Road to Recovery - My Diary

Hope78

Cheers! I've talked this over with my mum this morning and this is def what I'm going to do. It's especially fitting cause I could have it at their house for them coming home their hols (they got engaged on hols on Fri) which means they'd have things to eat/drink instead of that feeling of 'oh we'll need to find something for tea.'

mae

Hope78 wrote: »

Cheers! I've talked this over with my mum this morning and this is def what I'm going to do. It's especially fitting cause I could have it at their house for them coming home their hols (they got engaged on hols on Fri) which means they'd have things to eat/drink instead of that feeling of 'oh we'll need to find something for tea.'

I'm really glad you've decided what to get and hopefully it won't cost too much and especially not as much as a wedding cake.... Have you seen the price of wedding cakes lately :eek:
And its so easy to promise flash presents when the effort of what you are going to do will I'm sure be so much more appreciated and they will realise how thoughtful you are. Let us know how it turns out and how much it costs you all in. Keep up the good work.

Hope78

mae I've sent you a PM.

mae

Thanks Hope I got your PM :beer:

Hope78

Totally forgot I hadn't posted how I got on with this. Well here's what I got;

Basket £8.99
(it has metal insert to turn it into a planter as they have plant at front door)

Bow £1.50
(box of 30 pull bows I'll use rest in future for around gifts)

Sisal £1.79
(didn't use all and I've a frined moving house soon so will use it in a hamper I'm planning for her)

Chocs £4.75
(a box of handmade chocs from a wee deli they like)

Wine £11.99
(their fav wine was on special in shop usually £20 odd quid so though this was better than champagne that I wasn't sure if his fiance liked)

Prices Candle £2.99

Wedding Magazine £3.50

Kettle Chips & Dip £2.19

Crystal Wine Glasses (2) FREE!
(My mum had won these at a charity do and they were still in box unused)

GRAND TOTAL £37.70

I'm really please with myself especially after checking out some wedding cake website with prices starting around £350! So glad I didn't offer that as initial talks have been about a wedding in Italy next September so will need to save all my penies really hard!

mae

That sounds lovely and it sounds like you got enjoyment out of thinking what they would like. I hope they loved it.

Keep up the good work, did you ever look into AQA? Something you could do for extra money that wouldn't be obvious to people around you. May allow you to earn a couple of hundred a month to throw at your debts, some people are even earning more than that.

Hope78

I looked at AQA a few months ago (after your post) but they had stopped recruiting in the UK but will keep checking back on it.

I've now got 2 tuoring pupils but because I'm too nice/soft I only charge £10 a session (about an hour) the going rate is approx £22 an hour. The children I tutor come from average households and its because the parents want their children to be able to do their best and in their words "get on a bit better than we did" so there's no way I'd ask for that amount of money.

Hope78

I must try to get back into updating this regularly anyway have decided that now is the time to start buying in the Xmas pressies and am doing well so far. Some very lovely people on here helped me realise that I am indeed over generous with gifts and so I'm trying to show some restraint.

Last Xmas I went completely bonkers with gifts well over £1000 but now on reflection I think that was to subconsciously push me into getting a grip on reality - or something like that!

With the exception of my 2 oldest and dearest friends if someone has a child I am only buying for the child previously I'd have bought for everyone.

Here's what I've got so far;

1. Child 1 - Last Year £25
Budget £20
Spent £16

2. Child 2 - Last Year £18
Budget £20
Spent £16

3. Friend 1 - Last Year £35
Budget £30
Spent £20

Still a long way to go but feeling good that I've made a start.

Hope x

tealady

Don't forget to buy via a cashback site,. You could also click on pigsback, I get Boots vouchers from there which pays for smellies for presents as well as the day to day stuff I need.

icela

hey,
just reading through your diary and its amazing to see how well you've come on... its given me a wee bit of hope that I can do it too!

Especially on the gifts front, I spend sooooo much on those!


Thank you so much & keep at it!!!
ice xxx