Gap is Back - Time to Knuckle Down

girlatplay

I called the loan company this morning for an updated balance. They gave me it including interest, as I expected. I was going to ask for it without interest but forgot in the moment (because I was excited that it is £150 less than I thought) so now my spreadsheet doesn't work (I'm not clever enough to figure out how to work it out) but I'm okay with that as I'm going to use the gross balance from now on anyway. It will never be exact but I'll call for another updated balance in about 3 months and adjust as I go. I know I'm working with a worst case scenario figure.

Today's balance (including interest): £6,841.82

The £200 I paid yesterday hasn't hit yet so there's £200 to come off that. I have updated my signature to show the balance less the £200.

I bought the shampoo, etc, today. That's another £10 from the grocery budget. I've got £90 left but I'm expecting £9 odds from CMS in the next few days.

I've bought boyfriend's birthday present but that came out of the birthday budget. Just got to pick up a bag of coffee and a box of chocolates that he likes and that's him done. Got my Dad to buy for at the end of August and my mum at the start of September. How inconsiderate having their birthdays within 3 days of each other!

Going to study for a couple of hours then I'll be back to read other diaries

girlatplay

I had to pick up a couple of health related items at the supermarket today (£5 from grocery budget). I also managed to pick up the coffee and chocolate for boyfriend's birthday and that came to less than I expected which is great (paid from birthday budget). I managed to keep my hands to myself and didn't buy anything else

Boyfriend is on tonight's tea (quiche, baby potatoes and salad - my idea and I'm kicking myself because he's coming here tomorrow night and I'm all out of ideas now) so I'll be leaving here shortly. Could do with a sleep instead.

I think I'll take a break from studying tomorrow so that I can do a meal plan as I'm right off it this week.

girlatplay

I didn't make it on here yesterday as I had to attend the funeral of a family friend. She had been friends with my folks for a very long time. I cried a lot yesterday

Last night I made homemade pasta bake for tea. It's a recipe I made up myself and I have only made it once before. Luckily I wrote down the ingredients haha, usually I try to rely on my (awful) memory. I also made garlic bread with a garlic butter recipe my cousin gave me (I didn't bake the bread, I bought it). Both parts of the meal got a massive thumbs up from LMG and from boyfriend so I was chuffed. There were two portions left so LMG has taken one for her lunch and I've just had one for mine.

There is £75 left in the grocery budget to last until 30th August. I didn't meal plan yesterday

Peachy (my niece) is coming for a sleepover tomorrow night. She's a really picky eater and eats like a sparrow but I know she likes my homemade mac n cheese so I'll make some of that tomorrow afternoon. I need to buy cheese for that. I'll also need to pick up a couple of other bits for her coming over but shouldn't need to spend massively.

Got another text message from the PPI credit card lender saying they've almost completed their review and I will receive a response letter soon.

Got the guys at the garage to check the brakes on my car. They say there's nothing wrong with them and to take it back in 3 months for them to look again, just in case. They're good guys.

Going to catch up with other diaries for a wee bit then I'll do two hours of study.

beanielou

Sorry that you had to go to a funeral yesterday
Your tea sounded super tasty xx

girlatplay

Peachy stayed over on Friday night. She's such a wee cutie. She's always been hard work but it gets a bit easier each time. She's just very inquisitive and never stops talking which is not a bad thing but I had my child in my early 20's for a reason. I'm too old for this now :rotfl: she's staying again next month so I'm having early nights for the next 28 days in preparation :rotfl: :rotfl:

I have £69 left in the grocery budget to last until 30th. I still haven't done a meal plan this month, I'm just winging it I know this is not a good thing, I just can't get my head in the game.

I received a letter from the bank dealing with my PPI claim. They need more information. They have closed my claim. They have checked their records and can't find an account in my name. In the reference section they have put "account number unknown" which is odd since I provided the account number in the details with my claim, which they clearly did receive. Strange. Luckily for them I have managed to find another two credit card statements which actually have two further (different) account numbers on them which I can forward to them so that they have a selection to choose from If they play their cards right I may even find more statements/account numbers for them to play with as I still have one final bag to empty at my folks' house and it looks like paperwork.

My phone is playing up. It heats up when charging, takes an age to charge and runs down really quickly. I've only had it for 8 months so it's within warranty, it's just a pain because I'll have to make a trip to the shop to see about getting it fixed/replaced. I pass the shop every day on my way to/from work but it means I'll have to get off the bus. Needs done though.

Off to catch up with other diaries.

savingholmes

Good luck with the ppi claims.

Laughing at the idea of getting 28 days more sleep in before the next sleepover. That would be me too.

girlatplay

I'm not going to bed early enough This will never do! Must try harder.


I've not been on for a few days because I've blown the budget and I'm feeling a bit low. I was trying to figure out what made this month different from the others (apart from the obvious no meal plan but this isn't the first month that has happened). I've realised that when LMG was working in her last job she got paid weekly and paid digs to me on her payday. She now gets paid monthly so I let her pay monthly in arrears. The first month (last month) she had paid me the first week's payment then I waited until the start of August to get 3 weeks' worth. The next one is due start of September. I'm just a little bit out of sync with payments and I think that's why I'm struggling.

I know it sounds a bit pathetic and I feel pathetic for feeling this way

I was watching Rich House Poor House (STV?) the other night and the family in the lowest 10% of income bracket had £150 per week left to live on after mortgage and bills. That's, give or take, £600 per month! That's more than half my monthly take home pay. I'm not suggesting that they didn't struggle but that's a huge amount to live off in a month. I like watching this programme but it didn't really help my depressive episode.

Which brings me to this course I've now started, to improve my education and therefore earn a better salary. It's really, really hard. I didn't expect it to be this hard. Obviously I didn't expect it to be easy but I'm starting to feel this is beyond my capabilities

It's all doom and gloom in GAP's diary, don't go there :rotfl:

beanielou

Sorry that things are tough just now.
That is a pain about Miss Gap’s money.
I am sure you are just worried about the course as you are not feeling at your best.
Keep plodding xx

girlatplay

beanielou wrote: »

Sorry that things are tough just now.
That is a pain about Miss Gap’s money.
I am sure you are just worried about the course as you are not feeling at your best.
Keep plodding xx

Thank you :kisses3:

girlatplay

I did 1.5 hours of study this afternoon. Started the next session and it's finally financially related instead of business economics so I am actually enjoying it! Still rubbish when it comes to the questions (12 correct answers out of 18) but it made far more sense to me than the last two sections. I've gone easier on myself today; I've only done half the section when I normally try to squeeze in the whole thing when I'm yawning away and then have to do it again in the next sitting. I'm tired today so early night tonight and I'll probably feel a bit brighter tomorrow.

I had lunch today with a girl I work with but don't normally socialise with. It was brilliant! She was really encouraging about the course too (she did a Masters in Business Management by distance learning - same way as me), understands my concerns and was confident that I can do it. I think once I started the section today and it was on something I understand and am interested in, plus the boost earlier of speaking to someone, has made me feel a bit better.

I received the third to last tax credit payment in my account today. I have transferred it to the grocery budget. I know it's cheating but I need to. Hopefully I'll get my cooking mojo back soon.