No more handbags and a lot less chocolate!

ChocaholicHandbagQueen

Right, this means war!

I've let things slide this last month so now its time to crack on and get things sorted.

I'm at work at the moment and haven't seen a soul yet so I've had plenty of time to think about MSE. I haven't got my paperwork with me so I can't update my figures till I get home, but I can give myself a list of things to do this week.

1. Wrap up all Christmas pressies bought to date.
2. Bathroom needs a good clean.
3. Decide what I'm cooking for Christmas and make a list of things I need to buy.
4. Definitely DO NOT buy any more Chocolate for Christmas.

I've more or less finished my Christmas shopping, but DS3 dropped a bombshell last week that he needs £50 from me and £50 from his dad to pay for a college field trip next month. Why on earth would a college organise an overnight trip just before Christmas when most people are absolutely skint :eek:

I caught up on the Eb*y board last night and a few people mentioned how well their stuff is selling at the moment. I must be doing something wrong because my sales have ground to an absolute halt.

I'd better go and do something, even though there's absolutely no one about, I need to at least look like I'm busy

[Deleted User]

Loving the list CHQ, I need to get a list going!! Christmas is creeping up very quickly isn't it?
I agree with you about schools and colleges wanting money for trips at this time of year- it's thoughtless in these current times and will give lots a nightmare.
GLx

ChocaholicHandbagQueen

Back again!

I'm at work at the moment, but don't know how long I'll stay. Its still pouring with rain and we have a few road closures in the area. I don't want to be stuck here tonight unable to get home :eek:

Just worked out my budget for the rest of the month and once everything goes out I'll be left with the grand total of £71 till next payday. I'm not too worried because I've finished my pressie shopping, the car is full to the brim with diesel and the cupboards are full, so barring any major disasters, I should survive but I'm so fed up of being skint

2013 HAS to be a new start for me and first on my hitlist is that Ne*t debt and after that D*benhams. Still haven't updated my totals, but I'll do that without fail tonight I promise.

Does anyone use any "spending" apps to track their finances on a monthly basis? I'd be grateful if someone could recommend the best free apps out there that would enable me to stay on top of things

Time for lunch now, so I'll be back later x

lurvlyloz

Hi there,

just read through you diary.

you're making good progress & staying positive which is good.

subscribed to ekep up with your progress.
Good luck x

[Deleted User]

Hi CHQ, hope your home and dry this evening, have seen on the news that the flooding is really bad in North Wales- hope you are yours are away from the worse of it.
GLx

ChocaholicHandbagQueen

Good evening, hi lurvlyloz, nice to see you

Yes thanks GL I got home safe and sound the other day. No floods here thank goodness but we had a few road closures nearby. One good thing about living in the mountains is that the water always runs away, but its not so much fun for the people at the bottom of the hill.

My garden isn't doing too well though, most of the mulch I put down this summer is in a muddy heap at the bottom of the lane.

Today was staff appraisal day for me - what a waste of time that was! Next week it's my turn to do the appraisals for the rest of the staff which should be fun (not).

I managed a NSD today, well until 5.30pm, then DS3 and I decided to have fish and chips for tea

They were absolutely yummy, but not much change from £10 :eek:

I think I need to find a way to motivate myself a bit more this week. I'm going to try and squeeze in a couple of extra payments to N*xt this month because waiting till next payday feels like a really long time between payments and I tend to lose my mojo by the third week and the spending starts to creep in again. Perhaps I can try and schedule a payment halfway through the month and another a week before payday.....we'll have to see what's left

I hope everyone else had a good day, I'm off to catch up on a few diaries.:T

lurvlyloz

shocking hopw much fish & chips are!

the half way through the month payment is exactly what i do. i get paid..make payments...then 2 weeks in address how much i have left til pay day and try and make a payment.

have a great day

ChocaholicHandbagQueen

I'm back!

I've worked the weekend but now I've got 5 days off :j

Today, I've :-

1. Finished wrapping my Christmas pressies
2. Hoovered
3. Done a load of washing (now drying on the clothes horse)
4. Written a few Christmas cards
5. Cooked a lobscouse in the slow cooker
6. Checked my banking online

Phew! No wonder I need a sit down

I've also made a £20 extra payment to n*xt which takes me below £300 otherwise it's been a NSD. This debt paying lark is a slow process but we'll get there

One more thing left to do and that's updating my totals, after that I'm off to catch up on the other diaries.

lurvlyloz

you deserve a sit down after a very busy & productive day

we'll definatly get there and great news on you NSD x

ChocaholicHandbagQueen

Here I am again - on day 3 of my 5 days off and not much achieved so far apart from an extra payment to Ne*t the other day.

Didn't quite manage a NSD yesterday, I treated myself to a bottle of wine and I'm trying desperately to make it last for a few days:D

Was feeling a bit "bleugh" this morning so I brought out a few Christmas decorations in an attempt to encourage some festive spirit to the surface, but,no, didn't work! I'd be quite happy to go to bed on the 24th and sleep till Boxing Day which isn't like me at all

Once I've paid my share of DS3's trip I'm absolutely skint till payday. We're all in the same situation here but sometimes it's really hard not to let it grind you down.

Right! Snap out of it CHQ, lets make a list of the good stuff, a list always works!

1. I got away from a bad situation
2. Have 3 happy, healthy boys
3. Have the best OH
4. Bought my own house and am paying my own mortgage
5. Paying back my debt slowly but surely
6. My job is secure (as secure as any job can be these days!)

Things I can do when this debt is gone:-

1. Get my garden sorted and made secure.
2. Get a dog!
3. Get a new bathroom and finally get rid of that awful olive green suite
4. Get a new kitchen
5. Get the leaky bit of the garage fixed
6. Go on holiday

(Not necessarily in this order!).

Sorry for rambling, I need to find something productive to do - I'm going to load my favourite CDs onto my iPod, sell the best on Eb*y and music magpie the rest.

I'll be back later