Dear Diary...

HeadAboveWater

Hello

Jealousy isn't always a bad thing. Within reason. Depends on the extent. But in your case, it's maybe given you the required kick up the bu....! motivation you need to reach for your dreams

Glad you're getting through your to-do list - slowly but surely! Nice to see the list getting smaller at least!

Cars eat money. Big time. That was the reason I got into debt in the first place (although it wasn't so much the car, more so the after effects of the write-off )

Many years later, I've now my 'head above water' (;)), I'm debt free, and just last week handed OH a bundle of money to pay for half of his car so it's now 'our' car (I already pay half the insurance/tax/fuel anyway). But it's my dream car (A3) and I can now say I own (half of) one :D:D It's a great feeling!!

£5k is a big budget for a car and you should be able to get something decent and reliable for that no bother

Your lunch sounds yum I always feel great after eating something like that for lunch instead of heaps of carbs.

Bad_Weather

HeadAboveWater wrote: »

Many years later, I've now my 'head above water' (;)), I'm debt free, and just last week handed OH a bundle of money to pay for half of his car so it's now 'our' car (I already pay half the insurance/tax/fuel anyway). But it's my dream car (A3) and I can now say I own (half of) one :D:D It's a great feeling!!

Ohhh to dream! Well done you! That is how it should be, work hard and save and they are a treat!

I am not much of a car person but my dream car is a big jeep kind of car. I really like the Nissan Jukes, the Skoda Yetis and the Nissan Qashqai!!! They are my kind of "dream" cars. They are all 2 or 3 times my current max budget though (second hand!!!) so they are likely out.

Found a Hyundai Tucson that I really like and gets good reviews! Would need to investigate it further but think Its more reasonably priced than the others! OH likes to check fuel and all these things. Realistically we are planning on going abroad so really I am looking for a car I plan to buy in 3 years time. Which might seem mental but would probably take me that amount of time to save! :rotfl:

Anyway enough daydreaming!

Crazy weekend over. Now...Frankie says RELAX!

Got all presents and cards sorted. They were wrapped beautifully as I am now trying to use up all my fancy wrapping paper and ribbon etc as we are going to be going away so no point in collecting/keeping it!

My sister moved jobs, not a new job, she moved. But she's getting a card anyway as what am I going to do with them? Plus its nice to be nice.

TO DO list is getting there...

[STRIKE]Buy Baby Present[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]Register for Common Wealth Games tickets[/STRIKE]
Find HOF Gift Card to use to buy wedding jewellery
[STRIKE]Take thing back to Debenhams [/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]Register for Icloud on computer/iphone[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]Make Dr Appointment[/STRIKE][STRIKE]
Buy wedding card x 2[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]Send other baby card[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]Finish 2 xwedding presents[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE] Send friend anniversary card[/STRIKE]
Buy OH birthday present
Start thinking about holiday (so I am not running aournd like a headless chicken at the time)
Start making wedding lists (for sanity/sleep reasons)
Order ribbon/rope for wedding invites/orders of service
Buy my sixpence
Order wedding belt
Sister Birthday present
Finish wedding glasses (I want these finished by end of September!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Key things are highlighted above. Hopefully get them done in next couple of days! Would like to actually knock one or two of these off tonight!

Bad_Weather

Hello - things have not calmed down so still sneaking about in work. Had Dr and physio appointments most of this week for my stupid leg that is still very sore. Grrrrr.

Very nearly signed up for these cosmetic boxes you get each month. There is this Green Box from this company called Souk Souk! They are organic and cruelty free...which is where I am going with my cosmetics these days! Discovered this on the Juicy-Satsuma blog.

Anyway - I decided at the last minute that I need to work through all the rubbish I have before I sign up for anything like that...and you guessed it...I am planning on going abroad so would like to have my bare minimal toiletries and not a massive box of stuff!!! This has become good motivation to stop spending.

It is raining in Scotland today. Boooo So what else?

