The Ultimate Hard and Fast debt clearing mission

N.I.M

The silent "gh" in my surname tends to become "gert", theres never been a T anywhere near my name.

Birdie85

LOL, poor Amber's Dad! I was always grouped with the boys at school, even on my IT course my certificate said Mr!

Garden will be lovely Dinah, good idea about getting out and about at classes, hope you find something nice to do

As for our share money, we're going to get a newer car that doesn't rattle and that OH can actually drive, about £5-6000 worth, pay off our CCs, maybe have a little holiday (just thinking cheap and cheerful this year, sadly not Florida) and put the rest into savings.

Dinah93

My first name is blatantly one gender only, I still got a certificate as a Mr last year.

Good plan for the money. Have you decided to stay put in your flat now? I haven't heart you complain about the neighbours for ages so they're either improved or you've learnt to live with them!

Birdie85

Well we've learnt to live with the people next door and their 16 family members who come and go all weekend. The new people upstairs are annoying the crap outof us, they've put a washing spinner right outside our french doors then put out washing for 3/4 days at a time- if it rains they just leave it out, and it's proper grotty old stuff too so really not nice to look at. They've got a little girl, about 4, who must never sleep and she's always screaming and shouting and running around, I have to have the TV on all evening to drown her out! The people above them are dirty smokers who throw their fag ends out the window so the grass in front of our door is littered with them and the communal hallway stinks of smoke and beef dripping... I just get sick of complaining though, I just feel so petty to be moaning all the time even though they're actually making living there quite unpleasant at times. We're thinking about selling up next year, when we bought it we got the deposit from the builder and it didn't have to be repaid for 5 years so we want to sell up and get out before we have to start making repayments, we've been there 3 years next month. will be a bit awkward for finding somewhere else but we're going to try to save for a deposit and will see what help our bank can give us nearer the time.

Dinah93

Would you have to repay the deposit for the flat as well as save for a new one when you left? At least you're ground floor so not too much hassle with a buggy and baby, but still might be nice to have a more private garden area without tab ends and such!

Birdie85

The idea is that when we sell up the builder gets 25% of what it sells for as that's the deposit he gave us, so if we make a loss at least he makes a loss too. Which he deserves for putting us in this situation in the first place! But yes, we'd need a deposit. We're going to save as much as we can, hope that we make a little on the flat (unlikely but we don't know what'll happen in a year), we may have to rent for a while or, and this is me grasping at desperate straws, we might be able to get OH's parents to invest money into our house and do a shared ownership with them. They sold their house and aren't planning to buy again so they might like to put a little into property, and I'm sure they'd really want to do it for their beloved Son, DIL and grandchild! We really want a garden, even if it's a little yard it'll be bliss! That said, I do love our little flat. If we could turn it into a bungalow I'd be happy there for a while longer!

Dinah93

Dinah93 wrote: »

1. Post parking permit and sicknote to work
[STRIKE]2. Print free nappy vouchers (Asda, Emmas Diary & MSE glitch)[/STRIKE]
3. Send ID to freebie bingo company
4. Finish tidying kitchen and [strike]lounge [/strike]
[STRIKE]5. Do spreadsheet for frozen foods MS[/STRIKE]

Getting worse day by day

ETA: I have arranged to drop the sick note and permit with a colleague over the weekend though, but he's not in till Monday so didn't seem to be any rush.

Birdie85

Happy Friday everyone! :j

Anyone got plans for the weekend? We're not up to much, another quiet one since we don't get paid until next week but it'll be nice I'm sure

Just been thinking about how much more I'll be getting in my paycheck in a couple of month's time and I can't wait, will work out as nearly £200 a month extra with my payrise (due middle of next month but may not be until March then backdated) and the end of my shavesave scheme which is £70 a month. I'm going to save it and when there's enough we'll be redoing our bedroom! Hurrah! Freshly painted walls! Matching furniture that isn't falling apart! Oooh it'll be lovely.

Dinah93

Sounds lovely Birdie, with the damp issues you've had may I suggest looking at the mouldtec paints. They're designed for kitchens and bathrooms where there is a lot of moisture, basically mould can't grow on them, but they don't look any different. We've used them in our kitchen and bathrooms, and while we've had mildew in our bedroom and a study those rooms have had no issue, so I have to assume the paint is doing it's job.

Don't know our plans for the weekend but I know there will be some! I know mum wants to meet me for coffee tomorrow, and we're hopefully going to church on Sunday, other than that maybe go swimming or out for dinner?

Dinah93

1. Send ID to freebie bingo company
2. Enter some competitions for holidays/baby stuff/money
3. Clean kitchen
4. Put stand mixer etc off lounge unit away
5. Book a groupon restaurant for tomorrow night

Friend came round last night and we all had dinner together and played a very closely fought game of scrabble. She also brought around a pillow for Pip as she calls the baby (first found out about him when he was the size of an apple seed) which she's made in the shape of an owl. It is extremely cute and I'm feeling really lucky to have such a thoughtful friend. We're going to try to make a patchwork baby blanket together when we finish the current stained glass class in March.