Hence my silence, and this very short post.
Fan is broken, can't have it on more than about 5 minutes at once as it overheats :( Getting quotes at the moment regarding fixing it...
About Me
- The Debt Girl
- I'm single, broke, and in my early 30s... but thankfully decided a while ago to sort my life out once and for all; in particular to sort out my finances, and to move forward into a debt free life. I'm hoping writing a blog will help spur me on through my social life cutbacks, my successful and not-so-successful attempts at dating, my new addiction to the Sainsbury's Basics range, and the general insanity caused by the stress of money troubles.
Wednesday 29 February 2012
Sunday 26 February 2012
Saving splendour
Feeling rather smug at my newfound saving prowess...
In the last 6 weeks (i.e. since I started), I have saved £60.81 through a variety of means:
* my £2 coin saving resolution
* my saving everything not spent at the end of each budget week
* my saving everything not spent in my second current account (that job #2 gets paid into) at the end of each payment fortnight
* my collecting 'road kill' - random coins I find wherever
I have also made £20 through online bingo, and claimed £45 of Tesco reward points to use on dry cleaning. My dry cleaning bill was £48.25, of which I only had to pay £3.25 :)
At some point, possibly when I get to £100, I will use this money to pay down my credit card. Happy days.
In the last 6 weeks (i.e. since I started), I have saved £60.81 through a variety of means:
* my £2 coin saving resolution
* my saving everything not spent at the end of each budget week
* my saving everything not spent in my second current account (that job #2 gets paid into) at the end of each payment fortnight
* my collecting 'road kill' - random coins I find wherever
I have also made £20 through online bingo, and claimed £45 of Tesco reward points to use on dry cleaning. My dry cleaning bill was £48.25, of which I only had to pay £3.25 :)
At some point, possibly when I get to £100, I will use this money to pay down my credit card. Happy days.
I heart my bank
Sadly blogger.com wouldn't let me put an actual heart symbol in that title.
I love my bank. That's something I didn't ever think I'd say! Here's why:
Every 3 or 4 months they send me options for my credit card (this is my small credit card, not the hefty one I'm paying off). The options are, to do balance transfers onto it from other cards at a 3% fee, with the amount transfered staying at 0% APR for 9 months, or to transfer funds from my credit card into my current account to do with them what I choose, with this amount also at 0% APR for 9 months.
I've never really given these offers much thought before. However, this time, I thought about it. I owe a friend £450 (originally £700) from when I hit a crunch point with my finances - my light bulb moment, you could say. I feel this hangs over our friendship and I want it gone. However, it makes financial sense to pay off my credit card first as I pay interest on it, and then pay off my friend, even if it's not great for our friendship, but I have been struggling with this more and more lately.
I decided to take decisive action. I decided £100 from my work bonus would go on this debt, bringing it down to £350, and then I would borrow the remaining £350 on this deal on my credit card, giving me 9 months interest free to get £350 together (through eBay sales etc.). This would have the advantages of paying off my friend, having time to pay this off my card interest free, and a specified time limit to get my arse into gear to pay it off.
So I rang up the bank to find out more details. I used the 'Saynoto0870' website to find an alternative number to the 0845 number on my letter so that it would be included in my mobile phone minutes. This meant working my way through several departments to get to the right one, but a free phone call. I eventually spoke to a very helpful lady in the credit card department, and asked her various questions about this deal - how it would show up on my statement, what the APR would be at the end etc. etc. She then pointed out to me a useful loophole - that I could borrow the £350 that I want AND also borrow enough to cover my existing balance (just under £400), transfer this £700 to my current account, and then use £350 to pay my friend, and £400 to pay my credit card bill. This then means my existing credit card bill becomes 0% APR for the next 9 months, as well as the money used to pay off my friend.
What a great idea! Now, why didn't I think of that?! We worked out that even with the balance transfer fee I would still save money, as the fee on my current balance would be £12 and I pay that in interest over 2-3 months anyway. The remaining £10.50 of my fee would be on the money transfered for my friend, but that's a small price to pay to get that debt cleared and my friendship less awkward.
