Life's a climb. But the view is great.

Narola1976

Reb2016 wrote: »

Hi Narola1976


I've just read through your diary and I think you are doing so well, and it great that you are tackling it now in time for your daughter going to Uni, even if you aren't quite fully debt free, you will be in a much better place.

I'm also T2 Diabetic and recently diagnosed, I got it back under control with diet, so now all I have to do it to stick to it, easier said than done. I'm using a hypnosis app at the moment which is helping.

Hi, thanks Reb for stopping by. It's good that you haven't needed medication and have been able to manage it with diet alone. I was also recently diagnosed (May) and soon after started a ketogenic diet. I was really good for a couple of months, right before we went on holiday about 3 weeks ago I had my bloods taken. Then the following week went off on holiday and lost the plot and haven't recovered since. But today I spoke with the GP re my results and my HbA1c has gone from 109 to 34. She was shocked and said whatever I was doing was having amazing results and that she has never seen such a dramatic change in such a short time. Of course I felt so ashamed that I have messed up after doing so well that my results were that of someone who does not have diabetes. I know this has been with medication but still an amazing result. Anyway it has inspired me and so I hope to get back on plan.

I've not heard of Prolific surveys so have just signed up so thanks for sharing that. Have you heard of YouGov surveys ? you can only cash out when you get to £50 but I usually get one lot of £50 per year and it all helps.

PA is great, the surveys are a bit more interesting and pay better too. I used to do You Gov years ago, but for some reason stopped and then once I did I also stopped getting invites. But to be honest I really don't have the patience to wait that long...I am an instant gratification kinda girl LOL hence my massive debt problems. Seriously though with time being limited I can only do so many surveys and I think the three I am doing is enough. Today I just cashed out another £10 Tesco voucher from Valued Opinions, which helped with a few bits today..milk etc as not been for a food shop yet and won't until the weekend because of work.

Like you I'm also a new old user of MSE, started well last time and lost focus so looking to keep really focused and succeed this time, it can be done :-)

I'm going to subscribe, as I think yours is going to be a really good diary. Reb

Thanks for subscribing...I think the key to not losing focus is to keep a presence here, even if only 1 or 2 people (or no one!) comments, the important thing is to keep posting. I don't think my last diary even made it to page 3...lol. But knowing myself as I do, i.e loving the buzz of something new, starting like a bomb and ending like a shurie as we used to say back in my homeland, I need to discipline myself to pop on to the site. Before because there was nothing to post financially once pay day had come and gone and it was just a waiting game to the next pay day...I would not post and I think I just lost momentum. This time round I am posting whatever nonsense comes in my head, all to keep this at the front of my mind.

So made a payment of £102 to Argos today, leaving a balance of £100.05. This will be paid off next month and then I will officially owe Argos nothing. I will for the next 3 months add this £100 to the EF as I really want to get it to £1000, I am only £300 short. Once that is done, I will concentrate on adding this to CC payments.

My final loan payment goes out tomorrow :j and I am so excited. What a waste of 8 years that has been! Never ever ever gonna get another consolidation loan - please people learn from my mistake, I beg you!

Spends today have been minimal...£1.65 for lip balm for DD and £2.50 for a box for her retainers, annoyed I forgot to use my boots points instead of cold hard cash for the lip balm! DD also needs new glasses so that will be a big expense tomorrow, even with the NHS voucher. Fingers crossed she finds frames she likes. I have been lucky...I found £20 frames which I actually liked...which I intend to keep re-using as long as I can.

Right that's enough from me for now. Nite

HairyHandofDartmoor

It's a good idea to keep posting even if you don't feel as if you have much to say. It will keep you motivated.

I'm back on this forum after a long gap due to family illness and a bereavement. I know the key to being focused is to be on dfw every day. It is so inspiring to know others are on the same hard journey.

You are doing well. Keep up the good work.

Narola1976

:j So so happy this morning....the last loan payment has been paid....I felt a bit silly but I got up and did a little jig (without music as everyone is still fast asleep!) but I don't care....the music was in my head!

I know I have such a long road but I am just so happy right now, it's an amazing feeling. The account does not even appear on my app any more. And I have just closed it on YNAB too.

