Time to stop pretending it will be ok!

julie2710

Thanks for the O2 recycle link. Mine is an iPhone 4 16gb and its a couple of years old although in good condition, has a couple of tiny scratches on the back. I've entered the details and I'll get just over £124 but with none of the worry of eBay so that's great for me. I have some work tonight. Quite a way from home but I'm getting petrol money so that's ok. Best get a wiggle on and head off in a bit!

I was going to try and use my money from my weekend extra work for extra payments but I might have to use some for living this month I'm going to put it to one side (hidden) and try and manage without it if I can until the end of the month and see how I do.

julie2710

Oh dear! It's a been a week since my last diary entry! Feeling a bit like a confessional now Although that said it hasn't been a bad week on the money saving front.

It has however been incredibly busy. Last weekend I was running around to extra ballet lessons and then took my DS1 to see the English National Ballet Company doing Sleeping Beauty (tickets were bought last year!) We didn't have any sweets or ice cream but I did buy a programme for him and although it was £5 he has read it from cover to cover and taken it to school so I can sort of justify that. It was3 hours long and DS1 Is only 7 but he loved every minute of it. To be honest this is probably my weak point, shows and events. I love taking my boys to the theatre or rugby. I have this morning resisted the temptation of England Rugby tickets for November. I had promised last year I would take DS2 this year but I'm going to make an excuse and maybe wait for next year, debt busting dependant!

Anyway we had birthday parties to go to on Sunday. Monday we had one of DS1s friends over for tea. Walked down the beach as it was lovely so that wore them all out!
Tuesday and Wednesday were football practice and I finally got to put my feet up last night.

The iPhone went back to O2 and I've had a message today to say the £124 is going into my bank today :j

I've paid £20 extra off one of my cards and the rest is put aside to go towards the half term clubs cost of £200 :eek:

Another busy weekend this week with DS1s ballet exam on Sunday! I'm more nervous than he is:o

julie2710

A spend free weekend so far and apart from getting some bread and milk tomorrow it is likely to stay that way

Took the boys to the library this morning. They both love books and we haven't been for a while so they both chose 3 books each, free

Went to my mums for lunch and spent the afternoon with my parents watching the rugby.

I noticed its free listing on eBay so I sorted out some clothes which I have had stashed away ready to put on and spent tonight photographing and listing them! One has a watcher already :j

Tomorrow I will be dropping DS2 at my parents and taking DS1 to do his ballet exam. Gold Rose Award. We have to be there for 10am so no lie in in the morning. I can nip off and get the bread and milk while he's doing his exam and then we will be looking forward to the rugby in the afternoon!

I have a busy week next week. Must remember to book the car in for a service, luckily it's a lease car so no cost to me

I should really be getting some sleep but don't feel tired!

Iona_Penny

Hi Julie I just wanted to encourage you to keep posting. I have found your diary and will continue to read it; you are doing an amazing job- full time employment, two small boys, on your own etc. etc You need to not lose sight of how well you are doing. :T

julie2710

Time to chill out on Sunday evening and plan my week. Took DS1 to his Gold Rose Award ballet exam this morning and he passed with a distinction :j :T. I'm so proud of him. He is the only boy in his school doing ballet and he loves it.
We then went to see my mum, homemade cards for nana for Mother's Day :-) An afternoon watching the rugby then home for bath and bed for the boys.
All the school bags are packed for the morning and shoes are polished
Well tomorrow is always my good news day as I'll be able to phone and annoy my bank by asking for my balance on my mortgage account. Every month they ask me if I'm looking to change my mortgage and every month I just say "no, I'm just cheering myself up by finding out how much I've paid off!"
I have a really busy week this week and then I'm away for three nights next week on conference. The boys will be staying with a school friend who's mum has really kindly offered to have them. It's quite a relief as its always a pain trying to get my mum and dad to have them. Just need to get the dog sorted out now. Can't send him to the dog sitter after last time. My neighbour had offered but she took him for a walk with her dog today and they didn't get on One of my friends has offered to have him so I'm going to speak to her tomorrow.
Just checked the items I put on eBay and one has 7 watchers and a couple of the others have multiple watchers too! Might put a few more items on tonight too as its free listing

Verbatim

You're doing really well and are so organized. I'm full of admirationn

FBaby

Hi Julie, I just wanted to say how much I find your posts an inspiration, ironically not so much from the debt management front (although that is also much of an inspiration), but how you cope with such a busy life as a working single mum, yet always remaining strong. You have such a positive attitude to life and such energy, it is really refreshing to read how you cope when there are so many posts on this forum by single mums either not working or only limited hours, moaning how hard it is to be a single parent. It's amazing how resourceful you become when you are so limited by time and energy! Do keep on posting, the forum needs posts like yours!

julie2710

Thank you for your kind words of encouragement. FBaby, trust me there are times when I wonder what on earth I am thinking! I see other single parents not working, spending more time with their kids and getting (seemingly) handed everything to them on a plate. There are days I think am I the daft one? About three years ago, a year after I'd returned to work after the birth of DS2, I had virtually ran myself into the ground! I had lost way too much weight and was always shattered. When I went to see my GP he even suggested that maybe I should give up work and go onto benefits. When I asked him if he could give me anything to help me be less tired he just said "nothing you can't get in the supermarket" I remember looking blankly at him and he just said "FOOD!!!" :eek: He also knew that I couldn't give up work! It's just not me, plus I want to be a positive role model for my boys.:o

Ironically, the one thing that I am dire with (or at least have been), being organised with money, was the one thing I used to be great at! I guess something had to give but it will improve. It would make life just a little bit easier!

