Hello Again...

Abz12

Hello -

Lovely day off today although haven't been out the house yet. Table booked for 5:30 so still have a while before we have to leave. Have only managed to wash up, tie the bin up, sweep the floors in the bathroom and kitchen, wipe sides, fluff sofa and run a bath. OH is still in bed! I need him to start pulling his weight!

Have today checked my bank balance, hence the new totals in the signature. I also had some good news about a refund from a train ticket I never collected as I was ill. That's going straight into the nationwide card so may just round it up to £30. Bank balance not as bad as it could be, I am waiting on two chequers to clear and realised that Halifax haven't collected their min payment as I made two payments before it was due! Nightmare will transfer I once chequers have cleared, I think they do it on purpose.

Feeling a little down today, have recently bumped into an old school friend of mine who has her !!!!!! together much better than me! (Sorry for swearing) she's in a great position work wise, lives a gorgeous house and has a beautiful body, not a care in the world. I hate feeling like this and am not fb for this very reason ( I think it encourages jealously) which is very much what I am right now. I'm not sure why when I suppose I'm not doing too bad for myself, good job, relationship, nice holidays etc. Just wish I was much more confident and slimmer :-) sorry I sound like I'm dragging on and moaning as things could be much worse but it's how I feel and I come here to sound off. I need to start putting my self and my health first. Instead of cleaning and worrying about work and schedules etc. I have already lost 2 stone since January 2015 and am just above 15 stone. Would ideally like to lose another 2 stone so this is my goal. I am setting myself some health objectives for March;
- drink more than 2L every day
- exercise at least three times a week
- get my hair cut
- paint my nails
- book a facial for April
- wash my hair more than once a week ( I don't have the time to do it more often)
- love myself
- spend less time on my phone but not on MSE though! :-)
- get back into yoga (used to do this nightly but have stopped )

Let's see how we go with that. I know my finances will take a hit with the facial and the hair cut but it's needed.

That's all for now but I may be back later as I'm off work and I only like talking to you!

Kitten868

Sorry about the failing the exam. But when you pass you'll know your stuff better than anyone else and you know where you're falling down now too. You've got it this time! Indeed miss spend-a-lot! Lots of lovely meals but it's good to remind yourself how quick it gets spent when you take your eye off the ball. And to treat special people for their special days xxx

Abz12

Morning All -

Thanks kitten, I hope so but I haven't decided on whether to do it again yet. The money is just too much. My mom has offered to pay but I hate taking money from her.

Didn't make it back yesterday but I'm here now. Evening meal cost £33!!! No more outings in March for me!!! Except for tonight and Friday ;-)

Managed to do the following on my list;
Drink 2L of water
Paint nails
Booked appointment for hair this Saturday

Not a bad start for the first day. Although I need to exercise really...having a really fat week cause of all the birthdays and Mother's Day.

I have also called and requested a refund from my HA at long last. They say it can take up to 28 days so we will see, should be another few hundred knocked off the nationwide card.

Off to get ready for work tomorrow :-(

Abz12

Hello,

Another day, another dollar, or should I say £!

Back to work today, feel slightly tired as work was quite busy. Checked my bank account an have more money than expected. One of the train ticket refunds has come through so as well as the cost of the radiator bed for the cats ***impulse purchase*** I have transferred £30 to the nationwide card. It's hovering just over £1,000 and driving me insane. I may just have to round it down. Waiting on the refund of my rent and will transfer that straight away, I think this will approx £300 as they said they won't refund the whole lot, annoying!

Withdrew £20 as I had a glass of wine with a work colleague after work. Made a cheeky stop at Burger King! Otherwise would have been a NSD! Ate dinner at home made by the OH.

On the plus side I have joined the £2 savers club and have my first one today. Need a tub to put them in aside from my spare change drum and the fake wine bottle I put the odd note in here and there. I think I will save the £2 until our Thailand trip next year for spends, although that's what I'm saving in the wine bottle.... I don't actually no what the £2 savers jar is for but I will decide later on.

