Time to get organised and get on with it!

peaceandfreedom

DedicatedDFW wrote: »

I think its better - or at least it works for me anyway to really hurl everything at 1 thing at once and let the others tick over. I know others spread overpayments out over all bills but i just couldn't manage with that - whilst i don't forget about the other bills i don't find it as overwhelming with the way i deal with it

I'm the same as you - I will do the minimum payments by direct debit to other credit cards and tackle one at a time - it's very satisfying to see the overall total come down by a good amount. Then it's on to the next one.

DedicatedDFW wrote: »

Oh, i know what he has in mind - but it also wouldn't be right for our little cottage *whispers* but i've not told him this yet Plus there are things that need money spending on them in the garden - the patio needs relaying - the fence and the shed need buying and putting in so there's no point spending a load of money to re-landscape something that doesn't need to be done

You will just have to be firm then, DDFW. It's almost reassuring in a way that I am not the only one out there doing all the work while OH sits inside (watching telly usually!). With lots of other household tasks I feel like a bit of a mug to be honest, but with the gardening, I don't mind because I enjoy it so much. He has no interest in it so it would be a cack-handed job anyway.

DedicatedDFW wrote: »

maybe i just need to treat myself to this one plant this year if i can squirrel some money to one side from somewhere :think: - which then reminds me that all the things needed in the garden - compost, pots, plants etc. have all come out of my budget hmm....

No good to you this year but for the future, if you make your own compost heap, you can make your own compost which is terrific stuff and free - it's made from all the other garden waste, and raw fruit/veg kitchen waste. Probably not suitable for seed-sowing but good for everything else.

Pots - our local garden centre has free plastic pots in a big container outside the front doors - they call it 'pot recycling' and you can help yourself. And our local recycling centre (council tip to you and me) has a 'hard core' skip which often has entirely intact and lovely pots in there - I came home with 5 lovely terracotta pots recently - the staff there will let you take some home 'unofficially'. You could also be inventive and make pots of out unusual items - old wellies, tyres (ask at your local garage, they usually have to pay to dispose of them), belfast sinks, any old stuff - again the tip would be useful there if the staff are friendly.

DedicatedDFW

Hey everyone

i have had a busy weekend and am just starting to catch up on the threads

I must apologise for how rubbish i was running the challenge last month - although reading my posts i know i was just too poorly some days.

Somehow i still managed to reduce the balance down to £1345 - so £345 short of target but paying off nearly £700 was brilliant and the bill seems a little more manageable.

This month i will be doing the same again - although my main aim will be to clear the full remaining balance :eek::eek::eek: This would then leave me on target for being debt free for my birthday and i'd have 3 bills left - 1 credit card, 1 overdraft and 1 personal. Target 3 is also a credit card.

Hope everyone is well

peaceandfreedom

I'm afraid I failed miserably with the March challenge. I only managed to raise an extra £91. However, I made £158 of extra payments so I suppose that's a reasonable result.

What has happened is that I'm quite geared up to repeat the challenge in April. I have started getting stuff ready for ebay and I've got more organised.

Today I did a car boot and cleared a profit of £140.:j:j:j VERY pleased with this as last night I didn't think it looked like we had much saleable stuff. Gave some of the proceeds to my kids as they had bought some of the things we sold, but I got to keep £92 so I'm declaring that as my first extra cash for April. Ha ha, already better than March's entire total and it's only the 1st of the month.

A big THANK YOU to DDFW for getting my backside into gear. :T

peaceandfreedom

Oh yeah and between one thing and another, total EXTRA costs in March came to £1266. :eek::eek::eek:

Most of that I have paid for in March, though some will be paid in April and possibly into May, depending on how the April challenge goes. I'm quite impressed I managed to survive at all, actually.

jwil

DDFW - you did a great job of setting up the challenge last month, and you did fantastically well :T

P&F - well done on your boot sale result, that's fantastic :T :eek: to the extra costs, but well done on managing them so well. You did do really well in the challenge too, every extra helps!

I'm feeling rubbish today, was up all night ill I did accompany DH out booting this morning though, as thought it would be better to get some fresh air and keep me out of bed today. I behaved well, and only bought one item and a DVD which I shall watch and sell again.

We did contemplate selling at one this afternoon, but decided against it and so I 'rested my eyes' in the sun for a little bit :cool:

I have listed 4 items for DH and 1 for me today though, but I'll pop them on tomorrow probably to end at the end of the Bank Holiday weekend rather than over Easter itself.

peaceandfreedom

jwil wrote: »

I'm feeling rubbish today, was up all night ill I did accompany DH out booting this morning though, as thought it would be better to get some fresh air and keep me out of bed today. I behaved well, and only bought one item and a DVD which I shall watch and sell again.

We did contemplate selling at one this afternoon, but decided against it and so I 'rested my eyes' in the sun for a little bit :cool:

Sorry you're unwell, Jwil, you've been poorly quite often lately. You need some sunshine, some vitamins, a rest or better still, a holiday.

jwil wrote: »

I have listed 4 items for DH and 1 for me today though, but I'll pop them on tomorrow probably to end at the end of the Bank Holiday weekend rather than over Easter itself.

Is that best do you think? I have a few things I could put on ebay this evening but I'm more inclined to head out into the garden for an hour or two now. It's warmer outside than inside today.

jwil

peaceandfreedom wrote: »

Sorry you're unwell, Jwil, you've been poorly quite often lately. You need some sunshine, some vitamins, a rest or better still, a holiday.




Is that best do you think? I have a few things I could put on ebay this evening but I'm more inclined to head out into the garden for an hour or two now. It's warmer outside than inside today.

