Getting there...slowly.

in_need_of_direction

Make the most of your time away.

girlatplay

Thank you, everyone, for the holiday wishes

Well, that's us back. I went with great expectations and was a bit disappointed that it wasn't all the glitz and glam that the movies portray. I should have gone with an open mind but I didn't even think of that. However, LMG and I had a lovely holiday together, such a good laugh from start to finish.

I have sooooo much to catch up on. Didn't really know where to start so I thought I would just begin with my own diary and work my way through others over the next couple of days.

Work has been manic since I got back on Monday. I think they all save up their cashroom stuff for when I am away as, seriously, we have not had that many payments out in a fortnight for months! It means I get less time to surf haha. I am doing what I am supposed to be doing instead of spending time on here!

In total I spent £809.61 :eek: Mainly on food but also on taxi's (various travel) and gratuities. Tips are expected at at least 15% of the total bill. I had saved £500 and I wasn't sure that be enough. Luckily I had two weeks worth of tax credits and two weeks worth of CSA money to fall back on. Also I used the balance in my emergency fund and that has cleared it all. Whew!

So, nose back to the grindstone. I had to get a small grocery shop on Monday for milk etc. It came to £17 but apart from the chocolate :cool: it was all required. I haven't done the weekly Wednesday shop yet and we plan to do that on Friday night (rock 'n' roll!) as we are fine for stuff at the mo (getting treated to a Pizza Express tonight ).

Off to catch up with others

dawnybabes

Sounds like you had a good time making priceless memories xx

in_need_of_direction

Good to have you back. I know the holiday was a bit more spendy than expected but that's what the emergency pots are for. You'll be back to making progress in no time.

girlatplay

There are a couple of things that still make me laugh out loud when I think of them so, yes, priceless memories

That's not really what my emergency fund was for but at least I had the fund so that I didn't get into debt over a holiday, only debt to myself

I have made some adjustments to the spreadsheet so by the end of October my emergency fund should be up to £500 where I want it. I am being rather generous to myself which is what is making the process slower but I am sick of living on a shoestring so am going to breathe a little more. If an emergency does come up then I will just have to be a little less generous to myself (I say myself, I mean the household, to include LMG, I'm not off out having a ball whilst Little Miss is sitting in by herself eating gruel) but at least I have the means to do either.

I have £20 in my pocket money purse to last the week. Meeting my friend for a lunchtime drink today. This is the first time we have met up since she went on her first holiday about a month ago! Looking forward to the catch up. It will just be a drink today but I suspect it will be food from next week onwards. We have found a nice, clean, cheap place to eat near my work so it won't be too bad.

Had a lovely pizza last night for tea. It was a treat and I thoroughly enjoyed it, I even had dessert!

I think LMG and I are going for the grocery shop this evening. I have money ready but I have only half-heartedly done a list so will try to sort that out before later.

The work accounts are looking healthy so I should have a happy-ish boss when he comes back from holiday on Monday.

beanielou

Glad you had a good time

giblet1979

Really glad the holiday was good, and like you said, it has to be ok to 'breathe' a little on the journey. Some people are really focused on here, and get things paid off more quickly, but I'd struggle to keep to that 100% and would probably end up falling off the wagon massively instead!
Hope you had a nice meet up with your friend x

in_need_of_direction

I'd love to see lmg's face if left in eating gruel!

girlatplay

beanielou wrote: »

Glad you had a good time

Thank you

giblet1979 wrote: »

Really glad the holiday was good, and like you said, it has to be ok to 'breathe' a little on the journey. Some people are really focused on here, and get things paid off more quickly, but I'd struggle to keep to that 100% and would probably end up falling off the wagon massively instead!
Hope you had a nice meet up with your friend x

Thank you. I was completely focused paying debt off when I was in it and I was very strict when I was saving for the holiday so I know I can do it but I just want a break for a bit. I have served my time and now I can relax a little (not too much though, I have a mortgage lurking in the background! :cool:)

in_need_of_direction wrote: »

I'd love to see lmg's face if left in eating gruel!

She would be RAGING!!! She would call her granny and tell her stories of being neglected and granny would send grandad over to collect her, haha!

It was lovely catching up with my friend. The place we go does a loyalty-type thing where when we purchase a hot drink we get a stamp on a card (like what Cafe Nero did/does) and when we get 9 stamps we get a free hot drink. Well, we had 2 cards full so it didn't cost us a penny! AND we got large drinks!! :money:

I was on the coffee's with the family on Saturday but they came to just over £7 (2 coffee's, 1 tea, one can soda, 1 bottle water). Dad was on the lookout for Christmas payments so I gave him our £2 for last week. Luckily, my mum and sis both owed me money so our weeks from when we were away were also covered! Yay. I spent less than £10 in total. Popped the change (less than £1) into my sealed pot.

I had left money in the account for petrol and 2 weeks' pocket money for when we got back so that I wouldn't be short or stuck for money. I have realised I get paid on Friday so I have done a shuffle and put £30 into the emergency fund to start topping it back up. I have £10 spare for petrol (there are only 2 bars left so just in case I can't stretch it) and £10 for mini emergencies (birthday card for future b-i-l, etc. - if I could drag myself out of my laziness I could go to the cheap card shop at lunchtime). Plus I still have £10 pocket money left so that will cover lunch with friend this week.

I overspent a wee bit on the groceries but it was nice when LMG asked for some fancy juice and I said yes without hesitation. Mum fainted. Haha, not really, but almost!

I need to start meal planning for this week now so that I am prepared for the shop on Wednesday.

girlatplay

I didn't go to the card shop at lunchtime yesterday too lazy. However, today is a beautiful day and I am wearing sandals so I will walk up today. I have to get the card today as I will see sis and future b-i-l tonight at parents. His birthday is on Friday but I won't see either of them again until Saturday so it has to be today.

I picked up the bag of bagels in my kitchen to bring one for lunch today and they were green :eek: *throws up* so I had to bring bread instead. It was my own fault, I should have separated and frozen them but I kept forgetting. I'm annoyed with myself though as I was enjoying them and I only had 2, there were 3 left in the bag I don't really want bread but there is nothing else until I go for the grocery shop tomorrow.

Had to pay out £46.18 for some of my medication Can't get it on prescription. Luckily I only need to pay out that every 3 months.

Getting my hair done on Saturday I like what my hairdresser does and I really feel pampered when I go. I get to read magazines in peace with no guilt (I don't buy magazines for myself) and I like that someone else washes and dries my hair for me. I know my hairdresser's husband as we grew up in the same street so it's great to catch up on all the gossip too! She has her own salon and works on her own so we get to gossip with no other ears around!!

Right, come on gap, get that meal plan and shopping list done!