~*~OrangeFairy will be debt free in 2014...with a bit of hard work~*~

OrangeFairy

Happy New Year MSE land

I have been trying to get the chance to get on here since NYE but it has been hectic!

WanttobeSE- hello to another South Westerner! We live in Braunton but I work in Barnstaple were you hit with flooding at all this morning? There were a few bad areas here

Welcome Squirrelly- lovely to 'see' new faces

Bella- lovely to hear from you. I hope your little lady is doing well?

Wendz- long time no 'see'. I hope you have been keeping okay? How old is your little girl now?

M2G - happy new year to you too. I hope you are still enjoying your new job and have enjoyed time off with your girls.

Mrs S- hellloooo...you should definitely do a SOA- it is scary but eye opening!

NYE-
This was payday so we went for a Mr T shop armed with vouchers. Our £79 spend was brought down to £68 and we got loads of bargains on Thai fish cakes, sausages, loaded potato skins, hunters chicken meal, spaghetti carbonara meal, breaded fish platter and pizzas. All were reduced really low so really were bargains. I had meal planned to the 21st Jan so this will take me right in to Feb

Then we went to SILs to stay for the night. Played board games, had a party type tea and pulled poppers at NE which was really nice and cheap. MSE type of NY!

NY Day
We always have a walk on NYs day however the kids were not to impressed to begin with as it was raining! I had comments such as 'there is absolutely no way you are getting me walking in this' from my youngest. However we got them out in the end, the rain cleared some of the time and we had a lovely walk around a reservoir

Then home and we (hubby) cooked a roast for the same SIL and BIL and his parents. Pork and chicken- it was good.

Jan 2nd

After only a 3 hour sleep due to worrying about the overwhelming amount of work I would need to so I was a bit of a zombie! It was only me back at work so I was cold, lonely and miserable with the pure mountain of stuff I had to do. It was MSE as I didn't spend anything and when I got extra cold and hungry at 3pm I had another porridge rather than going out and buying rubbish to eat. So MSE and it warmed me up.

In the evening we had a game of skittles which cost £1.20 and someone bought my drink so saved me a few pennies. We won the match which was a great start to the year.

Then I came home and had a blooming good night sleep!

That brings me to......

Today-
Another day alone at work but I am prepared with a thick jumper, some treats and a smile on my face as I finish at 1pm

I have had a packed lunch and the only spend today should be a card for my Aunts 50th birthday on Sunday. I have euros to put in her card for her holiday. We are off for a meal on Sunday to celebrate. So a costly weekend.

We have £15 cinema vouchers to use so we may go and watch a film as a treat for the girls over the weekend.

Tonight we plan to have some sweets and have a games night in our PJs which will be nice.

Diet starts on Monday and I am actually looking forward to it!!

Well done if you've read this far!

OF x

wendz86

Sounds like you had a lovely new year and an mse one too!

Great work on the telco shop, love it when you can have offers and vouchers .

Enjoy your weekend. Mine is a costly one too. Driving down to Southampton and out fir lunch for a friends birthday .

My little girl is 3 in April , seems to be growing up so quick !

WantToBeSE

OrangeFairy wrote: »

WanttobeSE- hello to another South Westerner! We live in Braunton but I work in Barnstaple were you hit with flooding at all this morning? There were a few bad areas here
OF x

Yes the flooding has been pretty terrible here! My friend is supposed to be driving down to see me from Fremington (where he lives) tomorrow, but we'll see how the weather is!

OrangeFairy

Wendz - I can't believe she is 3 already. They do grow up too fast!

WTBSE - The thunder is pretty loud here...I got home at 2pm and got in my PJ's....and I don't even care!

Haven't done much since I have been home.

Checked out Musicm@gpie to get rid of some bits again. It's hard to decide what it best to eb@y with the hassle and what to get rid of at a low price but nice and easily. My colleagues went to a trade show recently and brought back a couple of baby rocknroll lullaby CDs for me that they were giving away free! Checked online and MM will give me a fiver for the two! Not bad.

I also lodged claims for untracked cashback for the Book People (£1.86) and Photobox (£8.50).

I just need to email BHS about a dress I am very unhappy with and a shop to see if I can get a tortoise bulb replaced under warranty. I have bought a new one in the meantime as I didn't want him to be without heat. But it would be good to get the the other one replaced as a spare!

Off to check money situation................

OF x

OrangeFairy

Right the money situation.....

Bank £488.50
Child Benefit + £269.60
Cash £11

Total money left currenty = £769.10

Budgeted money still to come out

£9 Contents Insurance
£25 O2
£34 School dinners (need to book these online)
£131.30 left of food budget
= £199.30

So total money left this month 'free' - £569.80

Things I will need to pay for that aren't in the budget......