Going to re-gift a purse that I got free with boots as a present. Now this I feel really bad about this as - I got it as a Freebie with a pair of boots (expensive boots). But I want to start clearing out stuff and this purse is still wrapped up and brand spanking new. It's to one of my good friends, who gives good gifts, but basically I am planning on stopping all presents when I go away next year anyway! And I really really like this purse so I am giving her something I really really like and not just to get rid of! That is my justification and I am sticking to it.

I would give it to one of my sisters but they all have Mulberry and Prada purses etc...because I buy their coffees and lunches for them you see... :mad:

One of my sisters is also looking at a new house, 200k and they have the deposit saved up (they have more than 10% saved up but not telling me exactly how much) and are going to rent out their old house to which they are looking at 150-200 profit each month. Can you spell M.U.G.

Ohh dear ohh dear - I still clearly get bitter at these things. But use them to remind myself to A) Stop buying them their coffees and If I was more savvy with my money these are what I could have.

The house is gorgeous, It's like my dream house. I think that is why I am bitter. It is what I hope to one day own.

Also I always thought OH and I were doing alright renting, just done a quick mortgage calculation based on a 200k house, with 10% deposit @ 6% over 25 years and the repayment is 100 less than our rent each month - Is that correct?!?!

I actually feel a bit sick. If we are renting we should be renting at a price cheaper than a mortgage! I absolutely adore our house and after we had a rough time living near the family etc I would not change it right now, but we can't really continue like that can we? Mind you I also think unless you make a profit on your property - what is the point? It is almost the same as renting except more costly..... hmmm.

HeadAboveWater

Renting is a ?@"$%&*^%$£%^*(!!!!! unfortunately
My 2 eldest sisters both bought houses 10+ years ago, so they were a lot cheaper then. When I lived in Belfast I was renting a room. Not a house. A room. The rent for my room was more than they paid each month for their mortgages!!! :eek:
It does make you mad, yeah. But there's pros and cons to each....
Rent: Something fails/breaks - you get LL to sort and you're not out the expense. No big rates bills. No having to save for a huge deposit. But 'empty' money. After 2, 5, 10, 20 years of renting you have to walk away with little or nowt to show for the money you've paid out. And more often than not, it's dearer than a mortgage.
Buy: it's your own and you can do whatever you want with it. You've got to save up for a deposit. You've big bills. If you lose your job you're (probably!) screwed. You've got to fix everything yourself. But it is yours. 10 years down the line, fancy a change, sell, then get your dream house or whatever.

Well done on resisting the beauty boxes! You really don't have any need. Use the stuff you've got and take minimum abroad!

Re-gifting is a great idea. The fact you love it yourself means you're not just giving her your junk!!

PS. Hope you've stopped with the coffee buying for your sisters

Bad_Weather

Ohh HAW - how you make me feel better! Its is sickening though that they have houses that cost less than our rooms/houses! :eek:

There is total Cons - OH sold his house a few years back for a loss! He would have been better off renting. Also we had so much hassle with our old house (things breaking etc) that I like that if something goes wrong I just phone up the landlord - and he's a very good landlord!

In light of this discovery I've had a chat with OH. Saying I need a plan. What we are going to TRY and do is after the wedding keep saving they way we have been. With the view that said savigns will cover us for abroad and then hopefully cover a deposit on a house in 5 years time. :money:

Yes it was close but I reined it back in. My gosh I have soooo much make up and toiletries that it is crazy that i even considered buying more. Literally the only things i'll need for about a year are shampoo and hairspray! No make-up except for possibly an eyeliner. I might never need any eyeshadows ever again. I know this - but sometimes I nearly slip and buy stuff.

I have a very good leather ollie and nic purse that i purchased for myself last year and it is still going strong! I also have a couple of other gorgeous purses so the last thing I need is this one. I'll get her a wee something else to go with it so I do not feel so bad (and so it looks better). Thinking a scarf or a wee pair of earrings. Total spend £5 instead of the usual £20/£30. And it will be a good present.

Got another wee dress that I purchased in a sale and I am going to give to sister in law for her christmas. Its very very vintage style and my sister in law is very retro/vintage so I actually think she would like the dress more than I ever would.

