Half Way There

wannabee_in_credit

:jHello to everyone...

Happy shiny new diary to me. I thought that it was about time that I started a new one. The old one was almost 2 years old and so much has happened since then.

So, why the new diary?
1. Because I can.

2. I am officially half way through my DMP. It's taken me 3 years to get here, but should take me less than that to get out. Should be starting to see the light at the end of that tunnel sometime soon.

3. It's time for me to finally start looking after me a little after years of putting other people's needs ahead of my own. I've been off work with stress for the past 2 weeks, and will be off until September. It's given me time to take stock and think about what I want, where I want to go and how I'm going to get there.

4. It's a time of big change. My youngest child will be leaving nursery in a fortnight. Things are moving on.

I hope that some of my old lurkers and followers come over here to the new, hopefully more upbeat diary. And it would be lovely to see anyone on here who wants to join in the ups and downs of the wannabee_in_credit life.

:j:o:beer::mad::rotfl::eek::p:(:):cool: (<-- this is the ups and downs of my life)

wannabee_in_credit

So, a little background from me.

Entered a sole DMP with Stepchange in April 2010 but didn't have my true lbm until Nov 2011 when I found this site.
I started out with just over £25k of debt that was run up when I was a student living beyond my means, then when I was trying to help keep my family afloat when I was on maternity leave with my second child and my dh had a nervous breakdown.

Mostly happily married (we've been together almost 11 years and married almost 1), with 2 children dd aged 8 and ds aged 4. I work as a teacher, dh is a driver. At the moment I've been signed off work with stress. I've spent the past 5 or 6 years running the family whilst hubby has suffered terribly with depression and anxiety. He's on the up at the moment but I'm on a bit of a meltdown. I'm still functioning and still managing to be good wife, mother, daughter, sister etc etc, but work just all got a bit too much. Don't get me wrong - I love being a teacher, but this year has been particularly tough for one reason or another. I'm really hoping that this break will help me recharge and come back fighting.

Always battling with spending and eating. The two things in my life that have usually gotten the better of me. I'd be a lot happier with £12500 debt gone and 60lb weight gone for sure. :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

brizzledfw

Have subscribed x

pennywisepoundstupid

:wave: Cooo eeeeee, followed you over to your new diary.

You are doing the right thing taking more time off, you need to give yourself a break and hopefully come September you will be feeling brighter and more on top of things.

Wishing you a happy new diary.

OrangeFairy

Hi Wannabee

Happy new diary to mark your half way mark.

I really hope the 10 weeks off do you some good my lovely


OF x

wannabee_in_credit

Thanks all, for following me over here.

So, I've just paid my last ever nursery bill. It's only a 3 week bill as well - so £370 gone from my account and next month that's MINE to treat the kids over summer holidays.*

I'm amazed at how refreshed I feel today, knowing that I haven't got to worry about work for a few weeks yet. I really hope that this break gets me fully recharged and more like my old self.

Plans for today:
Have to do some shopping and collect my prescription as I have no tablets left.
See my friend and her son.
Pick up dd from her sleepover (15 miles away).
DH has taken the car to work, which means I've had to cancel the vet appointment. One of our cats has bitten through his tongue and we're waiting to see if he gets better or will need stitches. I've rebooked for Monday, as I'm not at work

*come September that extra will have to go to Stepchange towards DMP and to new kids club childcare before and after school.

wannabee_in_credit

Seriously... I had to wait nearly 20 mins in the pharmacy for my tablets. That was after the girl in there had to get help to take my money because she'd 'never served someone who paid for their prescription before'.

Spent £2.15 on milk and a couple of cheeky chav premix peach bellini drinks to have in the sun. They are 1 unit each can (I bought 2) - I'm trying to give up the alcohol so that I can get better but I have to confess to enjoying a couple of drinks in the sun. The rest of the shopping is coming tonight - online. I had a voucher for £12 off £60 which it seemed rude not to use.

I've cleared out and inventoried the freezer. It was so full that when my friend turned up with a box of ice lollies I couldn't get them into the freezer. I've written a list of everything that is in the freezer and stuck it on the freezer door, for it to be crossed off as and when people eat the stuff. We need to be saving cash by eating the stuff that we already have.

Don't need to pick dd up as her friend's parents are going to drop her off for me. And DH came home from work with £20 for me to put towards petrol - so I'm pleased about that. Spent less than I thought in all today.

Also, Marmalade cat is looking lots happier today. Think his tongue is on the mend as he spent a full 20 minutes cleaning himself under the trampoline this morning, which I've not seen him do for a few days.

brizzledfw

Cheeky drink sounds like just the ticket!

Pleased about your cat..surely wouldn't be grooming himself if his tongue was not improving?

Enjoy the sun :-)

wannabee_in_credit

Another hot one today. Kids are playing out in the garden and I am slobbing in front of the telly watching the tennis.
I've been out shopping this morning, mainly keeping a friend company but I did spend a little... coffee for the two of us (£5.25), new collars for the cats (£4), new scratchbox (£8) and some lip balm for me (£1.29). That's it. Change from £20 as well

Need to start making some plans for my time off work and getting better. Now I know I won't be back at work before September I can concentrate on getting everything else right and worry about work a bit further on down the line.

Trying to come up with a list of things that I can do with the kids during the holidays that isn't going to break the bank. Some nice walks, park visits etc.

brizzledfw

Hi WiC..how old are the kids? Happy to suggest some freebie or low cost stuff if you tell me ages..

Trying to think about making cookies..but also desperate to watch the tennis..hmmm. May have to be R5Live to my rescue!

Glad you are focussing on September..think it's the right thing. Going back now doesn't seem to have been the right thing from your posts so v pleased you have a supportive GP

wannabee_in_credit

The kids are almost 9 (dd) and almost 5 (ds). Any suggestions gratefully received as the little one needs constant entertainment and my budget just will not stretch that far. We sat down and wrote a list out last night of things they would like to do - not too many of them low cost. I've told them both that we can pay for some days out but we need to find lots of little things to do that we can do with a picnic etc.:D

I had planned a no spend day today, but had to take Marmalade to the vet to have his tongue checked. Thankfully it's healing really well and he's not going to need any stitches - unfortunately it cost me another £16 on top of the £43 I spent on him last week. It's a good job I love those cats.:eek:

As I've spent, I might as well refuel the car - the 60 miles a day school run is killing me. I have to confess that I was quite relieved the doctor told me I wasn't ready to go back to work (apart from that). I thought a fortnight would be enough for me to pull myself round but it hasn't been. Someone has told me that once I start feeling less guilty about not being at work then that would be me on the mend. Unfortunately I haven't gotten to that point yet, but long term the thought of no work until September is very refreshing. I hope I am raring to go by then...:o

Sun has finally shown it's face after a grey and drizzly morning as well.