Getting back on track for 2013 and beyond

kerri_dfw

Fritters were yummy, however have discovered since becoming pregnant that I hate the smell & taste of thyme! So I didn't eat them.

Adapter for the steam cleaner has arrived today, so I am cleaning anything I can lay my hands on. The grouting in the bathroom looks amazing, the hob is spotless and the burnt on jam in the oven is disappearing. Hurrah!

Update: well it appears steam cleaners are good at cleaning, they don't like the really, really tough stuff but they do make an attempt at it. I've just chucked some bicarb and vinegar into the oven to shift the remaining nasty bits. I think for everyday cleaning it's going to be fab and if I can keep on top of things then I won't have to deal with the whole scrubbing of ovens. Bathroom tiles have come up beautifully, it's even managed to get some bike oil stains out of the carpet in ollie's room, although I did use some washing up liquid too, he can try to get the rest out and we're borrowing mum and dads carpet cleaner as well. Going to try some cupboards after my conference call and then the lounge windows. Does require lots of wiping with microcloths though to mop up the water.

kerri_dfw

Still loving the steam cleaner, my oven is almost clean other than one stubborn stain remaining. I shall remove it before we move house! OH has offered to clean the kitchen tiles, I am impressed. We are definitely going to do some packing this weekend, it will make cleaning a lot easier. Mum and Dad are lending us their carpet cleaner so we can clean the carpets properly. So the £160 it would have cost for pro cleaners will actually mean we're £14 quids in plus owners of fab steam cleaner yay.

I have today been researching childcare. I shocked the OH earlier who got quite excited when I said I had been researching au pairs. I have been thinking realistically, all I really need for childcare is someone to see to the screaming child when I am on a conference call. All other times I can flexi my work around the childs needs and tbh my job isn't 100% stressful as I manage my time well and what most people manage in 8hrs I fit into about 3-4, the joys of working from home with few distractions from colleagues. So this is where the research into au pairs came about. I don't want someone to be the main carer for the child as I'll be at home.

Anyway, I'd be interested to know if anyone else has ever used one and what their experiences are.

Tilly tidies done and another SFD hurrah

debtfreewannabe321

Glad the steam cleaner is going well (and I bet has encouraged you to do more housework!! I always do more when I have a new 'toy' lol) Never had an au pair, lots do round here though as we have a lot of couples who are both in the army on this estate. They don't pay them very much either, they seem to be foreign students most of them. I know nothing else though, sorry! My good friend has a nanny, she does the rubbish jobs that my friend hates, i.e ironing/washing kids clothes, takes kids out when she has to work from home and she even walks the dog!

xx

kerri_dfw

Spoke to my Dad, he now would like an au pair just so he can have a young swedish girl around the house tsk tsk!

Also, spoke to my sister and it would appear that she's in £6k worth of debt. I sent her across the forms on DFWs F&F thread for her to write to her creditors to reduce the amount she pays. My Dads response was that I'd feel hard done by if the amount she paid off was only 15%, but to be honest I wasn't expecting the money in the first place and as long as she pays me back the money she owes me then anything else is just a bonus. I have told her to write them all letters offering them 15% and see what they say to that.

We were meant to be going to West Wales this weekend but the friend OH is meant to be meeting hasn't responded, so instead we're going to pack up the living room. Get the tv and dvd player plus all the books all boxed up and then give it a good clean in the kitchen & living room. This will mean on exit we just need to do a quick clean of everything as the deep clean will have already taken place, woohoo speedy exit.

Bengal cat peed in the corner again this morning, I've moved his food bowl with the biscuits in to that corner that'll teach him. I think he's doing it because the normal routine has been upset now that OH leaves the house at 7am. So if I don't get up immediately and feed him he gets annoyed with us and acts out. He never does it when it's just me in the house, other than when the breeder for the siamese dropped off her papers and was favouriting the siamese with food over him. He loves his food so I completely understood why he did it that day, he was being as good as gold but being neglected by her with the treats.

When we move house I'm going to get the pair of them a ceiling high cat activity tree. Hoping it'll stop them being so crazy all the time but also give them a safe place to run up out of the way of the small person that will be arriving in a few months.

Right, tilly tidies time.

mrsd1984

Hi, I've just had a read through

Congratulations on the pregnancy. I'm due in 16 days. :eek:

You are doing really well with paying off your debts. I'm just wondering whether you've applied for any other 0% cc's? That's what we managed to do so not paying any interest on our debts.

