6 grand in 6 months - my personal challenge!

cottage_retreatist

Hey hoks! Yes-I think he is grateful to spend some extra time with them-I think having him there is good for his parents too-they can get a bit snipey at each other because his dad gets agitated and lashes out so having him there takes some stress out of it for both parents,

The kitty is so cute!!!!! I will put up a pic if I can get one of him not on my lap!!!!!!!!!

I only have one payment left this month-council tax OH gets his final pay check on the 15th and then that's it!!!!!!! Scary stuff!!!!!! But I'm confident we'll be back on out feet-the goal-OH sorted by February-that's not too much to ask is it?!!

X

HOK3Y

No it's not - put the order out into the Universe loud and clear! I know I'll be reading some good news on here soooooon.

cottage_retreatist

Quick update-it was obviously meant to be because kitty likes my homemade bolognaise!!!!!

Hahahahaha!!!!! Need to set boundaries, need to set boundaries!!!!!! No-huuuuuuugs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ps-thanks hok3y-we cross posted!!!!!

HOK3Y

I posted this on my page but it also made me think of you so thought I would share! x

cottage_retreatist

Haha! Hoks! I love it!!!! I know the OH definitely gets a little peeved by my permanently positive attitude all the time :j :j

In fact-he was genuinely perturbed pre Christmas when I had a few down weeks-the first time I had ever felt that way is this what getting older is all about? He even commented I had never been so down in all the 8 years we'd been together but hey ho- 2014 is all about the positivity!!!

And to help that I woke up with the little guy curled up in a ball next to me on the bed this morning and he has just wandered in and straight onto my lap!!!! Which makes using the ipad a bit more tricky!!!!!!!!!!

Really want to do my yearly budget for 2014 but thinking there's no point til OH is back in employment otherwise I'll just have to redo it. So instead-we have some lovely long linen curtains my ma gave me years ago which I want to hang up but they're too thin to use on their own, so I have also got some basic white fabric I was going to make curtains in bedroom with and instead I thought I might try and line the linen one with this fabric so we can use them!!! So sewing machine this afternoon I think!!!!!!

This coming weeks test is getting back into the psychology of NOT SPENDING -cupboards are full, fridge and freezer are full-realistically we could not by ANY food except maybe eggs and fresh salad stuff for 5 weeks and still be eating well but will my brain be able to think -don't buy anything!!!!!!!!

I will need to find a way to treat myself for every no spending day!!!!! A free treat!!! Any suggestions are welcome



Ps-I signed up to clixsense but flash doesn't work on the ipad so will need to turn on hone big computer to get the money! At the moment it's off to save electricity!!!!! When OH comes home tomorrow he'll turn it on so I'll start using it then!!!!!!

HOK3Y

Yeah it's not good for the ads and other bits but what it is brilliant for (and I only discovered this yesterday but it pulled in a chunk of change!) is downloading the apps for the iPad and getting paid for it. Use the iPad and go to the offers tab, click on SupersonicAds and go download all the free apps. I snagged 5 for the iPad yesterday and they were all free but paid a chunk for each one. If you have an iphone, you can do the same with some that are purely meant for your phone. I have every intention of deleting them today! Should net you a few dollars today alone. Good luck!


Okay, ideas for treating yourself:


Bubble bath with tealites
Ask OH for a massage
Homemade facemask (http://www.rd.com/slideshows/homemade-facial-masks-recipes/)
Make yourself a new playlist on your MP3 player full of positive songs (gotta include 'No Worries by Simon Webbe!)


I am sure we can come up with more!


Kitty sounds heavenly. I even mentioned him to Mr HOK3Y last night with my big puppy dog eyes......just wait until we own a house! You are so lucky to have a cuddle monster too.

cottage_retreatist

Heya hoks!!!!

Thank you so much for all your suggestions!! :beer: I love the idea of a bath with candles-we got some of those Yankee testers that smell glorious when we went shopping a while back so might use one!!!!

I use my own face mask currently-we'll not really a face mask but when I need to give my face a bit of a scrub I use bicarbonate of soda rather than an expensive branded exfoliation and it is A-mah-zing!!!!! Just mix some with water to make a kinda paste and bobs your uncle!!!!!

Might keep the massage for tomorrow when OH returns but do keep ideas coming!!!!!;)

I got my fabric out and it's only long enough to line one curtain so might need some more super cheap fabric-over 1.50 a meter and it won't be worth the cost I think!!!!!!

Was sitting here with kitty on my lap and realised I have all the ingredients for making some freezer pizzas!!!!!!!!! :j:j:j. Only problem is freezer space-May need to go and take a look and do some Reorganisation!!!!!!!!!

If the little kitty ever gets off my lap that is!!!! Photo to come if I can remember my login details for the photo website!!!!!!

cottage_retreatist

Why hello everybody! :hello:

Apologies for being absent but with no debts to pay off there is very little updating to do Not to say that debts constitute my only thoughts!!!! Things have been slow going in retreatist hovel but I have managed 7 NSDs so far this month and we are going to keep pushing for as many as possible!

Blooming gas bill came yesterday - 180 quid?????????????? :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

well - we're holding off on paying it just this moment.

OH has bonded with little kitty at home and is turning into a right little house husband! I'm quite enjoying him doing the washing up for the last few days!! Not sure how long its going to last for so I'm going to enjoy the novelty while it lasts

He's spoken to some recruitment agents this week and will have a brand shiny new CV drafted ready to hand out on Monday and then all systems go-go-go for the jobs! And he agrees - any job is worth it to bring in the money while he's looking for that perfect permanent role (if such a one exists).

I'm really really impressed and pleased with how mature he has been about the whole thing. That may seem surprising to some with him being 36 this year! :eek: but the change 12 months has had on him is astonishing and I feel very good about him getting a job super super soon once Monday comes! And don't worry - there will be subtle pressure exerted this weekend if it hasn't been polished by the time I get home

Really happy with how our non-shopping is coming along and we have been taking full advantage of the pantry even making home-made pizzas from scratch the other night (even made our own tomato sauce) - they were very nice!! :cool:

So - this month's continuing aim is to keep up this momentum with the non-spending and pantry-eating!!!

wish me luck!
C-R x

debtfreewannabe321

Good luck to the OH on the job hunting I hope something comes up for him and quick

And keep it up with the NSD's and the pantry eating You can do it!

cottage_retreatist

thank you DFW321!:grouphug:

We worked on his CV a long time yesterday and got it into a good state - it looks very professional as well!! So he's sending it to some recruitment agents he's worked with in the past and fingers crossed we get some news about interviews etc this week!! Hope I'm not jinxing us by saying that :eek:

Well, little kitty chased something the other day in the kitchen! Hoping it was a mouse! Yay! He's got the moves! In fact he's got the moves so much I had to lightly grab his tail to stop him diving down the hole that leads behind the kitchen cabinets!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :eek::eek: We've blocked the hole up now so he can't get through!!!!!!! but he sits and sniffs the front of the cupboards so I'm sure he can smell them behind there!!! SUCCESS!!

Took the OH to the market on Saturday and we topped up the grub and got a big chicken for a roast dinner last night and then....someone robbed our RUBBISH!!! :shocked: Was sitting by the window and heard a noise downstairs and someone had gone through a box we had chucked out which was full of broken crockery and they took it!!!! Well - OK - but they tossed all the other stuff that was in the box all over the street :mad::mad:

*sigh* only in London!!!!!

Hope everyone is good this morning? Monday! Eugh! But no matter I've got my giant :coffee: next to me :D

x