Changing for good...a new start!

Baldybear

Confirmation and payment from webuybooks, sent 3 books last week, old textbooks from friend he didnt want. Money withdrawn from paypal so £6 sent to respective savings and 43p left in overdraft.

Savings now at approx £21 each, still £7.8K to find until I reach all my goals but getting there!

Baldybear

Good afternoon or is it, feeling a bit bah with the world today

Ruined my NSD yesterday as lodger wanted to go shopping so bought some ice cream and some honey sticks for the hamster. Forgot my debit card so put on credit card.

Main reason for bahness is my mum has been poorly, she was ill a few weeks ago and just hasnt been right since, went to the doctors today and they have done a load of blood tests and are booking her in for an MRI scan, all points towards issue with the liver Pointless worrying too much at the moment until get blood results next week but am worrying a bit. Mum has lost weight and doesnt have much appetite and generally feeling a bit depressed. Dad is ok but mum is main carer, there is 11 years between them. Dad doesnt drive, mum does but doesnt venture far these days, dad doesnt cook so up to mum to do it all, usually its ok but it has been a struggle for her last few weeks. Am getting sister on board to get the moral support going but just feel in limbo land until know exactly what any issues are.

To help out today have been shopping and bought a load of ready meals for parents that they can stash in the fridge and freezer when mum just isnt up to cooking much. Put the spends on my credit card, hopefully mum will refund me later.

So spends on the credit card are £13 on chocolate show tickets, £2.50 from supermarket yesterday and £34 on food shop for parents today. As of today i Have £58 in my bank account but do need money for going out tomorrow. The £35 mum should be able to give back to me so just £15 to find. Can easily pay for it out of next months budget, shouldnt incur interest between now and 24th so will just have to suck it up and pay it then.

Good news is have lots of bids on ebay items, currently around £10 but still few days left so that will definitely help

Baldybear

Good morning

Start with the bad my Sains CC, small back of the envelope calculations:-
£13.80 choc festival tickets
£2.50 tesco
£34.41 Waitrose (food for parents)
£106.19 friday night meal out
£6.62 parking
Total £163.42

Explanations of the above, I bought choc festival tickets and parking and friend paid for the train so evened out. I took out some money for spending out of my current account, bought some choc for me and family, didnt have enough left over for meal so paid all of it on my card, friend gave me cash for his half.

So now how to pay back! Mum has given me her share and a wee bit extra so £38.42 paid of this morning.

Friend gave me cash and had a wee bit of cash still left over so have put aside next months money for the farrier and horse trainer so £50 can be used from next months budget for this.

£75 left, can use left over horse food budget which I dont need, was going to use for Xmas presents but we wait and see.

However, I also have £20 worth of waitrose vouchers which friend gave me in part payment for his half of dinner bill so in theory £20 saving on grocery budget next month so have £20 minimum for Xmas presents, hoping to also get another £10 voucher from survey site and got some nectar points so some more savings there too. Watch this space as they say.

So weekend was ok, friday went to choc festival was great, had a mooch around the natural history museum and then a lovely meal. Sunday had a lazy day popped to shop with friend, used up last bit of change but got great deal on dishwasher tablets, 90 odd so will last for ages. Then watched the rugby in the afternoon.

Yesterday went with sister to see a friend in hospital she had meningitis and pneumonia and has been in 5 weeks She isnt great at all and is off to rehabilitation on thursday, will be long road ahead for her as it appears she does have some brain damage. she is only a few years younger than me and has 4 children, so hard to see. Her partner is doing a fab job with the kids but we wait and see.

So today having an early lunch today as taking my mum for a ultrasound for her problems, hoping its ok, she is not good and has no energy and is not eating much as no appetite, keeping everything crossed here

So good news, has to be some! Few items sold over the weekend, some have paid so have withdrawn £35 odd from paypal this morning. Also my refund from gas and electricity has landed so sent these 2 amounts over to my savings funds, now at £50 and a few pennies each Still a long way to go but pleased am showing some progress.

