Ultimate Challenge. 457 days / £16600!!!

missladyannie

Hi everyone, i've just finished wrapping all the Christmas presents and doing an inventory of what i've bought, only a few more to get and DH can buy those as i've bought all the rest :-) Im aching now from being on the floor for hours!

The party this afternoon was ok, it turned out I knew one person (other than the host) so I had someone to talk to, plus all the party food to pick at! DS is sound asleep in bed after about 3 hours on a bouncy castle!

Christmas this year will be spent at my in-laws from 22-25 Dec, then I will come home Christmas Day afternoon as i'm working the evening (double time!) and then we will host Boxing Day for my family at our house so i'm looking forward to that. We've invited the neighbours too so it will be a good laugh. I havent told DH that my parents will be bringing their two dogs with them, Mwah ha ha!!! I think i'll leave that as a suprise!!!

Happytogetdebtfree

Thanks lilt, the bonus is a definate the amount is unsure but will know a definate tuesday. Either way i am very excited to just be able to clear some more negative wealth :money:
Ninja i hope the overtime is worth it, -2 degrees its awful i have invested in some nice fermal socks lol i love the warmth and i LOVE my water bottle xx

Miss lady i am glad you had fun at the party and found some company hehe. Well done on xmas wrapping, its a nice relief isnt it, Christmas sounds like good fun. Hope the dogs arent too big :rotfl:xx

NinjaSavingKat

Well then ..finally I have some down time to write a little more. Its 0430 and I am looking forward to getting home to my bed. Tomorrow is a spend day arranged prior to the commencement of DDD with a girlfriend at Nando's tomorrow. She bought me dinner three months ago and its time to re-pay. As a first aider I get 20% off as well... mwah ha ha!! Then onwards to the cinema for Great Expectations... a run through Tesco's for essentials to carry me through the week although this will have to be planned now as I need to be careful...

I am off on my hiking weekend on Friday and had found myself in a spend dilemma... I could ride the bike in on Friday but would have to have left it in the open in central London for the entire weekend. I was not happy with this... The jouney in on the train on Friday and home on Sunday would cost me £28.50... SO due to the inclement weather I am tempted to pay for a weekly ticket starting on Friday and stretching through for 7 days at the cost of £65 and taking it out of my petrol money... something I shall think about I think...

Also to save money I have decided to pack enough food for two lunches as we walk instead of paying their proposed £4.95 for "surprise" lunches - bearing in mind you never know what you are going to get. So I am already having to pay for breakfasts and dinner on the Saturday so though I needed to cut down somehow. Didn't think this weekend would end up quite this expensive...

My lovely new, lightweight rucksack arrived on Friday so I took it out with me tonight. OOOOoooooh its so lovely! It has a proper frame on it so my back thanked me personally today...:T..its colors reflect car lights creeping up behind me and work wonderfully for my up-coming hike. I am also going to take it home with me to Ireland for 10 days and since it expands I should be able to stuff it pretty well...:rotfl:

I must I must I must stay away from duty free....

I have been contemplating a few things recently in the run-up to NYE and 2013. I have always been striving to make the most of myself - never fully satisfied that I am intelligent enough, well-read enough, or well versed on the interactions of world politics and what things are happening around us.. there is always and innate desire in my wee head to know more, see more and learn more...

So perhaps the watching of television and the constant worry about what is happening on Facebook is holding me back...SO i am contemplating getting rid of Facebook altogether and not replacing the TV that belongs to my flatmate when he leaves...

I am going to make a conscious effort to read every book on my shelves - I tell you if you knew how many I had you'd be worried especially since I gave about 50 away last Jan and 22 to Amazon - with a double bookcase full with a smaller one full and two boxes under my bed...ahem....

One at a time NSK, one at a time....

Lilt - well done on clearing that card. There is nothing better than striking one off the list! I did the same with my overdraft thsi month _ GONE!!!!..... Your turning into a proper little MSE bod aren't you.. it's amazing what we ladies can do when we put our minds to it! Even better than you got rid of that book.. i love the trade in - I have one ready to go @ £6.70 but I think they might reject it as it's a little scraggy... at least they send it back though unlike some places...and a bigger yeah for hampers.. I LOVE them. was planning for my family but it is cheaper to get everything once I am over there than send jars of anything to Northern Ireland...

