*~2012 is going to be the year for Orange Fairy~*

Choc-addict

Hey you,

Hope you are well.

Don't be too hard on yourself re the debt balances - you've had a lot going on and it's hard to manage it all as well as plan and pay for a wedding!! Don't forget you had a house move too during all of this, if anything I think you did well!

Sometimes it does us good to sit and take stock of the 'actual' situation as it can prove to be motivating and give that kick up backside to take notice - I know it does me. For now though i'm trying not to think about it until after the wedding

Look forward to more motivating posts from you lovely xxx

starnac

Sorry to hear your balance was more than you thought. I've been there too. Sounds like you've got a good plan though.

As well as surveys I do the lucky button on SP every day to boost my points. They can be exchanged for cash through PayPal or amaz0n vouchers which I saved last year for DH's kindle for his birthday. Daily clicks can be tedious but it all adds up.

OrangeFairy

Pixie - Welcome to my diary Yep I have a list of declutter areas. These range from small areas like the bathroom cabinet or the saucepan cupboard to big areas like the loft and under the stairs! I am slowly going through them and then once a week i make a list of the areas i have decluttered and i revisit them all to do a quick tidy up and make sure more 'things' haven't found their way to places they shouldn't be! Otherwise i will finish my whole list and find the ones at the beginning need de-cluttering again!

The photos are going great - i am loving my iphone though i am having to remember to take my normal camera for photos too so i actually have photos i can print in photo books. The iphone ones are great but not great for enlarging.Some days i have too many photos to chose from so i make a collage on an app i have. Some days though it ends up a slightly boring photo like showing how creative i have been with DD's hair or a pic of my lonely meal for one lasagne in the oven to show i spent my evening alone!

I may get OH to make me a website i can post them to - then i can share them.

Thanks Choc - i am suddenly feeling a fair bit more motivated. The snowball has inspired me a bit that we could get rid of i quicker than i thought.

Starnac - I really need to start remembering about click and the SP button - i got my account sorted when i got a referal from you but then forgot about it - that is my mission for today!

News- all okay here. Doing a few small things to be MSE

Our weekend was great. My Nephews first birthday on Saturday so we went rounds to see him after hubby finished work. We got fed party food which meant the sausages i took out for tea made a lovely brunch for Sunday. Then we went out for a walk on the coast and the pebble ridge and flew kites afterwards. That was one thing crossed off my 101 list. Then round MIL's for dinner. So free day out and a free meal - not bad

We also took some of the big flat pebbles (about the sizes of saucers) and will make MIL some presents. The kids are going to decorate them with their names and hearts etc with acrylic paints for her to put in the garden

Ordered a free personalised card for my Mum for Mothers Day

Checked loan balance after yesterdays payment and it is now 4413 :j Under 4.5k! Next mile stone is to be under 4k

Was thinking if OH and i manage to get all the credit card balance on one card with 0% for about 20 months or something then the actual sensible thing would surely be to overpay my loan first. My loan has 24 months left so wouldn't be much difference from the card but obviously we are paying interest on the loan and each over payment would be saving us money in the long run. Will have to see how it pans out

My day off today so i am now off to bake - fudgy banana muffins, chocolate marzipan hearts and oaty biscuits Then to crack on with the housework!

wendz86

Glad you had a nice time at your nephews birthday!

Sounds like you are doing good on the debt already and sound very positive about it so i am sure you will do a great job of tackling it.

You have made me hungry with that talk of baking!

OrangeFairy

Thanks Wendz- I am trying to be as positive as I can and it definitely helps.
Had a good day. Baked all my treats and sent some marzipan hearts with my mum to give to my sister
DD2 lost one of her front teeth! I will remember to put money under her pillow this time!
Looked online and found Mr T photo books are 25% off at the moment and I was going to do be for my mum for mothers day. Will get on with that tomorrow.
Spent the evening watching the last 2 episodes of hustle.....now running a bath for some me time while hubby plays skyrim!
I feel very organised today. The house is spotless, lunches made for tomorrow, kids dinner done early, then an early bath and homework finished. They were in bed by 7.20pm.
Right off for some me time and then to find a quid to put under DDs pillow

OrangeFairy

:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:
Why can't things just go right for a change. It is still doom and gloom at OH's work and there is more mention of dropping a day a week. We could really do without this right now!

