Bring me sunshine................

backandevenmorebroke

Well I’m still useless at updating this!

On the money front, things are ticking along nicely, I’ve had a response from 4 of my 7 creditors, all asking for a copy of my I&E which I am printing off and sending tonight. I’m going to prod the other 3 at the end of the month if I’ve still not heard anything. August was my first month not paying any debt DDs and I managed to put £200 away toward my emergency fund, I was hoping to be able to put a little more but it has been a busy social month with my DD having been off nursery and with having to buy her school uniform. Still need to pick up a few bits for her but will be ordering the rest on Friday when it is payday! Next month I’m throwing £300 toward the emergency fund, not sure what I’ll have available for the months following as I’m dropping a few hours at work to be able to take my DD to school so my income will change as well as my tax credit payments. I still have to pay for my braces so I will continue to offer token payments of £1 and start my DMP properly in February. This will allow me to build up my emergency fund, pay for my braces and make it through all of the birthdays I have during the next few months and Christmas!

Had a really good weekend with my DD this weekend, took her to see a junior production of Aladdin at the theatre on Saturday evening and on Sunday we went to an outdoor showing of Moana, we took a picnic and only had to pay for parking which was £3.50 so all in all a cheap day.

I forgot to update that I did well on my uni module, I’ve enrolled for the next module and the text book arrived on Saturday as a stark reminder that I’ll soon be back to my hermit life. I’ve been (very) casually dating someone for the last month so not sure how I’m going to fit everything in if that continues, but we’ll cross that bridge when/if we come to it. Still really unmotivated at work, I really think it’s time to move on, I really need to pull my finger out and start getting some legal experience so I’ve decided that next year I’m going to get my head down and find something else.

I’ve also been really lazy around the house and have bags of clothes that my DD has outgrown, hopefully I can use the bank holiday productively and get all of these sorted out! Hope everyone has a good week.

backandevenmorebroke

I really must get better at updating this diary!

I've been feeling abit meh recently, probably the change in seasons and the time of year as October marks when my father died, uni starts back up and I feel like I have no life. It's also a really expensive time of year as I have so many birthdays over the next few months plus Christmas! Anyway, still ticking along with starting up my DMP, nothing much has really happened there, a few creditors being narky about my token payments but nothing major. I had to dip into my emergency fund (for you guessed it, an emergency) with my car needing 2 new tires so my emergency fund is looking a little sad at £195. I probably won't be able to put much in next month either as it's my DDs birthday, I can't believe she's going to be 5! I will aim to put at least £100 in there though.

I'm on a mission this month to spend as little as possible. This weekend my DD is with me, we have dance on Saturday morning, her grandma (on her dad's side) is coming to watch then taking us out for breakfast. Then we're off to my mum's for the day and we're staying over for a sleepover. I'm being a vegan for 28 days (I've been a vegetarian since I was 12 but thought I'd give being vegan a go) so we're baking a vegan chocolate cake. If it's nice on Sunday will probably make the most of my national trust membership and have a day out somewhere.

I do have 1 social activity planned which has cost me £23 for the ticket and that's for a screamfest on halloween! I went to one last year and loved it so that's my treat for this month. Although I also really want to go and see Venom (I looooove Tom Hardy) but I have meerkat movies so will go on a Tuesday and split the cost with my sister I should have around £130 fun money left and my DD isn't in need of any clothes or shoes so should hopefully be a comfortable month.

Anyway, must actually get some work done. Hope everyone has a good weekend!

backandevenmorebroke

Well happy hump day! I for one am already ready for the weekend. We're a man down in our office as he's been moved to a different department within the service area, they aren't replacing him which means the 2 and a half (one is a casual and picks his hours) of us that are left are picking up his work.

Had a lovely and not too expensive weekend with my DD, including a lovely day out at Matlock Bath and up to climb black rocks on Sunday. She absolutely loved the climbing and wanted to go right near the edge, I think she's trying to send me grey! I've had to dip in to my fun money to buy her school photos and a few other bits so I'm left with £74 for the rest of the month. This weekend my DD is with her dad so Saturday night I have a date and Sunday I am meeting up with my best friend for lunch and a catch-up. Hoping not to spend too much money so have budgeted £40 for the whole of the weekend, if I can spend less - even better.

Feeling a little cheerier this week although I've had a nagging headache for 3 days, I've finally caved and taken some paracetamol so hopefully it eases off. This is my second week of vegan and honestly, I'm finding it so expensive! I popped in to t*sco on Monday to do the shopping and 2 bags worth of food came to £60 which means now I've only got £50 to spend on food for the rest of the month. It's doable if I plan and batch cook but I already feel like all I am eating is different versions of thai curry! I've replaced milk with coconut milk and I'm not sure if it's that or something else but I'm feeling so bloated every day, I actually feel like I'm gaining weight! I'll see through the 28 days but I think I'll definitely stick to being a vegetarian and not a vegan.

Anyway, better get off and do some actual work!

Working_Mum

Hello there,
I use Tiger Balm to help with headaches - I don't like taking tablets at all and find this lifts my muggy headaches - I rub it into my temples, it goes hot then cold and seems to do the trick - a pot lasts ages.

You have to be careful though as it yellow so can stain things and don't rub your eyes afterwards!

Good luck on your debt free journey - you seem to be in a good place right now.

backandevenmorebroke

Thankyou working mum, I dislike taking tablets also so I have ordered some tiger balm to give a go. I have frequent headaches when uni starts back up especially when assignments are due so hopefully it'll come in good use.

