PositiveBalance’s Diary: In Search of Positivity, Balance and a Positive Bank Balance

DedicatedDFW

Hey PB,

Sorry it sounds like you've had a really tough time of things of late - PM any time you want to. I would start an NPB - they get so long to respond then so if the buyer did not pay you by next week then you've already got this in place.

I've had quite a few NPB's and its so frustrating.

Well done on the savings last month :T

Have a lovely day today x

PositiveBalance

DedicatedDFW wrote: »

Hey PB,

Sorry it sounds like you've had a really tough time of things of late - PM any time you want to. I would start an NPB - they get so long to respond then so if the buyer did not pay you by next week then you've already got this in place.

Thanks, hon. I don't think I can quite say how totally stressing and draining the whole thing has been.

To top it all off, I have finally received my electricity bill (need to ask for some compensation for all the messing around though - my phone bill for this last month was HUGE and it was mainly due to calling them so much) and I realised that I hadn't really budgeted for it, so my budget needs an overhaul...major whoops, there, and all pretty much all my savings wiped out. Gah!

I need to go and iron a blouse and trousers for a job interview tomorrow and then prepare for it. I've done nothing so far - IDIOT - due to cooking lots for Mother's Day, catching up on Spiral from last night (I know, I know, there's some procrastination involved but I'm a bit scared of the job description and not 100% about the sound of it!)

Spent:

£25 Mother's Day present

*Kicks self up backside*

PositiveBalance

Have just transfered £9.37 to my savings account from my Paypal account. That's what's left after I bought a cover for my phone and Kindle and a screen cover for the latter. I consider them reasonable investments as they stop my things from getting battered and they were bought from money generated rather than spent outright. (That's also including the P&P money, so I'm not entirely sure how much I've 'earned' overall - I'll calculate it if I ever get time.)

I still have to tranfer £20 back to my savings pot and just get a more general grip on my money. When the whole work situation has been resolved I will do it. *Sigh*

PositiveBalance

Just made £1 overpayment to CC as well so that I've made more than the minimum payment this month.

edinburgher

Just made £1 overpayment to CC as well so that I've made more than the minimum payment this month.

Good evening PB

I have always questioned the logic around minimum payments and going just over them. If you were applying for credit (the only time that your credit history really matters), I seriously doubt whether an extra £1 makes any real difference.

I realise that only paying the minimums could, in theory, make it look like you can't afford to pay any more. On the other hand, I suspect that the algorithms used by banks have a tolerance either way when it comes to automated decisions on credit applications.

If it goes to an underwriter (i.e. your application is referred), an extra £1 a month looks much the same as paying the minimum IMHO.

I think that the impact of forums such as MSE means that we all think about these topics far too much. If there was an easy way to game these things we'd all be laughing, but I suspect that most of it is just hearsay and personal theories.

PositiveBalance

edinburgher wrote: »

Good evening PB

I have always questioned the logic around minimum payments and going just over them. If you were applying for credit (the only time that your credit history really matters), I seriously doubt whether an extra £1 makes any real difference.

I realise that only paying the minimums could, in theory, make it look like you can't afford to pay any more. On the other hand, I suspect that the algorithms used by banks have a tolerance either way when it comes to automated decisions on credit applications.

If it goes to an underwriter (i.e. your application is referred), an extra £1 a month looks much the same as paying the minimum IMHO.

I think that the impact of forums such as MSE means that we all think about these topics far too much. If there was an easy way to game these things we'd all be laughing, but I suspect that most of it is just hearsay and personal theories.

Possibly, but since it's only £1 a month, I'll keep risking it!

In other news, I've not been on much as the work situation has been horrendous and I am looking for a new job. I will be leaving my current job for certain, so I need to find something. Between going to work and applying for new jobs, I don't seem to have a lot of time to do much else. Mentally, I'm just exhausted and this 4 day break has been a nice rest from the madness of it all. I don't want to stay in the type of work that I am in, but all the approaches I keep getting from agencies are unimaginative and are for similar jobs to the one I've been in (apart from one, which I really like the sound of, but I've not heard back from them although they've not said yes/no definitely to the agency a month or so later and they don't seem to know what they are looking for, which is an annoyance - I'll be gone even if they do decided that they wanted me, so it serves them right for messing people around like that. :mad:) I've not even been staying at my flat - I moved home with my mum as I probably would have cracked up under the strain of all this if I had to go home to stare at the same 4 walls every evening. The job that's most likely in the frame at the minute looks like it will be busy, stressful and ages away from where I live, so I'm not feeling amazing about it, to be honest. Things just seem to be a bit at the minute.

Sorry, I didn't mean to have a rant, but money and all other stuff seems to have taken a back burner. To be fair, I haven't spent a lot, but I'm not keeping the kind of eye on it that I would want to, either.

Onwards and (hopefully) upwards it is then, and if I'm not back to update much in the near future until all this work mess is sorted out, at least you know why.