Halifax statement came in and they have charged me interest of £2.35! I guess this was to be expected as part of the month there was still a purchase balance. I hoped there will be no interest next month but they are saying my estimated interest is 3p! Seriously!!! 3p!!! I will round this balance if it kills me. Not sure if anyone else has received this from their credit card company but they have sent me an annual statement between 9/2/15 - 6/3/16
•In total I have paid off £1,312.85
•Spent £1,237.69
•Balance transferred £3,000
•Interest on purchases £50.48
•Fees charged for BT £84
•Fees for purchases overseas £8.04
•Credit limit £6,000

My credit score must have been updated because Barclays have sent me a 0% offer on purchases and BT! They can stick there offer where the sun doesn't shine! :-) I need to close this card down as the credit limit is high but every time I ring them they offer me cash :-)

Regarding my aims, yesterday I drank 2L water! Woohoo!!

Today I have almost reached this target but still no exercise.

Off to catch up on other diaries, night all.

Abz12

Thursday
After a convo with my friend about the student loan situation I called them. I owe them £12,777.42!!! Even though I didn't finish my degree, regardless you have to pay it back if you earn over the threshold. I wish my parents had moved to Scotland then my further education would have been free. Should I be worried about this or just leave it? you can make over payments but not sure if this is recognised on my credit report as its not showing on noodle at the moment.

Bought myself lunch £4.70 and picked up my friends present for the baby shower this weekend, paid for by an Argos voucher.

Didn't manage to drink 2L of water was work was so busy and stayed late. Stir fry for dinner with chicken and mixed veg -£9 asda.


Friday
£3.70 on a train ticket to work (at least I didn't use any petrol! )
£3.70 On a breakfast sandwich
£5.25 on lunch (stop me I'm out of control!!)
£23.85 for a mini night out with my two friends (1 cancelled at the last min)
£10 withdrawn as I need to get a card & bag for the baby shower tomorrow.

Forgot my favourite water bottle, I know I'm weird, so used an old one in my desk. Protein shake for my lunch.

Weighed myself in the morning and I'm still 15 stone 2. Need to start exercising.

Filled in one YouGov survey, only need 4675 points to cash out my £50.


Saturday
Done some washing, washing up, cleaned toilet.
£35 Hair appointment
Went to the baby shower, it's was really good fun actually. We played baby bingo, pin the dummy on the baby and baby bingo. My friend had a really nice time and she deserves it after all she's been through.
Then went to see my nan as she's been ill recently and it was only round the corner and took my recycling. :-)
Another Yougov survey completed.
Stayed in, spent £5 on a takeaway!

Sunday
After being spendy spenderson over the last week I'm aiming for a no spend week this week. Yes the whole week....can I do it??? I don't have anything going on except a lecture on Wednesday for my professional qualification and then another weekend before pay day!!! Woohoo!
I have about £108 left in my account after all my bad spends and only have a £20 DD to come out so £80 towards the big bill in April.
Another Yougov survey...maybe the more you do the more you are offered.

Kitten868

I do like yougov as the surveys aren't mind numbing. They send you surveys based on info about you. I've heard that if you're a 50 year old rich man that is high up in a business you get the most surveys. I like onepoll too I get lots of questions about being a mum. And they do competitions on Facebook.
Student loans depends on when you took it out. If after 1998 which I think includes you then you are charged inflation and there's no pressure to pay it back - it's not on your credit file and gets written off 25 years from the April after you finish. You'd have to check if this is the case for non-finishers as it might be different. X

Abz12

Drank 2L water
17 mins of HIT exercise in the morning, yes that's right I got up at 5:55 and worked out to YouTube. Very MSE.
5000+ steps walked
NSD
Breakfast: Low carb day only 2 seeded brown bread with bertolli
Morning snack: Greek yogurt
Lunch: protein shake with 400ml of semi skimmed milk
Afternoon snack: pistachio nuts, not salted.
Dinner: skinless chicken breast,with green beans and broccoli with mixed peppers and white rice.

Kitten - that includes me and it's the same for non finishers too :-( never mind, there's nothing I can do about it as long as it doesn't affect my credit rating I'm ok with that.

Decided as well as my water I will get up earlier three times a week to exercise. Legs are hurting now tho! I don't think three times is to much to ask of myself.

I received my letter regarding my exam result and guess what I failed by 1 mark.....1 Mark.....it hurts to read the letter!! 1 mark cost me £132!!

