Time to get organised and get on with it!

LAM2011

jwil wrote: »

I think you can delink them but haven't looked into it so not sure of the process.

I will probably just hang on to my kindle now - I hardly use that except when on holiday so cant see myself using the newer one.

I am restarting my amazon voucher stash so will see how I feel next year.

peaceandfreedom

LAM2011 wrote: »

Hopefully by this weekend though our log burning stove will be providing heating and hot water to the house! I have been promised the front room will be liveable for xmas.

VERY jealous, would love a wood-burning stove. We have an open fire in the sitting-room but I'd love a wood-burning stove in the kitchen.

LAM2011 wrote: »

I have managed my christmas presents off amazon vouchers and only a small thing to get for my brother now - we only buy token gifts for each other and its only my son I spend more on and then this year I am copping out by giving him booze and some money. He is so hard to buy for as he never wants anything.

You have managed everything brilliantly, I'm impressed. :T

LAM2011 wrote: »

The actual day is no biggie for us - just a normal roast dinner and then off to OH family in evening for big picnic type scenariou on lounge floor with all the rest of the huge family.

That sounds like a rather wonderful day.

peaceandfreedom

peaceandfreedom wrote: »

Off now to add up my sealed pot contents - hope there's at least £300 in there. Fingers crossed.

OK, so it's £302.55. :j:j:j

Not bad given the really cr*ppy year we've had money-wise (and lots of other-ways wise!). But next year, I'm going all-out. I'm going to save £1000 in my sealed pot.

Still that's over 300 quid towards Christmas, won't go far enough but it will certainly help. :T

LAM2011

Hi Peaceandfreedom and thankyou. I am trying really hard now and as I just posted on the POAMAYC thread - without this forum and you members I would still probably be living off credit. Its been hard and I will admit I have fallen off the wagon a few times but we are all in the same boat I am sure!

The best thing for me about christmas is the time off work. We still have to see to the horses dogs and chickens so its a fairly normal day really. We often see to other peoples horses at the yard as well.

We are lucky in that my OH is a builder so apart from the £500 :eek::eek::eek: he spent on the log burning stove everything else he has done himself in the evenings / weekends - hence the constant mess. He does have a building fund for the alterations and so it has come out of that. We will also have the option to flip a switch to use traditional gas or to just use the heat off the stove. I dunno - very technical

have you counted your pot yet ? I have started another pot

LAM2011

peaceandfreedom wrote: »

OK, so it's £302.55. :j:j:j

Not bad given the really cr*ppy year we've had money-wise (and lots of other-ways wise!). But next year, I'm going all-out. I'm going to save £1000 in my sealed pot.

Still that's over 300 quid towards Christmas, won't go far enough but it will certainly help. :T

Our posts crossed! Well done - that is fab. :T I only put small change in my pot as anything bigger goes into debt. This next year I am only putting 20ps in I already have OH emptying his pockets and donating me his 20p so you wont find any in the house

peaceandfreedom

LAM2011 wrote: »

Hi Peaceandfreedom and thankyou. I am trying really hard now and as I just posted on the POAMAYC thread - without this forum and you members I would still probably be living off credit. Its been hard and I will admit I have fallen off the wagon a few times but we are all in the same boat I am sure!

Indeed, though I have spent far too long off the wagon this year.

LAM2011 wrote: »

We are lucky in that my OH is a builder so apart from the £500 :eek::eek::eek: he spent on the log burning stove everything else he has done himself in the evenings / weekends - hence the constant mess. He does have a building fund for the alterations and so it has come out of that. We will also have the option to flip a switch to use traditional gas or to just use the heat off the stove. I dunno - very technical

Did you have to do anything to your chimney in order to install a wood-burning stove? I was told that you need a special flue or something? It's that that's putting me off more than anything.

LAM2011 wrote: »

have you counted your pot yet ? I have started another pot

Yup, just over 300 quid. Would have liked more but given our low income and general financial chaos, I reckon it's not bad.

peaceandfreedom

LAM2011 wrote: »

Our posts crossed! Well done - that is fab. :T I only put small change in my pot as anything bigger goes into debt. This next year I am only putting 20ps in I already have OH emptying his pockets and donating me his 20p so you wont find any in the house

I don't put anything lower than 5p in mine but I do put larger amounts in. Truly, larger amounts should go towards debt but I don't have a coherent plan for debt and I really ought to.

I've spent too many years basically making half-hearted efforts to reduce debt. It's not easy, OH has been out of work for over a year and I get no help at all from him - he continues to p*ss lots of spare cash down the bogs of the local pub. :mad:

But I've realised I've got to stop being a victim and just DO something instead of always thinking 'woe is me'. I'm inclined to sit back and hope for a miracle, but a miracle is not going to come. It's up to me. So December 2012 is the start of formulating a new plan and putting it into action.

I may even start my own diary so I can waffle on without cluttering up Jwil's thread.

LAM2011

peaceandfreedom wrote: »

Did you have to do anything to your chimney in order to install a wood-burning stove? I was told that you need a special flue or something? It's that that's putting me off more than anything.

yes, although I couldnt tell you what - there was loads of mess and cursing and more mess. The whole fire surround thing - mantle and hearth came away - he had to lower the 'roof' of the hole for the pipe to fit from the stove to the chimney and then a bucket of cement dropped - oh it was hell! Its all rebuilt and the stove is now in place - its just all the plumbing piping now that goes all over the place and up to a fancy new boiler thingy thats in the back bedroom.

peaceandfreedom

LAM2011 wrote: »

yes, although I couldnt tell you what - there was loads of mess and cursing and more mess. The whole fire surround thing - mantle and hearth came away - he had to lower the 'roof' of the hole for the pipe to fit from the stove to the chimney and then a bucket of cement dropped - oh it was hell! Its all rebuilt and the stove is now in place - its just all the plumbing piping now that goes all over the place and up to a fancy new boiler thingy thats in the back bedroom.

Crikey, sounds horrendous! :eek::D

You are lucky that your OH can do it all - I shudder at the thought of the cost otherwise. Some day out of curiosity I might get some people in to have a look and give me an idea. I would still want the fire in the sitting-room, and the place in the kitchen is at the back of that same fireplace, so would share the same chimney though I am not sure if there are two chimneys back-to-back if you see what I mean.

Anyway, 'tis but a dream for now but one can dream ....:)

LAM2011

peaceandfreedom wrote: »

I don't put anything lower than 5p in mine but I do put larger amounts in. Truly, larger amounts should go towards debt but I don't have a coherent plan for debt and I really ought to.

I've spent too many years basically making half-hearted efforts to reduce debt. It's not easy, OH has been out of work for over a year and I get no help at all from him - he continues to p*ss lots of spare cash down the bogs of the local pub. :mad:

But I've realised I've got to stop being a victim and just DO something instead of always thinking 'woe is me'. I'm inclined to sit back and hope for a miracle, but a miracle is not going to come. It's up to me. So December 2012 is the start of formulating a new plan and putting it into action.

I may even start my own diary so I can waffle on without cluttering up Jwil's thread.

It must be really hard for you - I think I would feel the same in your shoes. My debt is all my own ranging back to pre OH which is now 7 years ago! He only really knew the true figure when I joined this forum and he helps all he can but he has his own plans (building) for his cash. I think if we were in debt as a couple and he was unemployed and still spending I would probably feel very disheartened.

I think like you say if you make a plan with small achieveable goals you might feel like you are getting somewhere. xx