tightening my belt and battening down the hatches

Nelly11

Todays list of things to do

• Bank the £20 made yesterday on clothing alterations:)
• Lunch from stores and freezer:)
• Take £5 off my son and his friend for petrol money for taking them to a gig ( this will be the first time I have ever done this):)
• Make another cushion to sell
• Look at budget again tonight, work out where £20 is going and also mark off the bills paid today.:)
• Look at increasing my Ebay sales limit

Nelly11

After a weekend of frantic sewing for people I made £51 to go off my bills, Im just waiting for the collection of the items tonight then I'll update my signature.
Ive written to boots to cancel my contact lenses and I want a refund as i have been paying since March and still havent had a lense, need to cancel the direct debit today.
Going to look on Martins insurance page to get a better term on my life insurance as I am now only needing to pay off 19 years rather than 24.
No food bought now for 4 days, been living out of stores, will have to get milk and loo roll though later.
It's been a hectic weekend and I woke this morning with the headache of headaches which is just clearing so have been off work ill. I do feel betterish now so will try to catch up on my typing this afternoon, need to collect a perscription first.

Nelly11

Horray!:jHorray!:j
I've finally got off the blocks repaying the arrears on my mortgagae, I had a refund of £39 last night from Boots as I had ordered contact lenses from them in March and was still waiting, I've now cancelled the agreement so another refund of £49 is due off it too. I sold some face cream on E*ay last night too, only £6.70 but it all helps! One more listing ending today.
Managed to source some free insulation for my loft and plans for a garden room, it boarding and there is enough to finish both rooms! My lovely friend is collecting it today for me then storing it until I need it, BEST FRIEND EVER!
Money saving things today are

• Collect Freecy*cle laminate flooring
• Change mortgage details using deed poll
• Post face cream
• Pea and ham soup from freezer for lunch
• Wiatrose reduced to 80p chicken out of freezer for a curry tonight.
• Use £30 from sewing repairs to put petrol in the car, use nectar points garage.
• Use up the rest of the scrapnel i found around the house to pay for postage of face cream.
• Trawl through Freecy*cle for more bits to complete loft.

I figure if the people on amazing spaces can build things for free and Kirsty can fill a house for free then why cant I?

XXX Toodles XXX

Nelly11

another £5.31 paid off the mortgage arrears today, its coming down slowley, I update a running total daily and this moths aim was to pay £400 off it, now im into the £200's which feels fantastic!
Home made pea mint and ham soup from the freezer, Ive just warmed it up while I take a break from work, it tastes better than I remember, quite lush!
I finally got around to changing my name from my married name to my maiden name on the mortgage yesterday, its only taken me 3 years, now I guess i need to start saving for the divorce, I promised myself that I would get it done before Xmas so I can start the New Year without the worry.
My relationship broke down a few weeks ago, it was a long distance one and it began to be a burden, he had alot of disposable income and expected me to keep up, I just couldnt and it causes friction, I feel relieved now that the pressure is off. When someone tells you they have booked a romantic weekend away and your buying the evening meal without checking that you have the funds to do it the weekend becomes stressful instead of romantic. I dont want big gestures, a bag of chips and a DVD would do for me.
Any way on that slightly depressing note im heading back to work

Nelly11

Risotto today made from store cupboard and on the turn veggies and a chorizo sausage I bought back from spain, it smells delicious.

I_want_a_baby

Just wanted to say I have really enjoyed reading your diary, you are doing amazingly and are such an inspiration :-)

Nelly11

I'm feeling jubilant! Ive managed to clear all the arrears on my mortgage, its a massive relief, now I need to come up with a plan to clear the Black Horse debt, that is the next biggest interest monthly at £55 just for the interest alone, the minimum payments are £238.00 per month so if I pay £300 per moth I shaould clear it in 8 months, but im going to challenge myself to try to get it cleared in 6 months, no pressure says she as she heads towards ebay

Nelly11

5 things have sold today on ebay, but the money isnt clearing on my paypal account

Nelly11

Im feeling like its one step forward several steps back at the moment, a sense of panic descended over me last night, but now I'm thinking, you know what youve been here before and have turned it around, its time to start making sensible plans and decisions around my budgeting again. I seem to follow a cycle where after a while I get complacent and then get freaked out when things go a little off kilter. So today I am in bed at home with a sore throat and a bad tum and thinking, this could just be the space I need to sort things out, so heres my list of things I need to achieve today

• Write to Blackhorse setting out a payment shedule
• contact council re council tax bill to get a final figure on what still needs to be paid Ok so the person who is jointly liable hasnt paid a penny in the last 5 months, Im going to have to continue to pay or risk court, there is no way the council can enforce he pays as the bill stems from my property, what a mess, jointly liable should mean jointly liable, I have kept all the reciepts of my payments. I will try texting him but wont hold my breath.:mad:
• contact british gas and set up a payment shedule So my account is locked which means they cant look at my bill to adjust it on the meter readings, so im having a payment card sent out and then when my adjusted bill comes through I can sort out a payment plan. Nearly there:)
• contact EDF and set up a payment shedule
• Look at budget set out for next month and how to refine it
• contact Paypal to find out why payments are taking 3 days to clear rather than the two hours they previously took
• No food shopping this weekend, live from stores with the exception of milk.
• work out the scary figures for what happens next year when son3 leaves fulltime education and we are living on a single salary while he finishes his course, see if he is eligable for student finance.
• Contact Orange and look at renewing contract or going to Pay As You Go YEY!!! Sim only contract for £8.99 per month available from 21st September, hmmm but what is a SIM only contract, what do I get for £8.99?? needs further investigation. Still going to do a little whoop though:T
• Watch some DVDs in bed, I am ill after all!:)

Nelly11

Well I've been away from here for an age, things have changed alot. My house is now up for sale after deciding that there is no way I can afford to pay the mortgage and pay off my debts so the plan is to clear the debts with the equity and in 6 months after renting to plough the rest of the equity into a smaller mortgaga or maybe just continue renting.
My salary has increased but all maintenance payments etc have now stopped due to youngest child now having left full time education.
I do need to start posting on here again though as it focuses my mind.
So tomorrow I will do a full statement of affairs