I asked the lady if I could do this deal every time it's offered just to make my balance interest free, and she said yes. She put me through to the balance transfer team and it's all sorted, they told me it will take up to 7 days to go through.
I texted my friend to let him know he'll recieve all the remaining money from me hopefully next week and he's delighted. The small amount of strain in the relationship is now gone :)
Oh, and I found out my usual APR on that credit card isn't 19.9%, it's 18.9% :)
I love my bank. That's something I didn't ever think I'd say! Here's why:
Every 3 or 4 months they send me options for my credit card (this is my small credit card, not the hefty one I'm paying off). The options are, to do balance transfers onto it from other cards at a 3% fee, with the amount transfered staying at 0% APR for 9 months, or to transfer funds from my credit card into my current account to do with them what I choose, with this amount also at 0% APR for 9 months.
I've never really given these offers much thought before. However, this time, I thought about it. I owe a friend £450 (originally £700) from when I hit a crunch point with my finances - my light bulb moment, you could say. I feel this hangs over our friendship and I want it gone. However, it makes financial sense to pay off my credit card first as I pay interest on it, and then pay off my friend, even if it's not great for our friendship, but I have been struggling with this more and more lately.
I decided to take decisive action. I decided £100 from my work bonus would go on this debt, bringing it down to £350, and then I would borrow the remaining £350 on this deal on my credit card, giving me 9 months interest free to get £350 together (through eBay sales etc.). This would have the advantages of paying off my friend, having time to pay this off my card interest free, and a specified time limit to get my arse into gear to pay it off.
So I rang up the bank to find out more details. I used the 'Saynoto0870' website to find an alternative number to the 0845 number on my letter so that it would be included in my mobile phone minutes. This meant working my way through several departments to get to the right one, but a free phone call. I eventually spoke to a very helpful lady in the credit card department, and asked her various questions about this deal - how it would show up on my statement, what the APR would be at the end etc. etc. She then pointed out to me a useful loophole - that I could borrow the £350 that I want AND also borrow enough to cover my existing balance (just under £400), transfer this £700 to my current account, and then use £350 to pay my friend, and £400 to pay my credit card bill. This then means my existing credit card bill becomes 0% APR for the next 9 months, as well as the money used to pay off my friend.
What a great idea! Now, why didn't I think of that?! We worked out that even with the balance transfer fee I would still save money, as the fee on my current balance would be £12 and I pay that in interest over 2-3 months anyway. The remaining £10.50 of my fee would be on the money transfered for my friend, but that's a small price to pay to get that debt cleared and my friendship less awkward.
I asked the lady if I could do this deal every time it's offered just to make my balance interest free, and she said yes. She put me through to the balance transfer team and it's all sorted, they told me it will take up to 7 days to go through.
I texted my friend to let him know he'll recieve all the remaining money from me hopefully next week and he's delighted. The small amount of strain in the relationship is now gone :)
Oh, and I found out my usual APR on that credit card isn't 19.9%, it's 18.9% :)
Saturday 25 February 2012
Flurry of coins
That's £2 coins - 3 coins yesterday alone as well as some earlier in the week! My new weekly budget started yesterday and I'm trying to get back on track after the expense of 'birthday month'.
A bit annoyingly though job #2 have only half paid me. I was meant to be paid two weeks' holiday but have only been paid one :( So am going to try and live off one week's budget for two weeks if I can! A challenge is always good... However, I'm already down to £18.68 after buying a couple of things yesterday and having to save £6 of £2 coins!
In better news though, job #1 have given us all a bonus!!!! This is unheard of, but I think it's to make up in part for no cost of living rise on our salaries for several years. They gave me £390, but after the taxman and student loan company have had their extra share I'm left with about £250. I've decided to use this to pay off my ex who I owe £145 to (and to be honest I want no ties with him at the moment so this is especially useful), and going to use the other £100 to pay towards a friend I owe £450.
