Muchin's diary of recover; becoming debt free and being happy

Munchin

Hi all

I'm on leave today:j but haven't quite managed to do anything:o. My virus software had given up the ghost so spent ages trying to get it working and haven't been on the net much while it wasn't working.

I was at the Balmoral show yesterday which is a big agricultural show in Belfast. I spent some time pottering round the stands and then had to do a couple of hours on our stand which was fine. It was time out of work so no complaints from me.

I've just seen a lovely dress on Pepperberry that I'm tempted to buy for the upcoming wedding. I tried on the dress my sis in law has but I should have known that it wouldn't suit as we are 2 different body shapes.

Money front it's not so bad, I just wish it was pay day again. 12 days to pay day and I have 1 birthday in June to buy for and we are heading out for dinner as it's my brothers 40th.

This weekend I think we are of to the North West which is a big biking thing here in Portrush. I'm not into bikes but it should be a good day out. No doubt it will lash from the heavens so I better dig out my waterproofs.

So plans this week -

1. another wardrobe clear out
   
2. clean house
3. North West

Munchin

Hi all

Tad fed up this evening. I'm feeling bloated and yucky which is as a result of eating tons of junk and chocolate. No reason for it just bored, OH is working and it was there. I need to pick myself up by the scruff of the neck and shake myself down.

I have £86 left in my account :eek: and £50 in my purse which is to last me until the end of the month. Pay day is next Tues 29th May so 9 days to go.

I have a physio appt tomorrow morning super early. I booked the day of work but forgot about my physio appt which will be £33 out of my purse.

I'm hoping that i have no more significant spends until after next weekend. I'm very tired of coming to the end of the month will little money left. It's entirely my own fault as I keep frittering.:o

So yet again I'm setting myself a resolution to record all my spends in my diary and keep this diary up to date.

Spends

Bank a/c = £86
Purse = £50 ish

OH and I are going on holiday at end of Sept so back to putting money aside for that.

chikarma

I agree debt diaries are fantastic and really work.

Munchin

Morning all

I am on leave today as it is gorgeous outside.

I have a list of things to do but have started today with a coffee :coffee: and a quick wiz through my budgeting spreadsheets.:). The simple fact is that with all the things I want to do this year I won't have my debt cleared by Dec. Probably January but it's only another 31 days. The good side will be that by the end of the year if God spares etc:) I will have been to a lovely wedding and stayed at a posh hotel, visited Italy and Turkey and taken my mum to a lovely beachside hotel and i will be ED free:T for over a year:D

I think I've also found our holiday in Turkey and it's bed & breakfast - so with flights & accommodation for 11 nights it works out at just under £600 but then you have to add in tranfers so thats £650. I will have to add on spending money but I'll worry about that later. The job now is just to get OH to agree. He always leaves it to me to pick our holidays so I could probably go ahead and book it but I better wait. This wont be until Sept but even so I'm excited.:D:D

I have booked my car in for a service in 2 weeks and I know i need new brake pads & discs, a new temperature sensor and heaven knows what else. I will be lucky if i have any change out of £300.

So todays plans -

• sort out handbag (it fell on floor and contents are everywhere so best time to sort)
• clean living room and bedroom
• sort out wardrobe and move winter clothes to back room (even if the weather changes in a week I'm still going to prepare for summer)
• cut hedges
• & strim lane

I feel really good and motivated. I have little money and there is 5 days to pay day which I might make it to by the skin of my teeth.:D

The sun always puts me in such a good mood. Have a lovely day everyone.

Munchin

Hi MSE world,

Isn't the weather amazing and I've been out in it everyday and I'm now a tad pinkish:o. Yesterday I manged to strim my massive lane and cut the humungus hedge. OH took pity on me and came and helped me (he has just shot up the brownie point table with my mum and auntie). Yesterday to return the favour I spent over 3 hours weeding his garden with him, digging it up and constructing a climber for the peas we planted last night at 9pm!! Bit late but we got there in the end.


[/QUOTE]

Munchin wrote: »

• [STRIKE]sort out handbag (it fell on floor and contents are everywhere so best time to sort)[/STRIKE]
• [STRIKE]clean living room and bedroom[/STRIKE]
• s[STRIKE]ort out wardrobe and move winter clothes to back room (even if the weather changes in a week I'm still going to prepare for summer)[/STRIKE]
• [STRIKE]cut hedges[/STRIKE]
• [STRIKE]& strim lane[/STRIKE]

I have a confession - money has crept onto my credit card :o:o . It is sitting at £140 which is money spent on my gym membership as 12 week membership has ended. It also includes money for my physio which I didn't budget for last month as I didn't know about it. Finally it includes a nice new top I bought. So at the minute it's sitting at £140 and I don't have any money for the car service so there will be at least another £300 added to it in June. I'm going to add the total to my signature once I have the car serviced.

