Five years till I'm 50 - 60 months to get debt free!

newpennypincher

Back again! I can't believe a week has gone past since my last post.

I've just paid all my bills and am left with very little till next payday, but we have a roof over our heads and food in the cupboard so for now all is well

I'm just off to see my mum in a few minutes and will stay there for a few hours this afternoon. She's making good progress and is slightly more mobile than she was this time last week.

I need to get clever this month - I have DS3's birthday in a couple of weeks that I need to buy for. He's a good boy and he know's that money's tight, but I want to get him something nice if I can so look out Eb*y - this is a woman on a mission :T

elly68

Chuffed about your mums progress enjoy the sleeps while someone else is looking after her .i had to take mum to council yesterday to fix rent rebate or housing benefit as its now known.she has signed over her letters to come to this address.do you want an ebay challenge i have lost my ebay ,Gumtree mojo lol .what are you getting ds3 for birthday ? Keep going elly x

newpennypincher

Hi Elly! She's doing really well at the moment and is hoping to be able to go back to her own home within a couple of weeks. While I was there she walked to the loo by herself. I sat on her bed and watched her go - she's quite speedy on her walking frame - I was teasing her that she'll be wanting "go faster" stripes on it before long!!

Hi Beanie - we can't apply for the AA until she comes out of the home but as soon as she does, the charity lady said she'd help us with the application.

I'm so grateful for all the help we've received, everyone's been lovely - I don't know what we'd have done without them. Its stating the obvious, but unless you ask for help, people don't know that you need it . Its just a pity that so many people (including me) are so reluctant to ask for it. You get so used to managing things by yourself, and just getting on with stuff you don't realise there are people out there to help you - but you have to ask for it.

Don't know what to do for DS3's birthday yet. He's just started hill and mountain walking so I thought I'd get him a couple of OS maps and print out a programme of walks for him to do over the summer and print out the routes etc for him while I'm at it. that could be part of it and then I could cook him a special meal of his choosing. I find with the men in my family, the way to their heart is definitely through their stomach

We've just had a lovely tea of BBQ ribs from Al*i, home made potato wedges and garden peas. Very thrifty and very tasty

You need to get your Eb*y mojo back Elly. I'd be stuck without it at the moment. Its just a pity its so unpredictable - I'll have a brilliant couple of days, then sell hardly anything for a week. I think I need to go through my stock and reduce a few prices to try and get things moving. I've run out of a few make-up bits so a little extra cash would be much appreciated.

I've run out of foundation so I'm toying with the make-up free look and the expensive anti-wrinkle cream I bought duty free last year is almost gone - I can't even afford the cheap stuff :rotfl:

At the moment, the cheapest way I can think of to get rid of the wrinkles is not to wear my glasses when I'm looking in the mirror but I'm not sure it works on other people

I'm off to catch up on a few diaries now and to set my alarm clock to make sure BF isn't late for work tomorrow x

newpennypincher

Hello, I hope everyone's having a nice Sunday and I hope the weather's better than it is here because its blowing a gale at the moment.

Little bro's just been here for his lunch and has gone to see mum. I'll go down later after he's gone, that way she'll have company for most of the day.

I cooked a chicken this morning so we had chicken salad with JP. Tomorrow's dinner will be chicken curry and hopefully chicken salad for lunch tomorrow. All from Al*i and all absolutely delish

I'm trying very had to get my eating under control today. Breakfast was muesli, and dinner will probably be something healthy with chicken.

I've hoovered, done the washing, cleaned the kitchen including the cooker and cleaned out the cutlery drawer which was looking a bit grubby

There are so many things that need doing to this place, but being skint, they just won't get done. On the other hand, I have pots of paint etc in the garage (bought ages ago!) so I can give the place a cosmetic overhaul at least.

I hope to get started over Easter but realistically I know my brother probably won't be up much so a lot of my time will be spent keeping my mum company - so here's a list of things I'd like to get done:-

1. Paint my kitchen units (have the paint)
2. Paint the tiles in the kitchen (have the paint)
3. Paint the tiles in the bathroom (have the paint)
4. Touch up the bathroom walls (have the paint)
5. Rub down and paint a few radiators (have the special paint but
need to buy sandpaper)
6. Whitewash an outside wall (not sure if I have the paint)
7. Paint the handrail (not sure if I have the paint).
8. Do the weeding.
9. Paint DS3's bedroom (have the paint).
10. Touch up all woodwork and hall walls (have the paint).

Ok....... its more than I thought! I'm not Wonderwoman but I should be able to cross a few things off the list

I was really cheesed off this morning. I sold a couple of items last night and they were both cancelled this morning - sales are pretty bad at the moment :mad::mad:

I'd better go and do something constructive - I still have the ironing left to do before I go visiting.

elly68

Hope you are doing better with your list than im doing with mine ,however i am enjoying a very good week of work and weather has been kind,i feel robbed though if i dont get a walk on a beach when off. Hope your mum is well take care elly x

newpennypincher

Hi elly - the days off were lovely but I didn't achieve all that I'd hoped. I started on the garden and did some painting, but there's a lot that still needs doing!

