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

wendz86

You are really good at de cluttering! I could do with a few tips. Really need to sort out the cupboard under the stairs at some point.

Hope you managed to do some of your list of things this weekend.

Ali-OK

Hi Wendz,

I think I do similar to OF - I write a list and break it down into doable chunks. Then just set myself a task of one cupboard/area a day - that way if I do more, it motivates me to continue the next day and so on.

I started with the smallest things to do first - so mine was bathroom - cabinet, under-sink cupboard, airing cupboard.

Taking the cabinet - I took everything out and put on the floor and then cleaned it. Go through everything and end up with 1) stuff to put back in, 2) stuff that belongs elsewhere and 3) stuff to bin. Follow through and job is finished!

I find I have to make more mess, by getting it all out, before getting to super tidy and decluttered . Understairs cupboard might contain things to bin, recycle (I put straight into car if it's for Tidy Tip), sell on or put back. A case of asking yourself have you used it in the last 6-12 months, will you use it in next 3 months or can it go? Can you make some money from selling it, is it still usable or is it for the bin?

Hope that's helpful and bet OF will have some additional tips too - I'll be looking out for those as well

OrangeFairy

Morning all,

Well I had a good weekend though it wasn't as productive as I would have liked. Saturday we had a lazy morning and then DD1 had ballet. Hubby took her down and then I noticed she didn't take her tap shoes! So I walked down in time for her lesson and while I waited for her to finish I sat by the river to read my book which was really lovely :-)

Then we spent the evening watching Lost with the kids- they are loving it.

Sunday we had a morning of housework and then went to watch Frozen at the cinema which was lovely. We had £15 vouchers so I only had to pay £3 and the slush machine wasn't working so we didn't buy a drink. So a cheap activity. Then off to MILs for dinner and after we came home for a games evening with my brother and sister which finished at 1.30am...oops!

Decluttering and door painting didnt happen but I'm not too worried.

So very little in the way of spends! Except for the £160 paid to ballet though that was in my budget. I paid in cash for the first time so I don't need to wait for the cheque to clear.

To do today;

Try not to fall asleep at work
Left overs for lunch
Fasting so no dinner needed
Order hubby's presents
Check banking
Update spends
Watch Sherlock!!!
Send email to tortoise bulb people
Send email to bhs
Order bits needed to make Nans cake!
Get a first aid kit together for cubs
DDs to eat at mums
Move £80 clubs money over to main account

Is it bad I am looking forward to the weekend already!?!?

OF x

OrangeFairy

Morning Diaryland

I am a very tired Fairy at the mo....just can't seem to get catch up with my sleep. Today will be a full on day at work so that is a little demotivating already.

It is also really cold at work. We have storage heaters and they were costing the earth so my boss turned them down and now they hardly have any effect at all. Then we saw she had bought in an electric heater which she has by her desk! The cheek of it!

Stuff to do

Send bulb back for a replacement
Get coloured icing for Nans cakes
DD1 to guides and DD2 and I to escape home
Ask Mum to have the kids after school tomorrow as I will be up in Bristol with work
Send email with a photo to bhs
Look around for some more bits for hubby's birthday
Lunch from stores
Dinner not needed as fasting
Eat porridge at work
Send postcard to friend to cheer her up.
Find out what money to give for Nans birthday
Check banking
Reconcile money

I spent £15 on funky pige0n yesterday!!! Though that was for 10 cards and doing a prepay meant they gave me £3.75 extra which will buy me another couple of cards. So £15 for 12 cards wasn't bad really and they are all photo and personalised ones.

2 weeks and 2 days until payday....it has felt like a loooooong month!

I hope everyone is well

OF x

MrsSmith2013

Hi OF, just catching up with diaries. Thats pants about the heating, I really don't like being cold and our office is always freezing! I must admit I have a heater under my desk too, but its a necessity!!

Hope you get through the list, and get all your bits and pieces done.