I still have the £29.50 left from my council tax free month at the moment which is good. I also have £20 winging its way to me from a bingo site - a points site I use (will explain these at some other point) offered me a membership to a bingo site, with £5 free to play with. I used it, and made just over £20, which I have withdrawn to my bank account (just waiting for it to arrive). That's free money :)
A bit annoyingly though job #2 have only half paid me. I was meant to be paid two weeks' holiday but have only been paid one :( So am going to try and live off one week's budget for two weeks if I can! A challenge is always good... However, I'm already down to £18.68 after buying a couple of things yesterday and having to save £6 of £2 coins!
In better news though, job #1 have given us all a bonus!!!! This is unheard of, but I think it's to make up in part for no cost of living rise on our salaries for several years. They gave me £390, but after the taxman and student loan company have had their extra share I'm left with about £250. I've decided to use this to pay off my ex who I owe £145 to (and to be honest I want no ties with him at the moment so this is especially useful), and going to use the other £100 to pay towards a friend I owe £450.
I still have the £29.50 left from my council tax free month at the moment which is good. I also have £20 winging its way to me from a bingo site - a points site I use (will explain these at some other point) offered me a membership to a bingo site, with £5 free to play with. I used it, and made just over £20, which I have withdrawn to my bank account (just waiting for it to arrive). That's free money :)
Wednesday 22 February 2012
And it looks like we might have made it,
yes, it's looks like we might have made it... to the end. Guess the song?!
Anyway, I'm talking about getting through my birthday month financially sound, and still not having added a penny to my credit card balance!
Payday for both jobs is this Friday and I have £7.63 left to last me through tomorrow. An update on the birthday month spends:
*£7 - present for L's birthday (her b'day = 6th Feb)
*£20 - meal out on Thursday for A's birthday (his b'day = 14th Feb)
*£17 - meal out on Friday for my birthday
*£3.90 - drinks out Friday night for B's birthday (his b'day =11th Feb)
*£36.20 - train to London for R's birthday party on Saturday (her b'day = 10th Feb - she's my birthday twin)
*£10 - to top up my Oyster card to get around London
*£8.50 - food at R's birthday party
*£36.11 - drinks at R's birthday party (buying a round is what made that so high)
*£12.54 - lunch on Sunday in London with S
*£0 - lunch meet up on Monday with RS (his b'day = 12th Feb) - he treated me : )
*£15 - extra petrol put in as been driving around so much
*£10 - petrol to holiday cottage (we spent more than that but that was my share)
*£17 - food and drinks on holiday cottage break
So a grand total of £193.25 on birthdayish stuff. Wow, that's a lot of money. Though it wasn't so long ago I'd have thought nothing of spending that on a shopping trip... and that is why I am in this mess! At least I have finally adjusted my spending habits.
I am impressed that I have restrained myself into still keeping £29.50 left over from it being a council tax free month, which is going towards kitty's yearly jabs, which she is booked in for in a week or so.
However, all this enjoying myself has left me with only a couple of pounds buffer money remaining. Having taken 2 weeks off job #2 (I have to take a full week off to be allowed a weekend off, and I wanted 2 weekends off), I will only be paid my bare minimum this Friday (i.e. 8 hours for each week holiday pay), meaning £0 to add to the buffer fund to build it back up. So no, fall back plan available for early March :(
Had a lovely time though. The break away in the cottage was perfect - just the right amount of good company, good wine, and good food, mixed with ample amounts of sympathy and disgust around the bestie-and-ex situation.
Anyway, I'm talking about getting through my birthday month financially sound, and still not having added a penny to my credit card balance!