Have left the pennies as always in my accounts, have enough in my bills a/c plus usually SO and lodgers money to cover the bills, usually have to put around £35 in there but now no sofa am saving so will help budgeting.

Barclaycard min payment out today, now at £4240, slowly coming down.

Mortgage out today too so another bit knocked of there

Baldybear

Good morning

Mums ultrasound yesterday couldnt see exactly what was wrong, want further tests so are sending for CT scan so worrying The only good thing is her blood tests came up clear, just keeping everything crossed.

Am running round for everyone at the moment as mum not in a fit state to do much, need to get dads paper and go and get a form signed for dad at lunchtime, pick up prescription for mum drop of, pick up a letter and post tomorrow. All the way trying to work, do hoss and try and keep house in a semi reasonable state. My dad has a podiatrist apptmt on thursday, I think I will have to take half day to take him, not great but needs must for now. Just need to focus on getting mum better somehow.

Do need to do some more ebaying, not tonight of to babysit for sister and probably not tomorrow as in southampton for a meeting so an early start will mean be shattered. One day :cool:

Good news final ebayer paid from the weekend, only £2 odd but helps, also £50 landed from YouGov so £52 sent to savings, now at £75 and £76 respectively, getting there

DebtFree2012

Just catching up BB - so sorry to hear your Mam has been unwell. I know how you feel, it's a sickening feeling waiting to hear. Try to stay busy and positive no matter how hard it is, I found that helped. Well done for staying focused through trying times. Positive vibes.

Baldybear

Good afternoon,

Thanks for dropping by DF2012, keeping everything crossed things are resolved soon with mum, just waiting for CT scan, she seems a bit brighter in herself which is good, still a long way to go but tiny progress is good. Sister is stressed now sorting out childcare as mum used to have nephew after school, he is doing a few after school clubs so helps, bro in law was looking after him but he has got some work now which he does need financially so swings and roundabouts. Between us all will carrying on muddling through.

Spendy morning bought some carp from petrol station as left early for breakfast as meeting in southampton, about £3 spend on rubbish, means have £4 left in the bank (including overdraft ) till payday which should be friday. I do need to get fuel, would have been ok bar the long drive today so will put on credit card and pay of on friday. As of friday CC will be back to 0 and new budget sorted.

Only good thing about today is expenses claim, should be about £54 , will put in end of month.

I hate ebay sometimes, idiot has moaned an item isnt right and has requested a return, have offered return and paid for postage if buyer returns the item, all gone through correct ebay channels, watch this space, bah. The thing that really annoys me is the person is sending stupid message and left bad feedback which isnt even spelt properly, yet alone correct grammar, think they may be foreign. I love ebay when make money but get annoyed when idiots appear!

Baldybear

Good afternoon, or is it, fed up just one of those days!

No further forward on ebay scenario, in buyers court now.

Had few hours of this morning had to take dad to podiatry appointment as mum not up to it. Got there 9.40, apptmt 9.50 to be told apptmt not in there was a mistake on system, even though we had confirmation letter :mad: Luckily said could fit us in as was just initial assessment but had to wait till 10.15, should be ok, mean to be at work by 11. So eventually got seen at 10.40 :mad: but did assessment and lady was brilliant and did some work for dads feet too, left at 11.15, rushed dad back home, checked mum ok, picked up shopping list so can do that tomorrow or later and at work 11.40.

So need to make up the hours back at work now, saves taking half day, was going to work till 6 tonight but no work has other plans. Last minute e-mail, need to draft up some letters, get them approved and then deliver to one of our sites, !!!!!!! just outside Gatwick so thats me of again in half hour :cool: Will get more expenses but could really do without it as work is piling up but hey ho.

Mum had issues with her heating yesterday, managed to call plumber and he was due to see mum later so hopefully getting that fixed.

