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Archive for May, 2006

No spend day

May 31st, 2006 at 05:36 pm

I haven't spent anything today Smile

New challenge total

May 31st, 2006 at 11:56 am

I took my dog out for a 20 minute walk today so I added £1 to my challenge.

New total: £16.40

One down, two to go

May 29th, 2006 at 08:05 pm

I sat my first final exam today. I got my times mixed up and arrived 4 hours early. Met my friend and we spent three hours studying together.

Bought lunch, roughly £3.00

Added £10.00 to my challenge. Bought my OH's birthday presents at the weekend. Had to go into my overdraft because there was only one left of what he wanted. Also bought him two t-shirts that were on sale, I saved £10.00 so that has been added.

This is a bad end to the month, I hate being in my overdraft. I had no other option; I can't miss any of my exams.

Speaking of exams, I have one tomorrow. I better get back to studying for it.

No Spend Day

May 26th, 2006 at 05:35 pm

Today was a no spend day.

Took my dog out for a walk with my OH and his dogs.

Done some studying, still got more to do.

Signed up for a Boots Advantage card.

Cinema

May 25th, 2006 at 11:29 pm

My mum took me to see the new X-Men movie and I'm going with my OH on Tuesday. I know it's a waste of money to see the same movie twice but it's a really good movie and my mum paid for me the first time.

Before we went to the cinema, we bought some stuff and saved 70p. I added that to my challenge.

I studied all day today so it was nice to get out. The cinema was really busy, but this is the first week of it's release. I want to see The Break Up next. And the new Superman movie. Honestly, I should try not to because I really need to save money.

Challenge

May 25th, 2006 at 01:42 pm

Added 30p to my challenge.

New total: £4.70

Still nowhere near the £20 mark.

A long day

May 24th, 2006 at 11:10 pm

It's after 11pm here and I've just sent a sample answer to one of my lecturers. I'm really stressed about my exams now, especially since I'm working all weekend (it's my contract). I'm going to leave early on Sunday since my first exam is on Monday morning. I'll also be getting up early before work.

Studying all day tomorrow, well until my mum takes me to see the new X-Men movie. We're not going until the evening so I can get plenty of work done first.

I got a coupon in the mail today for Garnier Nutrisse. It's valid until 31/8/06. When I do finally use it I will put the savings towards my challenge.

I think I'll focus more on the challenge after my exams. I know I really haven't been focusing on it, especially when I read other entries about how well people are doing with their challenge.

My student ID expires in September. I'm going to make the most of it till then and put any savings into my challenge.

Housing list & some questions

May 22nd, 2006 at 10:03 pm

My OH and I have decided to put our names on the housing list. We will be on there for years since we aren't a priority (as in I'm not pregnant or homeless). We'll end up renting a place anyway for two reasons: we can't afford to buy straight away and we want to see what we'll be like living together.

I've got a couple of questions for everyone:

1. is it any different living together?
2. did you and your OH make preparations before you both moved in together? e.g. buying things for the house, saving money. I'm hoping to do both.

We will hopefully move in together next year. By that time we will have been going out for over 4 years. I don't think that's too soon.

I'm so naive when it comes to things like this.

Dentist appointment

May 22nd, 2006 at 05:51 pm

Not mine, a woman at my work. I'm covering her shift on Wednesday so she can go to the dentist. Anyway by doing her shift I'll be working 8 hours extra this week Smile

My manager wanted me to work today but I said I couldn't because I've got studying to do, and I knew I was covering her shift on Wednesday.

I think I might end up in my overdraft a bit. I have to make three bus trips into the city for my exams. It works out as about £13 for the three days plus bus fare in the city.

baby clothes

May 22nd, 2006 at 05:41 pm

My auntie had a little girl last week, she's 6lb something. She was five weeks early. I'm going to visit her tomorrow. I haven't seen her yet.

I bought baby clothes today. I saved 90p with my staff discount card so I added that to my challenge.

New total: £4.40

I can't wait to see her Smile

First day of revision

May 18th, 2006 at 01:46 pm

I started revising a couple of hours ago.