I have annoyingly. It's stress mainly I think, I don't react very well to certain situations. Although, I think I may have eaten something that didn't agree with me yesterday so that was probably part of the cause too.

I do take vitamins every day (well, mostly) as I hoped that would help, but sunshine, a rest and a holiday would all be lovely

I'm not sure what's best really, but I was thinking that if we have a good weekend next weekend, everyone is going to be out and about. Whereas on the Monday, a lot of people will be back in preparing for going back to work. If it's rubbish weather, then the listings will have lots of potential to be seen.

I've always found Monday evenings a pretty good time to end anyway so I'm going to give it a shot.

Have a good evening

peaceandfreedom

jwil wrote: »

I'm not sure what's best really, but I was thinking that if we have a good weekend next weekend, everyone is going to be out and about. Whereas on the Monday, a lot of people will be back in preparing for going back to work. If it's rubbish weather, then the listings will have lots of potential to be seen.

I've always found Monday evenings a pretty good time to end anyway so I'm going to give it a shot.

By way of experimentation and because I fancy a lazy Sunday evening, I intend to do the same.

DedicatedDFW

:undecided

peaceandfreedom wrote: »

You will just have to be firm then, DDFW. It's almost reassuring in a way that I am not the only one out there doing all the work while OH sits inside (watching telly usually!). With lots of other household tasks I feel like a bit of a mug to be honest, but with the gardening, I don't mind because I enjoy it so much. He has no interest in it so it would be a cack-handed job anyway.



No good to you this year but for the future, if you make your own compost heap, you can make your own compost which is terrific stuff and free - it's made from all the other garden waste, and raw fruit/veg kitchen waste. Probably not suitable for seed-sowing but good for everything else.

Pots - our local garden centre has free plastic pots in a big container outside the front doors - they call it 'pot recycling' and you can help yourself. And our local recycling centre (council tip to you and me) has a 'hard core' skip which often has entirely intact and lovely pots in there - I came home with 5 lovely terracotta pots recently - the staff there will let you take some home 'unofficially'. You could also be inventive and make pots of out unusual items - old wellies, tyres (ask at your local garage, they usually have to pay to dispose of them), belfast sinks, any old stuff - again the tip would be useful there if the staff are friendly.

Cross posted yesterday peaceandfreedom - so first off - i can totally identify with the feeling above - i try to not let it get to me as nothing will change - and ditto here too - i am running round getting things done whilst OH sits and watches tv :undecided

Composting does sound like a good idea - i think for next year definitely once i've got some of the jobs done outside such as fencing, shed and patio then i can decide where it can go :cool:

Hmm - i've never seen anything of interest at our local tip sadly and i'm not sure we can get things from there. i will be sure to ask if there is anything decent that i spy

i have a belfast sink as my herb garden

peaceandfreedom wrote: »

I'm afraid I failed miserably with the March challenge. I only managed to raise an extra £91. However, I made £158 of extra payments so I suppose that's a reasonable result.

What has happened is that I'm quite geared up to repeat the challenge in April. I have started getting stuff ready for ebay and I've got more organised.

Today I did a car boot and cleared a profit of £140.:j:j:j VERY pleased with this as last night I didn't think it looked like we had much saleable stuff. Gave some of the proceeds to my kids as they had bought some of the things we sold, but I got to keep £92 so I'm declaring that as my first extra cash for April. Ha ha, already better than March's entire total and it's only the 1st of the month.

A big THANK YOU to DDFW for getting my backside into gear. :T

You did really well peaceandfreedom :T:T:T - especially given how much you had to pay out extra last month too :eek::eek::eek: Well done on the carboot :j I'm thinking of doing a bit of an eb*y challenge as part of this months challenge - only because i have such a big amount to pay off and i seem to have decluttered as far as possible but really should get rid of more things as i don't 'need' them So hoping the challenge will give me the push that i need :cool:

jwil wrote: »

DDFW - you did a great job of setting up the challenge last month, and you did fantastically well :T

P&F - well done on your boot sale result, that's fantastic :T :eek: to the extra costs, but well done on managing them so well. You did do really well in the challenge too, every extra helps!

I'm feeling rubbish today, was up all night ill I did accompany DH out booting this morning though, as thought it would be better to get some fresh air and keep me out of bed today. I behaved well, and only bought one item and a DVD which I shall watch and sell again.

We did contemplate selling at one this afternoon, but decided against it and so I 'rested my eyes' in the sun for a little bit :cool:

I have listed 4 items for DH and 1 for me today though, but I'll pop them on tomorrow probably to end at the end of the Bank Holiday weekend rather than over Easter itself.

Sorry to hear you've not been well hon and hope you are feeling better now x

Hope you did well at the carboot too and well done on listing some things - i have 1 or 2 bits to list and had no energy to do so

peaceandfreedom

DedicatedDFW wrote: »

Cross posted yesterday peaceandfreedom - so first off - i can totally identify with the feeling above - i try to not let it get to me as nothing will change - and ditto here too - i am running round getting things done whilst OH sits and watches tv :undecided

Frustrating isn't it? Not quite sure how I've let things get this bad but in truth he always was a lazy s*d.

DedicatedDFW wrote: »

Hmm - i've never seen anything of interest at our local tip sadly and i'm not sure we can get things from there. i will be sure to ask if there is anything decent that i spy

i have a belfast sink as my herb garden

How lovely - I've always longed for a Belfast sink for the garden but I've never come across one yet. Still, I won't give up hope.

There's never any harm in asking if you spot something at the tip - after all the whole idea is to recycle as much as possible. And the worst they can do is say no.