A few months and several questions

RosaBernicia

Well it had to happen sooner or later... not sure how I managed to rack up 3 stars without keeping my own diary before, but clearly me and MSE are a long term thing :rotfl:

I've just joined the Debt Free by Christmas 2012 Challenge :eek: , which is going to require, er, focusing. My circumstances have changed a bit in the last few months, so I was intending to pay off the majority of my debt by then anyway. Hopefully with a bit of extra attention it can be the whole lot.

I'll be back tomorrow with a bit more background but wanted to post this before I could change my mind :rotfl:

Rosa xx

RosaBernicia

And for the record, tomorrow I should:

• Email uni to clarify my current status (so I know what I can put on CV)
• Email tutor about finishing my masters
• Email contact to find out more about a possible career path
• Get started on CPD portfolio (this is going to be a long and veerrrry dull job , so will try just doing 5 items at a time. I may need nagging.)

These take priority because the one of the most obvious ways to clear my debt sooner would be to increase my salary, and there are some potential options there. (Yes, I do know how lucky I am.)

After that, I ought to face Ebay. Arrrrgg. _pale_

Tomorrow should also theoretically be an NSD except for posting something to a friend. Since I have risotto I can take to work for lunch and sufficient chocolate supplies to get me through to Thursday or Friday. Also enough food in the house for meals and lunches til then.

Really should go to bed now...

Rosa xx

chevalier

hi there, good luck with your debt busting. i too must do some lists, as I am 'unfocused' at the moment also!:rotfl:

ZTD

RosaBernicia wrote: »

Well it had to happen sooner or later... not sure how I managed to rack up 3 stars without keeping my own diary before,

I'm close to 20,000 posts, never had my own diary and don't go in the Arms.

RosaBernicia wrote: »

but clearly me and MSE are a long term thing :rotfl:

Well you have been here since 2008....

RosaBernicia wrote: »

I've just joined the Debt Free by Christmas 2012 Challenge :eek: , which is going to require, er, focusing. My circumstances have changed a bit in the last few months, so I was intending to pay off the majority of my debt by then anyway. Hopefully with a bit of extra attention it can be the whole lot.

No hopefully's - just do it!

RosaBernicia wrote: »

And for the record, tomorrow I should:

• Email uni to clarify my current status (so I know what I can put on CV)
• Email tutor about finishing my masters
• Email contact to find out more about a possible career path
• Get started on CPD portfolio (this is going to be a long and veerrrry dull job , so will try just doing 5 items at a time. I may need nagging.)

Nag...nag...nag... Are you there yet?

Good Luck!

RosaBernicia

RosaBernicia wrote: »

And for the record, tomorrow I should:

• Email uni to clarify my current status (so I know what I can put on CV)
• Email tutor about finishing my masters
• Email contact to find out more about a possible career path
• Get started on CPD portfolio (this is going to be a long and veerrrry dull job , so will try just doing 5 items at a time. I may need nagging.)

Email frogs done going to dig out the CPD folder later tonight.

RosaBernicia

Between now and about March there are several changes coming up... the most obvious one being I am probably going to have to move. Not terribly happy about it, and no clear date, so am waiting for the landlord to give me actual instructions before I do anything drastic. Plus I'm settling into a new role at work (this is one of the potential ways to up my salary) and the other option career wise focuses on a recruitment drive that starts in Dec and could end anywhere between Dec and March, depending how far I get.

So if I need keeping on track it will probably be now...

RosaBernicia

Ah. Well. Not just the obvious ones about 'where am I going to move TO' and 'how am I going to go about debt busting' but some bigger, knottier, more complicated ones.

I deferred finishing up my masters because I was fed up of not having a life. I was exhausted, grumpy, developing a whole list of stress related conditions and generally just Not Good Company. So I finally had a minor tantrum and stopped. I decided the stress just wasn't worth it. Not that trying to do a half time masters on top of a practically full time job was such a sane idea in the first place.

