Thistle's Mission

Thistle-down

Today I achieved:

1. Re-started YNAB and now understand the basics
2. worked out some important long term goals
3. kept my Lidl shop under £10.00

Today I am grateful for:

1. Old passwords being saved in Google Chrome!
2. The beautiful drive through the countryside on the way to pick up DD from her friend's house
3. Having a huge stock of leaf tea in the cupboard and finally remembering how much I love drinking it

Smolly

Hi Thistle

Of course you can do it girl! What an inspirational post x

I'm completely with you on finding new ways to bring extra money in each week and it's my plan come November to try and think of a new way each month. Perhaps we can share ideas?

For a start today I'm going to catch up with all my outstanding Panelbase surveys and try and do some 3Bay. I always find things sell better on a Sunday night than any other night of the week, so if I list some bits tonight they will finish next Sunday.

You must let me know how you get on with YNAB. I have seriously been thinking about it and even signed up for their free mini tutorials a while back with a view to trying it for free for a month. Once you do buy it is that it? Or is it a yearly subscription? I'm in the situation at the moment where any penny that comes in needs to be allocated to essential outgoings so I thought if I could use something like YNAB it's more likely to keep me on track.

Anyway I hope you have a lovely day. Take care xx

Thistle-down

Thanks Smolly, you've reminded me I need to look into doing more surveys again! I've already been rejected by a few who require a more modern laptop to complete the tasks.

I'm not sure how the most recent YNAB works, I briefly looked at it yesterday and there was something about a monthly subscription for an online based budget. I paid £21 over 3 years ago and downloaded the program, it is still working fine and I don't plan on spending any more than that, I want the program available offline and don't really want that kind of info where other people have a chance of accessing it.

There is an option to connect the downloaded version to dropbox so you can share the info between your phone and pc for example, but when I tried I got the message that dropbox can no longer be used with XP. There are a few threads on the forum about YNAB, it's probably worth checking them out.

I received an ebay promo email "pay no more than £1 when you sell" this morning, valid for 24 hours. I am going to have a shower and then get as much listed as I can, concentrating on things that will sell for the highest price.

Thistle-down

Just to add, only one of my ebay items listed earlier in the week has sold, for £3.95. Unfortunately that will not get me close to buying the welsh dresser. I am going to stay positive and trust that I will fall in love with another one once the money is in my account - an ever better one- and as the dining room will be cleared out, it will slip right into place with no hassles at all!

Thistle-down

I only listed a couple of things on ebay before life got in the way. I felt a bit frustrated but am determined to get right back to sorting and listing tomorrow, it seems easier to work when I am home on my own.

I have a fair few things on now, .99p starting prices but there seems to be no interest at all. Is anyone else finding it a bit slow at the moment? I am going to hold off on buying anything else to re-sell until I have sold all of our own stuff and the few bits I bought the other week at the £1 store. There's too much mess, it's hard to work in and I want to get it under control before taking on any more.

Today I accomplished:

1. Sorted out mould on DS's bedroom wall and moved the dehumidifier into his room
2. Listed some things on ebay
3. Sorted out a return for something I wasn't happy with

Today I am grateful for:

1. DH making dinner
2. Seeing a family of newborn ducklings! I thought it was too late in the year for any more
3. The gorgeous leaves all around on my walk by the river with the dog

Smolly

You are sooooooo lucky Thistle. Sigh. A DH who can make dinner. Mine doesn't even know we own a kitchen...

Thanks for the info on YNAB. I shall add it to the November jar! I had a bit of a sort out of the October jar the other day. Threw several out that I had already managed to do and brought a few bits out that ought to be done really. The rest I chucked back in - stuff like sort DS's bedroom, sort OH's corner (yes I allow him a whole corner). I'm loathe to sort 'the corner' for several reasons - it's just all piled up so wrong move and it all comes tumbling down; and he can't blame me if I move something and then he wants it and I can't remember where I've tidied it to!

Anyway I have sold two things tonight and managed to list something like 5 new things and relisted 3. Doubt I will get rich at this rate! And yes I am finding it very slow too. Things will pick up I'm sure!

Anyway hope you have a good night, take care xx

Thistle-down

I am very lucky Smolly, DH usually makes dinner on his days off from work. Whoever doesn't make dinner does the washing up. Unfortunately whenever DH cooks, he manages to use about every dish/plate/utensil/roasting tin that we have, so washing up after him sometimes seems not worth it! JK, he's a very good cook.

I took the dog out as soon as DD left for school this morning, then came back and started sorting out the dining room. I made some progress, but then realised that I needed to make returning something a priority, so wrapped that up and took it to the post office. Hopefully the money will be refunded before the end of the week.

I managed to do a load of laundry and run a vacuum over the downstairs floors so everything is fairly neat and tidy. I have dinner sorted, so will start on that in an hour or two. I'm feeling positive about making a little plan and sticking to it. I will do it again tomorrow.

Thistle-down

I almost forgot - we have some money set aside for something in the new year, and DH has suggested that I "borrow" some to buy the welsh dresser and just make sure the money is back in the account by the end of January.

I'm not sure what I should do. 'Borrowing' the money is what got me into trouble in the first place, and feels a bit like cheating. On the other hand, this dresser is very old, very lovely and quite close to where we live. It would force me to get the dining room completely sorted within the next week as there is nowhere else to put the dresser.

What do you think?

maddiemay

What is the worst case scenario if you spend the money put by and are then unable to replace it by the required date? Would you incur a large penalty, a default, a ccj etc, would not being able to pay it impact in a big way on your family or your stress levels.

No need to answer here, but worth more thought perhaps?

Well done on the early dog walk and getting organised this morning, I need to put more structure in my day after a prolonged period of being unwell and able to do much at all. Won't be so easy for me now the clocks have changed as I don't manage so well in the winter anyway. It was a total pia always having to be up early etc for walk, but I did get so much done:)

Thistle-down

Thanks so much, Maddie!

If I couldn't pay it back, there would be less money for something else (that I don't want to go into on a public forum) but the thing would still get done, no penalties, no fines.

I am thinking the dresser will sell for around £150, so it's not a huge amount to bring in over the next 3 months. If I'm sticking to the new stricter version of myself, I'll be bringing in more money each month anyway. I don't want to talk myself into it, but I am very tempted. It just goes against the whole "save up for it first" mentality that I am trying to embrace.

I'm not keen on the winter either, except for the cozy nights in! I hope you're feeling better now, illness is such a drag. The "supposed" Lupus seems to be giving me a break, thank goodness. I have to go get my heart checked out again at the hospital in the next couple of weeks, but since my monthlies have started again, my heart is no longer doing anything weird. It must be menopause and hormone changes messing me about!