If at first you don't succeed!

inthegreen

Well I have been so busy with work and decorating I haven’t been on. I sold another irtem and put 2/3rd of the profit towards my cc. I am trying to put money in my sealed tin every day and pay at least 31 off every day in the pad challenge. I have been bringing in lunch and breakfast so all I have had to buy is squash, milk and the odd tea. This weekend coming I am off to Ireland and although it might be a bit tight for the week before payday I have paid for the trip myself and not added to my debts. I bought my friend’s birthday present today with some vouchers I got for answering a questionnaire.
I also discovered a £114 bill I didn’t claim from work so that has gone in today. When I am back I need to order my mums kindle and work out what to buy OH for his crimbo pressie.
Every night I am decorating which also means I have no time to spend money. I popped in the supermarket to get squash today and realised how often I used to buy lunch and snacks.
I am really pleased we get paid on 19th so we don’t have any of that pay early for Christmas and have to go 6 weeks afterwards.
Hope everyone had a good weekend, I will catch up on all the posts when I get a mo.

LAM2011

hiya,
is this the riding weekend in Ireland - should be fun - hope the weather is not tooo bad. Its awful here at the mo. My neds have had an extra rug put on.

I have been quite busy at work too - time of year trying to get everything finished before xmas close and we too should be paid earlier. I have decided to assess my change in purse situation on Friday each week and deposit into my tin what I have left in case I need parking money for work or anything else on my travels but I have to say I am becoming a bit obsessed with finding money for my pot lol.

have a good day and keep warm

inthegreen

Well Ireland was just brilliant, everything I could hope for and more. I saved postage money by hand delivering their cards and pressies. I did need some extra money but had taken one of my items for sale to see if it would fit my friends horse which it did so she gave me the cash in euros so I didn’t technically over spend.
I am still awaiting my expenses now near the £1000 mark and have been promised they will be paid on Monday (which is payday anyway) This does leave me the issue of not having enough cash until they come through. Is this one of those times I am allowed to use my credit card as long as I pay the amount straight off on Monday? I have my team night out tomorrow and some will be paid for but I have some saved (well I did until my expenses didn’t get paid!)but I will probably just have to buy a round so I could do that on my cc.
I waitressed last night and earnt more than expected which at least gives me the cash for the weekend that I need for my Saturday ride. I also got loads of leftovers which will do OH and I for at least a 2 course meal. Sunday is Olympia so OH will pay. Wednesday is company do so free food and drink and hotel (cheap but 5star paid for).
I have been decorating with OH every night so haven’t been spending money at night which is good. We need to finish the 2 bedrooms before Christmas as we have guests and the radiators need to be put back on.
I don’t feel as if I have anything exciting to report, I am not clearing debt as quickly as some but the good thing is I am not adding to my debt at all and this is helping build my good spending habits. I am taking in breakfast and lunch and running when I can.
I hope you are all well I have been lurking and reading all your posts
:beer:

inthegreen

I have realised I haven’t been keeping up this diary and that has led to a slight lapse. In my mind if I don’t tell you all I haven’t spent it so I will stop being an ostrich and come back to boring you all.
I bought way too much food at Christmas for the 7 of us and despite trying to use up stuff (put on 4lbs since Christmas day) and freezing the rest I will still be forced to throw out some food. Adding up I haven’t added to my debt much and I think I can pay this off so I won’t have added anything by the time I get paid which is good.
I start working in London next week. I am still torn as to what to do with the lump sum. They are also giving me a 10% payrise. Do I pay for my travel, parking and petrol out of the payrise and use the lumpsum against debt or do I buy a season ticket and pay the payrise off debt. I get neither the lump sum nor the payrise until pay day in January so I cannot buy a season ticket at todays prices unless I put it on a credit card.
Our team night out was good but I got my earphones and my oyster card stolen and because my oyster is on auto top up they used £40 before I noticed :0(
Our company night out was okay, I spent nothing which was good.
Christmas went well apart from the potatoes taking an hour and 45 minutes to cook at 220!! My friends mum had the same issue and she rung the electricitry company who told her what did she expect everyone is using their oven at the same time so the power supply would not be the same. Our village has no gas either. Has anyone else heard of this before? Apart from that the day was great but long. I got up at 5.45 to put the oven on and then go and muck out and ride which was great, back home to do brekkie and start to cook. Parents in law told OH it was their best Christmas for a long while which made me smile.
I am in work this week and I really must ask mum to ring up once a month and get the proper loan figures. My gym membership finishes Saturday and the last deduction comes out January so that should give me some more money. I do need to lose weight though as I have packed on a stone more than I am comfortable with. I hope running at lunchtimes when I can will help along with exercise dvd’s at home and healthier eating.
We are not going out for new years as OH always works (he had to work boxing day too) but we have got some nice food and drink left to have (in moderation) at home.
I hope everyone had a great Christmas and my non new years resolution is to tray and post everyday. (Is this site on tapatalk?)

