Scuba's Second try - Sink or Swim!

scubaangel

Hi again

Decided that as theres a shiney new year arriving. its time for a shiney new diary.

Last year when I joined diary land I was lodging having moved from the glorious north to the stinkin South to be with the pet human, and working part time while I looked for a full time job. Since then we moved in to our first flat together and have recently moved in to our second shared home. I'm working full time although I have something of a dislike/hate relationship with my job.

The credit card is still my only debt but while that hasn't increased over the last 12 months it hasn't decreased by much either - though I have I will admit allowed it to creep up slightly lately thanks to moving expenses - but I plan to get that paid off when we get the deposit back from the flat we've just moved out of - once I have that money back I'll then post the total.

I'm still not entirely sure what my monthly salary really is as due to a mess up by one of my former employers I was on emergency tax until 7 weeks ago, and have done considerable amounts of over time over the last 8 weeks, so if I turn down all the overtime I get offered the next 'proper' salary payment would be the one due in 2 months time (Dec's pay was received before Christmas) and I know Jan's pay has at least 18 hours of o/t on it.

This years diary is my sink or swim as along with wanting to get totally debt free the pet will be running away to a sandy place for a large part of the year - dates for his departure are pencilled in as being anytime between Jan and March - Military precision is a wonderful thing to live your life around. :rotfl:

I'm sure I'll be back rambling away soon but just in case you have insomnia this is a link to diary 1. https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2697101

chevalier

happy new diary scuba. Good luck with continued unpacking. And with pet human going somewhere hot.
chev

pennywisepoundstupid

Happy new diary and happy new home.

clippy_girl

happy new diary scuba

scubaangel

Spent most of today doing absolutely nothing and then a trip over to Mr T for food as we had no fresh food in the cupboard for dinner.

But I have priced up some of the essentails I need to stock up on via mysupermarket and have a nice 'short' list to take with me to Mr S tomorrow on my way home from the old place - I really really need to start cleaning and pick up the last few things we have there, like my diving weights, a cupboard full of airtight containers and the hand blender as I plan to turn the left over parsnips and potatos in to a soup for lunch, can get that going in the slow cooker before I go to the flat and shop, can add the seasoning type stuff to it before I blend it.

The pet paid a visit to the flat today and came home baring a rather lovely freebie which had been popped through the door there (mail redirect is working well....) a copy of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo which has been added to the pile of new and unread books on the shelf (still ignoring the 200 odd new free kindle books I downloaded this afternoon though).

Feeling both MSE and happy this evening as I found a pair of charity shop jeans in a suitcase as I was checking the contents for things needing unpacking and decided to try them on as when I bought them last year they were far too small, well today they fit, not keen on the cut of them as they're quite high waisted and don't seem overly long in the leg (but then I think they are a short leg style, but are shorter than I expected regardless) but they fit! Somewhere in the suitcases there should be another two pairs of trousers bought from charity shops which may or may not fit but am hoping that given these now do so will they as it'll save me from needing to buy any more trousers in the sales.

chevalier

yeah to happy trouser finds. nice one. I really need to do that too a bit, as a pair of short trousers i wore last summer are now too big.
chev

scubaangel

The other two pairs are still too small - both have the "wonderbra" effect on the fat which still lurks on my belly, although they both fasten up which they wouldnt previously so its progress of a sort.

Had another lazy day the pet ordered himself his Christmas pressie from everyone yesterday afternoon and had it delivered today so he's not wanted to leave the sofa for fear of me pinching it to play with. We did however walk to the Co-Op a mile or so away to get some bits so I can turn the left over parsnips in to soup for lunch tomorrow - will pop it in the slow cooker over night.

I've also had quite a lucrative day - £21 cheque from rewarded opinions arrived after my Dad forwarded it to me, and two £15 amazon gift vouchers from web panels, plus 1p road kill found when we walked to the shop.

Kayleighpea

Hi Scuba! Happy New Diary!!

I have dragged myself out of the oblivion and started to get my MSE head back on now.

Congrats on the many vouchers! I've been looking at the various websites I'm signed up to and should have a nice little lot on its way to me in the next couple of months or so.

scubaangel

Welcome back to MSE Kayleigh! I seem to have got lucky with when I arrived at redemption levels this year, its gonna be a long slog to get the next round of payouts though.

Since this afternoon I have done nothing of any use whatsoever - unless you include having almost completed one of the mini cross stitch kits I got for Christmas - just have to finish off the backstitching, made a small mistake in putting an extra row of stitches down one section but it doesn't look too bad unless you know the extra stitches are there (will attempt to put a pic up when its done) and braving connecting my Kindle to the wireless interweb at home to download all my recent freebie orders. Last time I looked it was up to 2400 ebooks and still going!

What I ought to be doing is working out what mystery shops I have booked where and when as I seem to have been picking them up alot lately and not been double checking how well they'll fit together. I also need to double check my shifts for next week as I seem to have mislaid my rota in the move.

Peabody_2

Hi Scuba

How did you get into Mystery shopping? I've been wondering if it would be worth while getting into as a bit of an extra earner, but know nothing about it.

How's it going with the Kindle?

scubaangel

For mystery shopping I highly recommend the two threads in 'Up your income' https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3532593 and https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3532457

I find I get a reasonable amount of work on average although some weeks I seem to be doing the headless chicken act and others sat around doing nowt. The other thing is that you have to register as self employed although the tax return is dead simple as long as you keep records.

The Kindle is fabulous - even with the fact that books have their own gravity I can still lift it now it's finished downloading at 2904 books :rotfl: and thats after deleting a handful I'd 'bought' by accident as I have little use for american management self help type books.