I'm going to buy a ski lodge.......

brizzledfw

Fingers crossed for rent...

You sounds calm and in control...well done. This month is deadly. Amazing how the money can just slip away...I am planning to not buy anything else that is not on my list!

Take care and have a good week

daisystar

brizzledfw wrote: »

Fingers crossed for rent...

You sounds calm and in control...well done. This month is deadly. Amazing how the money can just slip away...I am planning to not buy anything else that is not on my list!

Take care and have a good week

Thanks Brizzle - I'm actually feeling so far from calm and in control that your comment made me giggle *slightly hysterically*


December is indeed deadly in general, but this month - aaaaaaaaaaaaargh!!!!! The heating has just died a death!!!! It was making some VERY dubious noises yesterday and tonight we appear to have no heating and no hot water. So it'll be a lovely call out to the local friendly gas company. The last two times they've been out (every time at Xmas/New Year - we should have blimmin well known) they've managed to fix things cheaply, so fingers crossed they can do so again and its not a case of needing a new boiler :-(


At least I'm at home to be able to sort it, which helps. I shall browse the diaries later as I think I'm going to go and do some calming Xmas wrapping while watching trashy TV to take my mind off it for now.


Hope everyones Monday's are more MSE than mine :-)

brizzledfw

Eek to heating problems and the absence of hot water! Not good at all.

Hope your wrapping marathon goes well...I haven't started yet

DCFC79

Like the thread and like the idea of the ski lodge, sounds like a really good way to motivate yourself. I wish you luck on your journey.

Pippilongstocking

Eeek to heating, hope the wrapping calmed things :-)

I'm sitting in departures for my first flight doon sooth - whilst we don't go in the cheap and cheerful package until saturday at silly early o clock - where I live means taking a few days each side to travel to airports in civilisation. And at this time of year - we always factor in extra time. So I'm delayed currently but not stressed. Suitcase is jammed with sachets, lip balm and thermal undies boots and welly boots, I'm wearing alot of other thngs! Not sure how the cae closed but it's done.

Meet mr me after work in central Scotland the start the journey down towards Manchester.......And our seven day break turns into over two weeks away for me.

Once we get going I'll be excited :-)

Sorry I'm prattling!

Xx

daisystar

Hi everyone, thanks for the replies!!


Slightly more settled today, rent is in - big phew - and the heating is fixed. It'll cost us £200 so not ideal AT ALL but it could have been so much worse, I was worried this was the big blow out and it would be new boiler time, so its much better than that :-)


I shall have to reassess some finances in view of this but no hurry as they tend to invoice after a week with 2 weeks to pay so not a job for tonight.


Brizzle - the wrapping did help, I love it!! Get to it, it'll be Christmas Eve before you know it ;-)


DCFC79 - thanks for the post! It is definitely motivating, I keep it in my mind for some extra strength when I'm trying to be reeeaaaalllly frugal. It WILL happen, I will make sure it does and paying off this debt is the first (giant) step :-)


Pippilongstocking - have an AMAZING holiday!!! Hope you're not too delayed, and that you manage to enjoy the extra bits on either side of your holiday, sounds like heaven to me!!


Happy evenings everyone, Friday tomorrow!!

daisystar

What a weekend!! I haven't had one as busy as this for a little while. Here goes:


Positives:

• Saw old school friends for a lovely catch up at my house yesterday complete with husbands and babies which was just gorgeous :-)
• Saw old friends last night for a meal and drinks out - literally my first night out in AGES as I've not been up for it since I've been pregnant (which has helped me in my attempts to be MSE) :-)
• My oldest friend stayed over last night, she lives overseas so it was so so lovely to catch up, although far too brief as we both had things to do today
• Visited my family today to swap Christmas presents as we won't see them this Christmas day - it was a brilliant, relaxed day with lovely food and DS had so much fun :-)

Not so positives:

• Had a really uncomfortable moment when sorting out the bill at the meal. It was the age old 'Lets just split the bill', 'No, some people had alcohol so should pay less', 'Oh we're not in school anymore lets just split it', 'Well I had a starter so I should pay more' agony........ Normally I'm easy and happy to split but having not drunk anything, eaten no starter and drunk no coffee I was inclined to go with paying less........ it could not have been more uncomfortable :-(
• DH has miscalculated fuel outgoings this month and is a little short, so I've had to dip into my overdraft for 48 hours. This is one debt we had managed to pay off and not touch so although its not a major panic its not ideal :-(

Overall though, its been a fabulous weekend and I am shattered but happy. The next job for tonight is to decide on pudding for Christmas Day (in addition to MIL's trifle, obvy ;-) and then sleeeeep!!!

daisystar

Quick update today as DH is about to get back with the big Christmas/New Year shop - eek!! It'll be a mission to put it all away with our very small fridge.


I'm back on the spending diary wagon already, despite saying I would give myself December off and take it day by day. I already feel better and more in control.


Right, chocolate calls, I'm going to need my strength to put all this shopping away!!

brizzledfw

Happy Christmas daisystar...hope you're having a good one and relaxing a bit.

Off to the snow soon..not that there is much but we will have fun regardless..and I will see if I can spot any MSE chalets you can snaffle up in due course

daisy_1571

Hi Daisystar :santa2:

hope you had a great xmas. Have caught up with your diary and looking forward to your journey.

One thing i always recommend to people is set up an account for your "household" stuff and set a weekly standing order into that - you have to be careful you have enough money wherever its coming from as there are sometimes 5 x days (my day is a wednesday) in the month but now i rarely bother about payday as the wages come in and the standing orders go out without much interference from me and i only car about the next wednesday. I hear you about the rent however rental flats are meant to make you money if poss (although breaking even is better than nothing of course) is there any way you can raise the rent even a fiver a payment is another 130 a year. I couldnt face upping our rent from nov (a year after tenant moved in) as it was so close to xmas and i would have felt mean mean mean however i have done it from Feb.

anyway, thats just a wee tip if it helps at all you are more than welcome.

New year, new beginnings, new habits (but keep the good ones that have been working for you!) happy new year everyone

Daisy