The next chapter ....

benbenandme

Christmas Eve at last!! So today should be fairly busy but relaxed too. The jobs I have left to do are:

• Clean bathroom
• Ds bedroom
• Hoover through again
• Make mince pies
• Make sausage rolls
• Make trifle
• Make chocolate log

Other than those bits I plan to walk the dog down the beach (if it ever stops raining), my best mate is popping in and so is Mr S (couldn't make it last night), then picking up Mum at tea-time, going to church at 6.30 with her, then its proper Christmas time

beanielou

Enjoy :A

benbenandme

Hope you all had a happy Christmas - we had a lovely day, ds was beyond over the moon with his main present - the train ticket from hell

He has gone to his Dads this morning so I took the dog to the beach for an hour or two, which has worn him out completely and he's spark out in front of the fire now

I've pottered a bit indoors and stuck the hoover round, changed ds bed and made his room presentable again. The plan for the rest of Boxing Day involves lots of vegging on the sofa, eating leftovers, watching footie and chilling. I might have a hot bath in a bit and maybe check over some new year plans - fitness and financial. Happy Boxing Day everyone

benbenandme

I've had a lovely day of doing nothing Bmth drew so thats another point towards safety, got the small matter of Arsenal then Leicester next

I have been mooching generally online and have signed up for a challenge on the savings board - I'm aiming to save £6k in 2016, it will be hard but that's the point really I need to get myself back on track with watching my money, I don't have a particular goal right now but I just want the challenge

I'm off to check over my SOA and see where I can start making some savings there

benbenandme

So with one week before Im back at work I thought it might as well be time for another list. Not everything on this one will get done by then but its a reminder to me of bits and pieces that I need to get on with

• Take rubbish to the tip
• Pay in pennies at the bank
• Return item to B&Q
• Put xmas decs away
• Take xmas tree to tip
• Take PTA form to friends house
• School work
• Nag ds re. homework
• Clean oven
• Clean washing machine
• Clean dishwasher
• Gut all paperwork
• Write all birthdays on new calendar
• Ironing
• Tidy airing cupboard
• Sort hall cupboard
• Apply for tax credits
• Chase council tax reduction
• Move money between accounts
• Deliver Mums stuff to her house that she left here at Xmas
• Deliver Mr S stuff to his that he left here at Xmas
• Clean car inside and out
• Replace lightbulb in my room and ds room
• Find 10 things for ebay
• Find fitbit and use again
• Defrost ice box in fridge
• Dejunk ds laptop
• Dejunk my laptop

Think that's enough to keep me going

benbenandme

Been to the tip with 3 bin bags of rubbish, returned the striplight to B&Q, popped into Sainsburys and picked up 6 chicken thighs reduced to £1.99 (for the freezer), was good and didn't get other stuff, just wanted to see if there were any irresistable bargains but there wasn't much tbh. I dropped Mums stuff off at hers which has cleared my hall at least.

When I got back I have gutted all my paperwork and managed to fill another bin bag already I'm now updating my records so I know when the car insurance etc needs renewing as I have lost track of most of it at the moment. I love this bit of the year when I feel like I'm getting everything back on track again ready for the New Year I have found the fitbit too but need to charge it before I can use it again.

benbenandme

Hall cupboard has been gutted, I have managed to do the electricity meter reading while I was there (its behind the freezer and normally hidden by 'stuff' It was a productive job, I found various stockpiled things hidden in the cupboard - 3 boxes of Persil non-bio, 2 of them are the huge ones, so I reckon as I only opened another one of these last week I should have enough detergent for the whole of 2016 I also found 6 lunchbox cartons of apple juice, 6 x 2 litre bottles of coke / sprite / dr pepper, a bag of pasta, 6 small bags of chilli heatwave doritos, and 4 bottles of water so was well worth the effort of sorting it. I also ffound an absolutley riddiculous number of carrier bags / bags for life / ikea blue bags. One challenge for 2016 is not to buy any more bags at all, I MUST get in the habit of taking them with me wherever I go. I already have put a couple in each handbag and have a load in the boot of the car.

I also got all the ironing out while I was there, now that its sat cluttering up the lounge I am more likely to get on with that too

Smart_Mart

Hi BBAM, long time no speak. Can't remember if I had this user name on the previous threads or not but the Mart bit will give it away....:D

Happy new year to you and DS. I have my two little DS's living with me now, they moved in four years ago next Friday. Has been hard work at times and we have had tears, strops and exhausting days (usually all mine) but we are through the worst.

Glad to see you are as organised as ever and will be following avidly your progress. Take care!! :T

benbenandme

Hey Mart :wave: Aww, another old-timer is back How are your debt-free travels going these days? Hopefully better than your footie team are doing

I've just had a nap for an hour, it seems to have become a bit of a habit this week, I get to about 1pm and suddenly, boom, it's like I've been hit by a truck and I nod off, seems I'm getting old I'm hoping once I start eating properly again rather than stodge and junk I might feel more like normal.

Mary Poppins is on now, to me this is Christmas - I vividly remember watching it at primary school on the last day of term, we were all herded into the hall and the projector played it, and it was sooo exciting Takes me right back

Smart_Mart

benbenandme wrote: »

Hey Mart :wave: Aww, another old-timer is back How are your debt-free travels going these days? Hopefully better than your footie team are doing

Ouch, that stung a bit.... :eek: :rotfl: . Yes, footie isn't so good these days, heading for a third consecutive relegation at this rate, sad times.

Debt stuff is vastly improved, to be honest it's had to be with the change in circumstances but still have a struggle some months. There is always room for improvement but I'm much better than in previous years. Enjoying this week because it's the one week of the year that I feel revved up to make a difference in life; organising, sorting, washing, cleaning etc.