Hello Again...

Abz12

Thanks for posting Siebrie - thank you for the compliments. I have a long way to go but taking the right steps feels great. Regarding converting it's something he wants before we get married. I have read that Christians can marry Muslims or any other religion for that reason. He would like our house hold to be Muslim so that the children will be raised as Muslim only. He wants this regardless of whether they are boys or girls.

Went shopping and sort of stayed on budget...£53. Something spent so let's say £4 over budget. My petrol light came on (I tempted fate) £20 on petrol. Vaccumed out my car at my grandparents so saved £3.

Back home now and finished exercising. I have set myself a challenge to walk more steps than last week on my Fitbit. This is a personal challenge, one that I'm not sharing with anyone but you lot! Lol.

Off to bathe and prepare dinner...work tomorrow!

Eager_Elephant

Crikey Abz - you really do have a lot to think about. If you have been together for nearly 10 years with no marriage or children and wildly different view points on things you really need to think about whether you want to be in the same situation in another 10 years.


Can you envisage ever converting?
Do you want to bring your children up as Muslim? Does he get a bigger say than you do?


Hope you can work things out.


Good luck with the FitBit challenge.

Abz12

EE - yes we do!! Tbh I like the religion and what it stands for, please don't believe everything you hear in the media, but I grew up with no particular affiliation to a religion and so its wildly different to how I grew up. I would like to learn more about it before making a decision on converting. I would say for the family aspect and values, which I know is not the religion but culture I would like my children to be Muslim. I am scared though that with al the press attention the religion gets that they will have a hard time growing up. He doesn't get a bigger say but because he is the only one who has a religion I think he just has stronger views. I have no doubt in mind that we will work it out. He said that he would like me to start looking more into it and then make a decision instead of just doing it for him. We will see.

Thank you for the good luck wishes, I have today completed 13k steps so smashed my total and going for the full 70k this week!

All my bills come out tomorrow so can't wait to write my budget down and pay some debt down. Just need to order the cat food and will update the cash back total so far.

In survey news, completed my first academic survey today and earns £4!! Have to wait for these to be reviewed before the cash is paid to the account but this is much more profitable than swag bucks. Which by the way I have lost complete faith with. Not even watching the videos or completing the daily poll which is silly as its free points. Planning on saving all survey points until xmas.

Woke up a great mood this morning, helped so much that the sun was shining and the music was great on the radio. Have completed exercise and cooked a healthy dinner of fajitas and sweet potato fries (homemade) Oh had white potato chips but I don't think I could go back to them after switching.

Night all x

Abz12

Morning All,

Can’t believe it’s almost the afternoon on Wednesday already…feels like the week is running away with us.
I have updated my signature as far as I can, until all payments have cleared. Went through my budget and I think I have quite a bit of spare cash this month so planning to pay £250 off the Nationwide card first of all and then hoping for another £50. I don’t want to put the full £300 on in case I leave myself short for the rest of the month. Looking at the balance on the Nationwide card makes me nervous now, it’s grown and to think I had it well below £1k two months ago but I will decide to go to Barcelona for my birthday!

Halifax have been very naughty and because I paid a little extra at the end of last month they have reduced my minimum payment by that amount for this month. Have logged in and set the monthly payment amount at £50. I know this goes against the Dave Ramsey method of snowballing but I like a nice round amount and don’t want to think of how much it would have been once I get to it, if that makes sense?? First month I have not been charged interest because of the interest accumulating and I’m so pleased it is below £3k. After my next payment I will have more to spend than the balance!!! Achievement!!! J

I am thinking about joining Slimming World, has anybody had any successes? There is a lady at my work who has lost a stone and loves it. I have been reading about all the recipes and they sound delicious. It would really help me learn to cook and also to lose some of this excess weight. Would like to be in tip top condition before my holiday to Thailand next year, haven’t been in shape since I was 19. I watch what I eat but always seem to yoyo just above 15 stone since I lost 2 stones last year. So annoying, I find it hard to stick to so when the scale stays still I usually just eat something fat and put on 6 pounds!! J I have asked my friend to join with me. There is a joining fee of £4.95 and then weekly the same amount, should I be starting something new when I am trying to clear debts?

Looked at my diary for June last night and I am happy to say that I have absolutely nothing planned. I told the OH and he said let’s keep it that way! The only thing I completely forgot about was Father’s Day. So booked my train tickets to London for the Sunday…obviously used Top cashback. £20.50, not bad. Budgeted £20 for his present and card, might just get him some sweets as he loves them. He would like something expensive but I’m on a money diet. Also ordered the cat food through Top cashback and stayed in budget of 30p. Which means we have 40 days’ worth of food for the two of them.

Will probably be back later…off to get my steps in.