Payday for both jobs is this Friday and I have £7.63 left to last me through tomorrow. An update on the birthday month spends:
*£7 - present for L's birthday (her b'day = 6th Feb)
*£20 - meal out on Thursday for A's birthday (his b'day = 14th Feb)
*£17 - meal out on Friday for my birthday
*£3.90 - drinks out Friday night for B's birthday (his b'day =11th Feb)
*£36.20 - train to London for R's birthday party on Saturday (her b'day = 10th Feb - she's my birthday twin)
*£10 - to top up my Oyster card to get around London
*£8.50 - food at R's birthday party
*£36.11 - drinks at R's birthday party (buying a round is what made that so high)
*£12.54 - lunch on Sunday in London with S
*£0 - lunch meet up on Monday with RS (his b'day = 12th Feb) - he treated me : )
*£15 - extra petrol put in as been driving around so much
*£10 - petrol to holiday cottage (we spent more than that but that was my share)
*£17 - food and drinks on holiday cottage break
So a grand total of £193.25 on birthdayish stuff. Wow, that's a lot of money. Though it wasn't so long ago I'd have thought nothing of spending that on a shopping trip... and that is why I am in this mess! At least I have finally adjusted my spending habits.
I am impressed that I have restrained myself into still keeping £29.50 left over from it being a council tax free month, which is going towards kitty's yearly jabs, which she is booked in for in a week or so.
However, all this enjoying myself has left me with only a couple of pounds buffer money remaining. Having taken 2 weeks off job #2 (I have to take a full week off to be allowed a weekend off, and I wanted 2 weekends off), I will only be paid my bare minimum this Friday (i.e. 8 hours for each week holiday pay), meaning £0 to add to the buffer fund to build it back up. So no, fall back plan available for early March :(
Had a lovely time though. The break away in the cottage was perfect - just the right amount of good company, good wine, and good food, mixed with ample amounts of sympathy and disgust around the bestie-and-ex situation.
Friday 17 February 2012
Today's the day
Today's the day I leave for my cottage break with friends. I'm really looking forward to it. Just so much to sort out before I go!
Hoping I'm going to have enough money to see me through... thinking the tank of petrol to get there might have to be put on my credit card, ooops, but the girls will chip in towards that.
There's one less of us going now... my best friend. She's recently started seeing my ex and try as I might to be ok with it, it's turned into a big old mess. Tricky when you've been friends with someone for 25 years, but bearing that in mind, she, out of everyone, should have been the last person to mess with my head or hurt me.
I sense our friendship will never be as close again :(
All the more reason to meet new people I suppose, and to enjoy this weekend with my other friends (who all back me up with this situation). My actual birthday last week was wrecked by the ex and best friend PDAing all in front of me, so this will be my PROPER birthday celebration :)
Hoping I'm going to have enough money to see me through... thinking the tank of petrol to get there might have to be put on my credit card, ooops, but the girls will chip in towards that.
There's one less of us going now... my best friend. She's recently started seeing my ex and try as I might to be ok with it, it's turned into a big old mess. Tricky when you've been friends with someone for 25 years, but bearing that in mind, she, out of everyone, should have been the last person to mess with my head or hurt me.
I sense our friendship will never be as close again :(
All the more reason to meet new people I suppose, and to enjoy this weekend with my other friends (who all back me up with this situation). My actual birthday last week was wrecked by the ex and best friend PDAing all in front of me, so this will be my PROPER birthday celebration :)
Tuesday 14 February 2012
Valentine's Day
Well no cards, but the post has come and Lloyds TSB love me, it would appear. They want to raise my credit card limit from £1750 to £2500! I won't use it but I guess it doesn't hurt to have access to extra credit in case of a massive emergency (like the boiler goes in my flat I rent out).