Mrs S x

Skinnylatte

I hate being cold too, I'm sure my brain starts to hibernate. I'd be inclined to take my hot water bottle to work!!

OrangeFairy

Morning All,

Well yesterday was an okay day. I went through top cash back when I bought something for work yesterday and earned myself £7. Then I went to give my mum £40 towards my Nans present for her 70th and she said everyone was putting in £30 and then buying her a few bits individually. She suggested I just do the £30 and then put the £10 towards the cakes I'm making her. So that made sense and saves me £10 as the cakes are costing me a lot!!

Need to get the last couple of bits sorted for hubby today and then get wrapping!

I am off to Bristol to visit our new warehouse today so it will be a long day 8-6 and then I am playing skittles from 7.15-10.30 as we have 2 matches! Already looking forward to my bed!

OF x

OrangeFairy

The trip up to Bristol to our new warehouse was fab and a real eye opener. The guys there bought us a pub lunch...I've never been entertained by a supplier before so it was really lovely. We were expecting to be back by 5pm. I had two skittles matches starting at 7.30 and my colleague suddenly realised it was 5.20pm and we hadn't noticed. We still had to get back to North Devon in after work traffic! Luckily I was dropped off to the pub to play skittles with 5 minutes to spare. We had to play until 11.30pm! I hadn't been home since I left in the morning at 7.40am so I was knackered! All good though!

My new calendar arrived today so I am about to fill it out. I love filling out diaries and calendars weirdly. I bought a calendar from school this year to do my bit but after using it for a bit I am getting annoyed with it as there isn't enough room to write anything and it doesn't have an extra boxes on it. So I have ordered in my normal organised mum calendar which had more space and boxes for things to do, things to remember and a finance section. Also it has a pocket at the back that I find really useful for notes about trips etc.

Reconciled my bank with my spends sheet in my diary and I am within £3 of what I worked out so that is great.

No sign of my Next sofa yet though! They said by the 27th :mad:

This afternoon I have made 40 cupcakes and a 7 inch cake for my Nans 70th birthday tomorrow. I will be decorating them in the morning and displaying them on my wedding cake stand. Hopefully they will turn out okay!

Right off to sort my calendar and then sleep. I was going to read but I don't thing my eyes can do it!!

OF x

WantToBeSE

Hi OF,
sounds like a very hectic day for you yesterday! You must have been shattered!
I need to get a calendar that i can magnet to the front of my fridge. Last year i used a free one that came with the Tesco magazine, but they havent done one this year! It had recipes on every month and told you what fruit and veg was in season that month. A really good idea for a foodie like me!

Good luck baking

OrangeFairy

Morning all,

Had a bit of a panic last night when I submitted meter readings to e0n as the last readings were estimated. We were £172 in credit and after I submitted them we were £10 in debit! So I had a bit of a panic thinking we were over using by a LOT! Then I realised it wasn't so bad as those meter reading estimate was for the 3rd of Dec so we have moved on a month and a half since then! So hopefully we are on track.

Bit of a spend day yesterday. The kids seem to have grown out of/ruined/lost most if their PE kit between them! So new trainers, shorts, tops and trousers bought :-/ necessary I suppose. I only bought trainers for DD2 as DD1s are okay at the mo so ill get her some next month.

Money is kind of alright at the mo. I have £280 but need to pay £120 to my mum for a London trip we are going on. Plus my spends yesterday and a cheque to come out. What ever I have remaining will come out to use as cash to pay for hubby and Is hotel trip to Cornwall next weekend. I had arranged it for his birthday which was on Monday but I don't need to pay until I get there. It is £130 so the closer to that the better!

Next month I really need to over pay some stuff. Just £180 this month was a bit rubbish!

Hubby applied for a job he would really like yesterday so fingers crossed!!

I have a long day at work today, then just till 2.30pm tomorrow and then I have Friday off as my Jan flex day!! I am so bloody excited to have a day off

OF x