Maybe 2012 should be MY Year

Box_of_Fluffies

Hi NRA, just caught up on your last few posts. I'm sorry to read you've been feeling a little sad but hope that you and Mrs Pinot enjoyed your glasses of wine last night. :beer:

Shame you can't see your daughter for mother's day. :sad: I have to confess that since I moved to NZ I haven't sent my mum (or dad) a mother's/father's day card. They're not celebrated at the same time over here and it became too hard to try and remember when it is. I usually try and ring them but not this time. It's probably been about two months since I spoke to my mum and I've been waiting for her to call me (I always seem to be the one that rings her). It's a long story which I won't go into.

Nothing like a walk on the beach to blow the cobwebs away. It's something I love to do and don't do it nearly enough. Funny, I prefer doing it on a windy day when the sea has lots of white horses to a sunny day. Am I odd??

newroadahead

Box_of_Fluffies wrote: »

Hi NRA, just caught up on your last few posts. I'm sorry to read you've been feeling a little sad but hope that you and Mrs Pinot enjoyed your glasses of wine last night. :beer:

Shame you can't see your daughter for mother's day. :sad: I have to confess that since I moved to NZ I haven't sent my mum (or dad) a mother's/father's day card. They're not celebrated at the same time over here and it became too hard to try and remember when it is. I usually try and ring them but not this time. It's probably been about two months since I spoke to my mum and I've been waiting for her to call me (I always seem to be the one that rings her). It's a long story which I won't go into.

Nothing like a walk on the beach to blow the cobwebs away. It's something I love to do and don't do it nearly enough. Funny, I prefer doing it on a windy day when the sea has lots of white horses to a sunny day. Am I odd??

Not odd at all to be honest I love the sea on warm or windy days.

Sorry you have haven't heard from mum for a while, I know it must be difficult when you live so far away.
My dad and step mum are in the UK and funnily enough its nearly always me that calls. My real mum died when I was a little girl but I always remember her at this time of year (and its been over 35 years).

Hope you have a good day/evening ? today catch up soon

NRA xxxx

newroadahead

Ok well just had a read of my diary and I have been feeling sorry for myself haven't I


Thats enough now so time to get up and at them. I am going back to work this week albeit on phased return so really need to get organised.:eek:

It was chilly and frosty first thing but nice and sunny now. Have put out the bins and recycling, WM on, need to do a wipe over in the kitchen and pop out for a few bits.

Then I must do an SOA, may have to do my own version in excel as the one on MSE doesn't work for me. (maybe down to me being on DMP and dont have exact figures for CC etc):eek:

Hoping to do a bit of baking later to keep using up things that are coming near to the end of their shelf life.

Here's to a busy Monday


NRA xx

newroadahead

And so what have I done today. Well the baking produced my first try at muffins and they didn't come out to bad, flapjacks (one of my favourites) and have made a lamb stew (still in the slow cooker) from some whoopsied lamb picked up during this mornings shop:T

And wait for it ...... I have done my SOA (well sort of)
Have put it on Excel and will try to download to here

Monthly Incomings

My Salary- 1879.40
Contribution- 700.00

Total 2579.40


Monthly Outgoings

Mortgage 1217.08
Council Tax 103.00 (10 Months- might change for this yr)
Gas 84.00
Electric 64.00
Water 38.72
TV Licence 12.37
Sky 49.75
Phone/BBand 48.00- I am in the process of changing provider
Car Insurance 68.15
Car Parking 70.00
Car Road Tax 12.50
Car Service 12.50
Petrol 120.00
Food 211.94
Gas Boiler Cover 30.02
House Insurance 17.66
Mobile 22.00 (this inc dongle for laptop)
Pre Pay prescription 10.40
AA Cover 27.31 (2 memberships)
Clothing/Footwear 10.00
Hse Reapirs/maint 10.00
Hairdresser 5.00

DMP 335.00

Total Expenses 2579.40

Food amount actually covers food for 2 people,toiletries, cleaning items, food/filters etc for tropical fish.

SKY I have to keep as STBEOH watches this and as he contributes to bills insists it is kept.

Going to look again at reductions for gas/electric but have looked before and very little savings to be made:eek:

DMP is the amount agreed by them to go towards my debts which as at today are £28,522.00 and when I started in 2009 they were approx £34,000.00. As I have before the mistake I made was using a paying DMP to start with:mad: So by the looks of things still at least another 7 years to go:eek::eek::eek:

I am still trying to find more ways to make/save money and hopefully I will.