LAM2011

Hi there and happy new year! All the best for 2012.

Sounds like it was a good christmas - potatoes and gas aside lol. Not sure what to say about the travel card spends situation - I am sure you will figure it out.

inthegreen

Well I havent done very well coming on daily, my home internet is shocking so I have to rely on work or my phone (its very hard to read on my phone) and work has been rather busy.
This week is my first week of being contracted to London, I haven’t been paid yet so haven’t had the lump sum or the increased pay so I have had to pay out myself for parking and train fare so I have been trying to be extra good. Yesterday I topped up my oyster with £30 and paid £22 for 4 days parking. I have bought 2 cups of tea at 1.30 each (I refused an extra one my colleague went out to get. I bought a 2 pint bottle of milk which lasts 4 days with some spare to take home for £1.10. Cereal was out the weekly food budget and I had soup from the freezer yesterday and today I bought a can of soup for 85p.
All my colleagues did a groupon deal for a gym for £19.99 they were really after me to join but its not practical in my lunch hour to get there, workout, shower and get back and I don’t fancy getting into London for 7 or staying after work plus its money I haven't got. I shall stick to running, its cold and a bit boring but its free. We went today but I have a sore hamstring and I struggled keeping up with the boys.
I have to put diesel in the car and may have to add a bit to my oyster card. I sold another item for £4 which will help so I will post that on Friday.
I am on a health kick at the moment so I am trying to do exercise every day in addition to riding so I am running, doing one of my 3 dvd’s or using my exercise bike at home. I want to lose a stone so have joined some friends on my fitness pal which helps.
Happy New Year All

inthegreen

I spent £37 on diesel last night and £1.30 on tea and £4.99 on food today. Its lashing it down so no lunchtime running for me (no means to dry my hair) so I will have to do something when I get home

I went home and did some decorating last night and have now lost 4lbs from my heaviest Christmas weight which is all good:)

Have a good day all

LAM2011

Well done on the weight loss Luckily I have not put on any weight over xmas but I have not loss any either so back to the grindstone to try and continue to lose it! I do have a few boxes of chocolates though but only have 2 a day lol.

The day started off very dark and wet and windy here - horses almost wanted to walk backwards to the field. I have the old boy on box rest due a kick to the knee just before xmas (and a nice vet bill to pay) but the mares were not impressed. Luckily now sun has come out so I dont feel like quite such a mean mummy!

inthegreen

I am so glad I am on livery now, horses in the mud and rain always made me feel bad. everywhere is so flooded still so I have been going for very long hacks at the weekend to make up for the fact he is stuck in his stable more often.

inthegreen

Well I haven’t been on here for a while but it’s not all been bad!

Although I had to increase my cc due to an unforeseen dental bill I have extra overpaid my loan since then and have this year cut £2415.03 off my debts. My loan is flexible so the payments will go down this month by £49 so I am making an extra £50 payment separately (well I say I am but I am sending the extra money to mum so I don’t spend it and she will bank transfer it to my loan).

Yesterday I closed my Halifax CC and I just need to do the same with my Barclaycard as although I have cut up the card I don’t want any temptation.

For the first time ever I have been budgeting for food, petrol, parking and tube (although this is now an interest free loan from work so if nothing else I can get to work and back on the tube and drive to the tube station)

For a while I went back to not bringing in lunch but now I have an agreement with myself that I bring in lunch for 4 days and on Fridays I can treat myself to a bought lunch.

The biggest shock was being told I need a tooth out and an implant (very near the front) My mum has told me she is paying for it despite me insisting but she won’t have it. This will mean I can continue to overpay my loan.

As well as my OH’s weekly meat allowance from work I get free pork mince as they have loads left over so if anyone has any good ideas on what to do with it please let me know (apparently bolognase and cottage pie is not as tasty with pork mince but OH wont complain too much as its free!

My horse is okay and I am hoping there will be no more extra bills for a while, I haven’t taken him out competing at all and saved money staying at home which is good although I can see this changing as the nicer weather approaches.I am still savig odd and ends in my sealed tin and will be getting back to the pad challenge.

We have finished decorating another room and just eed to buy some cheap carpet and underlay (any good suggestions welcome). A ‘friend’ just quoted us £1500 to do the back garden fence when the materials only cost £400 so I think we will be doing it ourselves!!

I have been reading through everyone’s diaries and so many of you are doing brilliantly.

It’s good to be back