Trying to beat this thing called debt..

Kittychick

Yes I'm back to normal.. Not sure if that's a good thing lol.. It's the back guinnel that's cobbled and it gets so slippy.. Not good at all at this time of year.
I'm feeling pretty good about the savings H will buy his family, he has paid for dgs big present so I'm hoping to get the bits-was chocs, nighty and socks this week!
I'm doing a stall at a Xmas fair at the beginning of Dec so I'm stressing about not having enough..... It's a fine line between not enough and making too much and wasting money.. Trying to mainly use up stash so I spend as little as possible really. What do you like making Reb?

Reb2016

I’ve made blankets, a couple for my bed, so quite large and baby ones that I give as presents to people having babies always seems to go down well, at the moment I’m working on a triangle scarf, using graduated yarn, really pleased with how it’s coming on.
I understand where you are coming from with the fair, i’ve done some, and it’s so hard to judge how much to take, what sort of things are you making?

Reb

Kittychick

Hi Reb,
I've done ear warmers, boot cuffs as a really quick chunky, I've put some buttons on them to fancy them up abit. The wool I've had to buy will have cost £3 but I've got about 12 items from it- I don't tend to have much stash that's chunky and a nearby market stall had Stylecraft for £1 a ball. Some of the earwarmers and boot cuffs will be in a set, others single. I've also done some Christmas baubles-box of 20 from b+M for 2.99 and some stash wool and a couple of balls I bought for about £5 so if they sell they'll make a profit. I'm in middle of knitting (!!) some hearts and possibly mitten dec's. I also have made some granny square wrist warmers from stash and final thing is some dk animals from the Edwards Menagerie book, not sure if you know it. And that's all. Oohh and about 4-5 chunky or aran baby hats that need big pompoms putting on.. I'll be glad when it's over stuff that doesn't sell I'll prob send you food bank place for gifts... I've been 'given' the stall for free as we volunteer there but if I sell anything I'll make a donation. I already have sold a chimp to the chair person who's organising it so in theory I'm 'up' already!

Kittychick

Quick post while listening to Womans Hour and watching the squirrel in the garden. Sat here trying to get myself motivated for my afternoons volunteering..i used to do 3 hours but recently I've taken on a long afternoon shift: 1-6.30 and I always dread it to be honest. When I get there it's fine but it just feels so long. The charity is struggling for volunteers to do what I do so there's no chance if it changing for a while and I do feel quite passionate about this particular service.
Right, on to mse, a dear week here which is going to get worse. I have £20 left in day to day account and that will be going to the worse this week as H will be paying huge vets bill on Fri for kitten vaccs so I want to cover other stuff. H also paid (money is in my purse) for chimney sweep who didn't turn up... Second time so I'll be contracting someone else for next week.. Also been let down by a roofer, I hate this part of trying to get tradesmen out.
Back later, huge crash from kittens to investigate!

Kittychick

Right, been a few days but here we go..
I mentioned the other week I was doing a Christmas stall at a place where I volunteer. I only really did it because the chair of the charity saw something I'd made and asked me to do her one.. Then pushed me into doing the stall....for free. I decided as it wasn't going to cost me anything I'd go for it.. So yesterday was the day, the last two weeks have been so unbelievably stressful as I have do little confidence. I had my son in law telling me to believe in myself and then on the day a friend texting good luck wishes saying she was sure it'd go well after seeing one of my items and my daughter texted saying good luck send how should have more self confidence....H is always there telling me my stuffs great nd how I should go for it... I'm saying all this to show I do have people cheering for me, but I still don't really believe it.
Anyway, I did well, better than I thought. I was starting at a point where I was breaking even, the item I sold paid for my outgoings... I then sold two of my big items and several other items and took over £50!
The things I sold were not the ones I was expecting. I thought the £1-2 items would go, not the £10 ones! So now, I'm considering what to do with my remaining Christmas items... Etsy? Or FB, I am also thinking that if these items do not go they will go to the food bank....
So that's me. H has Finally paid my cc off-limits starting paying him back at about 1.5-2 times the rate of what I was paying the bank, but with no interest and weekly instead of monthly. Strictly speaking the money comes from our savings but it's attached to his account so I always think of it as 'his' "but he hates me saying that. We also paid half of our 0% cc off too from savings. We are getting next to nothing from them and this way we'll very nearly be able to pay off the whole thing by the time the 0% runs out. We also have a normal cc with nothing on it-we transferred it to the 0% one. I also have a cc in my name except I haven't got an actual active card for the account. If makes me feel safe that if something absolutely awful happened we have them as a fallback... It would have to be a disaster to need them though as we have savings of over 15k..but still I feel better in a 'just in case' way.
Back later or tomorrow depending on how long these cold and flu meds last!!