Been a busy bee journeying up to London for R's party, hanging out with my mate S whilst up there (and celeb spotting Bill Bailey!), and yesterday having a long overdue catch up with RS. : )
Update on birthday month spends:
*£7 - present for L's birthday (her b'day = 6th Feb)
*£20 - meal out on Thursday for A's birthday (his b'day = 14th Feb)
*£17 - meal out on Friday for my birthday
*£3.90 - drinks out Friday night for B's birthday (his b'day =11th Feb)
*£36.20 - train to London for R's birthday party on Saturday (her b'day = 10th Feb - she's my birthday twin)
*£10 - to top up my Oyster card to get around London
*£8.50 - food at R's birthday party
*£36.11 - drinks at R's birthday party (buying a round is what made that so high)
*£12.54 - lunch on Sunday in London with S
*£0 - lunch meet up on Monday with RS (his b'day = 12th Feb) - he treated me : )
*£15 - extra petrol put in as been driving around so much
Still to come:
*? - petrol to holiday cottage
*? - food and drinks on holiday cottage break
*? - more petrol to get me around for the remainder of the month
Plus, to add to all of this, with my £91 saved from it being a council tax free month, I also paid £61.50 for a home contents insurance policy, as I didn't have one, and getting one was long overdue! Nice that TopCashBack are going to give me £30.30 back for that though. Normally I'd pay monthly but with it being such a cheap policy I didn't see the point (as you have to pay extra). Am trying to save the remaining £29.50 left over from the rest of my council tax payment to use for something useful (rather than just splurging it on birthday meals etc.), such as putting it towards the yearly injections my kitty is due for.
Not quite sure how I still seem to be managing after all that expenditure, but I seem to have made it work (so far) with the money I already had saved, and an extra £70 or so that I was paid last Friday (for working more than my contracted minimum hours in my second job).
I suspect I might be living off toast by the end of the month though...
Been a busy bee journeying up to London for R's party, hanging out with my mate S whilst up there (and celeb spotting Bill Bailey!), and yesterday having a long overdue catch up with RS. : )
Update on birthday month spends:
*£7 - present for L's birthday (her b'day = 6th Feb)
*£20 - meal out on Thursday for A's birthday (his b'day = 14th Feb)
*£17 - meal out on Friday for my birthday
*£3.90 - drinks out Friday night for B's birthday (his b'day =11th Feb)
*£36.20 - train to London for R's birthday party on Saturday (her b'day = 10th Feb - she's my birthday twin)
*£10 - to top up my Oyster card to get around London
*£8.50 - food at R's birthday party
*£36.11 - drinks at R's birthday party (buying a round is what made that so high)
*£12.54 - lunch on Sunday in London with S
*£0 - lunch meet up on Monday with RS (his b'day = 12th Feb) - he treated me : )
*£15 - extra petrol put in as been driving around so much
Still to come:
*? - petrol to holiday cottage
*? - food and drinks on holiday cottage break
*? - more petrol to get me around for the remainder of the month
Plus, to add to all of this, with my £91 saved from it being a council tax free month, I also paid £61.50 for a home contents insurance policy, as I didn't have one, and getting one was long overdue! Nice that TopCashBack are going to give me £30.30 back for that though. Normally I'd pay monthly but with it being such a cheap policy I didn't see the point (as you have to pay extra). Am trying to save the remaining £29.50 left over from the rest of my council tax payment to use for something useful (rather than just splurging it on birthday meals etc.), such as putting it towards the yearly injections my kitty is due for.
Not quite sure how I still seem to be managing after all that expenditure, but I seem to have made it work (so far) with the money I already had saved, and an extra £70 or so that I was paid last Friday (for working more than my contracted minimum hours in my second job).
I suspect I might be living off toast by the end of the month though...
Saturday 11 February 2012
Birthday spends
I've been going off topic a little lately what with bemoaning my new age and single status ya-de-ya-da, so today it's back to the finances.