Now I will wait not so patiently for this rebate that I was promised as that is going straight onto the BC. I will give them a week before making noises.

Lots of DD's have gone out today but still many more to go including all the CC's.

So plans for today:

* Buy glucose sticks - £18.99 from Amazon for 100. This is good value as the pharmacy charges £4.95 for 10 :eek: - DONE
* DD's glasses - hoping for no more than £60
* Work - boo hoo
* Dentist - £19.70
* Plan for mystery shop tomorrow to make sure I know exactly what I am doing

Well that's it for now....chat later.

Reb2016

You deserve the happy dance :-) personally I think its important to celebrate all the wins we have on our debt free journey because its hard work and all hard work should be celebrated, so you dance away :-)


Love that you have a daily plan, I think I might do something similar to help keep me motivated


Reb

crazy_cat_lady

Morning Narola :hello:
Thought I'd pop over and nosy at your diary after you commented on mine. I have subscribed and will be cheering you on. Do keep posting, no matter who responds (or doesn't) because it really does help. You've seen my days of wittering on about nothing, but it helps to keep me on the straight and narrow.
Good luck with your journey - you're so motivated at the moment.

ChasingSunshine

Well done on paying off the loan. Definitely worth a celebratory dance as I agree with Reb that have to celebrate all the small wins along the way.
Good win on the glucose sticks as well, can't believe how much of a price difference there is

Chrystal

Well done you! :j Massive victory and worthy of Fabulous Celebrations.

Narola1976

Thank you all for stopping by and offering your congratulations, much appreciated.

So an update:

* DD's glasses came in under budget :T. Went to Tesco and she got 2 for 1. Thank goodness for the NHS voucher of £39. I imagine this must be the last time she will get it as next year this time she will be 16. I have been wondering though...I pay a monthly amount for contact lenses but I was wondering if it is was possible to just buy them as and when needed. She uses daily lenses but does not actually wear them every day so a 2 month supply probably lasts closer to 4 months. I currently pay Tesco £18.67 every month and then every couple of months they send a 2 month supply but she usually hasn't finished the last lot. Recently her prescription changed and we had to bin quite a few of them which pained me greatly!! I did think of pausing the DD but they need 2 months notice to start it up again. I wonder a) if it is possible to just buy a month's supply of daily lenses and b) if this would work out cheaper. Must do some sleuthing.

* Dentist - price has changed since the last time, its now £20.60. So have adjusted my monthly funding goal saving £7 every month. I go to the dentist every 3 months, instead of the usual 6. I do hate going to the dentist - we have had the same one for years, he is very good, so no reflection on him. Its one of those necessary evils like smears! Sorry for the TMI

* A lovely lady gave me some art supplies for DD via Freecycle. DD has GCSE Art this year. The supplies are so expensive, even when I shop in the Range which is so much cheaper than Hobby Craft. Hopefully there will be something she can use. Freecycle has been a wonderful blessing over the years...I am always surprised what people have been willing to just give away. Just a few examples of what I have been lucky to receive: 2 larder freezers ( I buy mostly frozen food from Iceland / Farm Foods), a table top dishwasher (have no space for a proper one), a full sized Samsung fridge freezer with electronic display and water dispenser) and a proper full size electric treadmill (like the one you see in the gym), just to name a few. I am always moved by people's generosity. Wish I was in a position to give as well rather than have to sell!

* Speaking of selling we have yesterday sold our table tennis board for £25. It had just been standing unused because actually we have no space to use it. We use to push back the furniture in the living room to use it but with the treadmill and one of the freezers we no longer have the space. So seemed senseless to hold onto it. We love table tennis though and have decided to join a pay as you go club. It will £8 for OH and me for a couple of hours play, DD goes free. The good thing is we just go when we want to - so no commitment.

* Decided to do a food shop as really while we have chicken and pork and some veg in the freezers there isn't much more. I went to Aldi, Lidl and Iceland and collectively spent around £95. This is £30 over the budget, but lets not forget that £65 was my monthly target which considering I generally spend £400 plus before my MSE conversion LOL is probably unrealistic. I know that I will need to still spend odd bits for salad and fruit over the month but I am going to do my best to really keep this figure as low as possible. I budget for DD's school lunch separately @ £75 - so this is where the money for bread, fruit, ham etc will come from so I think it is do-able. I can move money around from the budget if I have to, not much wiggle room but enough. And I'm working really hard on my surveys so hopefully at some point this month I will have another £10 Tesco voucher. PA has been very quiet - no surveys available for me...My balance is £16 - I need £20 to cash out. I am 3 points away from 1000 on Lucky Phone - that will be £10. I need to check if they give cash or a voucher as never got this far before.

