108 spiders are a girl's best friends

supersaver1000

Wow that all sounds great. I also read an article about water and our bodies - so this week we have been having a glass of water before our breakfast drinks. I'm sure it's made a difference. I put my bottles in the fridge though as its spring water and never gets cold enough for me.

D'you know I used to cook lots of ready meals at one point in time :eek:, I can't really believe it myself. fast food now is getting out the pasta and rustling up a HM tomato sauce. Yes it is more work, but it's active work and as I sit down all day I really need something to get me moving.

Good luck with the application, sending lots of positivity your way :)

I've had a bit of a rocky road but in some ways it's exciting to be moving away from the safe zone and onto who knows where and meeting who knows who (not sure that makes sense ).

Nintud

Sounds like grand progress is being made here

I've had two meals out this week (1st wedding anniversary so we've pushed the boat out... A mystery shop as a couple and a carvery meal with fam paid for by mil!). Could be a tough weigh-in this week so hoping homemade tom soup will give me a maintain.

2 tins of chopped toms, 1 tin of baked beans, 1 tin of carrots (I used the liquid too), 1 stock cube, 1 large pickled onion (yes, you read that right!), half a pint of water. All blended together then heat before serving. Scrumptious and all syn free. It's a super fast soup (in terms of weight loss) so I've got my fingers crossed that it counteracts the two meals out ( and the rocky road cake :rotfl:). Plus I made a huge batch with tinned carrots from Approved Foods (very dFW!) and lots of yellow stickered bashed tin of toms and beans so the freezer is stocked for the week and it's cost me a fiver.

Increasing your water will help, especially if you mistake thirst for hunger. I use a Britax water filter beaker. At £20 I'd never pay full price, but I got mine for £6 (the grey ones weren't selling!) and I think it's recouped it's cost over the last half term. I just need to ensure I fill it and use it over the half term hols or I'll slip back into old ways.

Only tip I can give for online application forms is to make sure you keep a copy for yourself to refresh your memory when you get that call to interview and get someone else to read through it before you press send. I find online self-editing much harder than spotting errors on a paper copy.

Good luck for the week ahead

Whitefeather8

Thanks Supersaver/Nintud/Sassy, it is really helpful listening to your stories and hearing how you have overcome obstacles similar to my own.

I will have a go at that soup this week Nintud. I am going to add a jar of big pickles to the guerkins and beetroot, in the cupboard, that we are munching our way through.

I completed the application form, pressed the send button, and filed a PDF copy. I confess to shedding tears of sheer frustration, it was so difficult trying to 'sell' my job experiences of the last 6 years.

I feel like I have been stuck in a deep, muddy rut, and although I have tried, extremely hard, on a number of occasions to move beyond it, it's been as though my wheels have kept spinning on the spot and I've sunk even deeper.

This time it's as if I have had help in the form of planks under my wheels and a tow rope attached to a large truck, that has got me out of the rut, but I am a bit bemused and my car needs a lot of work on it before it's fully road worthy.

Spider Step 12 - Phidippus audax - North American Jumping Spider

The SOA. I have been working with DH on this all week, and determining what he wants for the future too. He would love to go down to four days a week, when he is 50 (which is possible at his workplace) and pursue an interest that he is passionate about. (Not another woman, I hasten to add!)

The SOA will look at how things are, what they will be like in November and a plan we have been working on together...

I will post it tomorrow, in a spirit of full disclosure! I have found it interesting reading other peoples SOA's and they vary hugely on here, so I don't think it will be too out of place.

Thought for my day - "I am not meant to bear that which I find unpleasant, I am meant to change it."

supersaver1000

Oooh, I'm really not sure about that pickled onion, but I guess there's not a lot of difference except for a bit of vinegar :-)

I must make some more soup this week, but I'd really like to make a mexican rice. Sweetcorn, kidney beans, rice and spice - need to find a recipe or make one up :-)

Wf8, I love you likening your career as a car. Mine's been a lovely little mini for quite a while, but I got a bit bored and changed it in for a huge four by four last year - unfortunately the cost and effort in keeping it running was too much, and I missed my little mini so much - but I couldnt get it back. But I've now swapped down to a slightly sporty car but which is a little unreliable - it hasn't stopped yet but I've had to learn quickly how to keep it running. I'm hoping to swap it in for a newer version that doesn't require so much effort to keep it going - or I'd try a four by four again but maybe a slighter smaller one - I'm happy for an older model if necessary. But ideally I'd like to change it before it stops altogether :rotfl:

Thought for the day - good one - I didn't bear the unpleasantness, I couldn't change it, so changed my situation and left it behind. All good now though :rotfl:

Nintud

That soup sounds lovely! Please share if you find a recipe.

Whitefeather8

Your post made me laugh Supersaver, all your cars sound interesting, you are an adventurous soul. I now think I have been stuck in a cart, without a horse, imagining it was a car. .... No wonder I wasn't getting anywhere fast !!

Here is our SOA, any comments would be welcome. We currently have £254.00 left at the end of each month, and my income is going to be cut by £565.00 which will leave a shortfall of £311.00.

I have been so stressed today as dear mum has got herself into a complete financial pickle again and the baliffs have been calling.

The result is that I now have complete control of her finances and we are going to get POA organised, as mum's mental state is erratic. I was trying to see what could be positive about this and in reality it is a blessing, mum is relieved to pass over the reigns, where she has never been willing to before, and we will all be able to plan better. She does have enough money to live comfortably, but it needs to be managed.

The show goes on ......

Spider Step 13 is a Lace Weaver Spider, amaurobius similis

Work out where the shortfall on my SOA is going to come from.

