The Ultimate Incentive natters on. Part 9

Lara44

Thanks Tink and Poddle, I can't wait to finish now. Hopefully I'll be Dr Lara just before Christmas, or just after the New Year. That's if my stuff is good enough to pass We will see what my tutors think of it on Monday!

Well done with all the MM stuff everybody

Birdie, tell your OH to stop being a diva like the Snickers ad

Well done on the baking prizes! What did you make in the end Dinah?

Birdie85

LOL Lara, everyone we know says he's the Snickers diva! He's sooooo stroppy when he's hungry, the gang has to stop what we're doing and find him food when he starts to play up! :rotfl:

Think he's acting up because he's got what I had last week too.

We're going on a big holiday in September so this is just a little extra trip he wants and I didn't think we'd actually do anything as it makes sense to save up for the proper holiday. TBH, he'll probably talk himself out of it in a few weeks once he realises that it will still cost way too much to go abroad for the week. Just wish he'd make his mind up when I spend time sorting things out then he just swoops in and tells me not to book it because he's been 'thinking' about it (very dangerous!).

I've found a Premier Inn near AT for £49 so will suggest we stay there and save £100. I just need to find something fun and cheap to do for the latter half of the week to tempt him with.

zigmeister

Don't you hate that when you catch up on loads from this thread then forget all you were gonna reply to when it comes to posting?!

Well done Lara! The relief is almost worth the writing! Hope you enjoyed your day of relaxing!

Dinah I think that's so sweet that you were emotional discussing Grace's christening, and no surprise at all! She's come so far, you must be so proud

To be honest Birdie I'd feel exactly the same, no need for the rant! It's so frustrating when people don't think of your activities as important. Alton Towers is awesome though! I stayed at the hotel and it was so good being able to go on the rides before everyone else got in!

Shrimpy I can't wait to see your invitations! I'm sure they're perfect

I've finally managed to start my new diary! Just beginning to write it down has made me feel more positive about paying it all off

Hope everyone is having a good weekend!

N.I.M

Hope everyones weekend went well, between a poorly baby and a sicky kitten I managed a grand total of one sip of Guinness on Sunday, which was sad.

It was good having my dad over but I was really out of sorts last evening when I got home from the airport. I don't really realise how much I miss my family until they come to visit.

On the plus side, I had a lie in this morning (till 20 to 7) and was still the first one from my team into the office

Hows everyone elses Monday going?

shrimpy_80

Morning NIM, hope Grace is ok? And kitty?

It must be hard not having all your family in one place, especially with Grace being so small. Any future trips lined up?

I'm feeling virtuous this morning as I dragged myself out of bed early to go swimming before work - it was a close call but I managed it! Need to focus on not looking like a pudding in my dress now. One of the taxi companies I included on the invitations has gone bust but I can't bring myself to start again, so people will just have to manage! If that's the worst thing that goes wrong, I'll take it. I was verging on the bridezilla last Friday but am hoping I've managed to reign it in now!

N.I.M

We were looking at going back in April, but when we still have debt to clear I cant really justify it. Greece and D being on no pay for the last 3 months have put a bit of a dent in our "recovery package" so its not really ok to go spending a couple of hundred quid on fuel and spending money to go back, even with my mother offering to pay for the ferry.

Once we are debt free we'll have a lot of extra disposable income to go on trips to Ireland with. Until then we need to be hitting the debt really hard not be off galavanting. The way I've started to look at things is we haven't "earned" anything nor do we "deserve" anything (prize winnings and already paid for groupons etc not withstanding) until its clear.

Looking at things with D the other week and chatting to Dad over the weekend about a few bits, like the lad I went to school with who had the new car bought for him on his 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th birthdays whos parents have now lost everything cause the banks called in the loans has quite frankly scared the bejaysus out of me.

I know that all kind of reads a bit rambly but I'm putting it up here for two reasons. The first one is for me, so I can actually see where I am, what I need to do and why I need to do it. And the second is so that you guys can hold me to it. D and I have had a LOT of conversations about this and while the intentions have always been there I've not been great at the follow up. So I'm hoping this post will keep me in line and help us get to the place we need to be that much sooner.

Sorry for the ramble, I just needed to get the thoughts out.

Dinah93

Love you wombil.

She's okay Shrimpy, gastroenteritis or rotavirus is the best guess, need to take a lovely poop sample down to confirm. She's just so unhappy, I wish I could make her better. Think she's lost weight again too.

wendz86

Poor Grace, hope she is better soon.

NIM - sounds like you are in the right space with paying the debts back. Is horrible when you have to be so carefulw ith money but will be worth it in the end.

Shrimpy - i am sure people will just phone another taxi company so don't worry. I get all worked up about things like that though so know how you feel.

The weekend was generally good. No luck yet finding somewhere new to live, still 4 weeks to go though. Went to an engagement party sat night which was good but my trains got cancelled so ended up having to pay £30 for taxi home. Free bar at the party though so not too bad.

Dinah93

clearmydebts wrote: »

Did you buy her a new christening gown or is there one in the family? M wore OH's and Evie wore her cousins, which I bought from Next! It was lovely that M wore OH's though

We have MANY in the family. My auntie sent me up three, and we have mine too (which is probably the one I want her to wear for purely emotional reasons) but if she doesn't fit any of them then it'll be a new one (although given she'll be toddling it'll more likely be a dress than a long gown).

Lara44 wrote: »

Well done on the baking prizes! What did you make in the end Dinah?

Banana cupcakes with a marscapone buttercream, duck and apricot Moroccan spiced filo pies and a gooey chocolate-aubergine cake. Diet went out the window a bit last week, it's really hard to be good when actually I'm kind of happy the shape I am.

Dinah93

Dinah93 wrote: »

As a round up so far for March Madness (actually in account) we have:
Amazon sales £55.29
Amazon sales £22.06
Quidco £6.45
Quidco £2.62
Ebay sales £10.27
Ebay sales £56.83
Mystery Shopping £44.00
- minus £44.60 in postage
= £152.92
Seems a bit pathetic at only 7.6% of the aimed for total... but it takes time sometimes for money to trickle in and I'm certain of making it to at least 33.1% of the aimed for total.... still pathetic but that's why it takes effort and a big push! I can imagine how we'll get to the 50-60% mark..... it's the last 'eeek' bit that I'm a bit stuck on!

To add on to this:
Amazon sales £121.38
Ebay sales £41.93
Ebay sales £25.69
Quidco £23.06
= £364.98
-£15.79 on postage
= £349.19 (17.46%)

I hope everyone else is faring better! Who thinks they might hit their 100%?