MLA - I am tempted to work NYE for the double time. Then I realize the rest of my 2013 will be spend taking OT whenever it presents itself so I need to weigh up the consequences of not seeing in the new year in style.... I have booked overtime for the day after I come home from Ireland (29th) and might book for the 30th as well... ho hum!
Glad you had fun at your party though - tell me... did you resist the urge to through the small people off the bouncy castle to have a go yourself...
I can see the headlines now....**Penny-Pinching Mother makes Children Cry Cause She Won't Share the Bouncy Castle at Children's Party** ...like that naughty woman in the maltesers ad...:rotfl:

Somebody just came over to my desk and gave me sponge cake...nom nom nom nom....

Happy - along with my new rucksack I got some merino wool socks that were on offer. I am currently wearing a pair now. They are SUPERB. Was so close to bringing my hot water bottle but if i get to comfortable I will fall asleep...I have leggings on with thick trousers from Next over the top.. a sleeveles vest, followed by a merino wool long sleeve t-shirt, a BENCH top with thumb holes and a high neck followed by a jacket... I'm all good! :T

When I get home I shall don my pj's, a hoody with the hood up, long socks with matching leg warmers, and dressing gown on top - this is under a double goose-down quilt, a thick blanket which makes it hard to move under and a fluffy white blanket on top of that... I am literally trapped under my covers. and today I awoke to he fur-ball up against my back.. I think she feels the cold too so I might invest in a !!!!!-cat house for her to climb into...at the moment she sleep on my wardrobe...

Right enough ramblings - I am sure you all have plans for the day that don't involved reading an essay from me..

Keep the noise down while I sleep please kittens...:)


Onwards and Upwards..

Listerbelle

(De-lurking for a moment to comment)

I love this thread

Kat - I've lived without a television on many occasions. Just do it. It is seriously life-changing

Sleep tight and happy Sunday everyone!

(Re-lurks. Again. Back to my multi-tasking activities of studying (work-related exam), housework, exercise and swagbucks.)

missladyannie

Morning all! Im up and ready to go to work, my usual 7.45-1pm shift, it will be busy as the weather is getting older and the general public will be getting sicker!

Kat hope your night shift was ok. I was going to ask, do you know if NHS get discount at Nandos? I heard on the grapevine they do but had never tried it?

This afternoon we are off for a family trip to the cinema, MSE style of course! I have two free adult tickets from saving up the vouchers on the chocolate packets, so will only have to pay for DS, and if you buy online you save 10% than at the box office, plus no booking fee! Madness but im not complaining!

DH also wants to take us to pizza hut for a treat so i will check online for any offers! I already have the popcorn, drinks and chocolates at the ready, pre bought from Tescos, theres no way I will pay cinema prices, extortionate!

I transferred £26 from paypal to my bank last night so will work out how much of is from my sales/postage and pay that over to the CC. DH also still owes me £74 and his mum £64 so that should see me through until 20th which is payday from my main job. Payday from 2nd job will clear the whole of the small CC and £200 off off CC2 !!!

I mentioned earlier in the thread that my SIL/BIL are going through difficulties so DH said why dont we take her up some of our food freebies. I hope she wont be offended, she is pretty down to earth and thinks its hilarious when I come back with all the things that I do and we often bring her some up. I've had a clear out and have three big bag fulls of baked beans, Campbells soup, Sacla sauces and Comfort fabric conditioners. DH always takes the mick with all the things I get, but I pass so much on to other people I like to get it all to help others. My sisters and mum got my recent boxes of Special K's.

Our Tescos had the food bank outside yesterday so i picked them up a jar of pasta sauce and a box of rice, maybe I should have gone home and brought them some of my baked beans over! lol!

Well, better get ready for work, talk to you all later x

Happytogetdebtfree

Good morning all Hope everyone is having a nice sunday it looks nice and crisp out:o.

