New and scared but so determined

freebyfifty

Dear Diary,

I am not lost, just very busy................I have not forgotten about you, I will be back in the morning for a long update!


x:)x:)x:)x:)x

freebyfifty

I'm very busy being 'recherche' - lol :rotfl:

freebyfifty

Good Morning lovely MSE'vers


I would like to say that I didn't get a chance to post yesterday because I was doing many exciting things but I wasn't
Yesterday morning I was engrossed in doing the snowbally thingy and it took ages trying to get it right (and it still isn't). It says I should be debt free by January 2017 which, although is before my own goal date of November 2017 just seems like so far, far away
I can foresee much tweaking and budgeting on it for the next couple of days

I had to go into our town centre yesterday (something I try hard not to do) for a training event at work and, of course, ended up in the shops I'm like a moth to a flame, all those bright shiny lights and beautiful clothes :eek:
Anyhoo, I got my mum's christmas present. Which isn't too bad as I needed to buy it but I spent actual cash instead of using money from my various money making schemes (ebay and surveys etc) and it was actually painful. I had enormous amounts of guilt handing over my card and then ruminated on it all blimmin' day. It wasn't even an enormous amount (£59) and I got a bargain in Edinburgh Woollen Mill (50% off sale).

I suppose I should look at it like this........so far I have spent £79 in cold, hard cash and I have
Mum - Cardigan, Chanel No5 perfume, M&S Chocolates
MIL - Jumper, Reed diffuser thingy from Body Shop, M&S Chocolates
DD's Dad - Chest Waders for fishing he wanted
Nephew - Much Lego and chocolate
Niece 1&2 - Box of celebrations/Heroes (they are adults so just a token gift)
DD2's Secret Santa - Glee perfume gift set
And lots of little "parcels" for the DD's (their dad buys the big thing)

Not too bad really. I'm still not finshed (by a long way) but doing a quick add up I reckon I've saved about £200 so far. :j

And just to offset that £79 a little bit, I "sold" 3 mobile phones to Cash4phones yesterday for the grand total of £54 which should be winging it's way to my bank account very soon


Sorry if I've bored everyone half to death but I needed to write all that down so I can stop churning it over and over in my head and to try to convince myself that I really am still on track for a money saving Christmas



Still need to write another 200 words for the pesky frog though

Knitting_Nora

Good idea to write it all down.

When you're all done with the guilt (can't help you...you just have to wee it out or whatever...drink lots of fluids....), take a look back at that list of frankly very expensive looking prezzies, look again at how much cold hard cash you've spent, and the fact that by the time the mobile phone money turns up, you'll have actually only spent £25....

Bloomin' marvellous I'd say. Feel free to be smug for at least an hour. Go on....we'll be here when you're done....

And only 200 words to go? That's what, a couple of paragraphs? Fab!

Nora.x

miggy

freebyfifty wrote: »

Miggy - I have 5 white chocolate truffles left and that's the last of my chocolate stash (But there are a couple of selection boxes upstairs *drools slightly*) You can have one *whispers* but don't tell anyone else

*Whispers back* Oooo.. thank you very much

Ebay - £100 is certainly nothing to be sniffed at! And it will be a big help towards Christmas. By the way, do you do home made gift vouchers for 'stocking fillers'? Something like this? I did it for my family one year and it went down very well, and a lot of the gifts can be complete freebies: 'This vouchers entitles X to an extra bed time story' etc. (Vary according to age of offspring of course - mine are now at the stage of 'This voucher entitles you to go out clubbing... but not dressed like THAT'). (Might try that one, ha ha! Just to see their reactions).

miggy

Knitting_Nora wrote: »

Oh, and the word of the day today is 'recherche'...off you go.

Nora.x

Had to look that one up, but I have decided to emulate you, Freeby, and be busy being recherche - much preferable to emptying the dishwasher and hoovering.

My word for the day - and you have to get it into those last 200 words - is 'fabulous'.

miggy

freebyfifty wrote: »

It says I should be debt free by January 2017 which, although is before my own goal date of November 2017 just seems like so far, far away
I can foresee much tweaking and budgeting on it for the next couple of days

I seriously think you will be bringing that date forward - look how amazingly you are doing over Christmas!

freebyfifty

Thank you to you all for your encouragement.

Miggy - I never thought of home made gift vouchers, I shall have to think of some.
What about "I promise not to nag you about the state of your bedroom for one whole day" for DD1. For a late tennage girl she sure likes to live in a hovel :mad:

Just sold some more quality items (!!!!!!!!!) on ebay. I'm a happy bunny :T

miggy

freebyfifty wrote: »

Thank you to you all for your encouragement.

Miggy - I never thought of home made gift vouchers, I shall have to think of some.
What about "I promise not to nag you about the state of your bedroom for one whole day" for DD1. For a late tennage girl she sure likes to live in a hovel :mad:

Just sold some more quality items (!!!!!!!!!) on ebay. I'm a happy bunny :T

LOL - I too have a late teens DD, I know exactly what you mean! Her b/f schedules clear-ups, probably for his own peace of mind.

Nice one on the Ebay sales. You see what I mean? You are finding ways to reduce debts over and above the snowball data.

freebyfifty

miggy wrote: »

Nice one on the Ebay sales. You see what I mean? You are finding ways to reduce debts over and above the snowball data.

Thanks again Miggy - you are very motivating

I must be a sad person because I can't wait to get Christmas out of the way so I can get started properly.
I think this will be the first Christmas since I had my kids that I have not increased my debt (hopefully:))

I just hope I can keep up the enthusiasm