I've let things slide a little bit since my last post. I haven't added to my debt - but I haven't reduced it by much either.

My mum is still in the home and is well and truly fed up. She's moving more and more every day but just as we feel like we're getting somewhere, some tests results have come back which need further investigation. I'm not going to tell you what they're testing for - I've decided on the "head in the sand" approach this time. I'll be there for my mum every step of the way, just like I was for my dad but for now we're going to concentrate on the mobility and tackle anything else as and when it comes up.

We also received some more bad news last night - my gran died at the grand old age of 105. She wasn't ill, she just slipped away peacefully

I'm getting worried that BF will decide I'm jinxed and pack his bags!

Not really - he's my rock and I don't know what I'd do without him. He is worried about me though and thinks I should see a doctor. All things considered it feels like we're being battered from all sides. Maybe he's right cos I couldn't face going to work this morning

I'm sorry for unloading all this into cyberspace - I'm just feeling a bit lost having experienced a type of role reversal between me and mum recently!

Back to the moneysaving - its ground to a bit of a halt these last couple of weeks but I'm determined to get my mojo back. Its payday on Friday and I'll have a menu plan/shopping list in place before then. I've had a few good sales on Eb*y which are singlehandedly paying off my Ne*t bill. I've explored the possibility of taking out a consolidation loan but have drawn a blank on that score so its good old fashioned plodding for me!

I'm going to go for a soak in the bath now to try and snap out of it. If I don't get my act together, I won't have a job to go to and then I'll really be in trouble.

I hope everyone else is ok and I'm sorry again for being such a moaning minnie x

beanielou

blimey it is all happening.
Take care of you too xx

elly68

Npp this is as good a place to unload as any ,if yourpoor mum has another diagnosis she might be in the right place even if she doesnt like it cold comfort to you but possibly a very practical solution for rehabilitation if thats a possibility.
As for work see your gp i am sure they will understand and u can self cert for a week . Shame about your gran is that your mums mum ?its great that your bf is supportive as for the debt so what it will be with you a little longer keep plodding with ebay you are doing better than me i've lost my mojo on that one lol.take care x

newpennypincher

Hi Beanielou, hi Elly, thank you for saying hello :j

Its been an eventful few weeks and now I have a dilemma and would welcome some opinions.

I've seen a job advertised where I used to work until last year. This new job pays £10k more than I'm getting at the moment, but its only a 2 year contract - but its a contract that could lead to a permanent job (not definite though). Its a job I enjoyed and was quite good at and if I do apply for it, I have a good chance of of getting it (not being big headed here!)

Soooo........do I stay where I am in a perfectly fine job, doing something I can do with one arm tied behind my back - not feeling challenged but permanently employed OR do I apply for a job that pays £10k more, would definitely be a challenge but with the huge drawback that its only a two year contract (that is IF I was offered the position)?? Of course if I apply and don't get it, I can just put it down to experience and get on with life

An extra £20k over two years would take a huge chunk out of my debts - but do you go with your head or with your heart??

Friday was payday and all bills have been paid for another month but I am now absolutely skint once again! I've had two Eb*y sales this morning bringing me a grand total of £12 but every little helps.

Today is a quiet day for me. BF has gone off on his motorcycle for the day, so its just me at the moment. I will head off to the unit to see mum later but the afternoon is all mine, mine, mine :T

Yesterday afternoon was spent playing Scrabble with mum. She seems to change her mind every day about what she wants to do when she leaves the unit. One day, she'll be absolutely determined to go home and the next she'll be saying that she's coming to live with us. The only constant is that she's in a miserable mood whenever you go to see her which makes visiting very stressful. I completely understand that she must be fed up and scared of what's going to happen next but its very upsetting to hear some of the things she comes out with. I snapped on Friday and told her that if she cared about me she'd realise how much she hurts me with some of the things she says - which did hit home for a while but its bl**dy hard going!!

I'm going to make myself a nice lunch now then I'm going to torture myself a bit more by reading the Job Description again!

I hope everyone else has a lovely day x

elly68

Dont talk about work i'm !!!!ed at my lot ...and if someone switches a button in me i'm just out its a weird thing i do no-one aware that i'm annoyed andi just hand in my notice so this time i'm trying to be a grown up and have expressed my concerns however i think in my heart the button is switched ,trying to be sensible this time but its hard .Personally i think i pick holes in my own jobs so i can opt out seem to have issues with commitment or boredom or actually have no idea i just move jobs every 4-5 years .write a list good and bad there must be a reason you left and you have been numbed by time however moneys money .so now you are even more confused enjoy the rest of your sunday oops