A Budgeteers Continued Quest to be Debt Free & Mortgage Free By 40

DedicatedDFW

Morning World,

Thank Goodness today is not a work day - i got my assignment in and then was very ill throughout the night _pale_ - Does make me think that some of my illness at least is stress related.

Between yesterday and today i've written out a study plan for the next week - best got on with that soon then

I also want to take advantage of the free listings today - i might start sooner with all the postage adjustments needed but as these are re-lists i don't suppose it matters too much if they aren't finishing of an evening time.

I've done so well in the spare room on the decluttering that i *think* everything in there now is being kept - there are a number of photos but i don't think these would sell too well :rotfl::rotfl:

Hope everyone is good

DedicatedDFW

Hmm 375 items decluttered :T Feel the pull of trying to get it over 400 now Lots and lots of stuff has obviously gone now - more than the 400 as some things i listed where like a group / set / collection of stuff

Continuing to pop into the spare room every time i go upstairs and assessing bits and pieces but i pretty much think everything has been decluttered in there - including all drawers and small storage chests - although that is in some ways good and some ways bad as i really need stuff to sell

PositiveBalance

DedicatedDFW wrote: »

Hi everyone

It seems has been such a long time since i posted. i have not been having a good time of things and did not want to just come on here and grumble Work has been particularly horrid and i've found i've been coming home and fretting about it afterwards too - so much so i have not got a single other thing done

I sympathise. I have been in the same position for the past month and a bit. It has taken over everything. I'm now seriously hunting a new job big-stylee, but between work and applying for jobs, there doesn't seem to be much time to do much else!

elly68 wrote: »

dfw watch the postage on ebay ,hope you get ur assignment done .

This isn't the first time I have heard about this. What is going up by how much, and when, please elly?!

DedicatedDFW wrote: »

Hmm 375 items decluttered :T Feel the pull of trying to get it over 400 now Lots and lots of stuff has obviously gone now - more than the 400 as some things i listed where like a group / set / collection of stuff [/QUOTE]

I still have loads of stuff to sell: I have sold a tiny fraction, but with the whole work thing, it has taken everything over. Well done, you, though! :T

DedicatedDFW

Hey PB lovely to see you Work has been so horrid i have seriously considered just handing my notice in :eek: Obviously with bills - and thats before i even think about the debt - then this is impossible and would be hugely unfair on my Mr as well. I just cannot spend any time looking with all the ou work at the mo. When i did look as well and brush up my cv i was just being asked to go for even lower paid jobs in the same industry :eek::( Big No then ((Hugs)) to you hon and hope work is bearable and best of luck with the job hunt too

I have 2 x 5000 word pieces to write for this uni course so am really trying to focus on that at the moment - i said the other day and its true I just want a break from it now - and the study is much preferable to work but everything just seems constant right now work and assignment deadlines :eek: I know its the same for all uni students - whether at ou or uni and its just cracking on with it. I'm trying to think ahead to the summer and what will help to put me in a good position for my next course though. In a positive / constructive way I'm thinking i will get 3 / 4 months between this course ending and the next one starting. If i can use this time to get some on-going jobs out of the way then this will hopefully ease the time pressure and allow me to focus on study

So any suggestions welcome

So far i've got:-

month 1:-

month 2:- work on garden - everything i can do myself weeding, cutting back of plants, tidying etc. Hopefully have saved guttering money and pay to have this done - better than me feeling sick every time it rains

month 3:-

month 4:- prepare for new course = reading / re-reading all materials, looking ahead to see whats expected, booking time off work if needed for tutorials, adding assignment dates to diary, bringing assignment info together in 1 place if they are across 3 different places for each question like my current course is :mad:

Don't worry though - this is all to make things easier for me - i have holidays planned as well as lots of watching of films and reading too

PB - with the decluttered stuff its not all gone on bay of e - some has been given away / put to carboot etc. The decluttering is definitely helping but i still have a long way to go with that too and would be fab to have that finished as far as possible by the time the next course starts as well

Prices have gone up for postage already i think PB - jwil said it was on webiste - i got a leaflet but a friend has it just now x

PositiveBalance

DedicatedDFW wrote: »

Hey PB lovely to see you Work has been so horrid i have seriously considered just handing my notice in :eek: Obviously with bills - and thats before i even think about the debt - then this is impossible and would be hugely unfair on my Mr as well. I just cannot spend any time looking with all the ou work at the mo. When i did look as well and brush up my cv i was just being asked to go for even lower paid jobs in the same industry :eek::( Big No then ((Hugs)) to you hon and hope work is bearable and best of luck with the job hunt too

My sympathies, Dedicated: it's rusbbish when work is pants!

I think you need to get some time (as you mentioned in your post) in order to give you the time to apply for other jobs. Someone once said to me it's a full-time job applying for jobs, and they (mostly) have a point! Perhaps that's why I haven't really got round to doing it before now, cos it's so time consuming and I've always found myself thinking 'I've got X and Y and Z and...' to do. Give yourself the time, as soon as you can! (I have had a lot of interest off the R*ed website and are you on LinkedIn? Upload your CV onto the former if you haven't as there are lots of recruiters who look on it for CVs, and LinkedIn is good, too!

PB - with the decluttered stuff its not all gone on bay of e - some has been given away / put to carboot etc. The decluttering is definitely helping but i still have a long way to go with that too and would be fab to have that finished as far as possible by the time the next course starts as well

Prices have gone up for postage already i think PB - jwil said it was on webiste - i got a leaflet but a friend has it just now x

Great minds, Dedicated: I've got rid of some through other methods, too, but some is too good to give away when money is a bit of an issue, so I'm going to try listing things that I'm not sure will sell on free listings days for 2/3 times and then get rid of it. I have one particular thing for sale at the minute and it was quite heavy so I put it on as collection only, but it seems that using a courier, the postage isn't too bad, so I have one person Darn Sarf who is going to bid (but said person isn't stupid, so they are waiting until the last minute! ) I'll be delighted if it goes as it's a large and takes up quite a lot of space!