Statement of Affairs and Personal Balance Sheet
Household Information
Number of adults in household........... 2
Number of children in household......... 1 (Just turned 16)
Number of cars owned.................... 1
Monthly Income Details
Monthly income after tax................ 1000 (Dropping to £435.00 in Nov)
Partners monthly income after tax....... 1724.80
Benefits................................ 82
Other income............................ 0
Total monthly income.................... 2806.26 until Nov
Monthly Expense Details
Mortgage................................ 283
Secured/HP loan repayments.............. 0
Rent.................................... 0
Management charge (leasehold property).. 0
Council tax............................. 193 (10 months)
Electricity............................. 50
Gas..................................... 80
Oil..................................... 0
Water rates............................. 0
Telephone (land line)................... 50 (Unlimited calls and internet)
Mobile phone............................ 35 (Three mobiles)
TV Licence.............................. 12.37
Satellite/Cable TV...................... 25.50 (Sky - full package)
Internet Services....................... 0 (included with phone - BT)
Groceries etc. ......................... 400
Clothing................................ 60
Petrol/diesel........................... 150
Road tax................................ 20
Car Insurance........................... 30
Car maintenance (including MOT)......... 50
Car parking............................. 0
Other travel............................ 0
Childcare/nursery....................... 0
Other child related expenses............ 110 Physics tutor and Activities
Medical (prescriptions, dentist etc).... 15
Pet insurance/vet bills................. 0
Buildings insurance..................... 12
Contents insurance...................... 12
Life assurance ......................... 55 (100k life and crit ill x 2)
Other insurance......................... 19 Household appliance/mortgage
Presents (birthday, christmas etc)...... 20
Haircuts................................ 40 For three of us
Entertainment........................... 125
Holiday................................. 250
Emergency fund.......................... 230
Gym..................................... 0
Postage................................. 0
Charity................................. 75
Total monthly expenses.................. 2401.87

Assets
Cash.................................... 3861
House value (Gross)..................... 200000
Shares and bonds........................ 0
Car(s).................................. 8000
Other assets............................ 0
Total Assets............................ 211,861

Unsecured and Hire Purchase Debts
Description....................Debt......Monthly.. .APR

Halifax……………………………………………………………945.00 …… 150.00 … 0%
Son ………………………………………………………………….700.00 …. 0 0% pay back from March

Monthly Budget Summary
Total monthly income.................... 2806.26
Expenses (including HP & secured debts). 2401.87
Available for debt repayments........... 404.39
Monthly UNsecured debt repayments....... 150.00
Amount left after debt repayments....... 254.39
Personal Balance Sheet Summary
Total assets (things you own)........... 211,861
Total mortgage .......................... 43,158
Total Unsecured debt.................... 1,645
Net Assets.............................. 167,058
Created using the SOA calculator at www.makesenseofcards.com.
Reproduced on Moneysavingexpert with permission, using IE browser.

sassychick2014

Hey hon

So sorry to hear about your Mum. I remember when you went through this before and hope it's not as hard this time. At least you've managed to get POA and so should be much easier now without the worry of it happening again.

Now, looking at your SOA. First thing that jumped out at me was £50 landline/internet & £35 mobile. Does your mobile include unlimited calls? If so do you really need unlimited on your landline?

Second, I know it's a rotten thing to say but if you're losing such a chunk of money can you realistically still give so much to charity? You could always reduce it for a few months or even give up a Saturday at a charity shop?

Holiday. You've put £250 a month. This equals £3000 a year. Can you have a cheaper holiday next year? Or is it one you've already booked?

Hope that helps babe. xx

Whitefeather8

Hi thanks Sassy, I think you are right, we could shave something off the BT bill, I haven't looked at the package for a while, but there is some duplication.

Projected reduction - £10.00

We have actually booked and paid for next year's holiday, and flights to relatives at Christmas. The £250.00 was for spending money. It does seem a lot when you put it as £3,000 :cool:. I will reduce this to £150.00 a month.

Projected reduction - £100.00

Charity - I have debated this too. This a charity that we are particularly attached to and do voluntary work for, so we have decided to leave it unchanged while there are still other things that we can cut.

No change.

We will shave £25.00 off the entertainment budget, £50.00 off the food budget and £130.00 off the emergency fund, a total reduction of £315.00.

On a positive note, we were fortunate that there was a bit of fat to trim, but that has now gone and the focus will have to be on sticking rigidly to the above budget and growing my income.

Spider Step 14 - Growing my income

Back to the bath again . Light up that gold candle, and envision a wealth expansion plan. Give myself a manicure and pedicure and report the results tomorrow.

sassychick2014

Morning hon

I think that's a brilliant idea. It's always a hard one with charity isn't it.

At least you had the fat to trim (love that expression!) which many people don't and you have a lovely holiday to look forward to.

Have a great day hon xx

Whitefeather8

Thanks Sassy,

You are right, I now have two lots of fat to trim! I think the one around my middle will prove to be the hardest.

At the end of my 108 days I will be a lean, keen, money making queen!! I will keep on burning that candle.

I have been spending all my time on mum's situation but I have been stress munching my way through it on guerkins rather than chocs and wine, so hopefully there has been no damage on the weight loss plan. I dare not get on the scales until Friday.

I did squeeze in a bath though, and I have decided that my basic plan to increase income will start slowly and build up. I will target myself with increasing my income by 10% each month, on a compounded basis and anything over this will go into a savings account, while we stick to the proposed monthly budget until my income reaches £25,000 a month.

Spider Step 15 - Work out what that look likes in real terms and post the target figures here.