I'm hating not having access at my fingertips. I've been coming to work early and leaving late so I can check my emails. And all the time I'm losing money through not being able to test products :(
Sat down tonight during a quiet period at work and did some research into untapped niches in the market, so I'm going to try to work on some new products while I've got the time and space to do so. That's if my mum doesn't drag me out shopping again, argh!
Daily spend today: £2.99 on lunch, which was a very filling subway roll/crisps/drink. Not too bad considering I'm on a 13-hour shift.
Monday 29 September 2008
Friday 26 September 2008
The stresses of moving house
It's never easy, moving to a new house, is it? Things never seem to run as smoothly as they could do and you know there's always going to be SOMETHING that goes badly awry.
In this case, the move itself went pretty well, but we've been beset by unforeseen expenses since we got in there. Mainly of the small but annoying sort, such as there not being any hooks on the backs of the doors, or toilet roll holders, or towel rails, or mirrors. So we've had to buy bits and pieces here, there and everywhere.
Of a more spendy nature, we've also had to buy quite a bit of furniture, as my previous place was furnished, and obviously I had to leave all that there. So I've got a small cabinet, a chest of drawers and a desk - all flatpacked. I've put the dresser and cabinet together, just the desk to go. My hands are bloody killing me! Damn RSI.
Mum is still debating about whether to have her bed brought up from storage, or just buy a single bed, which will fit in her room better. She also needs some wardrobes as she's currently just using portable hanging rails. However, she's very picky about furniture and has an unreasonable disdain for flatpacks.
She actually suggested that we pay some bloke to come round and put my flatpacks together. I refused, so that was money saved, LOL.
T-Mobile have let me down with the free laptop offer. When I checked the signal strength with their online tool for this area, it was showing as good coverage. However, I found that in fact I could only get a 2G signal - even up in the attic - which gives less than a dial-up connection. So I've sent that back to T-Mob. It's a major let-down, because now I won't be able to test any products until I'm back online with regular broadband, which isn't going to be until about 10th October. So I'm losing money there. On the flip side, I now won't be paying the monthly charge to T-Mobile, so it's swings and roundabouts really. Also, I'll have quite a lot of offline time so perhaps I'll be able to work on some new products.
I'm very disappointed this week to learn that Son has got himself a 2-day exclusion from school. This means he has forfeited our proposed trip to Cyprus next year. So I'm deciding what to do with the money for that trip as I don't want to go on my own. Current idea is to see if my sister and her husband feel like coming, as I think they would like Cyprus. But I've yet to discuss that with her. Mum definitely won't come as she doesn't like air travel.
Well that's all for now. I am working a double shift today and on Monday, so that's 10.5 hours of overtime this week, and since my colleague has just handed in his notice, I think I'll be earning quite a lot more in the next few weeks... It's just a question of what I'm going to spend it on!!
In this case, the move itself went pretty well, but we've been beset by unforeseen expenses since we got in there. Mainly of the small but annoying sort, such as there not being any hooks on the backs of the doors, or toilet roll holders, or towel rails, or mirrors. So we've had to buy bits and pieces here, there and everywhere.
Of a more spendy nature, we've also had to buy quite a bit of furniture, as my previous place was furnished, and obviously I had to leave all that there. So I've got a small cabinet, a chest of drawers and a desk - all flatpacked. I've put the dresser and cabinet together, just the desk to go. My hands are bloody killing me! Damn RSI.
Mum is still debating about whether to have her bed brought up from storage, or just buy a single bed, which will fit in her room better. She also needs some wardrobes as she's currently just using portable hanging rails. However, she's very picky about furniture and has an unreasonable disdain for flatpacks.
She actually suggested that we pay some bloke to come round and put my flatpacks together. I refused, so that was money saved, LOL.
T-Mobile have let me down with the free laptop offer. When I checked the signal strength with their online tool for this area, it was showing as good coverage. However, I found that in fact I could only get a 2G signal - even up in the attic - which gives less than a dial-up connection. So I've sent that back to T-Mob. It's a major let-down, because now I won't be able to test any products until I'm back online with regular broadband, which isn't going to be until about 10th October. So I'm losing money there. On the flip side, I now won't be paying the monthly charge to T-Mobile, so it's swings and roundabouts really. Also, I'll have quite a lot of offline time so perhaps I'll be able to work on some new products.
I'm very disappointed this week to learn that Son has got himself a 2-day exclusion from school. This means he has forfeited our proposed trip to Cyprus next year. So I'm deciding what to do with the money for that trip as I don't want to go on my own. Current idea is to see if my sister and her husband feel like coming, as I think they would like Cyprus. But I've yet to discuss that with her. Mum definitely won't come as she doesn't like air travel.