I knew the birthday (and the multitude of friends' birthdays around mine) would equal a splurge-fest and so far I'm proving myself right. Spent so far:
*£7 - present for L's birthday (her b'day = 6th Feb)
*£20 - meal out for A's birthday (his b'day = 14th Feb)
*£17 - meal out last night for my birthday
*£3.90 - drinks out last night for B's birthday (his b'day =11th Feb)
*? - extra petrol required to visit L on Thursday and my parents yesterday
Still to come:
*£31 or £36.50 (for faster train) - train to London for R's birthday party tonight (her b'day = 10th Feb - she's my birthday twin)
*? - food before R's birthday party
*? - drinks at R's birthday party
*? - lunch on Sunday with S (have decided to stay in London overnight now)
*? - potential meet up on Monday with RS (his b'day = 12th Feb)
*? - petrol to holiday cottage
*? - food and drinks on holiday cottage break
Ouch! That's a lot of money : ( However, I only turn 30 once right? That said, with all the other birthdays too, February is always an expensive month. So far I'm using money purposefully saved up, but I fear I may have to resort to the credit card before the month is through...
At least most of my friends are like me, not all that bothered about presents. It's more about the meeting up and enjoying each other's company : )
I knew the birthday (and the multitude of friends' birthdays around mine) would equal a splurge-fest and so far I'm proving myself right. Spent so far:
*£7 - present for L's birthday (her b'day = 6th Feb)
*£20 - meal out for A's birthday (his b'day = 14th Feb)
*£17 - meal out last night for my birthday
*£3.90 - drinks out last night for B's birthday (his b'day =11th Feb)
*? - extra petrol required to visit L on Thursday and my parents yesterday
Still to come:
*£31 or £36.50 (for faster train) - train to London for R's birthday party tonight (her b'day = 10th Feb - she's my birthday twin)
*? - food before R's birthday party
*? - drinks at R's birthday party
*? - lunch on Sunday with S (have decided to stay in London overnight now)
*? - potential meet up on Monday with RS (his b'day = 12th Feb)
*? - petrol to holiday cottage
*? - food and drinks on holiday cottage break
Ouch! That's a lot of money : ( However, I only turn 30 once right? That said, with all the other birthdays too, February is always an expensive month. So far I'm using money purposefully saved up, but I fear I may have to resort to the credit card before the month is through...
At least most of my friends are like me, not all that bothered about presents. It's more about the meeting up and enjoying each other's company : )
Friday 10 February 2012
So here it is...
...urgh, the day of my birth. And a new decade. That is just frickin' scary when I think about it!
Thought I'd be depressed this morning but the flurry of Facebook birthday messages and text messages seems to be keeping me going.
Also, I've decided to take decisive action on the 'being single' front. What I need is to meet more people, and ideally older people. Nearly all the people I go out with are younger than me (or coupled up), making it hard to find an older man. 30 is therefore the year of the gym (there must be some older hotties there), and the year I join a walking group. Yes, a walking group. I know that sounds terribly old, but there is one near me that I went on a walk with a couple of years ago and they are all in their 30s and 40s (young for a rambler's group!). If I'm not feeling too lazy this Sunday I'll try and join them for a walk. Once I've been out with them a few times I'll have to pay £20something to join the Ramblers Association, but that's small fry in comparision to taking up some other activities.
Well I had New Year Resolutions, and most of them are going well, so why not have a turning 30 resolution? My resolution is that this year will be the year of the 'washboard abs'! No, I'm not talking men here (not that I wouldn't mind!), I'm talking about myself! Since breaking up with the ex I've lost 9 pounds and am now 8 stone 1, and back in my size 8 clothes : ) This is pretty well where I was before I got together with him, so I'm back to normal. However, I have never, as an adult, had the flat stomach of my teens, and so I want to go on a toning mission. It must be possible, as I'm fairly small and only have a relatively thin layer of blubber on my belly, to get washboard abs if I try hard enough, right? Here's hoping!
Right, I should probably get out of bed and go to the gym then...
Thought I'd be depressed this morning but the flurry of Facebook birthday messages and text messages seems to be keeping me going.