Oh, and I have to write a long complaint letter to one of my utility providers. *Sighs deeply*

See you all soon! :wave:

DedicatedDFW

PB - its your diary so rant / vent if you want to - i've done it enough :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: ((hugs)) on the work front - reading between the lines its probably completely different as to why my work is horrendous but i do understand how hard it is to be a horrid work situation xx as you know i'm here if you ever need to talk x

Definitely get your complaint in with the company :mad: that reminds me i put 2 complaints in to different places recently and no response from either hmm... yet another thing to mess about chasing up at some point i guess - more of my time and money wasted but i'll just add that onto the complaint

Good Luck with the job hunting - its nice to hear from you and hope you're ok x

PositiveBalance

Thanks Dedicated!

I have a job interview tomorrow, so please cross your fingers for me!

Also, I wrapped up my complaint today: they have wiped my last bill off my account and I can't be bothered fighting over it anymore, given the rest of what's going on at the minute. (I'm leaving them ASAP, though: that's not changing!) Sometimes it's not worth the hassle.:T

I have four items on Ebay at the minute and watchers on 3. One is a particularly large item, so I will be delighted to get rid of it if it goes. Once all the mess is over at work, I need to really focus on decluttering as I have a small bedroom just FULL of stuff that I don't need and it is stopping me from using it for what I need to use it for, and it's space that could be earning me money.

Right, best go and iron my interview outfit and revise some interview stuff. Then shower, wash hair and bed!

Best of luck with your complaints!

DedicatedDFW

PositiveBalance wrote: »

Thanks Dedicated!

I have a job interview tomorrow, so please cross your fingers for me!

Also, I wrapped up my complaint today: they have wiped my last bill off my account and I can't be bothered fighting over it anymore, given the rest of what's going on at the minute. (I'm leaving them ASAP, though: that's not changing!) Sometimes it's not worth the hassle.:T

I have four items on Ebay at the minute and watchers on 3. One is a particularly large item, so I will be delighted to get rid of it if it goes. Once all the mess is over at work, I need to really focus on decluttering as I have a small bedroom just FULL of stuff that I don't need and it is stopping me from using it for what I need to use it for, and it's space that could be earning me money.

Right, best go and iron my interview outfit and revise some interview stuff. Then shower, wash hair and bed!

Best of luck with your complaints!

*fingers firmly crossed* and positive vibes sent your way - let us know how you get on hon I'll be asking positive vibes for my next assignment - thought i had 2 x 5000 words but forgot about the extra bits :eek: well noty forgot but didn't really count so thats 6500 words and then 7500 words then although it'll take alot more than that and then whittling down

Well done on the result on the complaint :T I'm glad you're happy with how its resolved i agree sometimes its better to just get a reasonable result and then get your life back

Good luck with the sales too on bay of e - i've had one of those horrid messages from a buyer today - you know the kind thats covered in exclamation points and a horrible tone. All over a 99p item - that they bid on at the last moment and then waited 4 days to pay for. Nothing wrong with the item but they seem to think i should have dropped everything to rush out and post it the instant it was paid *rolley eyes smiley*

I imagine you're asleep now - am sure you'll be fab at the interview tomorrow

PositiveBalance

DedicatedDFW wrote: »

*fingers firmly crossed* and positive vibes sent your way - let us know how you get on hon I'll be asking positive vibes for my next assignment - thought i had 2 x 5000 words but forgot about the extra bits :eek: well noty forgot but didn't really count so thats 6500 words and then 7500 words then although it'll take alot more than that and then whittling down

Thanks Dedicated - the vibes evidently worked cos I got the job! :j
*Returns positive vibes for assignment*

DedicatedDFW wrote: »

Well done on the result on the complaint :T I'm glad you're happy with how its resolved i agree sometimes its better to just get a reasonable result and then get your life back

After the upheaval and nastiness of the past few months, I think that's the best option: I'm going to leave them ASAP, though, and wild horses wouldn't drive me back!

DedicatedDFW wrote: »

Good luck with the sales too on bay of e - i've had one of those horrid messages from a buyer today - you know the kind thats covered in exclamation points and a horrible tone. All over a 99p item - that they bid on at the last moment and then waited 4 days to pay for. Nothing wrong with the item but they seem to think i should have dropped everything to rush out and post it the instant it was paid *rolley eyes smiley*

I sold the large and relatively expensive item I was hoping to sell, so I'm delighted! :j I still have two active ones and one one didn't sell (one of the active items has 2 watchers, but it's a relist and it's had as many without a buyer, so we shall see. As for your 99p buyer, so long as you posted it withing the time delay you said you would, then I don't think they've got any reasons to complaint, so tell them to shurrup!

Other news: I bought three make up items for my job interview (I needed them, trust me!) and hae spent some money on food, but I've been a bit lax with the money thing lately, so I need to start focusing again now that all the horribleness with work is nearly over.

Also, my mobile fell out of my handbag and the screen smashed on it on Friday, so I've had to pay the £25 insurance excess to get a new one. (Well, it would have cost me more to get the screen repaired.) I'm getting to the end of my contract soon, so I need to start hunting deals.

Got to go...dinner's ready. Speak soon!