Also, sorry if I'm scaring you, but have you thought about what you'll need to buy for baby? It's quite amazing how long the list can be for something so little! We made our list, researched prices and then set a goal of beating the budget! We managed to get a lot in sales/second hand, etc. but it can still cost quite a bit. How about putting money to one side for a few months instead of the huge cc overpayments, just to make sure you don't end up using them and adding on to them.

You asked about how how you and oh split bills etc. what me and dh do is that all our wages, except for an equal amount of spending money (which is a tiny £25 each a month at the mo, but needs must with my pay reducing with mat leave and baby arrival imminent), goes straight into a joint account. From that, enough to cover bills goes into another joint acc where all our dd's come out of and the rest currently goes into savings. We have just opened a nationwide5% acc. We are trying to get as much together as we can in there so that we can earn our 5% and after the year is up we will pay a huge chunk off cc. Obviously we are paying minimum each month now, and no interest. Out of bills we also have standing orders setup which cover birthdays, Christmas, and things that we pay annually like life insurance so we don't have to search for the money when the time is here.

We take money out each month for food £120 at the moment and then another £30 for 'enjoying'. This can be a couple of takeaways or going out for a meal.

I really hope you don't think I'm being bossy or telling you what to do. It's just we've really had to pull in our belts, make savings where we can and I'm really hoping in a couple of years time we will have a considerable amount of disposable income each month and can go on holidays or treat ourselves more

Good luck to you

mrsd1984

Oh, and if you want to see a copy of our 'what baby needs' list, I'm more than happy to pm/email it to you.

kerri_dfw

Hello MrsD, I really don't feel like I've come very far with my debt payments to be honest. But I have changed my mentality towards money which is a massive thing. I would absolutely love a copy of your "what baby needs" list, I shall drop you a pm with my email address thank you very much. I am hoping to get most 2nd hand from my sister and friends, anything else other than pushchair will be from nearly new sales and fleabay and things, this baby doesn't need to be expensive.

With regards to money between my OH and I, I have tried to reason with him that we should pool our funds together and each get an allowance but he's not up for that idea. I'm giving him a couple of months to get used to having a job then I shall be having a word with him if he hasn't paid off any debt or saved any money.

Oh and please never apologise for thinking you're bossy, I love hearing what everyone has to say

kerri_dfw

Ended up spending £5.02 on pizza and dough balls last night. Came out of the grocery budget so I'm not to fussed about it Going to start packing up some of the flat this weekend.

Had to invites for Christmas things yesterday, one for boxing day drinks and another for pre-christmas dinner. I have no idea what these people are thinking. Firstly I'll be too pregnant to do anything around then, and secondly if the OH even thinks he's leaving me alone and going off to get drunk when I'm THAT pregnant he has another thing coming. Luckily he saw things from my point of view and we've said we'll skype them. I was especially annoyed that the person organising the dinner said we couldn't just turn up for dinner and leave at 10pm but that we had to stay and party. So a brisk decline was heading straight to that invite.

Work has been a bit slow this week, but I'm off to Ipswich for 3 days Monday - Wednesday so can eat luxurious food in restaurants and stuff my face on the company expenses wohahaha not been on a jaunt for ages and I think one is definitely due.

I took my weekly bump photo yesterday and a tiny bump is definitely starting to show. My waistline is disappearing, I used to have a very flat stomach and I now have more of a legoman stomach...all solid and no definition booo. Ooh and super exciting, I felt the baby fluttering last night as we watched the extremely freaky Luther. Last time I watched Luther I couldn't sleep for days because there was a murdered on the loose around the streets where I was working and he was attacking people in rush hour traffic. Funnier still is that me getting really freaked out made my other half get really freaked out, wohahaha that'll teach him

kerri_dfw

Well don't ask, don't get...just been approved for a 0% capital one card. There's a 3% fee for balance transfers and it's 0% until January If I can shift some more off of VC I'll be super happy. I know I should be able to pay it all off within a matter of months, but the less interest I have to pay the better. I shall however close all these accounts when the debts are paid off I would ideally one day like one of those shiny cashback cards, but we shall see.

mrsd1984

I can pretty much guarantee you won't be fancying much partying over Christmas. We had a wedding last weekend, which was lovely, but didnt start until 3:30 and we left by 10. Couldn't cope any longer! Just been invited 10 pin bowling tomorrow.......erm I don't think that will be a good idea. You never know, baby could be making an appearance before his/her due date so you may have a newborn by then anyway

Yay for the 0%. Before I switched I hated how much interest I was paying each month.