I WILL get there!!

kirtsypoos

That's such a lovely way to look at it, I've never thought about it before!

I think we will end up staying put for quite a while...we actually had a conversation about extending rather than moving and we haven't even got the keys yet :rotfl:

Managed to snag some utensil bargains on the ebay code bit too - got a utensil set with hanging bar and hooks for under £11! I've got a potato masher that I've had for about 8 years now - I love it and refuse to replace it

Fingers crossed....I'm calling them if I haven't heard anything by 11am, they must hate me :rotfl:

kirtsypoos

:j:j:jOMG! I'm so excited! My debt is under £20,000 for the first time in god knows how long! It's only just under, but under is under!:j:j:j

In other news, my lovely housemate is moving out today. I've had a good cry this morning as it's like the end of an era and I will really miss him.

As one chapter ends, another begins and it's starting to sink in that this time next month (hopefully) we will be homeowners

Orange_Ena

kirtsypoos wrote: »

:j:j:jOMG! I'm so excited! My debt is under £20,000 for the first time in god knows how long! It's only just under, but under is under!:j:j:j

In other news, my lovely housemate is moving out today. I've had a good cry this morning as it's like the end of an era and I will really miss him.

As one chapter ends, another begins and it's starting to sink in that this time next month (hopefully) we will be homeowners

:j:j:j Brilliant news, such a milestone! Bring on under 19k :T

kirtsypoos

Thanks Orange Ena! I'm still on cloud 9 after that milestone...it was my target for Christmas so a whole 2 months early :j

Been to visit my Grandparents today so went out for breakfast (their treat) and then my Nana and I went shopping and she bought us a dressing table mirror and some lovely Egyptian cotton towels - lovely things that we would never be able to afford ourselves so I'm made up.

Confession time though....I had started an EF in a jar but today we found the perfect dining table - exactly what we had been looking for but over budget by £120 haggled for a while and knocked £30 off...after much discussion we went for it. The extra £90 had to come from somewhere so the newly formed EF is no longer . Can't decide how I feel about it - disappointed in myself but absolutely love my new antique solid wood dining table with 6 matching chairs....guilt !!

kirtsypoos

Have made a massive start on the packing today and done a HUGE tip trip. Listed a load of things on eBay/FB too, so fingers crossed that makes some to come off the vanquis card!

It's now my mission to get vanquis paid off by Christmas. I think its achievable if I put my mind to it, but it really depends on house costs... would rather set myself a difficult target than one I don't have to work at though, so keep your fingers crossed for me!

Bobarella

Congratulations on being under 20k Kirsty!!

kirtsypoos

Thanks Bob, I'm chuffed to have met my Christmas Goal early. New Christmas Goal is under 18.5K...meaning I'll have paid off over £6K between 25th July and 25th December :T:j
Minimum Payments with no PADS would take me to 19038 so under 19k would probably be more achievable, but if I don't push myself, what's the point?

eBay here I come!! Going to use Topcashback to do the new house insurance and change gas and elec so fingers crossed that nets me a bit extra. Won't come through before xmas but at least it will help towards next years debt paid total.

I've been asked to increase my hours at work, and I know I should take them up on it...problem is my job is very stressful and I already work a full 40 hour week and have a work mobile that is never turned off, I really don't want to increase my hours anymore. At the moment quality time for OH and I is minimal, I'm usually so tired I'm asleep by 10.30 and he doesn't get home until after 6. By the time we've cleaned/made dinner it's barely an hour before I'm asleep.

OHs thoughts on it are basically that I often do the hours anyway so I may aswell get paid for them. I agree with his point, but at least now I have the option to leave at my contracted time if I can.

I'm trying to weigh up the pros and cons - an extra £20-30 a month towards debt payments but less time to myself. Torn.

crazy_cat_lady

You need to put a price on your own time away from work. Yes, it would be brilliant to earn a bit more - but what's the point if you can't wind down and do something for you once in a while... Look how well you've been doing with the PADs etc xxx

kirtsypoos

Thanks CCL, what you said makes a lot of sense - after all I work to live, not live to work.

I'm going to sit down with my Director and discuss it when he is back from holiday. He has tried to increase my hours previously, but I fought it (mainly because he was not planning to pay extra for this time, in his opinion Managers are salaried and therefore shouldn't get paid for extra hours!)

I'm tempted to try and hold off for a while, at least until we have moved into the house and are a bit more settled there.

On the other hand, I do see OHs point - I've done at least an hour more than I'm officially contracted to every working day for the past 2 weeks, and still been on the phone and answering emails at 8pm...I'm still trying to weigh it up, but I'm definitely in the 'not a chance' camp at the moment.

crazy_cat_lady

I am salaried as well so get no overtime. I reckon that if I actually worked myself out an hourly rate I would be below minimum wage. It was a difficult decision for me to make but I had to decide when enough was enough and stop doing so much extra work. I work every day from 8 till 5 with only a 30 minute lunch, and will sometimes do an hour or two at weekends, but if it's not done in that time then it just isn't going to get done. I've suffered from burnout a couple of times, and there are just some things in life that are worth more than money (to me). Good luck with making a decision xxx