I was offered another day at work if he drops one. It will help but won't cover him as he earns more. I have used the salary calculator and roughly his day a week would cost us about £249 from our take home pay and my extra day would bring in £176 so we will be about £73 down which isn't too bad.

Looked up all my balances and aprs today so we can decide what to do. They are as follows

Nasty Next - £567.02 - 25.99% Apr
Vicious Very - £341.82 - 39.7 Apr
Scary Santander - £4815.23 - £15.7% Apr

OH emailed today to say he should have about £150 to put on one of them. He also has a car fund and an emergency fund but the car needs work and the emergency fund he was hoping to buy his insurance outright to save a d/d of £40 a month. But then getting rid of next would save more money generally. He is looking into a 0% card to give us some room to breathe on the credit card.

At the mo we are discussing getting rid of Sky which costs us £38 a month. I am really reluctant as we don't go out very much and love our sports. I despair at the thought of not watching golf, formula one and the kids missing their fave Nick programmes Unless it is necessary i would prefer not to go down this route.

Need to do my Mums photo book for mothers day tonight or tomorrow as they have 25% off and i am getting it with my bro and sis.

Need to pay DD2's swimming tomorrow at £44 **sigh** I am still waiting for child benefit to get back to me as i am owed 5 months - i think they stopped it as i have never changed my address - will see what happens with them and tax credits. That £135 a month i use mostly for the kids club costs. So i owe DD's ballet school £233 and then will be another £233 at the end of april. But i am owed £670 so need this urgently!

Off to cook dinner - some mexican quorn mince tortilla layer recipe i found

Choc-addict

Hey you,

Hope you are feeling a little less frustrated today. Totally understand it when things just don't go to plan or you have something hanging over you like OH's job. Nightmare!

Hope you enjoyed your lovely dinner - sounds nice! I want to get into cooking more, I do find it really relaxing making something from scratch but for some reason I never really find the time and often i'm eating for one due to OH's shifts - not so fun.

I hope you don't have to get rid of sky. Although it is seen as a luxury it's kind of your social thing seen as you don't go out much therefore I think it would prompt more spending in long run as you won't have those things to occupy you so in turn you'll probably want to go out more, lol....use that excuse with OH

Hope the CB get sorted soon. Backpay will come in handy for you!

xx

starnac

Sorry things haven't been going well for you. I hope you get the money you are owed soon.

Funnily enough I'm enrolling DD in swimming lessons tonight £33! Apparently I've been told to get there early as its very popular. DH really wants her to learn to swim properly as he's a water sports instructor and loves taking her kayaking. If she can swim then at least it's a bit safer for her.

We got rid of sky before Christmas but we never watched it. DD watches DVD's and that's it so we stopped it and don't miss it. However if you watch it a lot then maybe it's not a good idea for you as you would miss it.

Hope OHs job sorts itself out x

OrangeFairy

Thanks Choc and Starnac.

Well heard back from the child B office. They said as they had written to me and hadn't heard back that the account was terminated! Plus they will only back date 3 month bot the full 5 i am owed - had to reapply for it! **sigh** Those 3 months will cover ballet bills but i was hoping to have £200 spare! Oh well - can't be helped - my fault for being so slack!

Had a good day today - took my nephew out with my Mum and my niece to a soft play area. Though he was sick in my Mums card on the way home! :eek: It was every where! So spent a good half hours scrubbing the car clean!

Dinner is left overs from last night.

Not much to report today. Paid swimming and played badminton. Lied that nephew was 11 months so he got in for free at play area - my mum however had to pay £4.50 for my niece as she is obviously over 1! So cost just a £1 and we didn't even buy a tea. Usually i get a bus home from badminton for £2.20 but being with mum meant i saved that too.

x

OrangeFairy

Hello diary land

Had an okay day. Kids have dance classes today so a bit of toing and froing to the village.

Have to send my CB form today before i leave it any longer. Mums photo book to do.

Got another £2 today - At £26 my stash is growing nicely

So far today i have made 3 soups. Hubbys Super Greens Soup (yuck) and two tomato soups. Tomato and Balsamic vinegar (also includes potato, onion and garlic) and Creamy Tomato soup/ They both taste nice. She be about 5 servings of each of the tomato and 8 of the Super Greens! All reduced veg from Mr T that hubby managed to find.

Off to blend the soup as it has cooled......