oppps I did it again

downnotout

Thanks again folks for replying to my diary, it's very motivating to know that others are in the same rocky road. One good thing came out ofthe shopping trip yesterday, our recipt was cheaper than elsewhere as I expected because I do know the value of basics in most stores, but there was a recipt already in the trolly so I took that home too, what a lovely suprise to find that it yeilded an 85p off voucher chuffed.

chevalier

Hi there
Well done on realising you are in a mess. Ref the things your mum took, did you report the theft? Was it covered on your contents insurance?

Ref the council tax. More than anything else you MUST come to an arrangement about this debt. It is considered a priority debt. The last thing you want or need is to let is slide, and end up with a Liability Order which then might mean you get subjected to a nasty court bailiff.

So let your sister have the moral high ground for a couple of months, and use any spare money to get yourself square with the council tax.

Have you done a statement of affairs? Link here http://www.makesenseofcards.com/soacalc.html

It will make sure you don't forget anything, including yearly costs, that need money puttting away for them.

I am REALLY sorry that what should be the happy news of your OH pregnancy, is an added source of stress. Try to find the joy in it.

Babies don't have to be expensive. First off don't be fooled by the hype. You don't NEED baby wipes for bubs bottom, cotton wool balls and water do just as well. You don't NEED a million new outfits, you do need good friends who will give you hand me downs. Grandparents can be tapped maybe for a buggy? Cot, buggies etc can be found on freecycle for nothing.

The only thing I would buy new is the car seat. That is a must, I made a point of saving in other areas like clothing (the baby doesn't know it is wearing second hand lol), so that I could by the safest best car seat I could afford.

And of course OH has a built in means of feeding bubs .

You will get lots of support on here. We have all walked in your shoes to a great or lesser extent.

chev

downnotout

Thank you so much for replying Chev, I have spoken to the council tax people this morning, I sent off for my 25% student discount a couple of weeks ago, and they say that they will not issue court procedings yet, due to the officer that calculates student discounts is on annual leave until a week on Monday, they are quite happy that I paid off 150 arrears last month, and they say that the outstanding £400 will be due by the end of the tax year. In my monthly forecast of income and out goings, it should be clear by the 19th March, with a £200 payment on the 7th and a £200 payment on the 19th.

March is looking to be a better debt busting month than this month (and this month has been huge )

We are in the fortunate position to have regular money coming in next month due to how pay days fall. I will have my NHS bursary, the week after MrsDNO gets paid for nurse bank work in her second job, then the week after that its MrsDNO official pay day in her regular job and I get paid for my nurse bank work. Between us this month we have worked over 120 hours over time at time and two thirds between us, so it will be like having another part time wage coming in.

We have already started looking at local freebe fb pages, and are currently on the look out for a couple of stair gates what MrsDNO does not know at the moment is that I am putting £5 a week away on a savings card to help out with costs either at christmas or baby due date.

One last thing, my free tea bags came today added to the 3 lots of toothpaste I have got this year, and the ground coffee Im loving the freebees

downnotout

Been to asda this morning, 2 bottles of milk, 2 loves of bread, big bag of bananas, 16 thin sausage and a strawberry and banana smoothie for the grand total of £3.11 god bless other peoples money back receipts
I don't plan on doing too much today, having the central heating game with mrsDNO this morning she turns it on and I turn it off lol. Have to get school uniforms and sandwiches done for ds and dd they are back to school tomorrow

downnotout

Well this weekend has been a very busy one indeed. The kids packed off to their mothers for the weekend, so me and MrsDNO have had a chance to work extra shifts. We both worked 6 hour shifts yesterday, and today I worked an 8-2 early, whilst MrsDNO is currently half way through an 8 hour late shift. This morning MrsDNO has been working on cleaning inside the house, whilst this afternoon I have been working on the garden. We don't really get on with them next door all too well, and the only thing separating our back gardens is a flimsy chicken wire fence. So at the cost of £20 I have planted 12 privet bushes, an hours job took over 3 due to the sheer amount of rocks. Now I have watched Time Team before and it looks clear that at some point prior to the estate being built that there must have been a farm out building or something in my back garden because i have a huge pile of rocks now. Im knackered and can not wait for bed I just hope it was all worth the work and that in a couple of years I wont have to see the gypo camp over the fence. Next task is to block off the cut way across my front drive that the other side use instead of opening their bloody gate. I do get on with this side to a point though so I figure a diplomatic planting that side haha.

Sandwiched in between work, we have managed to de clutter the front garden of rubbish, thanks to this wonderful recycling marlarky that the council introduced. Why bother supplying boxes/bags, when the contents always ends up strewn across the road?
One trip to the tip with a lot of rubbish that we have managed to create over the past couple of months, and then a trip to the farm on the way home, purchased some fresh free range eggs love them. Finally we managed to get rid of the old sofa of freecycle so that is a trip to the tip less

On the MSE front, Friday night we opted for a home made curry instead of a take away, last night we didnt get in until 10 pm so we didnt really eat anything, and avoided the family party that we were invited to. Tonight the children have returned home to help finish the hedge, and now they are having tea out of the freezer, MrsDNO and myself are having a opppsieee spicy meat/pasta thing from Morrisions, £2 only, grand total of food budget this weekend probs less than 5 for 3 days for 2 adults not too bad.
Plans for this week, to spend as little as possible of non essentials, and to spend next weekend at home working on the dangerous garden at the back, placed a want/need request on the local freecycle page on face book for garden tools, I have one spade and........... a thats it lol.