Paid off the £31,000! BUT - still scrimping!

Bobarella

That's good news SG hope everything is as expected with the statement.

Seasidegal58

Back again! I’ve got to start posting every day (bad SSG!). Headwise, I’ve not really had a good month post New Year. What with getting the dreaded lurgy again and this miserable weather my life has consisted of:

• Go to work in miserable, cold weather;
• Go home in miserable, cold weather;
• Get dinner on;
• Eat dinner while staring numbly at tv screen for a while;
• Feel exhausted and go to bed;
• Start all over again next day………..

Still onwards and upwards for February! I got paid on Wednesday so pluses and minuses for the December/January pay month:

Negatives:

- Financially so-so – no great savings. Had to pay my half-yearly service charge for the flat - £415:mad: ! (but budgeted for!).
- Lurgy – enough said!
- Had to pay out extra cash when delayed at fog-bound Gatwick at the New Year – extra food and coffees while waiting; taxi to Inverness when I got there as had to stay in hotel overnight ………………..

Positives:

- ……….though wonderful DD booked and paid for the hotel! Great New Year in bonny Scotland!
- Frantic but lovely Christmas with the family, including my new nephew!
- Fantastic night out with sis at final matinee performance of “The Bodyguard”
- Finally received my State Pension Statement (which was a bit better than I thought it was going to be!).
- Emergency Fund now £7,555.46!:j
- Extra funds in: finally payout by Quidco of £7.56 and £5 from the dress agency!
- Bought all Christmas cards and gift bags in Clinton’s half-price sale in the New Year so all ready for this December!

This month there are birthday presents to buy for three family members and a best friend, plus a birthday on the desk at work so I think I am going to blow up the birthday/gifts budget!

I was bad this morning and had a Pret latte and pain au raisin – oh well it was Friday and I was freezing on the way to work!

Still I have had 15 NSDs so far for January so not too bad!

Back this evening to read some diaries!

Ciao!

Bobarella

Pret coffee is so strong it always makes me feel rocket powered. I always remember a few years ago walking in there first thing and the lovely barista asking me if I'd slept well. It was so funny. Bit overstepping the mark

Sorry you've been finding January a struggle. It's almost over!

Seasidegal58

Thanks bob! I always find January a bit of a blah month after the Christmas and New Year festivities. I should start to pick up now!

Seasidegal58

Hi all. Had a lazy NSD today. Did housework this morning and caught up with a few bits I recorded on Sky while doing the ironing this afternoon.

One MSE thing I did today though was finally stop procrastinating and call Sky to reduce my telephone/broadband bill. This has been long overdue and I was emailed by them the other day to let me know they were increasing the line rental/broadband charges. Rang them and as a result for the next eighteen months I'm now paying £16.15 per month (which includes the £40 reduction on my bill this month they also gave me (averaged out over the year)) instead of £31.90 I would be paying once the new charges kick in!:j There is a deal with Plusnet that I saw in Martin's email which worked out at £13 but I didn't really want the hassle of actually changing everything and want to keep my email address (as I understand they could void this if they wanted to) - so I'll swallow the extra £3.15!

Gratitudes:
- nice warm lazy afternoon indoors;
- old school tea of fish fingers, chips and peas!
- getting my act together finally and reducing some regular bills!

Bobarella

Well done on your saving! It's irritating that you have to threaten them to leave to get that but worthwhile financially.

Seasidegal58

Hi bob. Yes it is irritating. I was nice on the phone and pointed out the Plusnet offer (which the Sky operator hadn't seemed to have heard of!) and also the fact that I've been a customer for some years. Of course they don't worry about that though! It would ne nice if they actually offered some decent deals to long standing customers but I'm afraid they rely on people's apathy instead not to rock the boat!

reality_check

I think most people will be glad to see the back of January SSG, it's such a come down after the December hustle and bustle. Loving your daily gratitudes and positive/negatives of the month. It is frustrating how customer loyalty means nothing these days - just need to play them at their own game!! Scrimpy fund coming along nicely, I love how you know it to the penny!! Hope you're enjoying your weekend xx

Sun_Addict

Well done on the Sky deal. Last time I rang Virgin threatening to leave it ended up costing me more as they upgraded my router (which I had to pay for) and put me on a "better" tariff for "only £5 a month more". Emergency fund sounding very healthy.

Seasidegal58

Thanks reality and SA. Yes, very pleased with the Scrimpy Emergency Fund. Over the years I have had lump sums paid to me via work that were valued at more than my Fund but I've always spent them - though I did use one to reduce my mortgage thank goodness! I'm really proud of this Fund though as I haven't dipped into it on non -emergencies! I'm sometimes reminded of that George Best quote which I think went along the lines of - "I spent most of my money on women and booze - the rest I squandered!" I didn't spend mine on women and booze but there was a great deal of squandering that went on!

Today was a bit of a quiet day today - went for a long walk along the seafront then popped into a local gym and signed up! It's £30 per month but no contract so you're not locked into anything. I've been musing about this a while now as I really feel I need to do something positive as I'm beginning to feel like an old crock. I used to train quite intensively some years ago as my ex was a bit of a gym rat and I used to enjoy it but let it slip. So I think I will ease myself gently into it with the weights and dust off the "Couch to 5k" app which I've never used!

Then went to Aldi and bought my fruit and veg.

Gratitudes today:
- Having a lovely bracing walk at the seaside;
- finally getting my act together to join the gym;
- said gym being just under quarter of an hour's walk from home - as I don't drive!