Just feel like on a never ending merry go round and mightily !!!!ed off and would like to get off please

No money updates, nothing in or out, need to get fuel as on fumes and wont get to gatwick on them, will put on credit card but payday tomorrow so will be able to clear the card back to 0 again.

DebtFree2012

These things are sent to try us - keep your chin up and hopefully it will pass soon x

Baldybear

Good morning Late into work this morning but was shattered, thank goodness its friday and nothing major planned, nothing at all, just a catch up everywhere!

So managed to get back yesterday at just after 4, shortest work day ever, still to make up the time but will do next week. So because home early did my mums shopping so dont have to worry about doing it tonight, weekend free

Payday today, have paid my Sains CC, now back at 0, including fuel from yesterday. New budget set up and so far only a 20p overspend (from sains cc) but can easily fit it in. Can claw back easily as 30p saving on interest charges from budget and £1.10 saving on mobile phone bill so up £1.20 already, just need to try and keep it that way. Was right at the end of my overdraft limit (bar £4) so want to try and make more of a headway, still whilst saving for insurance/barclaycard.

So mum gave me a few pounds extra just because she is kind over the top of the shopping I did for her so extra £18 sent to savings. My insurance now stands at £85.94 and barclaycard at £84, still a long way off the £1653 and £3888 targets but getting there

Chased up my amazon voucher still not arrived, have to chase up again. Still waiting on more survey money to land, hurry up!

Expenses to be put in at the end of the month, assuming no more extra journeys is around £90

Need to get some fresh bits shopping today but have my £20 of waitrose vouchers which will easily cover this. Worked out if other vouchers land will have also £10 waitrose voucher, £10 Sains Voucher and £15 of nectar points so plenty and hopefully not all will be needed. Still have loads in freezer so hopefully grocery budget will be pretty much 0 if I can, budget £100 which will be great to use elsewhere, probably Xmas, did have hoss food budget but used that already over last weekend but least still have something to use.

Baldybear

Good morning

Spent £7.49 extra over my vouchers on fresh food shop but have loads in, will see how much can stretch too. Weekend end up being good, didnt spend a penny, did some surveys, re-listed some ebay, sorted some books for sale on another website, washed my living room and hallway carpet, spent some time with the hoss, made some cakes, got up to date with washing, cleaned out the hamster, had an afternoon nap on saturday. Nothing exciting but things that all needed doing and was good not to have to rush around like a looney for everyone else too.

Didnt list any new items on ebay just wasnt in the right frame of mind, tired and peed of with annoying buyer.

So some survey money has landed but cant get at it at the moment as paypal are holding it hostage due to ebay dispute. I have enough in paypal that is not held to pay my ebay invoice due at the end of the month. Have to wait until either item returned or case is closed, probably be another week or so, buyer has gone quiet though so not sure whether item will turn up. Watch this space. At the moment am £6 down but not too bad in the whole picture.

So looking at the future and pensions etc, a long way off but something I need to think about. I have 3, first is an old company pension was a final salary scheme think worth keeping, have e-mailed today to get up to date figures. Second is scheme which is stakeholder but myself and company pay into it, not a great deal but it all helps. Third is old company scheme that dont pay into anymore, I am going to investigate to close this down and get the money out, its not a huge amount but could generate me £1k which at the moment is desperately needed.

So back of the envelope calculations , for my insurance goal (for car insurance, mot, house insurance etc etc) I need £1653. Currently I have £85.94 saved so £1568 to find. So if I can get £1k from pension, leaves me £568 to find, worked out 2 months free council tax and 2 months free water bills and take this of mean I need to find from "extras" £260. So a doable figure.

Of course I am still trying to save up for £3888 to pay of the barclaycard before end of february next year but I dont think this will happen. I will keep trying though and will pay of what I can and see if I can balance transfer the rest, whatever it is will be a lower figure.

So £260 to find, if pension plan comes into place. Watch this space