Over the Rainbow and Happy Ever After

Newyorkdreams

So sorry to hear your news castle, keep strong, I really hope something works out for you.

Take care

NYD x

clearmydebts

Hi Castle,

I just came across your diary now and wanted to say I am very sorry to hear of your loss.

I am also from and living in Ireland. We are hoping to pay off the debt this year and then save for a deposit to buy a house in 2014/15.

castlelough

Thanks NewYorkDreams and beanielou!
Waves and welcome to clearmydebt!

Well I haven't updated my diary in almost a month. I haven't seemed to be making a whole lot of progress!

I've had a good bit of unplanned expenditure. Firstly, I had to have the engine in my car replaced. That set me back by €600!!! Which had been destined for my credit card .

I could really do with replacing the car, but at this stage I have done so many repairs in the last year that I think it should hold out for a while more. I don't want to take out another loan before we get mortgage approval, as that will delay our mortgage approval even further. And...I would like to have a good lump of savings put together before I consider going car shopping. The new me doesn't rely on loans to buy things. The new me is going to hold out and SAVE at least part of the payment towards big purchases!

Then I lost the run of myself a bit.... I spent €100 on a gym membership. BUT in a way it is a little bit MSE, as I bought it from somebody else who transferred the membership to me at a reduced price. €100 is really good for 6 months membership (€399 for a year) and there is a lovely pool, as well as classes, and being part of a hotel it is a really nice place to go to. And I HAVE put on weight over the last two years, and I really need some encouragement to lose it. I am on school holidays now, so I'm hoping to put the membership to good use!

Then I decided to have my iPhone screen repaired. A friend of a friend did the repairs €65 for the front screen and €15 for the back. He also tightened a wire (€10) and the phone is in perfect condition now! So happy with it! €90 was a LOT for me to spend, but my expensive 24 month contract is going to be up in July, and as my phone was completely destroyed with cracks and as I don't think I can go without the luxury of my iPhone, I had been considering upgrading and signing up for another 24 months. So now, I won't do that. I will sign up for a cheaper deal, without a new phone, because mine is all shiny and new! This is going to save me about €25 per month - so in a year that would be €300, and more if I keep the phone for longer than a year. So, although I've splashed out on the repairs, in the long run I am going to save money!

I've gone home to my parents for a week's holidays. I did a good shop before I left and am hoping DH is going to cook for himself instead of eating out and wasting money on rubbish food. And if he doesn't, well, the freezer will be packed with potential when I get back and cut my grocery bill for the following fortnight!

I went in to see bank manager 1 during the week, and she has requested some paperwork from our engineer. She said if that comes through, we won't need to have any savings gathered before getting mortgage approval, as the paperwork will prove we have invested our savings in the house already. But I'm dubious about her. We have been arsing around in and out to her for almost 18 months!
The other bank manager, bank manager 2, is much more straight forward and honest, and is requiring the deposit on top of the paperwork.
We'll just have to wait and see....

In personal news, we are still waiting for all my blood testing to come back, but we did get the good news that our genetic and chromosomal testing has come back clear - so neither of us have genetic or chromosomal abnormalities that would prevent us from having a healthy pregnancy, thankfully. I hope some of the other tests can turn up some reason or other for my miscarriages.

Hope everyone is doing well and making babysteps towards their goals!
xxx
Castle

castlelough

Oh dear I had been feeling so happy and smug about my beautiful newly repaired iPhone.......... and now something else seems to be wrong with it . It is needing charging several times a day and losing battery super fast, and also overheating..... I should have just left well enough alone <sigh>.

Now I have to decide whether to have it repaired or whether to upgrade to the new phone. And it is as if the phone shop can sniff out my troubles - they texted yesterday to say my 'free' (but continue with my expensive phone plan) upgrade is waiting for me whenever I am ready to sign up for the new contract..........argh!

Have some visiting lined up today - am off to visit my cousin and meet her wee baby for the first time, and then it's on to see another friend's new baby. Both visits are in their homes, so there will be moneysaving on tea/cake etc, but of course you can't arrive empty-handed either.........!

Hope everyone is enjoying the fabulous weather!!!!!!!!!
xxx
Castle

castlelough

Happy ever after seems to be getting more and more elusive. My darling Dad passed away last Sunday, at the relatively young age of 64. A week ago, that seems like a month ago.

We are all so heartbroken, but it makes me more determined than ever to get my act together. Dad never got to come and stay with me in my new house, and I am determined that my mother will have that pleasure one day very soon.

I've chipped away a bit more at the debts this month, as well as setting aside some money towards appointments with the gynaecologist for the recurrent miscarriage investigations, and a few more tests that I am going to need to pay for. And I've the monthly bill for my horse to budget towards as well, so I need to be careful in the coming months with my petrol, grocery and miscellaneous spends - they are the ones that I find I can cut back on a little bit, when necessary....

beanielou

So sorry to hear yoour news.
Take care.

castlelough

Thanks Beanielou. It's tough going, to be honest.
I'm hoping that this year gets a bit better for me.
How are things with you? Do you have a diary? I think I looked before but couldn't find one!

beanielou

No I dont do anything remotely interesting so I have no diary.
It is very very tough.

Enchanted21

So sorry to hear about your Dad. Take care of yourself and Hubby Xx

castlelough

Thanks beanielou and enchanted!

Beanielou I'm not sure that my life is interesting enough for a diary....! However, it DOES help me along a bit.
Today has been a NSD so far.
Mammy and I went to the graveyard to see Dad, and then for a walk in a lovely local park.
Will be busy tomorrow - a few little jobs to do:

1. Collect death certificate for Mammy in town.
2. Leave in borrowed black dresses (for funeral) to be dry cleaned and drop into generous friend with gift and €15 for the lovely shoes she picked me up in Mr. T's. My friends were amazing throughout the whole difficult time.
3. Reduce my CC limit from €1100 to €1000. Then I am leaving it at that - have come such a long way from my €6k limit of last summer!!
4. Ring engineer to reschedule appt to get updated paperwork required by bank for mortgage application...
5. Make three phonecalls to different fertility specialists to make appts (each for different reasons!).
6. Make an appt to have day 21 blood tests done with my local doctor next week.
7. Pack for going home to DH (we live 3 hrs drive away) which I'm looking forward to. Poor DH went home to the farm, the cats and his job on Thursday.

That's quite enough to be getting on with!

All the fertility related appointments have been budgetted for, thankfully!