My Journey To My Pot Of Gold

moneyonmymindsam

:kisses::kisses::kisses::kisses::kisses:


Are you feeling the love yet? ...Keep smiling

Tinkerbelle2000

Hope you're ok MT, leaving lovely chocs for you.

Tink xx

MuffinTops

Thank you so much for your message SAM. Your words are so lovely and so appreciated. I am currently trying to be a better friend to myself. I'm not at best friend status yet, but I'll get there.

Sadly, I'm not being driven mad by Christmas song requests. No one is requesting them! So, I did a whole show on Christmas tunes and will be doing another on Christmas evening. I'm looking for more traditional Christmas songs for that show.

Thank you for the chocolates Tink. Always appreciated.

MTxx

MuffinTops

I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend. I had a new joiner at the radio so have been training him. He's worked on a voluntary radio show before, but wasn't happy with the atmosphere there, so he's decided to give us a try. All seems to be going well so far.

I had quite a lazy day on Saturday. I've just been feeling quite drained from various things, so a nice restful day was lovely. Sunday I did another show and then yesterday I blitzed my living room. I've not put any Christmas decorations up this year as I decided to make clearing out a priority. So all clutter was cleared out and most of it thrown away. Bits I wasn't sure of are sitting in my hallway, as that's the next area. I even got on my hands and knees and scrubbed away at any carpet stains. I have a cream carpet so everything shows up!

My hallway is now a bit of a mess, although there are 3 large gifts waiting to be wrapped and given and a few other small gifts also waiting to go to their rightful owner. Then it's mainly bills that need to be filed away.

My kitchen and the shiny sink are also being maintained. It's all plodding forward slowly, but surely.

MuffinTops

So are we all ready for Christmas now?

I was paid today (way too early!!!), but should only have minimal spends until my official pay day so I won't be making a dent in my salary too much. I'll also use the shopping vouchers I have for January to try to make the money stretch much further this year.

One of my regular savings accounts matures at the end of January too, so I need to decide what to do with that. I'll probably end up putting it in the Santander account as that pays the highest interest. I never withdraw money from that account (it's pure bill paying cashback) so I'm not worried I'll dip into it. I may need it for an impending move too. I could add it to the interest free card, but I'm ok keeping that while it's interest free.

I have one other regular saver which matures in May so I'm not sure if I should open another. Knowing me, I probably will as 6% is too good to miss!!!

I've decided to go into the hospital and do a live radio show on Christmas evening. I've asked the nurses if I can take in little boxes of chocolate for each patient on the ward and no one can give me a definitive answer. They seem to sway more towards a yes though, so I've now purchased 24 mini chocolate boxes of a mixture of Roses, Quality Street and Lindt. It's so nice to be able to do something like that without worrying about money (each box was only £1 with offers etc, but even so, a few years ago I'd have struggled with that).

All other gifts are now bought and I've finally sent off cards. As I was writing them I thought how nice it would have been to send you all a card too as you're all so lovely.

Have a fabulous day. MTxx

MuffinTops

I had meant to leave work on time yesterday and update YNAB and just get a few bits done, but one of the lads I work with came over for a chat and we ended up talking for an hour and a half!!!! So, I got home after 9pm and just had time for a bath, a bit of writing and then bed. Exhausted today too! Such a lightweight this week!

I have noted all finance details though so updating YNAB is simply about copying the sheet I've written on.

I forgot to bring my lunch in today. I got it out of the fridge and put in a lovely bag and then left it on the side!!!

Mid week and 2 days from a Santa visit. I hope everyone is feeling really festive and looking forward to their big day.



MTxx

RosaBernicia

How lovely of you to bring in pressies for the ward! And it is a very nice feeling to be able to do things like that isn't it - it's one of the things I am enjoying as I inch closer to DF.

I have also been paid and updated YNAB, and am now trying to avoid looking at it - because having filled the freezer, had interview coaching and spent extra on pressies means it's way over before I even get the last few pressies and two more tanks of petrol! Arg! Never mind, will untangle it all afterwards.

Hope you have a wonderful Christmas MT - and that you have a fab new year, you have already got some great plans in motion!


Rosa xx

MuffinTops

Wow, that all went by so fast, didn't it? I've even taken all decorations and cards down now as I just wasn't feeling it this year and didn't want to try to force anything.

Christmas day was quite nice in the end. I visited my Mum in the morning and we had lunch together. Then I came home for a few hours and then we went off to the hospital for the radio show. I took the chocolates and everyone was so appreciative of such a small gesture. If a patient was asleep I'd just pop a chocolate box on their little table for when they woke. I was told just one person had diabetes with high sugar levels, and the nurses were kind enough to let me include him. Most people gave me a Christmas song request, and I did manage to play them all.

Boxing day was quite eventful and then yesterday and today have been nice and quiet. I'm back at work tomorrow.

I've been contacted by someone who used to work at my company years ago, who I've not spoken to since he left. Apparently, he's in touch with an external company we use and has told me that this company have been approached about replacing our department at work! Hmm! I don't know if I can trust this person, but that news does make sense on how this whole fiasco has been going. All I can do is wait and see though. I do now feel that I have a more educated guess on what's likely to happen.

Finances are all set up now, YNAB is completely up to date and I've also decided to do a £1 a day challenge, where I just transfer £1 from my main account to the online saver account with the same bank. I always want January to be fresh starts, so that £1 a day can pay for Christmas and some new year freshness.

I'm also considering getting another mortgage based on wanting my next property to potentially be a business too. So, I've looked up the maximum I'd be offered and how much that would cost a month so I now have to put that figure aside each month to prove to both me and the bank that I can comfortably pay that amount out each month. It's not a definite, my job will be a huge deciding factor, but I want to be prepared. At the worst I'll have a major savings boost.

I've also managed to do an online mystery shop today, so have hopefully earned a little bit of extra money that way too. Just need to see if they'll accept it.

I'm back at work tomorrow so spending the rest of the evening on the sofa with lots of candles burning and some Christmas TV catch ups!

MTxx

Tinkerbelle2000

Hi MT. Glad to hear you had a nice Christmas and how lovely you spent Christmas night cheering people up with chocs and Christmas songs.

I'm all ready with YNAB for the new year so I'm wishing the next couple of days go fast.

Take care.

Tink xx

MuffinTops

I've been trying to get the little long time jobs done indoors, although I'm back at work now. Bin operatives arrive tomorrow so I'd like to find more junk to throw away.

I did manage to change the lock on my front door which I've not had a key for in years!!!! I would have to literally break into the front door. I actually preferred it this way as it's faster and the door is still secure with a heavy locked porch door, but there will be a point when I have to hand keys over, so thought it best to get sorted.

I've looked for more mystery shops today, but there's nothing allocated. My mystery shop yesterday hasn't been vetted yet either, which is worrying as the deadline was 10am today. Would be nice to get a few more of those this month to help me through.

Shop and scan points awarded and I remembered to add the muffin I bought on the way to work this morning (it was a form of bribery for having to work today !!!!)

I've also earned the maximum Swagbucks TV bucks this morning.

It's so quiet at work that I've had a chance to start clearing out my desks of all junk and other unnecessaries. It's always lovely starting a new year with a fresh desk and computer.

I still need to write out my 2016 goals. I'll put them here and in my journal as I think I'll need to keep referring back and track my progress.

Hopefully there aren't many of us working this week, and you're all having a fantastic time.

MTx