Not much to report since yesterday, although I have had confirmation my Unison Open Uni grant has been approved which mean I'll be transferred £300 in the next few weeks. I'm putting that straight in my emergency fund but will be a nice buffer if I need extra cash to get me through Christmas.

Have been thinking about my DDs birthday and how much I usually spend, it's usually stupidly excessive! This year she has asked for some disney princess lego, argos have it on offer for 3 for 2 so I'm going to buy them and split between her birthday and Christmas. It comes to £114 for 3 sets so I'm more than happy with that. I had a word with her the other night and reminded her that birthdays aren't about how many presents you get and that it's about celebrating the day she was born and how much she is loved. We always take her out for the day on her birthday and I still plan on doing this. She did ask to stay over at Alton Towers but it's not open during her birthday so I'm not sure what we will do, I'm sure we will find something!

Really ready for the weekend now, work has been busy and my 3 day headache has tired me out. There is a local fair on so I'm taking my DD Saturday day before she goes to her dad's which should be fun. I've cut out some tokens from the local paper for 50p off rides, every little helps eh! Anyway, 15 minutes of work left and it's home time for me, hoorah!

MovingForwards

Good luck!

Noticed you want to qualify as a solicitor, as you will be aware training contracts are in short supply so I thought I would give you a bit of guidance.

If you can get into the legal department of the Council look at this route to qualify instead.

https://www.cilex.org.uk

You can qualify as a Chartered Legal Executive, doing courses/exams and time served, then your LPC to dual qualify as a solicitor, without the need for a training contract.

Just giving a quick overview of it as there are key subjects and timelines to work towards but as you are used to distance learning you should find this relatively easy to follow

backandevenmorebroke

Thank you movingforward, I have looked into this before and if I wasn't 4 years and £12k in to my student debt I'd definitely consider it. They do offer it as an apprenticeship which wouldn't take as long if I have a degree behind me so I aim on finishing the degree and if I'm still here, seeing what can be done. My goal for next year is to find a job that offers some legal experience, even if it means taking a pay cut (which it inevitably will) to help me get my foot in the door.

I had a really bad day yesterday, it was the 4th anniversary of my father's death and the day just felt horrible. As previously said I've been casually dating someone since the end of July (when I say casual I mean a nighttime only thing) we don't talk daily, to be honest I'm a terrible communicator and I never message him first and I just felt really anxious about the whole thing. I have been on a few dates with other people during this time and this person isn't really someone I see anything serious with but I just had these horrible thoughts about myself and whether he even likes me etc. I think it stems from having unresolved trauma from my breakup with my daughter's father. I always have this feeling that I'm not good enough for someone. It probably doesn't help that bar casual encounters like this, I have remained completely singly for 4 and a half years, I feel like I have a wall the length of the great wall of china up and I have no idea how to break it down! I have thought about counselling for years now and I think now might be right time as I'll be stuck in the cycle forever. I do feel a lot better today though.

Still having a few hiccups with creditors not wanting to accept token payments but I've responded sticking to my guns and I'm sorting out my budget to set up my DMP early next year, it's been so nice to have a little breathing space on the money front. I missed the argos 3 for 2 offer so I've ordered my daughter one of the lego sets she wanted and I've also purchased tickets for disney on ice to surprise her with. She wants a hot tub party at my mum's house so that'll keep costs down. It'll be a quiet weekend for me as I'm full of cold and I'm already falling behind on my uni work because of it. My daughter is with her dad tonight and tomorrow day so I'm grabbing a bottle of mulled wine (I know it's early but I love the stuff) and staying home to rest. Tomorrow I need to get some cleaning done then I'm heading into town to meet my sister and get some new bras (she got me a voucher last year for Christmas and I haven't spent it yet) think I'm going to get the bus in so I can enjoy a beer

Hope everyone has a lovely weekend.

liselle

You're doing really well with all that you've got going on!Sorry to hear about your headaches.
I wonder if you've had a chance to ask your doctor about counselling? In my area they offer a really good service,free and tailored to your needs.

backandevenmorebroke

Thankyou liselle I get 6 online counselling sessions through work so I've taken the plunge and started the ball rolling with that.

I was having a really good weekend until I went to do some uni work last night and broke my laptop screen. I'm really annoyed with myself as it was my fault. Anyway I had a good google and have ordered a new screen for £35 and looks pretty simple to replace, my stepdad is going to help me so hopefully that does the trick. Although my budget is already really tight this month and that was £35 I could really have done with not spending but I have 2 essays coming up and need my laptop. I was supposed to be going out for my friends birthday this month but think I'm going to have to bail out as with my daughter's birthday this month I just don't have to spare cash.

On the dating front, I feel better about the situation with my male friend, for now I will enjoy his company and not worry that it's any more than a physical thing. I think I was just having a really weird anxious day. I've still been going on dates with other people as it works for me and I make it clear from the beginning that I'm enjoying dating different people! I did have the realization the other day that one day my daughter will grow up and leave home and maybe I need to open myself up to the idea of eventually trying a relationship?! Ugh, I just don't know.....

Anyway, I'm trying to start my Monday positive and not dwell on the negatives. Had a nice slow start to the morning and I finish work early today. Going to pick up some food shopping on my way home so need to write myself a list to stay on budget, already have stuff in to make nachos for tonight so looking forward to those . Hope everyone has a good week.