Right off to have some dinner, dont be too hard on me...please


NRA xxx

newroadahead

Ok so last full day before return to work...Gulp:eek:

Should have woken up really early, which I did and then promptly fell back to sleep.:rotfl:

Need to keep busy today, give everywhere a tidy round so there is not too much to do for the rest of the week and get some fresh air and an early night!!

Catch up later


NRA xx

brizzledfw

:(Ouch NRA that's a tough SOA. The mortgage is almost as much as mine per month! car related stuff too takes a big chunk doesn't it.

What's the contribution? Can it be increased?

Well done for putting it up. It's hard but it's the best thing.

How are you re surveys, EBAy etc? I am finding it steady but useful. Is there any way you can take on some more paid work? This SOA leaves you no buffer for unexpecteds..

Anyway best of luck with it all..

PinotGrigio41

Well done for posting NRA !

You dont appear to have any leeway for unexpected items or emergencies. I dont either but I have some room in my grocery budget which I use for any added extras, but it doenst look to me like you would be able to do that ?

Have your creditors stopped the interest for you for now ?

I agree that surveys may bring you in some extra cash, although I'm not very good at doing them myself, and I know you have already mentioned ebaying . Is it worth a call to Sky to tell them you are planning to leave and see if you can get the subscription lowered, then sometimes agree to this if they think you are leaving ? Maybe worth a try ?

Well done with all the cooking today xx

newroadahead

brizzledfw wrote: »

:(Ouch NRA that's a tough SOA. The mortgage is almost as much as mine per month! car related stuff too takes a big chunk doesn't it.

What's the contribution? Can it be increased?

Well done for putting it up. It's hard but it's the best thing.

How are you re surveys, EBAy etc? I am finding it steady but useful. Is there any way you can take on some more paid work? This SOA leaves you no buffer for unexpecteds..

Anyway best of luck with it all..

Hi Brizzled, the contribution is what STBEOH (soon to be exOH) gives towards the bills each month and unless he manages to get overtime its not going to increase.

I have been off sick for nearly 7 weeks now and have done loads of surveys with various sites. Toluna which I have a number of points with doesnt pay out till you reach 80000:eek: But it can take up to 6 weeks for points to be added so here's hoping!!

Ebay I'm still researching how to use, will try to put some stuff on soon.

It will be difficult for me to take on anymore paid work I leave the house at 6am and get home about 7pm normally as I have a commute....

I have been trying to cut back on the food amount and have a little put away for emergency (£200 at the moment).

Many thanks for your comments, greatly appreciated

NRA xx

newroadahead

PinotGrigio41 wrote: »

Well done for posting NRA !

You dont appear to have any leeway for unexpected items or emergencies. I dont either but I have some room in my grocery budget which I use for any added extras, but it doenst look to me like you would be able to do that ?

Have your creditors stopped the interest for you for now ?

I agree that surveys may bring you in some extra cash, although I'm not very good at doing them myself, and I know you have already mentioned ebaying . Is it worth a call to Sky to tell them you are planning to leave and see if you can get the subscription lowered, then sometimes agree to this if they think you are leaving ? Maybe worth a try ?

Well done with all the cooking today xx

Hello Mrs P

Thank you for looking at my SOA. As I said to Brizzled I have been careful with the food budget and if STBEOH gets any overtime I try to put a little away.

My friend showed me the ropes re Ebay and I need to do some research and take photos which I hope to do at the weekend.

Will do what you suggest with SKY although when I last asked they said they were keeping their prices the same for another year and that was deemed a good thing lol

Hope you have a good evening with Mr P and the girls tonight, what did you decided to do with the Gammon in the end?

Back to work for me in the morning but hope to be home about 2ish, will probably be shattered lol

NRA xxx

newroadahead

So I went back to work today, I'm now shattered as I was awake at 3am worrying about how it was going to be.:eek: (It wasnt too bad but now realise that GP was right about going back slowly:o)

It is also pay day:j so have been checking my various spreadsheets and transferring money for DDR's etc. STBEOH isn't paid till next week so have to make sure money is in the account to cover these (bills out before his contribution) so need to be a bit careful.

I have also started a spreadsheet for my gas and electric readings as I think there may be a problem, so will check it out for a week and go from there.

Right off to finish my coffee and have 40 winks;)

Catch up later


NRA xxx