Carrot cake in the oven

Shelbi

Afternoon SS1K..massive congrats on being under £9k amazing!! Loving the extra £65 too...just goes to show it all adds up!! hope your having a fab bank holiday weekend xX

killerpeaty

Well done you for getting your debt so low! And for getting hubby on board!

Which of the mobile providers are you looking at? My house is on BT, so I could get a £5 contract, which is about a quarter of my current one. But then tescos has good offers as well.

supersaver1000

Hi KP and thank you.

We are Vodyfone. Just because we need a sure signal in the house, but some of their contracts are dire.

I did see the BT one - which looks great and Tesco's seems great too and there are lots out there better than Vody.. I don't use many texts and need only about 500 mins of talking maximum, its the data that I really suffer with VF. The contract I just took out only had 250mbs, then I changed jobs and my new office didn't have wi-fi and I really took a hit on data. Its amazing how just a few bits at lunchtime eat into my data megs, so I upped it by another 500 for I think £3.50. I'd really like limitless data or a lot more so I don't have to even think about it, and I didn't get 3g on my iPad so need plenty of data on my iPhone.

However, I was just walking by a Vody shop in next local town and they had a great offer in the window. Our local shop never has offers like that, and I remember a couple of years ago OH got a good deal at that other shop - its in a quieter town - so I think I'll take a drive over there when I'm ready and see if what they can offer is anywhere close to the other providers.

I want to pay £15 maximum and don't need a new phone as I've kept mine immaculate, but I need data :eek: Will let you know how I get on, keep me posted on yours.

supersaver1000

Just popping in to change my signature. I've extended the debt free dates (based on minimal SE earnings) but I don't feel too disappointed as we are hoping for it all to blossom by the Summer of 2018. Scared but excited.

Right back to work, I am using the distraction technique for work avoidance at the moment - its really meant for worry avoidance

Good Bank Holiday to everyone, its so nice to come back and see that your journeys are progressing so well.

giblet1979

Very exciting updates SS - you're doing so well! xx

liltdiddylilt

Lovely to see you doing so great and how exciting you own actual pieces of the car!!! :D:D

Well done for getting the business paying its own way so quickly! That is fab indeed! And no it shouldn't be counted in your personal debts!!

Lots of love xx

parsniphead

You may have extended the date but the figure is going down and that's the important thing.

Keep going and you will be best free before you know it.

supersaver1000

Thank you xxxx

I have finished my studies for the summer. Fingers crossed.

supersaver1000

Made Homity Pie using this recipe from the Hairy Bikers. http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/deep-filled_homity_pie_48616

I had spare potatoes and cream from last weeks dauphinois and managed to buy a yellow sticker bag of kale and baby spinach from MrA yesterday. It was truly delicious, although the pastry was slightly strange to make in that it was too wet to roll (you use a whole egg) and you kind of mould it around the dish. I used the tarte tatin dish as the deepest one I had, wondering if it might stick, but I left it to cool a while and it came out a treat. I'm off to find more greens today to make another one, and possibly some leeks as the land girls of WWII used, according to the tinterweb.

Still can't quite believe school's out for summer, some trepidation about the mark I'll get, I feel fairly confident, but you never know. Hope I haven't done something silly. No point worrying about it now and I'm putting my new technique for not worrying into action, which is either thinking about something good or getting on with something proactively.

Time to get on with decluttering the house. my plans are to get a wardrobe and declutter/organise the bedroom so that getting ready for work isn't such a 'hunt the outfit' experience (I will look forward to recycling my increasingly unstable clothes rails). I also want to clear the spare room and make it into a study space where I can find some peace and possibly do some work from home too. The plan is to move the bookcase downstairs to the hallway and use that for cookbooks and clutter from the kitchen. DH's SE has meant gadgets and paperwork getting in the way of the cooking area, so the plans include a spot for that. I'm undecided about a comfy chair in the spare room for TV watching, I think I'd prefer a craft area. DD is already 'interested' in the space, humph so I may have to have to get tactical.

Wardrobe will be ordered from Ikkea - I've looked on the tinterweb, but sadly nothing will fit up our cottage stairs. I need something that can be made in situ and can either be left behind or dismantled if necessary. It will also match my chest of drawers.

Once the bookcase is downstairs - I will then show it the chalkpaint experience. I'd like to paint the inside shelves etc with white or cream and the outside with French grey or an Olivey green. I'm going to have to bite the bullet with colours as I just can't decide. I've also seen some lovely wallpaper that I'd like to paper the back with - I think some perusing of the shabby chic thread is calling.

Once that's moved I will be able to see the space available in the spare room more easily. I'd like a desk to fit near the window or in the corner and of course some spare room storage and washing drying space - although I've found that the one of the clothes airers fits by the kitchen radiator and that the other one can go on the landing, as I don't want to work surrounded by wet washing.

Everywhere else needs a bit of a declutter and a bit of freshening up, but no major expense. I want to throw a lot of ornamental tat and just have things we love so I will be looking at kondoing too. So the plan is to get all the shifting, clearing, cleaning and painting done over the summer, so that come the winter there is space to work.

Wow that was a long post!

supersaver1000

Ali-OK wrote: »

Good to see you posting SS and very pleased to hear all going well.

Being comfortable with SE takes time...me of very worrying nature took over 4 years :eek: and even now causes me more spreadsheet fiddling than my poor brain can cope with :rotfl:

As much as it comes from the Ramsey chap to a degree, I'd advocate living on 2 month's back previous income, that way next month isn't so close to knowing exactly what came in last month and means a good safety net and knowing what you need in 2 months time. I'm still working on that goal though - it's the hardest mindset change I've made.

Thanks Ali. I'm still getting my head around this, it will be even harder explaining it to DH. I'm very meticulous with my bookkeeping and he prefers to lob it in a pot. That's all well and good while he's not spending much. The difficulty comes when he wants to buy something and doesn't know what his limits are. I'll be keeping my eye on it and my stock phrase at the moment is that my way has got us out of the mess his way got us into. He doesn't want to account for annual expenses monthly eg £600 insurance to me means putting away £50 a month, which he can't see doh! However we are early days in SE at the moment and I've told him this is his last chance saloon. :rotfl: but I mean it. He has at last listened and is keeping his personal expenses separate. Before his habits meant he would spend a bit on the cards, a bit from our food account, a transfer to his account, a cheque in for the cards but withdrawn from our account - you get the picture - a whirlwind almost sleight of hand 'where did the money go?' He did a bit of that in April and got the talk but this month was pleased to tell me he's complying. :rotfl: I'm almost not too worried about what he spends for now, so much as making sure it's absolutely clear how much he's spent. And we are definitely making inroads as he's been transferring a good amount to a tax pot, which he says will include spare and I guess that will offset some of the future expenses. This is going to be a long haul process and we are going the right way so far. and it makes me feel better that yours was a 4 year process