Well that's all for now. I am working a double shift today and on Monday, so that's 10.5 hours of overtime this week, and since my colleague has just handed in his notice, I think I'll be earning quite a lot more in the next few weeks... It's just a question of what I'm going to spend it on!!
Monday 22 September 2008
Oh god. I hate moving.
I can't even count what I've had to spend in the last two days, and it isn't over yet.
My back is killing me. My head hurts. I'm so tired.
My back is killing me. My head hurts. I'm so tired.
Thursday 18 September 2008
Today's spends
Zero!
Didn't buy a single thing today, yippee! Which makes this a No Spend Day.
Tested another 4 items, about £8 in the bank there.
Hectic day; we were up early and off to pick up the keys to the new house. A few unexpected discoveries there - no lampshades, and no curtains in the main bedroom. So I'll be making some spends tomorrow, damn it.
Off to bed now, another early one tomorrow as we're taking more stuff over.
Didn't buy a single thing today, yippee! Which makes this a No Spend Day.
Tested another 4 items, about £8 in the bank there.
Hectic day; we were up early and off to pick up the keys to the new house. A few unexpected discoveries there - no lampshades, and no curtains in the main bedroom. So I'll be making some spends tomorrow, damn it.
Off to bed now, another early one tomorrow as we're taking more stuff over.
Wednesday 17 September 2008
Today
Bottle of coke: 93p
Various groceries in Tesco: £4.87
Total £5.70
Tested 4 items today, so that's $16... about £8. So I'm in front for the day, hooray!
Also: bought Pepsi Max 4 bottles in Tesco for £2.50, so won't need to buy any at work for a few days. Win!
Various groceries in Tesco: £4.87
Total £5.70
Tested 4 items today, so that's $16... about £8. So I'm in front for the day, hooray!
Also: bought Pepsi Max 4 bottles in Tesco for £2.50, so won't need to buy any at work for a few days. Win!
My income
I have three streams of income.
My full time job, which I go to 5 days one week, 6 days the next. This is 37.5 hours a week, for which I net around £1200 a month (depending on tax, my tax code is being recalculated right now.) I'm also eligible for overtime at 1.25 rate fairly frequently. However this means doing a 12-hour day, which takes time away from...
...My part time job, which is 20 hours per week, 7 days a week. This is doing admin work for an online business based in the states. For this I get a flat fee of $800 per month, which is about £445 at today's exchange rates. (Damn the falling dollar!)
My "freelance" work, which is testing, and providing, digital content for the same online business. For this I get paid per item, a variable rate depending on whether I'm testing or creating. I average around $350 from this, which is just under £200.
So here is where I'm going to assign my cash for the next few months:
All of my "creating" pay will go towards my MP3 fund.
All of my "testing" pay will go into the holiday pot.
£250 of my admin pay will go onto the credit card.
Any overtime I do at my main job will go into the holiday fund, too.
Any bits and bobs that I bring in - prize draw winnings, ebay sales, saving up small change - will go in the MP3 fund too.
I am currently waiting for about £500 of overtime to be paid, so that will be a big boost for the holiday fund this month!
So if I want my MP3 player before Christmas, I need to get off my backside and create some new products.
My full time job, which I go to 5 days one week, 6 days the next. This is 37.5 hours a week, for which I net around £1200 a month (depending on tax, my tax code is being recalculated right now.) I'm also eligible for overtime at 1.25 rate fairly frequently. However this means doing a 12-hour day, which takes time away from...
...My part time job, which is 20 hours per week, 7 days a week. This is doing admin work for an online business based in the states. For this I get a flat fee of $800 per month, which is about £445 at today's exchange rates. (Damn the falling dollar!)
My "freelance" work, which is testing, and providing, digital content for the same online business. For this I get paid per item, a variable rate depending on whether I'm testing or creating. I average around $350 from this, which is just under £200.
So here is where I'm going to assign my cash for the next few months:
All of my "creating" pay will go towards my MP3 fund.
All of my "testing" pay will go into the holiday pot.
£250 of my admin pay will go onto the credit card.
Any overtime I do at my main job will go into the holiday fund, too.
Any bits and bobs that I bring in - prize draw winnings, ebay sales, saving up small change - will go in the MP3 fund too.
I am currently waiting for about £500 of overtime to be paid, so that will be a big boost for the holiday fund this month!
So if I want my MP3 player before Christmas, I need to get off my backside and create some new products.
Tuesday 16 September 2008
Today's spends
Final post for today.
It's been a much more spendy day than usual. Mainly because there were a few things I needed to get in preparation for the move.
Mouse for the laptop - £26.99 (I've learned my lesson buying cheap mice. They don't last.)