* One of the most important things to me is that my daughter does not make the same financial mistakes as I have. I talk to her a lot amount money and financial matters - she understands how YNAB works and using the 4 rules. I talk about the stuff I have learned here on MSE. Last week's lecture was on guarantors and that she must never ever be one for anybody ever LOL. We also talked about priority bills and which should never ever be missed. She is very receptive to these discussions. Education is key. Currently she has a Go Henry account, which I really find invaluable. Yes there is a small £2 per month fee, but the benefits are so worth it. She has 5 savings goals and when her pocket money goes in they get funded automatically. She has a Car Fund, Rainy Day Fund, Japan (she would like to visit badly), Christmas and Summer. Once these have been funded, there is actually very little pocket money left, bless her. l love I can keep an eye on her spending too.

So plans for today:

* Mystery shopping today - really hope I get it right. It's my first time. If I do it right I will get £8.50 for my time and trouble.

* Clean the utility room now that table tennis board has been moved. It's also known as the everything room where junk, shoes etc is stored so always full and hard to move around. So will try to restore a bit of order to it.

* Review the budget - and adjust as necessary

* Pack the washing away and tidy the lounge.

* Make sure all school supplies are in order for school next week.

That's it for now, will do the diary rounds in a bit

motivated

Morning Narola

Just a heads up on contact lenses. I buy mine online from 'Daysoft'. I have been using them for years and they are perfect. I pay £12.98 for a months supply give or take a couple of pence. My eyes are different strengths so I get 30 for my left eye and 30 for my right eye lol. (Disposables) You register, put your strengths in and they deliver them. They will also recommend which ones are best suited.

You can also buy them as and when needed.

Narola1976

motivated wrote: »

Morning Narola

Just a heads up on contact lenses. I buy mine online from 'Daysoft'. I have been using them for years and they are perfect. I pay £12.98 for a months supply give or take a couple of pence. My eyes are different strengths so I get 30 for my left eye and 30 for my right eye lol. (Disposables) You register, put your strengths in and they deliver them. They will also recommend which ones are best suited.

You can also buy them as and when needed.

Thanks Motivated!! That is very helpful. I will certainly be looking into that as I think we are paying far too much for a service we don't actually need.

Spent a bit more on food yesterday....we decided to take advantage of the weather to BBQ so went to Aldi for their BBQ range and spent an additional £12. So food spend up to £106 or so. That really must be it for now as there is no more wiggle room in the budget. I have about £60 expense money coming in but that will only be around the 12th. Child Benefit is due next Tuesday I think.

So did my mystery shop yesterday...was a bit nervous as it was my first time. So worried I would miss something. It went OK I think...I then spent absolutely ages writing up my report. I tried really hard to make it comprehensive. I hope they are happy with it and I get my £8.50. I think I will be very selective with what I accept and I won't do it more than once a month or so, as can only fit these in at the weekend.

Because the report took me so long to do, and because of the unexpected BBQ I did not accomplish all that I wanted to yesterday. But I did manage to clean the utility room and I must say it is looking very good. Organised and clean with space to move around. Now if only I can keep OH from messing it up.

I put some hanging handbag organisers onto Facebook to sell. Hoping to get £15 for the 3 of them. Surveys have been a bit quiet over the last few days; I am hoping they will pick up soon.

Just downloaded a To Do App, because I want to help myself keep track of what I need to do. I am so disorganised sometimes and procrastinate a lot. Really want to improve this.


Plan for Today:

* Clean the kitchen
* Give myself a home pedicure (follow Fly Lady)
* Clean a Hot Spot
* Pack washing away
* Lucky Phone - just need 3 measly little points LOL
* Wash my hair
* Use my very expensive face products that just decorate my dressing table.

Well that's it for now, have a good Sunday.