Here I go again...

LittleMissDetermined

Wow, almost 2 months have passed since my last update. 2 months of PADding, paying off debt, managed to get away for a week too.

My second lot of counselling has started and I am getting a lot from it. I'm trying to work from home more in order to save petrol.

I am still safely on the MSE wagon and aside from the work on the house we have been relatively careful with our spending. Even our holiday was a cheap stay in a relative's caravan.

I'm trying to get some interests outside of my job, I love my job and it takes up a lot of my time, even when I'm off the clock my brain continues buzzing away in the background... I'm going to start some crafting and maybe build up to something like curtain making or even (hold the phones...) a dress! Perhaps that'll coincide with retirement haha!

I'm a complete bookworm so I'm also just as happy curled up with a good book and the dog snoozing on my lap. Doesn't take much with me, I'm definitely not high maintenance!

I hope everyone's doing well and are happy and healthy. I need to make more of an effort instead of just a quick PAD each day... my bad

Keep smiling

LMD xx

Bobarella

I know that hard to switch off feeling. Tricky isnt it. Glad you feel the counselling is helping too.

LittleMissDetermined

Thanks Bobarella

LittleMissDetermined

Wow, I am sooo glad it's Friday, it's still been a boooger of a day though, one of those where no matter how hard you try you just can't seem to win?
Anyway, the day is over, I have my feet up watching the telly and I have a nice glass of wine. Aaaand breathe!

This morning's PAD was a bank round down to the credit card. I've done my budget for August and it's looking quite tight so I need to use bank skimming where I can with the exception of regular card payments.

I've combined my savings pot and my EF, mainly because the bank where my EF was held peeved me a bit, I can't even remember why now so I moved it all to my savings account with my current account provider. Once my EF has hit £1k I will start plumping up my 3-6 month fund. I estimate the EF to get to target next payday so I can then start making in-roads to the sabbatical savings.

I'm very aware I may have to dip into either or both of these pots but at least in the interim I feel I'm getting somewhere with them.

In the 2 months I have been out I've also opened a secondary debit account which I can use for 'personal' spends, such as the odd lunch out of hair apps (when I get the chance!) etc. Anything left in there will just roll over and create a pot for the girls weekend I have planned in September.

I make it sound like I have money pots all over but it's organised chaos I promise!

A busy weekend ahead, next week is too but hoping to just relax a bit next weekend with just a meal for a family birthday which will be really nice.

Enjoy your weekends peeps

LMD x

crazy_cat_lady

Hi LMD - good to 'see' you again. I'm really pleased that the counselling is helping, and also really pleased that you're making time for yourself as well.

LittleMissDetermined

Hi CCL, I hope all is well with you and your family

Today has been a low spend day with just some essentials, and it was leftovers for dinner this evening so that was MSE of me! PADing is down to bank skims but it all adds up, I am always surprised at the statement just how much it comes to on top of my standard payment.

I'm watching the usual TCB, Quidco, Shopmium and snapping receipts like crazy on ReceiptHog to do that little bit extra. Popped to Boots the other day and was surprised to find my points are at £23 - I always forget about that... Pinecone has been very quiet lately and I like those as you qualify for them

Hoping for a NSD tomorrow with a home made lunch and just water at work for free. I keep telling myself I need to drink far more water but I usually remember at a point in the day where if I drink I'll be up in the night... a nice reminder that I'm getting on a bit haha! :rotfl:

I had a little spend at the weekend but managed to avoid spending too much and bagged a bargain pair of sandals in the sale. All I need now is some sunshine so I can wear them

Have a good evening folks,

LMD xx

LittleMissDetermined

Good morning, I hope everyone's OK

It's been a week since my last post and there's not much more to report except that I have a virus and have had to spend £16-odd on prescription charges At least it means I'll get better.

It was a quiet weekend money-wise and aside from PADding and the regular food shopping not much has been spent, I've had a few surveys to do for pinecone this week since I dissed them in my last post haha - their payouts are always handy to use as a daily PAD

Hubby has said he will fund our next holiday and has booked a week for us in the canaries in the run up to Christmas, that gives me something to look forward to and I will only have to save a bit of spends as it's half-board. The up-side to not having children is that we don't have to pay over the odds for holidays.

I have a couple of missing TCB amounts which I have had to raise tickets for, totalling more than £80 so I hope they get sorted... I've also had one stuck at pending from January that I've raised a support ticket for but they keep closing it, very frustrating as it should have been paid by now.

That's it for updates from me folks,

May the sun shine for you today

LMD xx

LittleMissDetermined

Well, I'm still waiting on the missing TCB amounts, quite disappointed really. I was going to look at switching utilities through there but might just do a straightforward switch, I'm certain we can get a better deal as we haven't changed providers for years.

I've kept on with the PADding, it soon adds up. Not long until payday which is good as it's been a tight month, September looks to be the same if I continue to make the large overpayments on my cards.

We have a girls weekend planned for September which has been booked for ages, a nice spa getaway which we try to do twice each year. It doesn't cost the earth and I've saved for it so I'm feeling quite good about that.

Would be great for TCB to sort the issues out in time for that £80 to be spending money for me

Bank skims as PADs for the rest of the week, hubby is working this weekend so it will be a very low key, low spend weekend. Probably cleaning and tidying!

Anyway, lunch is almost over so I better go

LMD xx

LittleMissDetermined

Payday woohoo!

It's been a long old month and I'm glad to see the arrival of pay day. Although I couldn't sleep so I've been up since silly-o-clock doing my budget for the month ahead.

I've also made my big payment to CC1 (managed to make a last payment to BC this week so that ones clear) of £800 which is a massive overpayment. Hoping to get that one clear in the next 5-6 months at that rate, that's where all my daily PADs go too.

We have also been talking about the C word... Apparently it's time to start making a list because I never know what I want.:rotfl: less than 4 months to go.:xmastree:

With this pay I've also been able to take my EF up to just above target, that now stands at £1002.68 and another £30 has been added to my 3-6 month fund. I can start adding more to this next month now that I've hit my EF target.

Looking at my budgeting spreadsheet it looks like I have around a £100 surplus this month which should be fine for slight hiccups and PADding.

Better get my a$$ to work...

LMD xx

LittleMissDetermined

Wow, I am pooped today... So glad it's a bank holiday! Was up yesterday at 4am to go and do a car boot sale. We made just over £300 between me and hubby so that was worth doing.

It always amazes me how some people want your stuff for mere pennies, even 50p was too expensive!

Anyway, that should provide me with the spending money for my girls weekend away

I have some good quality branded stuff left so I shall put that on eBay sometime in the near future. I was just trying to avoid the hassle of packing and posting but that shouldn't be as bad now I can flex and work from home.

I hope everyone's having a good bank holiday, it seems the sunshine is here for the day too!

LMD xx