Also, I've decided to take decisive action on the 'being single' front. What I need is to meet more people, and ideally older people. Nearly all the people I go out with are younger than me (or coupled up), making it hard to find an older man. 30 is therefore the year of the gym (there must be some older hotties there), and the year I join a walking group. Yes, a walking group. I know that sounds terribly old, but there is one near me that I went on a walk with a couple of years ago and they are all in their 30s and 40s (young for a rambler's group!). If I'm not feeling too lazy this Sunday I'll try and join them for a walk. Once I've been out with them a few times I'll have to pay £20something to join the Ramblers Association, but that's small fry in comparision to taking up some other activities.
Well I had New Year Resolutions, and most of them are going well, so why not have a turning 30 resolution? My resolution is that this year will be the year of the 'washboard abs'! No, I'm not talking men here (not that I wouldn't mind!), I'm talking about myself! Since breaking up with the ex I've lost 9 pounds and am now 8 stone 1, and back in my size 8 clothes : ) This is pretty well where I was before I got together with him, so I'm back to normal. However, I have never, as an adult, had the flat stomach of my teens, and so I want to go on a toning mission. It must be possible, as I'm fairly small and only have a relatively thin layer of blubber on my belly, to get washboard abs if I try hard enough, right? Here's hoping!
Right, I should probably get out of bed and go to the gym then...
Thursday 9 February 2012
Hitting me hard
I'll be honest. Much as I'd like to be all sweetness and light about turning 30 tomorrow, I am not. It's not the getting older as such (you think I'm that shallow?!) but it's the symbolism of it, what it represents. And sadly for me, that is exactly what I've not achieved in my life.
Never at 20 would I have thought that at 30:
*I'd be broke and in a massive amount of debt (and therefore living on a shoestring)
*I would be working a full time job AND a part time job to afford to even eat
*I'd be totally single with not even a decent man on the horizon
*I'd be facing potential redundancy (later this year)
*I'd have not had any children
Add to that that over the last few months I've become the only single one of my local female friends, leaving me to feel very alone, and you can perhaps see why I'm not exactly jumping up and down to celebrate the anniversary of my birth.
What I think I'd like to do is drink myself into oblivion tomorrow to make it all go away, but somehow I think that will be unhelpful, and rather ungrownup for a 30 year old (and besides, my hangovers are a bitch)...
So what will I do? Well I'll slap on a smile, do the rounds seeing family and friends, and try and convince myself that everything is ok, hey, it's just another day after all...
Never at 20 would I have thought that at 30:
*I'd be broke and in a massive amount of debt (and therefore living on a shoestring)
*I would be working a full time job AND a part time job to afford to even eat
*I'd be totally single with not even a decent man on the horizon
*I'd be facing potential redundancy (later this year)
*I'd have not had any children
Add to that that over the last few months I've become the only single one of my local female friends, leaving me to feel very alone, and you can perhaps see why I'm not exactly jumping up and down to celebrate the anniversary of my birth.
What I think I'd like to do is drink myself into oblivion tomorrow to make it all go away, but somehow I think that will be unhelpful, and rather ungrownup for a 30 year old (and besides, my hangovers are a bitch)...
So what will I do? Well I'll slap on a smile, do the rounds seeing family and friends, and try and convince myself that everything is ok, hey, it's just another day after all...
Sunday 5 February 2012
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!
Nothing to do today except housework and some work for job #1 so not bothered by the snow today. It looks mighty pretty, and I love the silence of it.
One who is not happy is poor kitty... there is not much in life she hates more than snow. In previous years watching her try to walk in it is quite comical as she keeps shaking her feet after every step to get the snow off. Today I think she'll stay inside, no doubt getting annoyed at me as she thinks it is all my fault.
Here's a picture of her looking unimpressed after surveying the scene:
One who is not happy is poor kitty... there is not much in life she hates more than snow. In previous years watching her try to walk in it is quite comical as she keeps shaking her feet after every step to get the snow off. Today I think she'll stay inside, no doubt getting annoyed at me as she thinks it is all my fault.
Here's a picture of her looking unimpressed after surveying the scene:
Was hoping to have a NSD today because of the snow, but I might have to pop out for provisions on foot - think I'm low on milk. Maybe I should have joined in the panic buying with everyone else yesterday...?