Best of luck, you busy nutter and speak soon. xxx

Chocforever

I sympathise with the 5,000 word essays and feeling like you want a break. I was the same for my last 2 courses in my OU degree. It wasn't the course content which was the issue (though I had left one course which wasn't so appealing to me). The issue was that I increasingly wanted to spend time on other things. My courses were probably quite different to yours in terms of assessment so I spent large amounts of time from August to October making notes, revising and cramming. And, as you well know, this is difficult when it is part time studying on top of a job and other responsibilities.

Hang in there; you are doing so well . My main motivation was that I wanted to sustain the marks to get the best grade that I could. I put so much effort into earlier courses to get high marks, I didn't want to feel that I had wasted my time. I also thought I might use the course as a stepping stone to a masters. I sense you are in a similar position. You will be pleased you made the effort when you get to the graduation ceremony.

Whilst I am sure you will have 101 things planned for your "time off", I would stay focussed on the course otherwise it justs highlights that you would rather be doing something else right now! Of course, when you have the time off, it will seem like a great idea to study something :rotfl:The grass is always greener and all that...

Positive vibes for the remaining assignments.

DedicatedDFW

Hi guys,

Thanks for job hunting tip PB - probably something to make a concerted effort in in the summer Well Done! on the decluttering hon :T i agree when pennies are to be made its best to try and sell it first

Chocs - lovely to see you Have you been away? My next course will be more like that chocs and i'm half dreading it :eek: I agree it is tough what with work etc. I'm much more into the next 2 assignments - its just that the last one i submitted was pretty awful :( I spent days and days and days on it and couldn't make it any better :(:( I have alot of research to do for the next 2 pieces as well and just wish i'd had more time to do this I've done a fair bit already but probably have about 20 different books to research :eek: Oh i definitely want the best mark i can get - though the last thing i sent in probably threw a big spanner into the works :(

Sorry if i've not explained it well - in the summer i want to get some jobs out of the way to put myself in the best possible position to focus as much time and energy as possible on my course. This will mean when my next course begins i *hopefully* won't have so many other 'life / household' jobs to worry about at the same time. The next course is a much larger amount of work :eek: I am working every day on my assignments now and am much more connected to the work.

I've got to get this assignement in next week to give me enough time for the next piece too

**positive vibes** request from everyone please

DedicatedDFW

Hi All

I was so ill yesterday and am so behind with lots of things right now Oh Well! I'd best just pull my socks up and get to it! Got up early today to get the shopping done - wasn't up to it yesterday although i maybe should have just gone and it may not have been as eye-wateringly expensive as it was :eek: - i can account for £2 on treats which was lavish - the rest needed - i even put back biscuits :eek:

I'm also a little out of pocket as i have been stocking up on stuff that is such a good price it would be silly not to

Washer is doing its thing at the mo. as i didn't even get that done. I'm still tired - partly from being drained from being so ill and partly from the lack of sleep due to still being ill throughout the night.

Today i want to complete 4 separate sections of study (circa 1-2 hours for each) and plough on with a 5th section. I also want to get more words on paper - though i can only really get on with this when i have the house to myself - so glad my mr is off out later

I need to update my spending diary to keep a track of where the bank account is up to :eek:

Bay of e isn't doing too well - i'm not sure if its my stuff thats carp :rotfl: or a reflection of the new cost of postage :think:

Rightio then - no epic list whilst i've not even got the energy to write it :rotfl: But i *will* pop on with progress reports when i get a move on :cool: First off just going to catch up on a diary on here, then don a fleece as its cold brr! Then start study part 1

DedicatedDFW

Oops! Not as far on as i'd like to be - couple of reasons - 1 being that things just always take longer than estimated and 2 couple of hours chatting with lovely friend - i was very good and declined on the vino and am back to it

I've got all washing done, dried and moved :T

Pots washed - some more to do later though

10 more items decluttered :T

couple of new items prepared for bay of e :T although as i say - not sure how this will go now with the postage costs Still, needs must so i need to try here before getting pennies from le carbooty :cool:

Lunch made and eaten

Letter from bank not yet opened :eek: Want to finish this section of study first

DedicatedDFW

Oof! Still working on 2nd piece of study but having a break now and a sneaky glass of wine :beer: - To be fair this 2nd piece has been hard going and instead of taking 2hours will take up to 5 hours to get through :eek: After this though the next 2 pieces are easier to get through - i hope :cool:

Whilst making tea i decluttered a cupboard and have generated 2 more carboot items - got several other things i found that will need both me and my mr to decide upon so will try and approach that tomorrow or maybe monday

Unfortunately i snook a peak at my life-admin files I'll probably slot these in at some point in the summer when i can realistically take the time to go through them and make proper decisions on what is needed and what isn't :cool: All my uni stuffs stored there as well - its all taking up quite a bit of space and has become somewhat untidy

I looked at this having opened letter from the bank and needing to file it away - but thank goodness it wasn't a letter saying they want their money back i absolutely *must* start paying the last of my debt off. As i have had no time / spare money for this i'm half deciding to keep the extra in my wage from the change in tax allowances to drop this down bit by bit until the summer when i can then really make a plan Sadly i'm not getting a payrise i know many others are in this position but with the rising costs of just about everything i now really need to focus on getting a better paid job - ideally one i like

Couple more bits set up on bay of e as well so thats good

Unlike the message i have received from bay of e re. a buyer wanting a refund :mad: