woah... are those MY finances??

thriftylass

Sorry just stumbled across this looking for NSKd November challenge . Dont worry you'll be able to sign up till just before it starts. I always miss it being posted and never get the number i want, lol

stewby

No need to apologise thriftylass.


I wonder if we should tell NSK that she only has 1 hour and 23 minutes left??

thriftylass

Must have missed that she'll def gonna post tonight. But my eyelids start to close. So mighthave to sign up tomorrow.

stewby also while here started reading this diary and will def come back tomorrow to read more.

stewby

Yeah, must be the clocks changing cause I am beginning to feel quite sleepy as well.


You are more than welcome to read thriftylass. It is not very entertaining I'm afraid but anyone is welcome to read and add in their own comments, advice or thoughts.


We have invited mum and dad for "fake xmas dinner" which is just another way of saying roast turkey with all the trimmings. I have made a sponge cake for pudding which is a nice lilac-y colour (not intended, the packaging said it was violet).


The joys of our new found spend-free-ness is that we will have to decide what to make with our leftover turkey (if there is any as we use those large breast things that come ready buttered and in tins. Well worth it as I don't like touching raw meat).

stoplurking

Hi Stewby! Your diary is entertaining and it has been brilliant to catch up on your newfound DFW-ness! You are doing brilliantly so keep up the good work. You should be proud of your progress. I think I'm probably double your age and just got on this crazy wagon in the last 12 months, so hats off to you.

Don't worry- NSK's November challenge will be up in plenty of time for 1st November and I won't try to steal your number this month. Keep up the good work and I'll go back to lurking now. X

Fmess

Wow they look like very complicated bakes! I'm going to get to my 20 SFDs then buy the stuff to make jam tarts. They are a lot less impressive than your macarons though lol.

Looks like the challenge didn't go up last night anyway. Glad I didn't stay awake although I dud have dreams about missing signing up and having to go it alone next month

It's the first proper day if half term so need to be productive today as the weather is making me want to stay in bed all day. Got 4 vets appointments this morning and need to post an item sold on eB4y but they are all planned spends and the buyer paid the postage, so hopefully it'll be SFD number 19

I really need to up my income and could do with doing some private tutoring but this year almost all science exams have moved to the summer (instead if half in January, half in the summer). Don't think I'll get any utters for a few months yet Have also signed up for exam marking, so if I get that it'll hopefully help pay off a small chunk of my debt in the summer

Hope you all have a good day and weather clears up

stewby

So... fmess!! The November challenge is up!! Just in case you hadn't seen it. it's called just say NOvember in case you aren't sure. I struggled to find it but then you know how my brain is.


Bloody hell it's going to be a challenge!!
:eek:

Here's a breakdown of the challenge and what I plan to do:

* Aiming for 25 spend free days.
Wow... so that means only five shopping days. This actually won't be that difficult as I only need to get 20 spend free days. As you may have read, I am taking my mum, auntie and cousin to Paris in November and budgetted holidays are classed as spend free days.


* Money planning at the beginning of the month.
Erm... this one will be tricky as I am generally a "sort things out as the month progresses" sort of person so the idea of sticking to a plan right from the word goes is a bit scary. Petrol costs is one of the main things for me on here so petrol budget is £50.
:undecided

* Food budget.
Okay, we are going to be strict this month as I am away for five days, we have heaps in the freezer and have lots of meal options available... so... food budget is going to be £120. Fingers crossed it goes as good as I think it will.


* Food bank donation.
Easy peasy and I now have a list of the sort of things they like. So that is £3 (but taken from food budget).


* One outing this month.
I have no idea what the one outing will be but I will figure it out. We have disneyland this month so that will be a lot of outings (all budgetted for though). So will have to have a think.
:think:

* Lunch every working day.
Easy peasy and no point in taking money as they don't serve food (well, they do but I won't eat any of it). So that is the £5 envelope not required. (Will put it in my "holiday" pot).


* Stuff to charity.
This seems do-able. I have heaps of stuff that I never use so I am sure I can find 20 things to donate.


* Make £80.
I will probably cheat at this and work an extra shift as it is pretty much the only way I know to make that amount of money in a month.
:embarasse

* No coffee shops.
Woohoo!! One I can definitely achieve as I don't drink tea or coffee and don't have a coffee shop near me. (Closest one is about 14 miles away).


* Beauty buys.
Shouldn't need to buy anything this month as I bought some extras (that were cheap) last month. Budget is £10 though.


TOTAL BUDGET FOR NOVEMBER IS: £185. (can someone double-check my maths for me this month).

Will be back soon. Away for a bath just now (at my parents house. our bath tub is still "drying").

stewby

told you I would be back.


scubaangel: You will get a new job (remember you are awesome and you just need someone to recognise your skills). Have you still not heard anything from those other jobs you applied for?? It must have been a few weeks since your interviews??


thriftylass: If you do come back and have a read, CONGRATULATIONS on your baby girl news.
:j

fmess: I am very tempted to add you on to the challenge but I am too chicken until you have read it yourself. (as I said before, completely socially awkward and I am also scared of conflict/confrontation so I always try to not make waves).


Hiya stoplurking. Thank you very much for your kind words. This diary is a bit like my brain in that it is all jumbled up and doesn't make very much sense however, it is making me a bit more sociable and it is keeping me on the "straight and narrow".
:A

A bit worried about telling NSK but October isn't really a debt-busting month for me. I am using my extra money to put towards euros for my holiday. (did I mention that I was never prepared before). The spare £150 from this months £400 budget is also going towards euros as well. I feel awful as the money should be for paying off my debts but I hadn't saved any spending money (as my pay had been so low).
_pale_

On the plus side, my parents have given me a wee bit of spending money as well. They got their PPI thing back. It was quite shocking that they were still being charged PPI even though they had finished paying their mortgage almost 20 years ago!!
:eek:

Wow... another really long post. Sorry.

scubaangel

Nope heard nothing and had no further interviews. Which means I'm off down south to see my friends for a while next week - think I'll be there Monday - Friday so I don't over stay my welcome with the girl I'm staying with. Hopefully I'll catch up with the one of my former colleagues who I'm still in touch with while I'm there although not overly bothered about getting in to camp to visit my former work place again this time.

stewby

That completely sucks. I would have thought they would have gotten back to you even to say no thanks.


I know it sounds a bit cheeky, but have you ever thought about doing xmas work (not like santa claus but as a temp) in a supermarket or something??
I am thinking that it might be the best plan for OH as his finance company have started taking money off him and there seems to be no job on the horizon (heehee, plane joke). I wonder if they give you a store discount.
It might be worth a go, even if it just gives you a couple of months of extra work/income whilst you keep on searching for new jobs.

Sorry, I hope you are not offended by that suggestion as you have a lot of experience and qualifications.
:embarasse