Mind change to debt thanks to MSE forums!

sassychick2014

Morning everyone

The penultimate step of organising our trip has been sorted today and sorted far easier than I thought. I had to book Littley's holiday from school & although I knew they couldn't stop me going I was worried about it being hostile and them fining me.

Couldn't have been more wrong. Head Teacher was absolutely wonderful. Said obviously they can't authorise it but so long as I filled a form out so they knew where Littley is that's fine. I've arranged for some homework to be sorted for her so she doesn't fall behind which HT thought was a fab idea. AND they don't agree with fining parents so I'm now £60 up which will go towards dinner at the airport when we leave and something when we get back.

Now just got to email a client & let her know and everything is sorted. Picked up our tickets, money cards and money on Friday which was the best feeling ever! It's all becoming a bit real now that we have those.

Have a great day everyone xx

parsniphead

Hi Sassychick

I have been trying to post for ages but have been having a problem with some threads. Keep getting weird messages. Anyway its allowed me to do so today so I thought I would post.

So exciting to hear its only 5 weeks to the holiday. I'm not jealous, really.;)

Oh no DS is pestering to read. Will pop back.

Ali x

sassychick2014

Hi Ali

Nice to hear from you. It's now only 4 weeks so eeeek!!! Now it's official at Littley's school she came home all excited as she was able to talk about it in something other than hushed tones with her bestie!

Today has been the best day. After speaking with Littley's school I then bit the bullet and emailed my client who I thought was going to be a right mare about it but I couldn't have been more wrong - and so now I feel a bit guilty that I'd thought that (well ok, not that guilty!).

This means that my list is getting smaller and smaller - yay!

And in the true tradition of saving the best til last I became an Auntie again for the 4th time this evening to a lovely healthy boy. As you may or may not know my brother lives a fair trek from here so not sure when we'll get to meet the little fella yet but you can guarantee when we do it'll be worth it. SIL has suffered several miscarriages and so for her to have her little boy (her 2nd child, the other 2 are from my bro's first marriage) is a dream come true.

Night everyone xx

sassychick2014

Morning everyone

So, being the last working day of February I've taken a look at my targets and seen how I've done.

February

1) Savings for Australia has been immense and so I only need £364.71 to go to reach my overall target. February's target is to save £150.
The target of £150 was well and truly smashed with a total of £447.36 saved!! This means that I have not only surpassed the monthly savings target but I have now completed my savings target for the whole trip. Therefore money cards & cash have been bought :j :j

2) Again I want to earn more so am giving myself a target of £50.
I haven't been doing as much of the little extra bits of work this month as I normally do but have still managed to earn an extra £73.50! Target reached & passed. :j

3) A lot of Littley's stuff that she no longer wants in her room is dumped on the stairs and needs to be put away in her play room. This is the aim for February.
Hmmm, I'd forgotten about this one. There are still some bits on the stairs but for the most part it's all been cleared. Will get rid of the rest next week.

4) I'm getting a little bored through my work so I want to start writing a course and see if I can sell that through PPH. I want to have got most of it down on paper by the end of the month.
This was the intention at the beginning of the month but things changed in the first week. I have joined a course at Littley's school and have also joined the PTA which although is only just starting has taken up my time. The course plan is still there but I'm not as into it atm due to other activities.

5) Junk free January went so well we're doing Fizz free February. However Littley doesn't drink fizz so I think it's just me for this one. For the next 28 days I won't drink any fizzy drinks and I think I'm going to try and keep the junk free challenge going as I feel so much better for it.

Very pleased to say I succeeded on this challenge and more so. I've been exercising each day and have felt the effects - and finally now you can start to see the effects too! :j

So, what to do for March?

March

1) With all savings complete I don't have a savings target as such but plan to not let my bank balance go less than £50 at any point.

2) We have a new cookbook and are working our way through that with one healthy meal a day out of it. We shall do this until we go away.

3) For the first time ever I was able to pay my mortgage before the due date for the second month on the trot! :T I shall make sure this is done in March too.

4) This month is very much about organising before we go away so number 4 is getting everything washed, packed, bought for our trip as well as getting the house ready for the house sitters.

5) To have as much fun as possible when we're in Australia!!! :rotfl:

I'm off to get packed as we're also away this weekend meeting my new nephew (who appears to be totally gorgeous!).

Have a great weekend everyone xx

sassychick2014

Morning all

This weekend I found out just how much my bargain hunting has rubbed off on Littley. She has a book fair at her school and wanted a book for £4.99. I said she could get it Monday. She then spotted it in Asda for £3.85 & decided that she'd rather get it there and save the extra pennies for something else.

Ladies & Gentlemen, my work here is done. I thank you!! xx

Trixxibell

I'm so glad I caught up with your diary today xx have a fantastic time xx you have worked so hard you are an inspiration xxx

You two enjoy yourselves and have a trip of a lifetime.

All My Love,

Trixxibell xx

sassychick2014

Hey hon

Thank you so much for your words. They really do mean a lot. It's been a bit bizarre this last week as I'm all saved up so have had money to spend, something that's not been the case for quite a while now!

I'm not going stupid obviously as I'm going to work towards clearing my debts when I get back - the main reason I started this diary! - but a few weeks of "living" is just what we need to get in the holiday mood.

I felt really bad yesterday actually as I invited my mum to join Littley and I for dinner at a cheap little place in the city we thought we'd try. When I went to order Mum straight away got out her purse and when I said "no, my treat" she was so shocked. She apologised afterwards and said she didn't mean it in a nasty way just she was used to me inviting her out then expecting her to pay for herself. Talk about guilt!! Have made an internal promise to treat my mum once a month to show her how great she is - even if it's only some flowers or something I think she'd like. I don't need to go overboard, just remind her that she's extra special.

Have a great day! xx

sassychick2014

Evening everyone

Well this week has been a busy one and I like it! I'm sure I mentioned before that my main client has had a huge change around and many of the staff I worked with have left and it's still touch and go whether they're actually staying with us past the end of March. So it was quite a nice surprise to have our client's boss's boss get in touch with us to say he'd also left (which I knew) to go to an equally large multi-national corporation (which I didn't know) and that he high recommends us to them. My sort of boss arrange a meeting and we've been awarded a project to work on with the view to take them on as a new client. If it works out the money is higher per hour and I think the hours will be roughly the same so theoretically I should be earning more than double what I get from the original client.

Obviously if the original client does decide they no longer want us the new client will replace that money. However if they decide to stay with us this means I'm potentially increasing my monthly income by shed loads (technical term) which will be amazing. If this does work out I'm going to start building up an emergency fund so if either/both go I have a few months bills covered and then I'm going to hit those debts like nobody's business.

Fingers and toes crossed for me hey?

Have a good night xx

Trixxibell

WOW! Fingers crossed indeed xxx

What a great business opportunity xxx

sassychick2014

Yesterday my bank balance stood at £2.64. Clearly I have failed on number 1 of my March targets. Ah well, a gal's gotta eat!!