Finally seeing the right track getting closer

miggy

Hi Muffy! You seem to be doing very well on the NSDs, Amazon and Ebay. And fitting in a social life as well.

Do you know, I thought exactly the same thing that you say about chocolate - it doesn't taste the same at first! Very odd. I find I'm eating Easter egg because it's there, not because I crave chocolate. Perhaps I should put it out of sight... now there's an idea! I am still at a slightly lower weight than I was a few weeks ago (much to my surprise) and it would be a shame to scupper it.

MuffinTops

Well, I'm all packed and ready to trek up to Manchester this evening. I left my train tickets at work so that was something I didn't need to worry about leaving behind at home.

My course is almost a boarding school as it's held in the hotel I'm staying in. Which is great as all shops are a cab ride away so I'm taking a laptop and a few DVD's so that I can keep myself entertained in the evenings. I'm also hoping to finish a book I started last September!!! I can't leave things half way through, but I'm not enjoying the book enough to want to know how it turns out. The next 3 nights will hopefully get that scrubbed off the list.

I've also brought some exercise DVD's to go over for my new challenge to get a feel for what's expected and to plan ahead. I can't start it for another 10 days (I'm away this weekend) but that's good because it's not the sort of thing I'd want to throw full pelt into! I'd crash and burn!!! I've just updated my diary to state the start time, otherwise I'll procrastinate. I'll do the before and during piccies too so that I can give myself the tools and incentive of staying fit, if I get there!

I've not spent any money yet today but I'm sure I'll need to. I'm meeting A for coffee at lunchtime as I'm off to catch the train as soon as I finish work and I should pay for lunch. I also need to buy a cheap bottle of olive oil and pay for the cab to the hotel later (that I need to reclaim when I'm back in the office on Friday). The cab will push me over budget but that's ok as it's just money I'm lending to my company!

It's strange being at work with a suitcase by the side of me! Nice knowing I'm not here for a few more days though.

I've sent the Amazon books to their new owners. My ebay booty isn't gaining much attention. I think one of the pictures I've added doesn't give the items any justice, but I'll see how it goes. I'll write a little list while I'm away of other things I can think of to put up for sale.

No news from the bank yet, so I'm not a laughable no! I had visions of them opening my form, reading my "why I got into debt" letter and sending a "thanks for the jokey application" . That may still happen but over time I'm hoping they're considering things properly.

I'm waiting for a letter from my current bank thanking me for going back to the original agreement of me banking with them now too! Trying to find that missing money at the weekend made me look through old statements and I was overdrawn within a week of being paid each and every month! The interest rates I was giving out to them was huge based on around £75 a month too! Phew! I'm glad that lightbulb hit me.:D

MuffinTops

I feel a little sad that my training days are over here, but it has been a great course and a nice break from normal working! I've not ventured out of the hotel as everything is here, and I'm shattered at the end of the day with all the information that needs to be absorbed. I have realised that I'm a total geek on training courses though. I love them!!!! Eek!

I've also not had to spend a penny. The taxi was £21 from the station to the hotel, but that will be claimed back tomorrow. We've also been given a full breakfast of anything you can possibly want on a breakfast. Full cooked english, cereals, pastries, toast. All on a help yourself buffet basis. Lunches were up to 3 courses and evening meals are the same 3 courses. Really nice fresh food too! So if I thought I could encourage myself to eat less while away that has definitely not happened.

I have kept my commitment to myself to go through the DVD's of this new challenge though and feel more prepared to start that. I have to pass a fitness test (ha ha - that won't happen immediately) but it's not massive so should only take me a few days to bluff my way through it.

The course itself should help to make my working life a lot more interesting as well, so there's a massive bonus in that. I'm the only person interested in this particular technology so I'm hoping it will be easy to carve a niche for myself. The only thing against it is that people really aren't interested in this, but I think I've learned enough to wow the right people into passing certain work my way. We'll see. I'm willing to give it a good shot.

That's it really for me. Being on the course and eating in the hotel has been quite uneventful and intense all at the same time. The 2 fellas I was on the course with were lovely and the trainer was the best one I've had yet - by a long way.

So that's a week of almost no spending. Tomorrow will be the same as I've been told I can take a few things from breakfast as travel food, so I'll snaffle enough to use for my lunch and then I'm sorted for the day's food. I have to go straight home after work at 4pm as I'm away this weekend and need to do washing, unpacking and repacking. I could get used to this.

