confident that they will get me through the choppy financial waters ahead!!:p

icontinuetodream

Its been an interesting week - emotionally, I am a bit up and down regarding being out of a job, I have been looking half-heartedly for another one and haven't really seen anything which grabs me yet, I know its early days but the desire to pay the mortgage off is making the whole unemployment thought much scarier than it would normally be!

I just have to keep reminding myself that I am in a much more fortunate position than a lot of people in my situation - at least I will still be able to pay my bills and make small op's even if I am out of work for several months and its not as if I won't get another job, its just that it may have to be one with a smaller salary which will increase the time I am stuck with the mortgage I think I am just having a confidence wobble, no doubt I will be fine in a few days...

Being at work at the moment is difficult, my clients can't be told what is happening and I feel like I am constantly lying to them as they expect that I will be there to sort their issues out for the foreseeable future...to be honest, that is the worst part of all of this - they are already vulnerable and knowing that I am going to have to let them down just feels deceitful and very wrong...I am really angry that the organisation seem to feel that this is an acceptable way to carry on, especially as they are continuing to refer people to me knowing that my time is limited and they will have to be re-allocated in the very near future :mad: In some ways it just reinforces my reasons for not wanting to work for them anymore....they have definitely lost the plot...

Money wise, I have lost the plot this week...I think as a result of being so close to unemployment I know it makes no sense at all but I have spent on all sorts of rubbish - not too much, but have bought take-outs twice this week, have completely blown my grocery budget and have just generally had a stupid week with my cash....back on the wagon from today though and rather than be angry with myself, I will just accept that sometimes I can be a total loon!! Claiming temporary insanity seems the best way forward!!

Planning on a nice easy weekend this weekend....today I will sort the house which shouldn't take long, go to the pet shop to get food for the puppy, sort out some laundry and then have the rest of the day making wine and watching stuff that I have recorded.....I think tomorrow will be a duvet and dvd day as I haven't had one of those in a long time and the weather is so poo that I think I deserve one!!:D

Right, off to catch up with diaries...hope everyone has a great day!! :wave:

icontinuetodream

It has been a difficult week again at work...it is bizarre carrying on as normal while the consultation period is continuing...I am really looking forward to the decision being made so that I can start being honest with my clients and colleagues about what is happening, not too long to go now though - another seven working days and then I can shake the charade!!;)

Financially, I am getting myself prepared for the future - I have two more 'paydays' prior to leaving, so will continue as normal up until then with my op's and also my other bills - I am getting my head around not being able to pay the mortgage off at the same rate that I currently am, so that is making things a great deal easier to cope with I have to admit that this has been the hardest part of everything that is going on so far....

I have to reign in my grocery spending over the next couple of months - this month has been a nightmare really, I seem to have totally lost the plot with it (although I have been much better this week!;)) but need to just stop spending on the total rubbish which I have indulged in.....

I have bought lunches at the sm/fast food outlet every day this week as I have been escaping the office due to a manager who I am trying to avoid (as she is constantly 'fishing' about my plans :mad:) being around every day.....next week, I am definitely taking lunches to work regardless of what is going on!! I know that she won't be in at all next week, so it should be a whole lot easier!!:rotfl:

DD is bringing her new squeeze over for lunch tomorrow and I am cooking a roast so there should be plenty of leftovers for the first few days lunches and I will probably manage a few dinners from it next week too!:j Nomnom!!

I have a few days off at the end of this month to really chill out and get my head together- I have decided that I am going to get myself into shape in November, I am in dire need of a health makeover and feel that as all the stress will be done by the end of this month (along with the 'de-mob' happy feeling that I am certain I will have for my final month in the job!!:D)November will be the ideal time to turn my focus on my physical health....I am actually really looking forward to it - I am desperate to start to feel better, I have put on a lot of weight over the past two years and my levels of energy have been beyond poor Getting myself healthy and fit will boost my confidence looking for another job too, so its a win-win situation!!:D

Right, time to actually do something constructive....hope you all have a fab weekend!!:D