And it's bl**dy marvellous having my life back. I can read whatever I like, get home and spend time cooking instead of trying to cram another half days work into my evening and friends are starting to adjust to the idea that I might say 'yes, count me in!' instead of 'can't, have essay/ exam/ work trip/ dire need to sleep'.

But...

• My social life is in bits - the last year has been ridiculous even by my standards. How to fix this?
• I'm going to get bored sooner or later, and be looking around for something to do. MUST NOT SIGN UP FOR ANY FORM OF QUALIFICATION. I can't possibly need any more. Must find something else to keep me out of trouble.
• A lot of my spending has been related to studying, either as fees or silly decisions made while running around in headless-chicken mode. The excuse has gone, now I just need to adjust the habit :rotfl:
• Being completely worn out from the last year is still affecting me. I kinda think I'm OK, then realise I don't have my usual resilience. So I'm not going for my usual approach of set goals and do them somehow. Need to find something less focused but still effective.

That's probably enough rambling. Tea, CPD folder... have to be up disgustingly early for a train tomorrow. But it does mean M&S food on expenses

Which reminds me... stuff I should probably do tomorrow:

• Expenses claim. I put these off because I hate filling in the darn things, but should really do it so I get the money back sooner.
• This means taming the Receipt Mountain. I may need Ray Mears.
• More CPD entries
• Make a start - just a handful - on the Shredding Stack. (The one that in theory is stopping anyone picking my personal info out of the bin, and in practice means any burglar could exit with most of my details in a carrier bag.)

Ebay is going to have to wait til the CPD thing is done 'cause there's only so much annoyance I can handle at once!

Rosa xx

ZTD

Why are you going to have to move?

RosaBernicia

chevalier wrote: »

hi there, good luck with your debt busting. i too must do some lists, as I am 'unfocused' at the moment also!:rotfl:

Thanks Chev

My lists are much less focused than they used to be... trying to find a balance between achievement-addict and CSI sofa-bum!

RosaBernicia

ZTD wrote: »

Why are you going to have to move?

Hi Z

The landlord is selling next year. He thinks. After he does the alterations that he hasn't got planning permission for yet. And if he can shift this place, which needs a whole bunch of other work doing to it. He's a lovely guy but past performance does suggest it might not happen quite when he said it would. Which is why I'm not panicking that he mentioned January. Since he doesn't appear to have got the planning applications in yet and I'm not convinced February would be a brilliant time for building work.

If I had the deposit I might think about trying to buy the place from him, but it needs so much doing that it's not really a good deal. It's fine for renting - it's v cheap for this area and I love having a huge garden - but on the other hand I'd quite like to try central heating again!

Rosa xx

ZTD

RosaBernicia wrote: »

Hi Z

:hello:

RosaBernicia wrote: »

The landlord is selling next year. He thinks.

Any reason why?

RosaBernicia wrote: »

After he does the alterations that he hasn't got planning permission for yet.

Assuming he gets it as well...

RosaBernicia wrote: »

And if he can shift this place, which needs a whole bunch of other work doing to it.

Depending where you are (i.e. outside Central London) that may take some time and a bit of discounting.

RosaBernicia wrote: »

He's a lovely guy but past performance does suggest it might not happen quite when he said it would.

So is "Diplomacy" your middle name then...

RosaBernicia wrote: »

Which is why I'm not panicking that he mentioned January. Since he doesn't appear to have got the planning applications in yet and I'm not convinced February would be a brilliant time for building work.

If I had the deposit I might think about trying to buy the place from him, but it needs so much doing that it's not really a good deal. It's fine for renting - it's v cheap for this area and I love having a huge garden - but on the other hand I'd quite like to try central heating again!

Don't do it. I made an offer to buy out the XOH, so I didn't have to move. With hindsight, it would have been a Bad Move (TM).

We all get a bit too emotionally attached to where we're living, and give too much value to not having to pack the junk up and shift.