Holidays have reared there ugly head again at work.....I wasn't going to have one but am now getting weaker! If I get a bonus at work we are going to Barcelona for my birthday and I'm thinking Greece later in the year...stop me, stop me now!

Abz12

Drank 2L water
20 mins of yoga
5000+ steps walked
NSD
Breakfast: brown seeded toast with bertolli
Morning snack: Greek yogurt (ran out of)
Lunch: protein shake with 400ml of semi skimmed milk
Afternoon snack: pistachios (ran out of these aswell)
Dinner: chicken breast stuffed with cheese and wrapped in ham with white rice.

Rest day today so did a bit of yoga. Good job as I'm walking like John Wayne....my leg muscles are so sore!

Ran out of bread this morning so trying to get my OH to buy some plus Greek yoghurt and strawberries for my morning snack...not going very well. Does it count if he buys it? if it does I can survive on crumpets and no morning snack.

Still waiting on my refund from the HA and from the cancelled train tickets. Last DD came out and got £88 left until the 25th...this week being NSD I should be ok. It's the weekends that mess it up. I did buy train tickets for next weeks business trip on Tuesday but this will be reimbursed once my expenses are paid and go straight back on the card.

One swag Buck survey completed for 6SB - hard to complete these as I don't have a computer at the moment and not compatible on my phone, trying to do it at work. Really need to Knuckle down tho as it's easy money. Balance is only 178 and I haven't redeemed any yet. This could potentially pay for Xmas so will keep at it.

Can't wait for pay day....10 days to go!!! I haven't chosen the best week to have a NSD, I have ran out of everything! Figures have been running through my mind and I think if I put about £300 a month towards my debts they should be gone by December. I divided my total debt my £300 and it says 17 months!! Confused. OH starts giving me £300 in April an I'm just going to transfer it straight out. Get rid of it quick before I spend it lol.

I really would like a holiday but just don't think it's going to practical this year if I want to be debt free....I can do without a beach holiday for one year surely.

Kitten868

I gave up on swagbucks. I had the video app & everything. I would fill everything in then not be applicable over and over and over. No I don't own my own company! And I don't buy IT supplies!
What about a sun holiday? Course you can go without for s year. What you're buying is way more special! You'll wince when you buy a bikini lol. Maybd next year you'll have some lovely time off in your own house? Xxx

Abz12

Kitten I know exactly what you mean but I'm not sure I have time for all the others. I'm currently working on swag bucks and Yougov. Still a long way off redeeming anything but have this idea that I will save them up until Christmas and use them on food and gifts. I have downloaded the app on my phone and leave it playing in the back ground.

Things have been quiet in the Abz household. Not much debt busting going on. Money has been quite tight this month and I reviewed my bank statement and spent £250+ on odd spends. Really annoyed at myself as this could gone on reducing the debt but hey ho we live and we learn. Next month will go better I'm sure. The main thing is I haven't increased any of the debt, well any that isn't going to be paid back with expenses! Still haven't decided on my exam but will do that this week, perhaps tomorrow. One more go and that's it. I also received my home insurance renewal which has gone up £3 a month so as I work in the industry I have asked one of my more friendlier business associates to take a look, if they any do anything I will be looking through top cash back.

Well I got my bonus...which isn't much to speak of but at least it's something rather than nothing. Was going to see if we could get a late deal to Barcelona but on Sunday found out that the car is leaking oil. Keep your fingers crossed for me that it is nothing serious, otherwise that's a big wave goodbye to my bonus.

Seriously can't wait to get paid...not much in the way planned for April. A meal on Thursday, Friday potentially cinema (friend is visiting), Saturday decorating (paint purchased in Jan and gloss purchased on top cash back) and comedy club (tickets have already been paid for) and Sunday London (used a rail voucher that I was given back following a complaint) how good is that a bank holiday weekend already paid for!

Have continued to exercise and do yoga but gradually increasing how many days I do the work out. Still watching my food intake and today treated myself to strawberries and yoghurt. Can barely walk sometimes after the workout!

I've been thinking, I'm moving our save to buy account to the government tax free one and then next April plan to move it to the lifetime ISA, this isn't capped at £3k a year but £1k every anniversary for every £4K. Sounds good to me. :-)