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

DedicatedDFW

Hi All, Sorry for the long absence - I was ill before going on holiday whilst away and am still ill now - all different things rather than 1 long illness with just 1 thing if that makes sense - think my body realised now the course had ended all the things it had stored up it could unleash :eek: Currently sniffling away today after having a migraine yesterday and being sick _pale_ I've soldiered on with work as i can't afford any more time off :( and other than keeping a record on here about money thats been about it.

This weekend i had hoped to start on the long list of jobs - the garden, windows and decluttering but i am just going to rest instead. Wanted to let you all know i'm ok and hopefully be back posting more soon - hope everyone is well xx

PositiveBalance

DedicatedDFW wrote: »

Hi All, Sorry for the long absence - I was ill before going on holiday whilst away and am still ill now - all different things rather than 1 long illness with just 1 thing if that makes sense - think my body realised now the course had ended all the things it had stored up it could unleash :eek: Currently sniffling away today after having a migraine yesterday and being sick _pale_ I've soldiered on with work as i can't afford any more time off :( and other than keeping a record on here about money thats been about it.

This weekend i had hoped to start on the long list of jobs - the garden, windows and decluttering but i am just going to rest instead. Wanted to let you all know i'm ok and hopefully be back posting more soon - hope everyone is well xx

:j Yay, you're back! :j

I totally forgot about your holidays - I hope you had a nice time, despite feeling icky either side of it.

Speaking of which, it doesn't surprise me you are feeling a bit rough - your body has been on 'go' for so long, it doesn't know what to do when you are on 'stop(ish)'! Please listen to it...don't like the idea of you being poorly sick so much.

I'm currently making caramelised red onion chutney. It's potent stuff. It wouldn't surprise me if you can't smell it from your house, and trust me, the smell would knock you right in no time! :rotfl:

Take care and speak soon. xxx

DedicatedDFW

Hi PB - mmm caramelised onion chutney - om nom nom - it sounds delicious - i have pretty much lost my sense of smell with this horrid cold i've got so no chance of me savouring the scent of it from here either sadly I bet its delish

Yeah still feeling rubbish and was ill whilst away as well but just plodded on

How are things with you PB? hope all is well xx

DedicatedDFW

Hi all,

As i've just said to PB i am still feeling pretty yuck right now. I want to try and get something done with the paperwork mountain before work as i will at least feel better when i get in afterwards to the place looking a bit better than it does right now

I haven't kept track too well moneywise lately - i had to buy a pair of summer shoes as i don't own a single pair i got the cheapest i could find in the sale at £5 so that wasn't too bad. I also picked up a few bits at the carboot so a couple of bargains there which is good Unfortunately these were not the bargains i was looking for so will be going again to see if i can find what i need without having to pay full price

Hope everyone is well xx

DedicatedDFW

Hello Everyone

PB hope all is well with you?

Chocs - how are you?

Jwil - i have pm'd you and hope everything is good with you

Sorry if i've missed anyone my head is a bit wibbly today :eek: But i have lots of things to sort out - i know you've all missed my lists as much as i have :rotfl::rotfl:

No epic list today as it is not yet the weekend and pesky work gets in the way but:

I need to read my pp e-mail
Log onto my new bank account woohoo!
Apply for [STRIKE]a [/STRIKE] 2 new credit cards
Attack the pile that is becoming the paperwork hillock of doom!
Try and find some things for the bay of e
Start listing said items for the bay of e

In view of us doing a carboot soon i went through all the listed items I had and re-vised the prices and where necessary the posting costs (just when i'd made a mistake). Hoping for a flurry of sales from this as things for £1 on bay of e may only fetch 20p - 50p at a carboot :cool:

I'm sure there is a lot more to do but i've had something on my mind lately and now that has shifted i am feeling a little better about focusing on things and i always enjoy posting on here. I am also hopefully coming to the tail end of my illness and hopefully another thing isn't queuing up ready for its turn.

Oh in non-mse but super-organised news i ordered 3 new books for my new course yesterday - i need something to read and figure i may as well get these books as i'll need to read them a couple of times in preparation for my course - hopefully i will pass the course i just did *fingers crossed*. I also applied for finance for the course - hopefully i will be eligible for something and that will really help

Ok, best crack on now x

DedicatedDFW

Morning All!

I hope everyone is well? I'm not quite with it today Hope it improves over the course of the day - will just need to take things slowly at work

Of my little list yesterday i got a few things done - i was quite chuffed that not only did i shift all of the paperwork but i actually dealt with it as well - this involved letter writing, form filling and several phone calls but it has been shifted Whoop! :T

I didn't apply for either of the credit cards as looking into them in more detail they weren't providing me with what i wanted.

I also only found 1 item to list on the bay of e :eek: Must try harder I'll try and look again today but if not it'll be a weekend job now :cool:

Just paid a rather large credit card bill :eek: thats how much i am not with it - just typing that reminded me of something else i needed to pay :eek: Now done phew! Ok the credit card bill :whistle: It was high for several reasons - somehow when the statement produced it had 2 lots of travel costs on - it may have been day 1 = travel cost and final day = travel cost - i can't remember but that was in the region of £200, the next largest spend on it was the food shopping - i am either way underbudgetting or way overspending in this area :undecided Last week i even put back all of my bargainous reduced priced items and it was still way over what i budget for and there weren't any treats in that either :think:

These next few weeks i am really trying to eat out of the freezer as much as possible - going to cook something on sunday - unfortunately all the healthy food i buy is really expensive

The final spend on the card was holiday clothes which i got as cheaply as possible and as i pretty much wore everything i got (just 1 top not worn but it will be) then i think these were ok spends. Hopefully next month will be a different story and the card will be kept at a minimum.