Reb2016

Well done on the stall, you must have had some really great items to have done so well, so I agree with your family and friends you need to start believing in yourself, easier said than done I know.

Reb

Kittychick

Thanks Reb x
I opened up my etsy shop and had a sale the first night... It happened because it was someone on my FB and I linked it.. I also have said that for this month that any decs sold 50% of the takings will go to my local foodbank-the one where our reverse advent will go to as well. So , as soon as etsy clears the funds we'll be buying the extras and finishing off what we are buying before taking the parcel in.
Right, onto mse.. Do not feeling it at the moment... I am doing it, I'm being careful etc, but I'm not counting my NSD's or meal planning etc.. I am however only buying food we need and then using it up... I could be much more organised tho! I am determined once the word is out if the way that ill get right back on the organisational side of things!
I think I have pretty much finished present buying.. Just remembered a game I've said I'll get dgs, that's only £6....ohh and a couple of bits for H, probably around £5 in total.
My savings are going down, which is only right, my main aim with them was to be able to buy Hs presents from 'my' money and not joint money.... It bodes well though that I'm really sad at seeing my balance going down. I'll be back to rounding down twice a week after ��.
Right, off out visiting daughter and other family and we want yo get out early so we get back early... Saying snow until 2pm and then again from 5pm...our road is very steep and narrow and as often as H says "that's why we bought a Land Rover" I still panic!
Hope everyone's having a good weekend, and not snowed in!!

redofromstart

Well done on the stall - you must be pleased with that.

Kittychick

Can't believe it's about a month since I posted.. Lots of stuff happening so I won't bother with a massive post just to say I'm still here and after this week things should be getting on an even keel. Still got a small amount in savings, wanting to build this back up for H's birthday in March now.
Back later with more organised post x

Kittychick

Right, first week properly back on it.
I'm down to pennies in my savings account but in theory I have £30 elsewhere-I'm trying to ignore that do I don't touch it.
Over weekend I've done a stock take on our one very full freezer... Didn't check the also very full chest freezer as I really couldn't be bothered-I know this freezer is mainly bread products so we won't be buying any for quite a while. We have also had a chat and as we have something in the region of 30 main meals in the freezer we won't be doing much in the way of shopping til H gets paid at the end of the month.
My final payment has gone to HSBC cc so now I start paying H back. Thinking £2.50 a week which is more than I was paying for actual cc but there's no interest. If I can do more I will but want that to be the minimum.
PA seems ridiculously slow at the minute and it's the only one I really do, kept getting 'issues' with Op-Outpost, hot so I really couldn't be bothered wasting my time with Swagbucks.
Trying to get my NSDs up too but just taking it slowly so I can feel I'm doing well.. So going for two a week til the end of the month.. Really can't see how to get more than that at the minute but will be a challenge to my self-interest find unless I'm staying in I spend and having more than a touch of the January blues so pushing myself to get out a few days a week, it's a bit of a pain but a little spend seems the better option at the minute.. A couple of days last week I struggled to get out of bed-I got up with H and then went back for a few hours... Doesn't make me feel better so aiming not to unless I have a real reason.
Right, off to read some diaries!