Diary of my new life !!!

hypno06

I agree with KC. Be careful x

benbenandme

Thank you both ... I survived though Have got a sore throat but other than that I'm okay again now I've even come home from school and done half an hours housework, got a load of washing on and loaded the dishwasher Teas cooking and so I thought I'd grab ten minutes to catch up on here

Nothing much else to report today ... spent £2.10 on lunch ... found 11p while tidying up which went in the terramundi ... after tea we're going to write ds christmas cards

benbenandme

Have put 3 x £2 coins in the terramundi ... I am gonna struggle not to smash it and count it for 12 whole months :rotfl:

Sea78

Hi

Glad you're feeling better - the grey in the reply box is really doing my head in!

I often find money - the kids chuck their coppers on the floor and I have no shame in picking it up!

Sea xx

benbenandme

This evening I have been writing out my plans for 2008 and looking back at the plans I wrote out a year ago. I will post more about them tomorrow (am off to bed in a minute), but thought I would also quickly update my SOA while I'm here ....

Income:
My wages:[STRIKE] £580[/STRIKE] now £620
Maintenance:£280
Child Ben £72
Tax Credits [STRIKE]£198[/STRIKE] now £250
Total = [STRIKE]£1130[/STRIKE] £1222

Outgoings:
Mortgage £340
Contents £9
Life Ins £28
Elec £50 dd = £35 but I put the difference in savings account
Water £20
TV Licence £10
Phone/B.band £30
Mobile £20 + £30
Council tax £70
Ground rent £15
Service charge £25

Food £150
Petrol £60
Car tax £10
Car insurance £28
Car maintenance £25

Total £920

£1222 - £920 = £302

* Pension = £47, taken before I get paid
* Must sort out life assurance
* Must cancel old mobile (contract runs out this month)

The £300 leftover is money for day to day living including haircuts, clothes, going out, ds activities, holidays, presents etc etc.

hypno06

That SOA looks pretty good to me - I wish mine was that simple

I hope you are feeling better now. Go get some sleep!

tigzem

Hope you're all better now xx

benbenandme

Yep am all better thankyou, and am very glad its the weekend again I have had a bit of time to think money things again today and I have deicded that as I will have £300 left over each month for day-to-day stuff, I ought to be able to put £100 of this into the mortgage pot. This will still give me £200 a month for day-to-day stuff which should be plenty. So, if I can aim to save £100 of this and make £100 from AQA a month, then this would be my £200 target met each month, and then anything else I can chuck in on top of that would be a bonus. I may be making this a bit unrealistic, but hey, it needs to be a challenge doesn't it

I am concious that I could get a bit too obsessed with hammering down the mortgage and may miss out on some fun, but then I also think that while ds is small I can make the most of "free" fun things like the beach and the forest, and then when he's a bit bigger and wants more cinema / sports / mony-eating type activities then hopefully I'll be in a better financial position to provide them

Today so far I have spent £2.35 on lunch and £1.62 on some weetabix for ds. Of my £50 this week I have got £8 left and have put £8 in the terramundi in £2 coins :j I will put the £8 thats left over towards the Christmas tree. We were going to go and buy it tonight but I think we might go in the morning instead

benbenandme

Have been chatting all evening to cutie guy on msn except cutie guy now has a girlfriend :rolleyes: ... not a problem, as he seems a nice guy and its nice to chat to him anyway. He does however have a single friend and has shown me a picture and he seems quite cute too, not as cute as cutie guy but not bad So, hey, there is still potential there

I have also been looking for where to get the tree from tomorrow and it is a choice between the local garden centre or going into the forest where the forestry commision sell them. They also do xmas activities for the kids too for £3.0 and they all get a mini tree to bring home and plant in the garden (we live 2 floors up :rolleyes: ) .... think this is a lovely idea and would be much nicer to go and get a tree from the forest than the local nursery, but am worried how busy it is gonna be there :rolleyes:

Sea78

oooh I would def go up to the forestry one - sounds brilliant - shame you have no where to plant it. Does any family live nearby that has a garden?

Sea xxx