Found 40p and added that to my challenge.
New total: £3.50

I haven't spent anything today.

Handed my dissertation in

May 17th, 2006 at 12:39 pm

I just handed my dissertation in! I hope it's okay.

I'm glad it's out of the way. Just need to start studying now...

Paid my library fine (£7.10) and put over £5 in my printer account at uni to print out my project, plus £2 to get it bound... they don't tell you about all of the little costs

Also spent £4.50 + £2.30 = £6.80 on bus fare alone.

I think I might have to phone work or ask my manager at the weekend for extra hours. June is going to be an expensive month.

I'll need to think of more manageable goals because my goals for May just aren't going to happen. If they do I'll be very surprised.

Still need to think of ways to add money to my challenge. I haven't checked my receipts yet.

currency converter

May 16th, 2006 at 04:19 pm

Since this is an American site, I thought I would use a currency converter to convert $20 into pounds. I don't know if this is accurate but apparently, 20.00 USD
United States Dollars = 10.6179 GBP.

No Spend Day

May 16th, 2006 at 04:09 pm

I've been sitting at my computer ALL DAY. Of course I haven't spent a penny. Finally another day like this in May.

UK's youngest mum

May 16th, 2006 at 12:25 pm

You'll never believe the age of this girl - 12 years old and 8 months pregnant. I don't know if anyone in the US/Canada has heard about her yet.

http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/hi/news/5052127.html

I'm not exactly sure how to get a link to the article but there's the address. It's been all over the news here.

7000 words

May 16th, 2006 at 11:27 am

I only have a couple more thousand words to write for my dissertation. I got up early this morning and I've been working on it since then.

Spent a while doing the tedious tasks e.g. fixing margins, page numbering, printing out labels

Nearly done now. I can't wait till I've handed it in.

Surprise visitor

May 15th, 2006 at 08:50 pm

My auntie's visiting from England for the week. We were really surprised when she showed up at our door an hour ago. She's staying for the week.

My uncle's ill, he thinks he might have cancer. She'll be here to visit him.

Almost forgot

May 15th, 2006 at 07:31 pm

Paid £180 towards my holiday.

£670 + £180 = £850

Only £100 left to pay next month.

Paid for gown and pictures

May 15th, 2006 at 07:06 pm

£100

I have to graduate in July. That's almost everything paid for, just the additional tickets which are available after I get my exam results in July.

Added £1 to my challenge money.

New total: £3.10

Found money

May 15th, 2006 at 11:32 am

I found 10p in my fleece at work. Every little helps.

New total: £2.10

Latest idea for challenge

May 14th, 2006 at 10:21 am

I've decided to try and think of different ways to add to the challenge (but still save for the holiday too). Since I've been keeping my receipts for the past month I'm going to look at them at some point and add any savings that I've made from things that I've bought. I'll also include discount e.g. student and staff discount as savings.

My version of the $20 Challenge

May 13th, 2006 at 10:37 am

I added £1 to my challenge.

New total: £2

This is going to take ages.

First no spend day in May

May 13th, 2006 at 08:57 am

On Thursday I didn't spend a penny. My friend took me to her house and brought me back so that saved on bus fare.

Got paid yesterday. I have enough to pay £180 to the holiday and £100 for Graduation. I need to pay some bills too. Actually I'm going to pay one today before work.

challenge

May 11th, 2006 at 11:14 am

I've decided to try and turn my £1 into £2000 by April 2007. Assuming I graduate in July I will have to pay £2000 Graduate Endowment. I've read up on it and I can either take out a loan or pay the amount in full. I'd rather pay the money in full than take out a loan especially since I've managed 4 years without taking out a loan. I told my mum that I'm going to try and save up for it and she thinks that I'm trying to save up for too much (I also want money saved for when I move out next year but my OH will help with that)

I'll need to do a lot of overtime and increase my contract hours after I'm back from my holiday in September.

Considering the $20 challenge, or something similar

May 10th, 2006 at 08:20 pm

I really am procrastinating when I should be working.