Ninja i admire your thirst for knowledge and intellect, i like to read but i have to be in the mood. I like to meditate as i believe all answers are within ourselves . I always find on the build up to new year abit nostalgic and part panic because i dont like the year end it just feels so final if that makes sense haha i sound like a crazed fool . Facebook i like it for seeing family and friends pictures and updates but its passed the fascination stage where i feel i need to see it although i do look daily! Remember when i had the downtime with my phone it was refreshing and suddenly i felt free so maybe its worth a go

Hello delurking listerbelle :rotfl:hang around and post more :A

Misslady you are very organised for a cinema trip i like it :T the cinema is good fun but extortianate at its best so well done on cutting the costs. Im sure your sil/bil will be highly delighted at the freebies, i know i would be in difficult times. Yay on the paypal transfer and well done on paying the negative wealth down. ps yes nhs get discount at nandos Have fun at work

xx

startingtogetoutofdebt

It is a lovely morning - nice and sunny but looks cold and frosty still!

Misslady Cinema trips are really expensive and I tend to avoid if possible - as my kids are young we tend to go to kids club mornings which are on at some cinemas at weekends and during school holidays. Costs in my area vary from £1.25 each to adults free for each paying child at £1.75.

Films tend to be a bit older but we've seen some great films that we wouldn't have paid full price to see - the best one a few months ago was tintin. Kids and myself absolutely loved it!

Worth checking out if you've got kids. Downside is I only go to watch kids films!!!!

And always take my own drinks and sweets as I don't know how they can justify the cost.

Off to do extra work today and money earned is going straight towards savings for debt repayment. I've got 8 years to go on a DMP but am challenging myself to reduce by at least 2 years but hopefully 4!

Have a good day all!!

StGood:j

Happytogetdebtfree

Stgood i hope you can reduce your dfd by 2-4 years im sure you will do it:) Im really looking forward to the start of 2013 ive opted to work mainly sundays as its better money and can bump my wage up a couple of hundred which is always a bonus any money above my minimum will go towards reducing my dfd x

killerpeaty

@cinema conversation: I love going to the cinema, with the ex I was forced to travel miles and miles away (roughly £20 each and that's only the travel!) to watch movies. He had a job so I don't think he ever worked out that it was draining me dry. In the last 2 months I've been 3-4 times, looper, Bond, end of watch and possibly something else. Looper is AMAZING. When it comes onto DVD, you guys should see it! I never buy any drinks or food, which started as a money saving aspect but actually I have found that eating/drinking generally distracts from the experience.

Lilt: Still dead chuffed for you! :T Again woo woo for the paying off debt!

@Happy: I have thermals from M&S (vest and leggings) which are way way better than tights/thermals from tescos and the like. I think they're well worth it. http://www.marksandspencer.com/Heatgen-Full-Length-Thermal-Leggings/dp/B003X0J8PW?ie=UTF8&ref=sr_1_5&nodeId=43307030&sr=1-5&qid=1354457454 I think these are it.

@Annie: that's really nice of you! I find it really hard to give away anything I think I might want to use at some point. I'm sure your in-laws will love the thought, it's so much more than the action, it's more the thought that you have their backs will mean so much to them both. My uncle set up a savings account that my mum could dip into if needed when my dad went into his coma because my dad was the main income earner (contributed roughly 3/4 but my mum did all his accounts ). It was the offer that meant more to my mum than the actual money. I'm sure it'll be the same way for your in-laws.

@lister: I spent my uni years without a TV, I just watched stuff online but not live. It was not a big deal for me but I know some people who actually cried about it. Haha. *pokes the lurker* : P

@Kat: Why do you worry about things on Facebook? I use it solely as a tool to talk to friends and arrange outings. I hope you have fun at nandos!

My money making in the last two days has stalled. Only made £3 yesterday and a big fat zero today.

Happytogetdebtfree

Hi killer a big fat zero is always better than a big fat minus . Oooh the thermals sound nice might get oh to invest in some for me for xmas muhahah kinky hahaha....i have seen loopers it was good x