Abz12

Evening, twice in one day anyone would think I was addicted! :-) I keep meaning to mention/ask everyone's thoyghts on getting an ASDA credit card? I do my food shopping there and when I had one before they give you cash back. Unfortunately if you're an existing customer through TCB you don't get anything. Might look into it. My current credit card with nationwide pays cash back at Christmas time and seems to be building up nicely but I am slightly addicted to getting cash back on stuff now as well! I also didn't mention that I am visiting another office this month for work so will get about £70 in mileage. Plan to put tht towards the nationwide card as well. Let see if I can get to £1,300 before July.

I am really far off the end of the journey but for some reason this week i feel so optimistic that I'm allowing myself to wonder what it would be like to be debt free??? What would I spend my money on? Doing a final calculation I am just under £5k now. Not sure I can do that before December but you never know plus £300 of the nationwide card is not mine. Need to keep reminding myself of that.

As we are getting closer to the end of the year, scary thought! I might start putting £50 aside each month for my flight to Thailand. Don't want to become debt free and hen suddenly have to find that money to book come Jan.

No exercise tonight, caught up on one of my favourite programmes, well tried too, whilst the OH cooked steak and chips. Mine were sweet potato of course. Off for a quick read before another show comes on.

Night

Abz12

Hello all,

Not really much to report atm. Debts are pretty much staying the same. I have joined slimming world and this does seem to be having a negative impact on my disposable income as I keep needing to buy ingredients to cook from scratch. Keeping a close eye though just in case this means I will overspend or add to my debt.

Have been doing a few prolific surveys and made about £6 so far so that's good.

Hope everyone else is ok.

Abz12

Evening all, NSD for me today. At a work conference with lunch provided and came home and cooked dinner from scratch on my new slimming world diet! Loving the recipes in there just hope all the effort pays off on Monday for my first weigh in.

I forgot to post but I beat my steps walked last week!!!!! By 10,000 setting myself another challenge this week, although half way in to do this again. Have already walked 30,000 steps and it's only Wednesday so hoping for the full 70,000 this time.

I applied for the ASDA card and was accepted, credit limit of £3k. Will reduce this to £250 as soon as I get the card. Plan to just buy shopping and petrol for the extra cash back. Plan to close the barclaycard one tomorrow don't need four and there is no balance on that one.

Night all

Abz12

Morning all, thank god it's the weekend! Had yesterday off to take the exam again and guess what...I failed again! It's so frustrating and so hard but I need to pass it before September otherwise I will have to pay for the whole course again. Each exam costs £123, not cheap and money that could go towards my debt. Decisions decisions I suppose. Just feel like I can't continue if I can't pass it. I really thought I had this time, will wait for the results so I no by how much I failed.

First week of slimming world is not going to bad. Mainly sticking to the syns system but did have 4 vodka cokes last night! When I weighed in last Monday I was 15 stone 11 pounds and this morning using my own scales I'm back down to 15 s 3lb which is great for a week but I still have tonight, Sunday and Monday day to go yet. Wish me luck. It's difficult coming home and cooking everyday but when it's complete I actually feel really pleased with myself. I always make extra so I have lunch the next day too. That's MsE. I have set a target to lose one stone first and then will do it in stages. This is without any exercise as well.

The ASDA credit card arrived and I'm yet to activate it but you get 1% cash back. I plan to put petrol and shopping on it.

Have not made any more payment towards my debt, this month may just be the £250 originally budgeted. At least not addition too.

Have a nice weekend

Abz12

Morning....voting day!!! Whatever the decision I think it will be close!

Not really much to report debt wise, paid for another go at the exam again after getting the results. I have decided to only study those chapters on which I fell down. Only failed by one mark again!! This is my last go as I'm not paying out another £123.

Really can't pay more than £250 towards my debts this month as I living off of £10 for the next week until I'm paid. This weekend should be a quieter one.

Slimming world wise I got my 1/2 stone award!!!! Yay!!! Still don't feel any different but must be doing something right. I really need to step up my physical activity so I can see more of a loss. Might add it to my signature so I can see my progress as the months go by.

6 days until payday and counting!!!

Abz12

It has been a while...

Been going through some personal stuff so haven't been posting. Still debt busting and have updated my totals. Really excited that I only have two more pay days until I'm car finance free for the first time in five years! What will I do with an extra almost £200 each month, well I can think of one thing...paying down debt! :-)

As of today I have about £500 in my service and MOT fund for September so feel quite relaxed about that. Will still continue to save in there as my insurance is due in December.

July is a pretty quite month so far, have said no to most social plans and only have my grandads birthday, that's just a card as he doesn't like the idea of presents.

August is a big one for me as I have my car tax and and my dads birthday. I plan to buy my dad a kindle using my swag bucks points, I have been neglecting them for a while but will get back on it to redeem at least £10 towards the kindle as its £50. Will do cash back also.

Lost a total of 8.5lbs so far on slimming world so pleased about that.

Onwards and upwards