Targets in sig are all up in the air as i have had to pay back the money i owed - in 1 way this is good as it is 1 less bill but as that wasn't incurring any interest then its also a bit Gah! I'll cross it off once i've handed the money over

I've just received a reminder about something else - thank goodness! Rightio, i'll have me a little mooch on here and then see if i can sort out anything for bay of e :cool:

have a good day all xx

DedicatedDFW

Morning all!

I've just spent the last couple of hours easing myself into the day by reading and being inspired by the diaries on here Forcing myself away now then i can look forward to catching up some more tonight

Prior to this though i did come over all domestic goddessy and was up before the alarm and cleaned the house from top to bottom :T Woohoo!! Have to admit to desperately feeling the need for a break as i hit the final quater but knew it'd be best to just soldier on lovely clean house now *bliss*

In the last couple of hours though i've not just been on here i've made a necessary phone call which the handy digital display informed me lasted 19 minutes and 8 seconds. I've tried to order a repeat prescription but will need to go to doctors instead I've washed pots, lifted out tomorrows tea from the freezer, moved some bits of food shopping i got yesterday and loaded the washer though its not ready to go. And for the first time in a long time i had breakfast :T

I've checked e-mails and checked on the bay of e.

I've also put a bid on an item on there - although i really really hope i win it. I'm going to an event - its one of those things where you need to get dressed up but not dressed up in the things for a night out if that makes sense? So dressy but smart and more daywear to evening than just eveningwear and it came to my attention that i really do need to spend on something to get this. Soooo, trying to be mse i missed the dress last week so bid on a totally different one which is ok but now its here it is definitely more evening wear (and for when i've lost some weight ) so i'm bidding on this one - if i win it the cost of the 2 dresses will still be cheaper than shop bought.

So that would make 2 new dresses... except i bought another 2 :eek: Total full price £97 i paid... £16 :j:T:j:T Fabulous - they were of course in the sale and i had various discounts go through and hey presto! £16 I am quite pleased with that. These of course are not for the event although they may make a good back up :cool: And I know just when i'm going to wear them too So all in all some good buys i feel.

Then i've been out to the car and somethings wrong with it so now its booked into the garage for this afternoon *gulp* I also realised that the event i'm buying the dress for is imminent and i have £0 spends for this so that really needs addressing as well as other expenses next month *yikes*

I'm going to hopefully get rid of some unnecessary things - if i can find them - and ok the dresses i got weren't necessary but will be worn unlike some things i have so i just need to identify those bits and get on with the clear out.

Hope everyone is good xx

PositiveBalance

Wow Dedicated...such a lot going on! I'll be back for a proper chat in a bit.

DedicatedDFW

Afternoon all i can hardly believe its almost evening and the day has gone so quickly. I had a small lie-in this morning - i maybe should have tried to sleep longer as i am pretty shattered and not too well still I went through a few e-mails and surveys this morning inevitably getting screened out of a couple. I made brekkie but only managed to eat a small amount of it. To try and kick-start some energy i went for a walk which was free and enjoyable and i am glad i got out for a bit. I got back this afternoon and have had a look round on here, watched some tv with my mr, made tea, washed pots, read some more of my book, some more of my magazine and tried to rest

What i really need to be doing is decluttering !! It will make me feel better and make the house look better and easier to manage too. I keep saying i'll be strict with myself decluttering clothes and shoes but i'm not sure that i truly have been Or maybe its the extra stuff that i then buy :whistle: So sensible head back on - i have no money i checked my bank balance yesterday and was :eek: quickly checked my outgoings to discover that yes paying the credit card, the money back that i owed (sig duly updated), making the usual mortgage overpayment and paying to get the car back running really does add up to that much :eek:

The bay of e dress is more than likely going to be re-listed and i have 2 other items already selected for listing as well. I've lifted a goodly chunk of clothes out onto the bed ready for a sort out and good declutter i hope :cool: The plan is they'll need to be shifted off the bed in order for me to get into it later and i can't imagine my mr would be too pleased about it either - this should give me the shove i need :cool: I also can't just pop them somewhere else as the clothes that don't fit in are already on every available work surface :eek:

I think a change of mindset is needed here too - and maybe a wee glass of wine for courage :rotfl: I am one of those girls who has a wardrobe full of clothes and nothing to wear. Some of this is due to my fluctuating weight with my health but I AM going to go for a run tomorrow and keep this up which should hopefully help in the healthy weight management. I also spent a fortune on fruit and veg again this week and was flabbergasted when i really wanted chocolate yesterday and there wasn't any - not having any in meant i couldn't eat it so quite good for the waistline I actually don't eat a lot of chocolate though and it is only an occasional treat but i am still pleased with myself.

Right - off to find some more goodies to part with i hope - i need to sort out things into categories such as going out stuff and then decide realistically how many outfits i really need for this - wish me luck xx

DedicatedDFW

I'm back

Wanted to say that since i've come over all frugal again I will just have to 'make do' for the event if i don't win the dress i'm bidding on - so now just need *positive vibes* on someone outbidding me please If not it is a beautiful dress and a fab price so i will not worry about this and just try and remember this for next time too

I've lifted out 3 extra items to sell and have taken pics and got 4 items prepped and ready to be listed :T I do feel better about this - but there is still alot more to do - I'll go and see if i can sort anything else out now