Hubbys birthday present
2 meals out to celebrate birthdays (Hubby will probably pay for one)
Subs for Cubs for DD2
Subs and yearly membership for guides for DD1
I will need to pay my share of our London trip with my Nan if I decide to go.
Pay for Ferry and Travelodge for already booked holiday (again hubby may pay one)
SIL and BIL have invited us (not DDs) to spend a night at centerparcs as they have an extra room. We don't have to pay to stay but it is still fuel and then money we will spend.

So it might be looking like I'll only have about £100 left even though I feel in a good position now! :eek:

Positive points are the fact at the end of it I may have a london trip booked, hubbys birthday done, a lovely couple of meals out, part of our holiday sorted and I have already spent £50 on bits for DD1's birthday next month.

Right my head is spinning with figures...off to do some decluttering!

OF x

OrangeFairy

morning all,

I had a lovely lie in this morning.

This afternoon is about a bit of de-cluttering. I have typed up a list of de-clutter areas. They are 58 of them I think....these range from the bathroom cabinet to the garage. Then I have 4 columns to log the date de-cluttered and then the dates revisited. These areas have to e cleaned, tidied and sorted each time. I did a few the other day and I am challenging myself to completing a minimum of 5 this weekend. I will start in the kitchen.

Today I also need to do housework and I want to fix two of DD2s tops that have been sitting by my bed forever...if I don't fix them soon they will be too small for her anyway!

Also need to type a letter to send to see if hubby can reclaim some tax from washing his own uniform for work. He only wears. Polo shirt with works logo but apparently it still counts.

£2.10 saved last night..... DD1 had £2.10 left on her school dinner account as I forgot she didn't have xmas dinner. So I only needed to buy 7 meals for her for January and not 8! Only a little thing but it made me smile!

OF x

Squirrelly

Hi OF,
I have been reading and following with interest, especially the decluttering....you sound VERY organised! (I think I may even be a little scared ) That list sounds very efficient.

My youngest starts nursery three mornings a week from Monday and organising the house is also on my list, I think once you are feeling more controlled you want that everywhere in your life.

You seem to have a really good balance between sorting the finances and having a social life/nice things to look forward to. I am not there yet but reading your diary made me feel happy that it will happen.

Keep going x

OrangeFairy

Hi Squirrelly - I am at my happiest when I am organised.... Even though I can get a bit obsessive about it!

De-cluttering went well. I de-cluttered and cleaned 6 cupboards and 3 drawers in the kitchen and my handbag So 10 areas means I passed my 5 minimum goal

This morning FIL came round and put up our new lights in the lounge and dining room. We have been here 3 years and the lounge has always been just a hanging bulb with the intention of changing it to a light fitting in an antique brass colour to go with our curtain poles. We finally asked for them for Xmas from the in laws and they are now up!! They look great. I have spent the morning painting our new internal kitchen door and finally got round to glossing the lounge door frame. Trouble is now I want to redo all the woodwork throughout the house. We got given some second hand but barely used doors from a family member so we replaced all our rubbish ones. We just need to paint them all now! 2 done, now the bathroom and 3 bedroom door to do!

We are off for a meal out tonight for my Aunts 50th. Hoping it won't be too expensive. Ill be gutted if it goes over £40!

Off to chill for an hour or so and then do some more sewing as I forgot DD2 got some new cub badges before Xmas and she goes back tomorrow!

OF x

Ali-OK

Subscribed to new diary and a belated Happy New Year!

Wow, you've done loads :j Well done!

I'm on the decluttering, clean and clear out trail too - last drawer of doom and 3 black hole cupboards left to do in the kitchen. :j Study will then beckon.

Have a lovely time tonight.

OrangeFairy

Morning all,

Hi Ali- good to see someone else on the de-cluttering wagon

I am sooooo not ready for work today. Yet again I was up half the night worrying about how much I had to do. I have woken up this morning with really sore legs like I have been working out. The only thing I can think of was going up and down on a chair painting the doors!

We had a lovely meal out. My uncle bought everyone a drink and in the end the meal cost us £26.55 with leaving a £2 tip. So not bad at all.

I am dreading this week at work. We are moving our warehouse from Manchester to Bristol and the cross over period and logistics of it all are going to make me very stressed by the end of the week!

Healthly eating with fasting starts today. Before Xmas I joined hubby in fasting 2 nights a week. So lunch on Monday and then nothing till lunch on Tuesday. It is MSE as less dinners to buy. So today I have fruit, an actimel and savoury mince to eat.

I need to write out a cheque for cubs as DD2 goes back tonight. They don't go back to school until tomorrow so they are at work with hubby today!

Hopefully a LSD. Need to pick up some bananas and pay for the kids bus tickets home!

Then tonight as my life is so exciting I plan to paint another door!!

OF x