The 'I'm less money-idiot more money-savvy' Diary

judi24

Another fantastic thoughtful post Ampersand - thank you. Yes I did try to go to bed early but still struggled to sleep! Traffic was terrible today and it took almost 3 hours:mad: to get to my meeting and 2 to get home so a long day! But helped clarify some thinking about work.

My new PA will be fantastic - I should know tomorrow when she can start (she is moving internally so hopefully I won't have to wait too long!) and interviewing for 2 managers tomorrow so once they are in post my team will be complete and I can get some work done!:T

I do need to learn to stop turning things over and over in my head in relation to everything! Money, work, kids, life as I have no doubt that is what is causing the sleep problem! Easier said than done though! - Tax rebate will cover the Smile OD for now so not going to think about it any more!!!


I will learn to manage my boss and her requirements soon enough - today gave me some thinking time in relation to priorities which I will articulate properly and discuss with her then focus on the agreed priorities and not let myself be distracted by her other demands. I don't answer her emails when she sends them when she is working from home I just flag them and add her demands to my list then prioritise - she seems happy with this and I will explain what I am doing so she is not expecting immediate responses - I just think Monday was a combination of me being off for a week and her having problems at home so not being around to be in control (she likes to be in control!) - I still love my job!!! Monday was a blip!:o


Oh another NSD today so 10 so far this month - I nearly stopped on my way home to get a few bits we need but decided I was too tired and we would have to survive! I will go to Al*I tomorrow when I take DS to cadets - cheaper and won't be as tired so won't be tempted to buy things I don't need! Tomorrows packed lunches might be 'interesting!!' :rotfl:

Cwtchie

Sorry Judi but had to laugh at your description of your 22 year old! I think its their age, my 21 year old is currently organising his own food each night!!! He has never cooked but abruptly stopped wanting what I was cooking, him and his GF now "sort themselves out" lol!

judi24

The problem happens when she does it in front of her brother who then thinks he can do as he likes too! Then I have a meal cooked and only me and DD3 eating, DS throwing a temper tantrum and her stomping around saying she not eating anything! Tonight she is in a stop cos there is no white bread and no fast food in the freezer! Its a hard life!!!

judi24

Just paid my CC's and worked out balances - so once the loan payment has gone on the 1st march the scores on the doors will look like this:


Smile OD = 0
Nationwide cc = 0
Tesco CC = 0
Barclaycard = £2000 - 0% interest until 1st May
MBNA = £7209 - 0% interest until May 2016
Tesco Loan = £3944


Total = £13143


Total paid since Sept 2014 = £5871 - so averages £1174 paid per month


so to pay the total left by the end of Dec I would need to pay £1314 per month! Quite a challenge - the boiler has definitely slowed me down a bit! But will save money in the long run I know!

ampersand

judi - on way out again with trailer [B-I-I-I-I-I-G job helping friends since late Mon, on 3rd floor in a town, permanent move to Spain and ferry goes tonight].

Had to say an advance Well Done! and mean it even more, because when we look here:
Smile OD = zero
Nationwide cc = zero
Tesco CC = zero
Barclaycard = £2000 - 0% interest until 1st May
MBNA = £7209 - 0% interest until May 2016
Tesco Loan = £3944

-we will say '3 down, 3 to go', with the Tesco loan being the priority to pay off, leaving just the 2 at 0%.

Remember to treat yourself to a signature change:-) and what about another colour for those '0' ones, 'cos they'll be h-i-s-t-o-r-y?

Little steps, little steps:-)...but on a down day, if you look there, what will you have but absolute proof of your very own positive debt-free journey and the golden realisation:

:money::j'This is why I'm doing this.' :j:money::D

Your own journey to France, finally, [as my gbfs' one today] can't happen, won't happen without it. This is such a beautiful, life-enhancing goal, judi - and personal debt is just not in the national mindset or money set-up as it is here.

dd1 - read this:
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/feb/21/a-feast-of-engineering-whats-really-in-your-food

Persistent white bread habit and fast food are unhelpful abettors of misbehaviour and short attention spans anyway. Every single thing we bung into our bodies has an effect - obvious. Long-term muck or contaminant refuelling of any engine will hamper its function.

Right, off I go again.

judi24

Hope you removal help went well Ampersand! You were certainly at it early! Do you ever stop? your broom must be on fire!!!


Will update my signature once the loan payment clears on the 1st. Yes I need to read back when I have a down day and remember why I set out to do this rather than plod along the way I have always done!!


I rang Tesco loan today and it only saves £200 over the term of the loan to repay now - I was thinking I could pay it off with my 0% card but that would incur a £120 cost to transfer the funds to my current account (4%) so not sure it is worth it for £80 - I would be better paying less off the CC putting the remainder in savings to then have the cash to pay the loan then carry on with the CC - not doing anything else for the next 2 months until the Barclaycard is gone though!


I am buying very little processed food these days to be honest - DD3 and DS are great and eat healthily - I am pretty organised and menu plan and prepare in advance though and DD1 (although not at home!) eats very healthily. The Main problem is DD2 - she doesn't seem to get that she can't eat this way for ever - the funny thing is all my kids have been brought up the same yet she eats exactly like her dad even though she only spent 2 years of her life with him!!! He lives on processed food and takeaways! - I really don't know what to do with her but that article is quite shocking the utter c**P that goes into our food is scary!!! No wonder we have such a high incidence of cancer and other health problems - its a crazy world!!!

Cwtchie

Your figures are impressive I'm jealous

judi24

Thanks Cwtchie - I'm getting there slowly!!! I have no patience at all - I just want it gone - but I guess I just need to keep plodding on.


Had a busy weekend -but not too spendy really - I had a voucher for a free overnight stay in a hotel it was due to expire at the end of Feb - it was from a utilities switch about 18 months ago and I hadn't used it - so my friend and I went to Blackpool! I took a picnic lunch with us and he paid for dinner and a few drinks and we had a really funny and enjoyable time! (lots of people watching and laughing!!) Then came home yesterday and he got some bits for dinner and I cooked so my total spend was £13 for breakfast yesterday - not bad at all for such a fun weekend


Yesterday we chilled and watched the rugby (I nearly cried at the Scottish result!!)


Today did a big shop in As*a so should only need a small top up next week - budgets are all planned and no big spends planned for this month! Not got much planned at all this month - I now have DD3 and DS 3 weekend out of 4 this month as ex husband has announced he cant have the kids hi weekends as he is off on a Caribbean cruise!!! (this is the man who can't contribute to his daughters school trip!!!) so will need to come up with some cheap (no free!!!!) things to do that get us out and about!

beanielou

Bleeping ex's :mad:

TheMagician

Putting your leisure before your kids, hey...
I'd say, wanna go on holiday, make sure you take the kiddies with you. Pretty sure they'd love some time away with their dad.

How come when parents are together, one wouldn't think of going on a holiday by themselves and leaving kids at home, however when separated that's OK then.

Stay your dignified self, Judi.