Build a new life in 3 yrs.

Smithfield

Ok, so boiler works for now, after day 4 of visits by boiler man...lol

Spent £1.55 on diet coke and £1 on sweets lol.

Smithfield

So rent paid. - £200. So that's Novembers bills paid. (I still have £60 oil outstanding but winter fuel payment will cover that).

I literally have no idea how I got through last month at all.

This month is Christmas, so bit of a nightmare cash wise for everyone.

First things first is, getting tesco shop sorted. I've noticed this saves me a huge amount of money compared to buying from corner shops etc managed to cut groceries to £25 last week and still eat well.

Decembers Bills...

Hsbc due 21st Dec = £51 (total owed £693)
Capital one/FPC = Dec 17th £36.10 (total owed £941)
Overdraft (£600)

Christmas presents is the big one! ouch!

I'd like to book another test for January too so thats £45.50 (see how cash goes, maybe ask someone for that for christmas instead of gift)

Smithfield

Tesco online shop done.

£51.65 incl delivery.

But its a huge amount of food to do me 2 weeks, some of the best buys at tesco were 3 x whole chickens for £10! spaghetti for 20p a packet as well, diet coke is 2.50 for 2x2l.

The everyday value mince for £2.20 for 750 grams is great. I cut it in half and do half as spag bol and the other half as a chili con carne, with the veg its lots of taste and plenty of meat for pretty cheap.

I know this is a large amount but it works out cheaper about 25 a week and stops me eating junk all the time.

Smithfield

Heard from housemate speaking to landlord that they are either selling or renovating our house in spring, so will have to see how that all plays out. Will be moving house regardless.

post office for ebay.

Tesco also arrives today, so will be doing some freezer dinners.

Smithfield

Made chicken curry there, did for tea tonight and will be enough for tomorrow and some for freezer probably too.

Got a pretty scary letter from HSBC threatening to default me on that card now! Total I am overdue is £33 pounds and I made payments last month! I can be totally caught up (full payment is £51) by the 21st when its due but dont want this card to end up defaulted too over such a small amount. *sighs*

Looking at the bit with house there too, all HMO's have to registered in NI from 1/4/2013, but my street should have been registered by 1/12/2010. The house would need a serious amount of work to bring it up to the standard for HMO registration. The Landlord obviously hasn't registered and is now getting a bit flighty about it all (there are potentially fines for failing to register etc). So this appears to be why the are all of a sudden talking about us moving out to renovate or selling the house.

The drama never stops, I swear!

Smithfield

chicken curry again last night and two dinners for the freezer still lol.

I'd ordered a christmas present from america from some paypal/ebay cash I had in. Taxes owed were £5 vat (item was $28+postage). Ended up with a an £8 processing fee from royal mail as well. So I basically I had to pay another 50% on top again to royal mail and tax! GGRRR.

Going down to pay hsbc the £33.67 on monday. Then thats me totally caught up.

beanielou

Good news on the 33 to HSBC.
Bah to tax & fee.

Smithfield

So paid the £33.67 to HSBC that was outstanding, that leaves £17.33 to be paid by the 21st.

Will pay the £36.10 to FPC/Capital one on tuesday, just so this is paid and out of the road then til mid January.

As far as other MSE things, I asked my Gf to get me new shoes for christmas instead of a present (also meant didn't have to buy shoes for xmas day!). So she gave me £40 and I managed to get some pretty fancy brogues reduced in TK maxx to £47. I have another pair of these and they have so far lasted me 3 years, so a pretty cheap pair of shoes. Hurrah. I'll still have to buy her a present but, its still avoiding me having to buy shoes so money saved in a roundabout way.

In other spends, spent £8 on a haircut. I hadnt had it cut in a couple of months and really needed it cut for xmas. This was about the cheapest place!

The freezer tesco use is going well, kind of working out at one set of dinners and one for the freezer. I currently have a spag bol for 2 and a curry for 2 frozen! I have a chili con carne left to make and a chicken in the freezer as well. So still plenty to eat before tuesday!

Will do another tesco order for tuesday to stock up the freezer.

Haven't made much headway in the present buying stakes. Trying to get my debts paid first and then sort out the rest after that!

beanielou

DEbts way more important than presents.
Your catch up is going well.

Smithfield

The plan was to get me to the point of being caught up with debts, so the late fee's and debt craziness stopped and things calmed down. I'm pretty close to that now. I'd be much more sorted without the burden of christmas, but that's just how it is!