Getting back on track for 2013 and beyond

debtfreewannabe321

Ah found you!! Although you haven't posted for a bit, you haven't started another new diary have you lol xx

kerri_dfw

Hmm no I haven't been and started a new diary, I have just been hiding, lurking and writing on other peoples diaries. I guess I should just write a list of everything that has happened money-wise since March, but it's going to be all eeep!!!

So here it goes:

The business is up and running and for a startup I think it's doing quite well being in its 3rd month now.

My credit card balance is now lurking around the £3k mark, my OD is now at £250. OD went down, CC went up *gulp*

Money spent on business:
£1457.15 - stock *gulp* didn't realise it was THAT much

Money earned through website:
£185.83

Money earned through ebay:
£117.52

Money earned through craft fair:
£35

Money earned through other sales:
£41.32

So that means I need to earn another £1077.48 to breakeven. Last weekend was my best weekend, earning over £100 in one weekend just for having an ebay shop and a website. I still need to finish listing some stock that I haven't listed on the website yet, and I'm pressing on doing that a little each day. Afterall there is no point it being sat around the house.

The OH has landed himself a job thanks to my job agency skills (searching the interwebs and sitting him down to send off cvs ) He's starting on 25.5k which is amazing for a grad but he'll have to commute to Brizzle everyday. He's going to train into Parkway and then cycle the 6.5miles to Clifton.

The biggest difference is going to be that I am going to be about £500 better off than I am at the moment, the OH will be paying half towards the bills so instead of paying £1500 and he pay £500, we'll split it £1k each. I know this is an awful lot for two people to be spending, but we really love where we are living and although expensive, if we moved we'd have to take into account the cats and they love having so much space. Also where I work from home I don't have any travel expenses so save myself £100 a month in fuel plus whatever the cost of sarnies is these days, and the inevitable cost of chocolate at 2pm each day.

I've also planned us a holiday the first week of June, I've paid £600 towards it so far but used £150 from a work award I was given :T:T we're going to cycle around Cherbourg on our bicycles, so we needed panniers, pannier racks, lightweight tent, sleeping bags (bought with the award) and I wanted some spd shoes. We've not had a proper holiday together ever so with the price of the ferry on top of about £70 each it's going to be an ok price to pay. What it will mean next time though is that we just pay for travel and camping and because we had to buy a rack for the car we can now take the bikes everywhere with us and just go off for a weekend lush!

So debts currently stand at £3.2k and I should be able to throw some more pennies at them, the business paid for it's last lot of stock all £200 of it by itself, which is probably why I didn't realise how much had been spent so far *gulp*. I have no idea what the startup cost for a business should be, but I'm no longer putting my own money into it. If I go to the post office I always make sure to transfer the postage costs back into the current account from the business savings account. When the business is turning over £200-£300 a week I shall start paying myself back for the money I have put in. If last weekend was anything to go by then hopefully that won't be too long.

I've signed up for a couple of local craft fairs to raise awareness of the business and the first is next Saturday followed by another on the Sunday.

oooh and the best news ever, my old manager is coming to work at my company in my team. I referred him 10 months ago and he starts on the 1st July. This means I'm due a £2k referral fee, so that'll probably clear the CC if I haven't done so by then :T:T:T although I would really like to throw £500 at the CC each month to clear it quicker.

There mammoth update done, I shall try not to leave it so long next time. xx and I still feel guilty about the business, glad the OH doesn't know how much I have spent!

brizzledfw

Great to see you posting again and about OH's job....and the holiday and the referral fee! Brilliant, am so pleased for you.

Am sure start up will be fine..nothing ventured, nothing gained

kerri_dfw

Thanks Brizzled, had another 2 sales today totalling over £10 between them. Might only be small but if I have that every day of the week and the good weekend sales (people seem to shop more at weekends), oooh wishful thinking.

Paid for our ferry to France today, £70 each so OH's friend owes us that. We did order pizza for our tea, tsk tsk, but with my bad neck/shoulder today and OH doing his uni work neither of us wanted to cook and tbh I haven't really been able to leave bed. Ate it on the sofa watching HIGBMNFY so we were happy all cwtched up. We haven't had take out in a few weeks now and I did make sure I went through qu1dco for both the ferry and pizza

Am currently shopping around for more business cards, I have almost run out or I've lost some *gulp* they must be in my room somewhere...