I hope everyone is having a great week and have also shared the nice weather we've had here.

xx

miggy

Glad the course has been so good, and hasn't had extra expenses either! I'm another one who loves a good training course - especially if it's something I'm geeky about! Hopefully it will be really useful.

MuffinTops

The journey in to London from Manchester took nearly 4 hours! Then my boss asked me to go to lunch so I've hardly done anything all day. I don't really have the mental capacity to do much to be honest as it really does take it out of me being on a course. I also had planned to get an early night last night but 2 friends of mine were going through a frantic evening so by the time we finished it was almost midnight! I'm not a late to bed type of person.

I have cleared up a few issues that I was asked for help on, and I think I'll also take the time I have left at work today to work out how to put my expenses report in. I'm off on Monday so I'd like to get it sorted so I can come in fresh and raring to go on Tuesday morning.

No money spent today other than the £25 taxi from the hotel to the station which is the expenses claim. I'm hoping that I won't need much this evening as it will be a massive rush around to prepare for unpacking and repacking again.

I checked my bank account today and that's all good and as expected. I also have some decent bids on my ebay items so happy with that. It's another free listing weekend too, so that will be handy if I can get organised enough to put stuff up in the morning.

Anyway, that's me really. Not a very eventful week, but a nice and frugal one. I hope everyone's had a great week. x

MuffinTops

My weekend away was pretty good. I woke on Saturday with a really sore throat and croaky voice and have been hit with the lurgy so that did put a dampener on the break away, but it wasn't too bad. I need to make sure I get some night nurse as I'm not sleeping with it. I know that stuff will knock me out, but I'd rather that than feel exhausted and not able to sleep.

The weekend worked out quite expensive with just breakfast included. But as I didn't have to pay for accommodation I didn't mind too much. My monthly budget is still very much under control.

I had a letter from the bank asking me to sign a debit card mandate and for 6 months personal bank statements. Now, I have had an immaculate bank history for just 5 months. That last month shows 3 direct debit reversals which is really scaring me. Do I be honest and send those 6 months hoping that the 5 great months will make month 6 look like a one off, or do I just send 5 months worth hoping they won't realise or will just accept them? Dilemma! I can't hold off sending the statements in for a month, although I can't do anything more for another 2 weeks anyway.

I'm thinking that if I send a bulk full 6 months the bad transactions will be heavily diluted. But if I only send 5 and they request the 6th then they'll have everything blasting them with no buffer. Right. Decision made, I'll send them what they've asked for and cross my fingers it looks ok to them.

£3 of today's budget has been spent so far and more tonight as I get some stuff to help me sleep and make me feel better. A full budget day I'm thinking.

I still need to claim my expenses too so I'm feeling on top of things.

I hope everyone's having a good Tuesday xx

debtfree2015_2

Hope you are feeling better muffin.

Good luck with the bank. When are you due your next statement - is March statement included in your numbers? How about Aprils? If you can hold out til the end of April would that wipe out the 6th month you were worried about?

xx

miggy

How are you feeling today? Hope you got a good night's sleep.

I think you're doing the right thing with the bank statements, hopefully the glow from the five good ones will make so much glare that they won't see the other one properly.

Just a thought - could you do six months to the day rather than six calendar months?

MuffinTops

Well, I've been missing for a while as that bug really hit me. I'm sure it turned into flu as I was hardly able to function for a while. I've been dosing up and not doing very much and although I feel better, I'm still not 100%.

The good thing is that this has given me lots of NSD's, but the bad thing is I now have no food in the house and also need some laundry stuff and toiletries so I think the NSD's are just putting off the inevitable of a big shop. I'll keep it as low as possible, but there are some essentials I do need to get.

I'm at a conference on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday so I won't need too much food as breakfast and lunch will be provided. If I'm savvy enough I won't need much for dinner.

I have decided that I do need to send the 6 months statements. The bank sent a letter to me yesterday chasing these details, but I can only print stuff from work so I'll have to go in early on Monday, pre conference and get them printed off and sent.

If I do put it bac six months to the day it won't make any difference as it will include the whole of November still. But, they need the information now so I'm going to just bite the bullet and go for it.

So not much has happened in my little world this week to report based on my illness. Hopefully next week will have much more fun and action to report!

I hope everyone has had a good week and that the weekend is going well. x

debtfree2015_2

Glad you are on the mend, good luck with your savvy shop x