Think I will actually wrap these tonight so they are SORTED!!! Last year I was miserable when I had to sit and wrap all the present so this year I am going to try and do it as I go along! Make it as painless as possible. Actually saw something for OH mum so might just start buying that aswell. If she does not get for Christmas she could always get for Birthday next year! x

HeadAboveWater

Glad to be of assistance!

Liking your plan of action ref saving/abroad etc, and the no buying makeup bit

Have a good Friday!

Bad_Weather

Well.

There has been a bit of drama with the money my mum and aunty lent me.

So I had put it into an postal ISA and now they want it back. They are taking £5,00 and the rest I am to put it into a normal account they can access straight away.

I've already moved my ISA this year, so am now going to have to withdraw £11,000 and put it into another account. (that is how much in total I borrowed that was not paid back immediately).
[SIZE=+0]
They only want £5,000 just now, and I have to keep the remaining £6,000 in the account. I'm not sure how it has worked so that is probably my aunty's share and my mum is having me keep the remaining £6,000 in my account.

Part of me is glad, as for some reason I was always worrying that it was locked away in the ISA with the wedding funds. Also worrying that I will now have lost that allowance for the year (even though its not my money it felt like it was). But at least now it is there and readily assessable and I can just stop worrying about it.

Anyway. I was still spending etc but have came to my senses. Bought a nice wool coat and 2 pairs of boots for winter and I am now done. I realised that if I did not sort myself out I was going to end up back where I had started. Almost 2 years ago was when I had my lightbulb that stayed on. On the plus side the stuff I have purchased is all really good quality and has been worn straight away. And was needed. Before I used to buy myself something and then never wear it, for example the 4 jackets I am going to give to a charity shop (in exchange for my new coat ) 2 of them STILL have the tags on them, I bought them years ago, in the height of my spending addiction! I still cannot believe how bad I was a times. I have 2 jackets the same - but different colours, neither worn?! How absurd is that!!!

Purchased some Black and Navy dye to dye some clothes aswell and have them looking better! That should give them a new lease of life! This weekends To-Do-List!

And in a bid to rid myself of these toiletries I am putting my good makeup "away" for moving abroad and going to ONLY use the other make up. For all events, work, nights out, weddings (not my own) but anynight. Just now I am using it for work but the good stuff for everything else. Not anymore...I have 2 cheaper eyeshadow palettes, and a small Urban Decay one that Are being used up. Will be interesting to see how much I get through by Christmas!

My iphone has nearly died on me ...its a bit crazy at minute. The solution? My dad is giving me his old Blackberry from work. Its old, but it will do. Internet and a phone is all I need!

When I want to spend I keep looking at my sisters new house and all the new stuff she has been buying for it, that makes me want to get my act sorted! #StillJealous...

Nice quiet weekend ahead...going to go and watch the Glasgow marathon thing that are on and see if I know anyone! [/SIZE]

Bad_Weather

Had a HUGE clear out tonight!

Lots of good quality stuff. checked ebay and nothing would really get anything worthwhile for what they would actually sell for.

My sisters are going to have a rummage! Some good stuff - 2 bin bags full. Mostly bags and jackets, some stuff almost brand new! But I have not/will not/do not wear it so its GONE!!!

Feel better already

Bad_Weather

Had a HUGE clear out tonight!

Lots of good quality stuff. Checked ebay and nothing would really get anything worthwhile for what they would actually sell for.

My sisters are going to have a rummage! Some good stuff - 2 bin bags full. Mostly bags and jackets, some stuff almost brand new! But I have not/will not/do not wear it so its GONE!!!

Feel better already

Bad_Weather

You know you still have a spending problem when you buy matching black leather purse and coin purse.

Only to realise, during your clear out, that you bought a very expensive (and gorgeous) COACH coin purse a year ago on holiday in America and totally forgot about it.

Ohh dear. On the plus side I then cleared out all crappy wee purses I had and now only have a lovely classic plain black leather one, a Radley one and a Coach one. That is a good collection to have.