Time for some entrepreneurial inspiration from Lord Sug now x

kerri_dfw

Oh dear I think today is going to be one of THOSE days. Went to bed with several of my joints aching, woke up in the middle of the night several times because the cats were taking up most of my side of the bed so I couldn't move around like my body needed. Then when the OH woke up the cat stretched and he's convinced she purposely scratched him, I asked him to give me some room for my legs and he stormed out of bed muttering something about why didn't I just give him a cuddle....errr no room in the bed because you're spread-eagled maybe?

Now he's come in, given me some random speech about me not liking him and I fear there's more to come. I am wise to this all now so just said nothing. Apparently I'm meant to make him feel better...every one of my joints is aching today, consequence of the tablets I have to take, so I don't really feel like putting up with a grumpy boyfriend, ho hum. Only two weeks until he'll be in work during the weekday

Moneywise, I have a few orders for the business to post off today. Going to go to the bank and cash the takings from the craft fair as well.

brizzledfw

Hmm..maybe he's nervous about the change in lifestyle? Working is not all its cracked up to be, as you know;)

tell him we dont bite:rotfl:

debtfreewannabe321

Just had a proper catch up from the beginning and had a look at your website! It looks great, did you do it all yourself? I hope OH is not so grumpy today xx

kerri_dfw

Well there has been big news since I last posted, it doesn't rain but it pours. I can't really say just yet but when I can you can expect it to be a complete change of lifestyle and lots of uncertainty eep!

We had a look at rightm0ve last night for places to move to when OH is in his job. I think the commute each day to Brizzle is going to be quite a lot for him, leaving the house at 7:30 and returning 12 hrs later. So we're thinking about Bath. I have no idea where in Bath, but there were some very, very cute cottages I liked the look of on the outskirts, or some terraced houses with amazing views for less rent than we pay here. The train shaves 15mins off in the morning and goes to Temple Meads instead of Parkway saving miles as well.

OH is definitely not grumpy today, he's hardly slept and we have his mother coming to stay for two days, but I think he has too much to think about to be grumpy.

DFW, thanks I used templates from the company that's hosting and kept rejigging until I liked the layout. I'm not 100% sold on the logo anymore as I've updated it on all my business cards, but for now it will have to stay as I have lots of work work to be getting on with.

Small business had it's largest order yesterday of just under £27, which might not seem a lot but when it's 15p - £1.09 for a metre of ribbon it takes awhile to cut up It's tipped the total takings so far to just about £500. I'm so pleased as the first month was £100, this month £400, next month who knows.

I have an order from the wholesaler arriving today which makes me feel like a kid in a sweet shop. Then I have an order of buttons from it to send when the lady pays, she met me at the craft fair on Sunday and was already a liker on FB how exciting. I still need to bank the takings from Sunday, post an order from fleabay, and why is the cat drinking from a pint glass?!?!?! I need to post some cheques off for the craft fair next weekend and for some public liability insurance.

It's going to be a busy day. I've already booked a doctors appointment for next week, I'm sure I need more tablets soon.

Moneywise, going to start saving every penny I can towards our mortgage now. June's pay packet needs to cover petrol, food & camping in France but that shouldn't be more than £200 for the 6 days I don't think. We're going to be cooking most of our own food as they don't really deal with vegetarians very well over there.

Have spoken to the OH about seeing a mortgage advisor when he has started work. We want to know where we stand with regards to his debt and trying to get a mortgage, if we have to pay it off then save the deposit or if we can do both at the same time.

Phew and breathe hope you all are having happy sunny Fridays xx

debtfreewannabe321

Bath sounds lovely, always wanted to go there! Looking forward to the major updates!

p.s well done on the big order! You have got lots of lovely bits on your website

clippy_girl

hi kerri,

just had a read through of your diary and a nose on your website. it looks really good and your sales sound very promising so far! good luck with it!