It just shows me how easy it is to build up debts. I could use my savings to pay it of but as it's 0% until the New Year (I hope) I will just plug away at it each month as I want to keep that money for holidays:D

Today's plans - not much. I have been flat out gardening for 2 days so I'm just going to get dressed, go to mass and read the papers and RELAX:D

Munchin

Morning MSE world:D

Yesterday I wrote a big long post for my diary but OH walked in just as I was about to hit post and I accidently deleted it so here we go again .

So where are we this weekend, eyes slightly sore from 2 drinks last night!!!!. I'm Irish it's embarrassing that I can't drink:). We went to the coast yesterday and walked around the Mussenden temple - it was lovely and no spends required:)

So yesterday OH and I finally agreed that he is coming with me to Italy in Oct:T and we're going to Lake Garda, Venice and Verona. This means that we're not going to Turkey in Sept. I think he thought I was going to be disappointed but I'm delighted because I get to save some money and maybe we'll get away early in the New Year.

I was also reading a challenge which is ended but it was to buy nothing in the big shops for a month(Mr T, Asda etc). I think this is a brilliant idea as I am so guilty for going in an for 1 thing and coming up with 10 . Mr T &co are experts at sucking me in so not totally my fault:D. I can't guarantee that I will not be going to the big stores but going to give it a go.

Ok money situation - I have an iphone app "My budget" which is very addictive for recording all spends. So each week in June I have £115ish to spend which includes diesel and physio (now twice a month). On my spreadsheet of wonder the budget is divided into categories but for reporting purposes on here I'll just stick to 3 categories.

Everything - £[STRIKE]280[/STRIKE]/£54.08
Diesel - £[STRIKE]160[/STRIKE]/£45
Clothes - £[STRIKE]100[/STRIKE]/£36

I have a bit extra in the everything budget as I got some travel arrears this month. The clothes budget is high this month as I'm going to a 40th birthday and would like a new top and I'm going to a wedding so need shoes, bag and cardi (bought the cardi on Thurs).

So things are very positive in munchin land today. It was my dad's anniversary on Fri and although it's been 12 years I so miss him and it puts everything in perspective:)

Right not much planned for today - papers and coffee sound about right. I'm also going to figure out where the Olympic torch is and go see it before it leaves N Ireland. I will probably never get the opportunity again so why not.

Have a lovely day everyone.

Munchin

Hi all

First day back in work and I've survived it:D

I was soo shattered today. I don't know why but just felt bleurgh all day. I came home with a splitting headache which hasn't lifted much and I think it's time for an early night.

Well car service with new brake pads, discs etc was £320, so on the card it goes:o. I've promised myself that this will be the last year where the card is used and I will have the funds sitting in my savings for these bills. This only works if I don't get hit with another one before the end of the year:o. I could take the money out of savings but the credit card is interest free and I'd like to have some form of savings cushion just in case.

I've been pricing flights to Italy for Oct and for the pair of us it will cost £227 (+ any administration costs), so far so good. I'm not sure about accommodation but it shouldn't be so bad.

Well that's my update for today and it's now time to put my pesky card away and keep chipping away at my debt while still maintaining some sort of life.:D

Munchin

Morning all, it's time I got up and faced the world.

I'm trying to do the NSD challenge this month but failing miserably at it. My main problem is not forward planning so once tmw is out of the way I will get a handle on this budgeting malarkey.

So today's plans -

Pop into mr t (local shop no good) for card n chocs for colleague before work (she kept b'day secret);
Clean house from top to bottom.
Iron the clothes mountain
Pick up sis from airport.
Fake tan n tackle eyebrows for b'day party tmw night.

First thing first - breakfast

Munchin

So far so good.

I've done Mr T and stuck to my plan so bought some chocolates & a card for my colleague - £5.

I've also asked for a 1/2 day which allows me to go home at lunchtime and tear into that house and have it spick and span for my sisters arrival.

I'm in a bit of a lull with work so thank goodness for the 1/2 day.

Munchin

Aaah yesterday turned into a long day. I got my 1/2 day but before I left sis in law rang to ask a favour. She wanted asda to put a pic on cake for bruvs b'day. The decorating machine was broke so as she doesn't drive she asked me to go to another store. All ok? However when I got there I waited 40 mins n it broke, so I drove to another store. Anyhow on way home I stopped at restaurant to leave cake in and when I was walking back to my car this woman opened her jeep door and hit my wing mirror. She didnt know I was behind her & she checked her door for damage but not mine and jumped into her jeep. I said "excuse me" and she was really aggressive n told me there was nothing wrong with my car. She didn't look:mad:

I got home and looked at car properly & there is a score on it.
I had also bought a bottle of wine n dropped it while checking car.:mad:

So afternoon off turned into epic 3 hour journey touring asda stores n getting my car damaged.

In positive note I'm going out tonight & so looking forward to it.
My sis is home so going to have a lovely weekend.

Tomorrow I'm going to sort out money pots to rack up some NSDs:D
.