So today I phoned the bank and another milestone reached on the mortgage The balance now stands at £179,932.75 :j I've broken the £180k barrier and the amount paid off by me since my ex left now stands at 23.93% :T:j

I've had an email from the pet insurers to say that they have paid the biggest of the vets bills from my poor dog! £5419! I have written to the emergency one he was transferred to telling them I expect at the very least a discount in their charge as had it not been for me staying there for over 6 hours on the Friday night and basically telling the vet what to do, then driving over 120 miles to collect blood for a transfusion my dog would have been dead It's got to be worth a go and I have the support from my local vet and the specialist hospital he ended up in! Anything I save on their bill will be money in my pocket as I will be getting a £2k cheque back from the hospital now as I had paid them a deposit.

My friend has agreed to have my dog for me while I'm on conference so that's all good.

Right need to get some 99p listings done tonight. Work computer has had to go back to head office so at least I get an evening (or two) off from admin

julie2710

Well the last week or so has been crazy. I was away on conference last week so long days and late nights The boys were staying with one of the mums from their school which was less stressful than them staying at my parents.) The dog stayed with a dog free friend after last time. I was going to have to get her a little something for looking after him but luckily I was given an award at conference of a lovely little Espa gift set all nicely wrapped so I gave her that. Hope that's not too tight.

Basically staying on top of things with the money situation. Just! This is going to be a really tight month though for sure. I am hoping to get a few extra £ in with selling more stuff. I got back half of the bed I had given my brother a few years ago. One of those singles with a single underneath. DS2 was outgrowing his Cotbed rapidly and to be fair I couldn't really afford to buy one so at least he now has a bed and my brother kept the other part as only for his spare room anyway. I've put the cot bed on eBay. Did have an offer of £30 for it but it is in really really good condition and they are £400 new without the mattress which I think was over £150! ( how times have changed now I'm single!) anyway it has 8 watchers so I'm hoping it will get more than that.

Now I have a conundrum. The insurance company have paid out for the dog. The bill across all three vets was about £7700 :eek: they have paid two of the vets directly one of which I had given the £2k so they have sent me back a cheque for £1800. I need to pay £250 to the other vet who has been partially paid. That leaves a bill of £2,200 to the last vet. Now I have written to both my vet and this vet, who was an emergency vet, asking for them to reduce their bill due to their poor care. I haven't had a response but the vet in question is still phoning me regularly to see how he is! My thoughts are maybe I should use the money I now have sat in my bank to clear (almost) my lowest credit card and worry about the vet when they either refuse to reduce their bill or do and then offer them a payment plan? My thoughts being that if even for only a couple of months I can save £40 interest on that card and make the additional payments on another card. What does anyone else think? I'm really torn on it to be honest

Other than that I am going to phone the CTC people again, firstly to check the outstanding balance as I think I may have lost track of what I've paid and I also need to chase up the appeal. They are still saying that it was my fault as although I gave them the correct information which the failed to utilise correctly I should have noticed this when they sent me my notification and corrected them. I suppose in all honesty I probably just looked at what they were going to pay me rather than whether or not they'd used the details I'd given them correctly

Right better get on again. I will be back here more regularly I promise

julie2710

Ok so I have spent my usual end of the month post payday paying bills making credit card payments and working out how much money I don't have this month

I have overpaid by the few pence on each of my cards by rounding the figures up. It's a couple of quid so not much but every little bit helps.

I have decided that I am going to use the money I have received back from the vet to pay off most of my lowest card. The decider on this was that the emergency vet my dog was at phoned me again last night to see how he was. As he is still very underweight and still not 100% clear on his kidneys then I think that sort of ensures they will keep phoning. I think the fact that I am getting these calls is possibly an indication of their concern over their own care. Anyway, for the time being it will save me some money while I argue with them about their bill. At worst I will have to set up a payment plan with them which would hopefully then be interest free but it will save me interest in the interim. I have to take him to the regular vets tonight to get his weight checked and for him to have an injection so I will pay them what they are owed then transfer the money off the card tonight.

I also checked the balance on the CTC and I had lost track slightly so a lower balance owing than I thought.

More eBaying required and some extra work over the weekend should help too.

The boys are at their dads over the weekend so I can hopefully get some gardening done if its dry. The garage/shed could use a good sort out too. Probably some potential sellable items there. Such a task though need to work up to getting it done