PigginSkint's DFW Diary

dawnybabes

Not sure if I can post a link but here goes :

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/money/borrowing/article4925824.ece

PigginSkint

dawnybabes wrote: »

Not sure if I can post a link but here goes :

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/money/borrowing/article4925824.ece

Thanks for that! OH's immediate reaction was 'that's good news isn't it?!'.I had to explain to him that it depends how you look at it. For those of us with serious cashflow issues at the moment, it is helpful. But I had to explain to him that long term it is not great!

PigginSkint

By the way, sorry I am a bit quiet again! Work was pretty nightmarish again this week and I am having some serious problems with the laptop again.

A few days ago I got a message from Norton saying a free upgrade was available. Cannot get the damn thing to install! Spent 7 hours last night in a live chat with 4 different analysts on the Symantec site. Had to spend money for a major virus clean-up. I thought that I was now virus free but as this upgrade will still not install, it seems to suggest there is still a problem! To make things worse, I have been trying all evening to connect to another live chat to sort it out - but I can't seem to connect.

So here I am, having spent good money more Internet Security and currently I have none (the old version had to be remove to make room for the new one) and a virus clean-up and I think I still have one.

Very depressing!

hypno06

7hours :eek:

Hope things are going ok, apart from the norton thing. Any progress on getting OH to pay his way (or at least a more realistic part of it)?

PigginSkint

hypno06 wrote: »

7hours :eek:

Hope things are going ok, apart from the norton thing. Any progress on getting OH to pay his way (or at least a more realistic part of it)?

I have posted my norton query on the techies board and have had my wrists slapped.....but it also looks like I am going to get some real help!

OH has looked for Christmas jobs, but nothing yet...more nagging needed there I think. I have just had to allow him to use the credit card to pay for his Spotlight subscription, but he has got the cash to pay me back for that. (Funny how that sort of thing must be paid on time :mad: ).The change in minimum payments for the Halifax should mean that he will have more spare to make a better contribution to the family finances.....but it hasn't happened yet. Sigh!

Had to make another difficult but very important phone call yesterday evening. Let's just say that the very difficult and important letter that I sent back in July is going to have to be re-sent. There seems no other way around it. And necessary forms are on their way to us, which I must deal with as soon as they arrive, regardless of how accurate the information OH is able to provide at that point.

All in all, none of this is likely to put me in a very good mood. Lack of sleep as a result of being up until 3am last night doesn't help either!

I have weakened and agreed to go and see the new James Bond film tomorrow afternoon - but OH has paid for the tickets, only 2 tickets were needed as DS is going with his Dad tomorrow morning, and we have bought popcorn from Aldi rather than pay the cinema prices (will do the same with the pop I think). Also we have not gone to OH's brother's birthday party tonight (Thank God! Is it really mean of me to say that?!) because OH is working, so that has saved a considerable amount of money. Plus I would never have heard the end of it if we didn't go!

hypno06

I hope the "very difficult thing" gets resolved soon so that you can concentrate on other things (like sleeping!)

x

PigginSkint

hypno06 wrote: »

I hope the "very difficult thing" gets resolved soon so that you can concentrate on other things (like sleeping!)

x

Thanks - I hope so too! It has been like a sword of damacles hanging over me for 4.5 years (since OH moved in) and quite frankly I have had enough. But I feel slightly better that we (we? I mean 'I' of course - getting OH do anything towards this is like getting blood from a stone, he is going to have to eventually though) are actually starting to deal with it.

And yes, I intend to get an early night tonight.

I am getting lots of help from the techies board, so feeling slightly more positive about that now.

PigginSkint

Hi All

I am feeling very very stressed at the moment! I thought once we got into November my workload would ease off a bit, but oh no! I have spent all week working on an urgent and time-consuming job (in between trying to keep on top of other urgent things that keep popping up) and now another urgent and time-consuming job has cropped up! Arrrrggghhh! Not only that, but it is something I haven’t done before (though including elements that I am used to doing) – I have taken it over from someone who has recently retired. If that wasn’t bad enough, the date of the event I have got to organise is less than 2 weeks away! Arrrggggghhhhhh! Added to that I have got a to-do list as long as my arm! (I am even working on writing this update in fits and starts off line)

I have also got loads of money-related things I must do:

· Organise a balance transfer
· Organise a payment schedule for a bill that has just arrived
· Re-send the Very Important Letter that didn’t reach its destination the first time
· Fill in a claim form (when it arrives) for the Very Important Job that I am trying to get sorted
· Prise money out of OH (he has now agreed to make regular weekly payments to me towards the bills)
· Compose snotty email to Symantec to demand my money back (Have already completed my customer satisfaction survey! Ha!)
· Post a book I have just sold on Amazon
· Make sure OH pays the Halifax bill on time
· Do a new budget
· Catch up on doing surveys
· Nag OH some more about organising finances and increasing his income

Not to mention housework and de-cluttering to do, and working out how we are going to afford Christmas!

Oh well, suppose I had better get on with some work!

Bye for now!

PigginSkint

Hi All

Same old, same old workwise! Work is horrendously busy at the moment - roll on Christmas!

Avon delivery is due tomorrow morning so I shall be even busier this week. Really big order this time - over £400 worth of sales. I am just sorting out my returns and tonight I plan to at least stamp my next lot of books with my name and address.

Actually got money off OH on Friday!! Woohoo! I have said that based on what I said half the household bills comes to, he should pay me £75 a week, which he agreed to. He also still owes me money for the cheque that bounced so I have asked him to pay me £50 a week until he has paid me back - so that's £50 a week, plus money towards paying me back for the bounced cheque, plus the Halifax bill. The first payment appeared on Friday and I have got an agreement from him about what day every week he is going to pay me - on Fridays. So things are looking up.

Just phoned up the tax credits people to arrange to pay back my overpayment for 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 by monthly installments. Only £25 a month so not bad. Unfortunately the latest one is going to be much larger - because one claim has come to an end and I have got to make a new claim and overpayments cannot be transferred from claim to another. D'oh! How mad is that? Expecially as the new claim is not going to be much different from the old one. Grrrrrr!!:mad:

I have just done a balance transfer from my Egg card to my Virgin card - 0% for 6 months. I have had to transfer £500 - not best pleased but at least I will be saving money on the interest. This amount is partly the money that OH owes me for the bounced cheque, partly vets bills (poor puddy cat!), partly laptop expenses (new battery and fee for completely useless 'major virus clean') and a few other small bits.

Oh and I have sold another book via Amazon today - sold one very small and light one for £10 last week. Woohoo!

I think that's all the news for now -better go and finish cooking the dinner now.

Bye all!

hypno06

Things are looking much better in the piggin household! Long may it continue!