I am considering doing the $20 challenge, or something similar. Actually I can't do the actual $20 challenge because

1. my currency's pounds
2. I haven't got £20 to start a challenge with

Right now I only have £1, really pathetic but I suppose I could try and turn that into more and then use it towards something. When I get money I'll add the money that I saved last week, plus I need to check my receipts too. The challenge just seems like such a good idea.

Some of my goals were accomplished

May 10th, 2006 at 08:12 pm

None of them were financial.

I completed both of the reports that were due in and I handed them in today.

Carried out more data analysis for my project using the method my supervisor told me to. I just need to type more of it up and then email her another copy of it tonight. It's easier to email than phone her, she's never in her office. Plus it also means that I don't have to travel in to meet up with her - unless I desperately need to go in.

Found out that binding for the project will only cost £1. I need to bind 2 copies so £2 isn't bad, I was expecting it to cost more. I need to find out exactly what's involved, I'll ask my supervisor, do I get my own binding or do they provide it and just put it together?

I need to learn how to work the vB code, it will make my lists look better.

Speaking of lists, I have a feeling that my May goals won't work out but I will try my best.

I had a revision lecture today for my final class. It didn't feel like the final class. I need to do a lot of studying, but I need to finish my dissertation first. I'll really need to work on both.

Spending today:
£4.50
£2.30
£0.50

£7.30

I think I better get back to my dissertation now. It's only 8pm here so I'll work on it for a couple more hours. It'll be an early night I think, so I can get up in the morning and work on it again.

Graduation, coursework, dissertation...

May 8th, 2006 at 10:05 pm

Final week of uni and I'm sitting here trying to finish my report on developmental prosopagnosia. I don't know if anyone has ever heard of it, it's a really interesting subject. People suffering from this cannot recognise familiar people e.g. friends, family and even themselves. If they're looking in a mirror they will know that they are looking at themselves but if they walked past a shop window and seen their reflection, they wouldn't know. There's a debate about whether there are separate systems for object and facial recognition, I'm finding it really interesting, hope I can mention it in my exam. Just in case anyone is wondering, the opposite exists too: some people cannot recognise objects but can recognise faces.

I still have about 5000 words of my dissertation left to write... I met with my supervisor on Friday and she basically said that I have more analysis to do and explained a method. I tried and I couldn't figure it out so I emailed her. I checked my mail this morning and she had replied and said that I should get help with statistics. Well as it turns out since this is my last week I didn't know if the sessions were still running so I emailed an academic advisor to find out. I missed today's one, waiting on her reply, so I have to go on Wednesday afternoon instead. I used to think my topic was interesting, but now I just want it handed in. I collected the project covers today all I need to do is write it!!!

The registry services emailed me last week, saying that I was registered to graduate but it is only provisional. If I fail anything this month I will graduate in July instead. If that happens I'm still going to the graduation ball - I've bought my dress, booked the hotel and paid for the tickets, I'm not cancelling it.

Borrowed money

May 8th, 2006 at 08:06 pm

I borrowed money from my mum for bus fare for one day to uni and to visit my friend on Thursday. I'm paying her back on Friday so I don't feel too bad. I hate borrowing money though.

I watched a programme tonight about people who had taken out secured loans. They were all seriously in debt, one woman had to declare herself bankrupt. That made me decide that I have to try and pay the washing machine and pc a.s.a.p. I know there's no comparison really but it's still owing money.

Holiday payments so far

May 6th, 2006 at 11:56 am

£50
£260 february
£180 march
£180 april

Total = £670

£950-670 = £280

Future expenses

May 6th, 2006 at 10:53 am

Graduation pics
Graduation gown
Holiday (£280 left to pay)
Friend's wedding at the end of June (no gift ideas yet)
Money for hotel at graduation ball
Money to spend at graduation ball

I was hoping to keep money over from my June pay for this but if I don't do any overtime this month I will have a low wage in June. I left a note for my manager asking if I could come in later when my exams start so that will leave me short. I think I'm going to have to do some overtime so I don't end up in my overdraft. I think I'll be able to study and do overtime.

Hoping to start early tomorrow since it will count towards next month's pay.



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