Saturday 4 February 2012
Pah!
My date for tonight got cancelled : ( Well, probably for the best looking at the weather forecast... snow, snow, snow!
I have somehow already managed to spend 2/3 of this week's weekly budget and it's only Saturday! I fear February will be an expensive month, what with birthday drinks and dinners, not just for me, but a variety of friends. I just hope I don't go into financial meltdown...
Thinking of my birthday, with turning 30 on Friday I think I'm going to have to rewrite the 'about me' bit of this blog... hmmm
I have somehow already managed to spend 2/3 of this week's weekly budget and it's only Saturday! I fear February will be an expensive month, what with birthday drinks and dinners, not just for me, but a variety of friends. I just hope I don't go into financial meltdown...
Thinking of my birthday, with turning 30 on Friday I think I'm going to have to rewrite the 'about me' bit of this blog... hmmm
Thursday 2 February 2012
Necessary spending
It's the end of this budget week and I have £5.23 left, result! Ok, so I may have cheated slightly ~slaps wrist~ but I needed a whole load of toiletries etc. and spent buffer money on those instead of using my weekly budget, but they all needed buying at once, and that's where a weekly budget falls down.
At least I bought some of them off Ebay, saving quite a bit on what I would have paid in the shops.
Here's a list of what I bought (exciting stuff, I know):
- £8 in Poundland on shampoo, washing up liquid, light bulbs etc. Savers would have been cheaper but I went after work and they were shut : (
- £2.50 on a replacement pair of shoes for my second job - plimsols from Primark... yeah, I'm sexy!
- £2.99 on liquid eyeliner on Ebay (usually around £5/6 in shops)
- £6.98 on foundation on Ebay (usually around £10/11 in shops)
- £11.51 on perfume on Ebay (normally around £20/25 I think)
- £9.99 on a new loo seat on Ebay (mine is cracked and was bugging me)
This leaves me with a buffer pot of money of £101.59, down from £143.56. Still not a bad amount left for the birthday month, and I'll be able to top up this pot of money next weekend when I get paid again from job #2.
Not feeling too down on myself about my spending, as all were things I needed and nothing was bought on a whim.
Also, excitement (!), have realised I have February and March free from monthly council tax payments as they are spread over 10 months instead of 12. : ) That'll give me some spare funds to put towards my new tax disc, the yearly jabs for my kitty, and an overdue car service, so was pleased as punch when I realised this.
And in more interesting news, I have date number 2 with the guy from a couple of weeks ago coming up this Saturday...
At least I bought some of them off Ebay, saving quite a bit on what I would have paid in the shops.
Here's a list of what I bought (exciting stuff, I know):
- £8 in Poundland on shampoo, washing up liquid, light bulbs etc. Savers would have been cheaper but I went after work and they were shut : (
- £2.50 on a replacement pair of shoes for my second job - plimsols from Primark... yeah, I'm sexy!
- £2.99 on liquid eyeliner on Ebay (usually around £5/6 in shops)
- £6.98 on foundation on Ebay (usually around £10/11 in shops)
- £11.51 on perfume on Ebay (normally around £20/25 I think)
- £9.99 on a new loo seat on Ebay (mine is cracked and was bugging me)
This leaves me with a buffer pot of money of £101.59, down from £143.56. Still not a bad amount left for the birthday month, and I'll be able to top up this pot of money next weekend when I get paid again from job #2.
Not feeling too down on myself about my spending, as all were things I needed and nothing was bought on a whim.
Also, excitement (!), have realised I have February and March free from monthly council tax payments as they are spread over 10 months instead of 12. : ) That'll give me some spare funds to put towards my new tax disc, the yearly jabs for my kitty, and an overdue car service, so was pleased as punch when I realised this.
And in more interesting news, I have date number 2 with the guy from a couple of weeks ago coming up this Saturday...
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