Categories: uncategorized
Date: 08 August 2004 16:42:01
I went through my finances today - something I'd put off for a long time. But it was a very useful exercise, and it also gave me the chance to use my brand new paper shredder, which was fun (I know, little things....). However, I now know that I'm going to have to tighten my belt a bit - no more big buys from amazon (I just spent nearly £200 there, though in my defence I'll be glad of that in December as a chunk of that was Christmas presents, we just won't talk about the Kate Rusby CDs though cough cough I couldn't help it), and no more big supermarket shops till payday (over 2 weeks away). I've also figured out that I need to put quite a lot of money aside - my lodger has had an offer on a flat accepted this week so I'll be losing her rent in the next 2 or 3 months, so I'm going to have to be a bit more frugal from now on - but I need to save for solicitor's fees, moving costs, living costs between moving and starting course etc. Thankfully I've already put some money aside for a holiday, so hopefully I'll still get the chance of going away to relax at some point next year.
Anyway, as well as finances I've also come up with a very long list (I love lists!) of things I need to do, divided into before and after the dissertation (ie October). Before then I need to:
* arrange my uniform so I can (eventually) start the bank nursing job that I was accepted for in May
* arrange two final interviews for the dissertation
* write one more essay before Greenbelt
* contact colleges about arranging Russian and Romanian lessons
* contact the Upnorth University tutors and try to arrange a meeting with them when I'm next up that way in September (I'm house-sitting for a friend who lives about 40 miles away from the uni whilst I write my dissertation, so it makes sense to try and see them whilst I'm up there).
After the dissertation I need to:
* get my act together about applying for the PhD - application is due in February next year (I think)
* finish the garden (it will be easier at the end of the year when it's not so hot, at the moment the ground is rock hard so impossible to dig over)
* fix mouldy patch on bathroom ceiling
* BIG spring clean
* chuck out tons of stuff I really don't need (I'll wait till after the lodger's gone so I can use her room as a sorting out space)
* buy sofa bed and chairs (I'm giving my lodger my chairs for when she moves out as I can't stand the ones I've got, they always remind me of the dentist's waiting room, and my sofa bed is on loan so I'll need to give it back at some point before I move)
* contact housing association re how and when to get the house valued for sale (I'm a shared owner with a housing assoc. so have to do everything through them, which is a pain as they are totally incompetent)
* start looking round for decent solicitors and financial advisor
* contact UpNorth Primary Care Trust about going onto their nurse/HV bank for occasional work once I've moved.
I feel a bit better now I've got a bit more of a plan of action. Though lots of things on that list seem rather big and scary to do on my own. The joys of singledom, huh?