New cat carrier - £9.99
Laptop case - £29.98 (really good deal from caseplace.co.uk - a Belkin case with shoulder strap, with a lifetime warranty)
Bottle of Diet Coke - 93p
Total £67.89
Only did two product tests today, so that's $8 in. :(
It's been a much more spendy day than usual. Mainly because there were a few things I needed to get in preparation for the move.
Mouse for the laptop - £26.99 (I've learned my lesson buying cheap mice. They don't last.)
New cat carrier - £9.99
Laptop case - £29.98 (really good deal from caseplace.co.uk - a Belkin case with shoulder strap, with a lifetime warranty)
Bottle of Diet Coke - 93p
Total £67.89
Only did two product tests today, so that's $8 in. :(
Goals
Goals
I have three goals in my mind right now:
1. Short term: Buy new MP3 player. Creative ZEN 16GB MP3 Player is the one I'm lusting over. I'll need a case for it as well. My little Rio Carbon has served me well over the last 3 years, but it's getting to the point now where I just haven't got enough room for all my tracks on it. It's also really dated in terms of menu navigation and so on. I hope to buy this for myself for Xmas.
2. Medium term: Take my son* on holiday to Cyprus. This I want to do in April 2009, so I need to have this money saved by February 2009 at the latest.
3. Medium-to-long term: Pay off my credit card. Once this is down to zero, I will then be using it for regular monthly outgoings, and paying it off in full every month, as it's a cashback card. By Xmas 2009.
Ultimate long-term goal is to completely pay off my bank loan as well, so I'm fully debt-free. I need to work out how much that is. I think it's around £19k. Once I have done that I'll be in a much better position to have my son* living with me, which I am hoping to make happen in 2010.
We're in the process of moving house right now, so it's hard for me to work out what my monthly outgoings are.
*My step-son, i.e. my ex-husband's son. He lives with his dad, but I consider him my son since he was only 5 when I met his dad, and he saw me as his mum for the 6 years we were together. I am hoping to have him come live with me for his last year of school. His dad is cool with this plan. I wish I could have him sooner, but I have nobody who could look after him during school holidays. Childminders just don't want to know for kids of 13 :(
I have three goals in my mind right now:
1. Short term: Buy new MP3 player. Creative ZEN 16GB MP3 Player is the one I'm lusting over. I'll need a case for it as well. My little Rio Carbon has served me well over the last 3 years, but it's getting to the point now where I just haven't got enough room for all my tracks on it. It's also really dated in terms of menu navigation and so on. I hope to buy this for myself for Xmas.
2. Medium term: Take my son* on holiday to Cyprus. This I want to do in April 2009, so I need to have this money saved by February 2009 at the latest.
3. Medium-to-long term: Pay off my credit card. Once this is down to zero, I will then be using it for regular monthly outgoings, and paying it off in full every month, as it's a cashback card. By Xmas 2009.
Ultimate long-term goal is to completely pay off my bank loan as well, so I'm fully debt-free. I need to work out how much that is. I think it's around £19k. Once I have done that I'll be in a much better position to have my son* living with me, which I am hoping to make happen in 2010.
We're in the process of moving house right now, so it's hard for me to work out what my monthly outgoings are.
*My step-son, i.e. my ex-husband's son. He lives with his dad, but I consider him my son since he was only 5 when I met his dad, and he saw me as his mum for the 6 years we were together. I am hoping to have him come live with me for his last year of school. His dad is cool with this plan. I wish I could have him sooner, but I have nobody who could look after him during school holidays. Childminders just don't want to know for kids of 13 :(
Hello World
This blog is my attempt to stay on the straight and narrow path to being debt-free.
I’m 35 years old, single, and I live in Yorkshire. Over the last 10 years I’ve slowly accumulated a significant amount of debt (well, significant to me. Compared with, say, XL Airways, it’s probably a drop in the ocean) which I now am determined to get rid of.
Earlier this year, my Mum moved in with me, after my Grandma died. Now, while living with your Mum past the age of 25 is totally sad, it is certainly a great help when it comes to meeting household bills. Plus, she does nearly all the housework. Win! This puts me in an excellent position to make a real dent in my personal debt mountain over the next couple of years.
I’m 35 years old, single, and I live in Yorkshire. Over the last 10 years I’ve slowly accumulated a significant amount of debt (well, significant to me. Compared with, say, XL Airways, it’s probably a drop in the ocean) which I now am determined to get rid of.
Earlier this year, my Mum moved in with me, after my Grandma died. Now, while living with your Mum past the age of 25 is totally sad, it is certainly a great help when it comes to meeting household bills. Plus, she does nearly all the housework. Win! This puts me in an excellent position to make a real dent in my personal debt mountain over the next couple of years.
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