I was bored today so I went shopping..

I got 2 dresses and a zip-up jumper £2 each.. I don't really *need* more dresses, although I did need a jumper, but at those prices I think I can treat myself now and then! and they are very nice too

plus I did some grocery shopping for my family.. and picked up some razors (which is brilliant because I just had to send my last one back to get my money...) and some random carpet cleaning stuff I thought might be handy for uni both on "try me free" (where you buy it and then you post off the receipt and they send you back the cost of the item and postage).. which was nice

I got paid today, and they seem to have underpaid me by quite a bit - only paid me about 3/4 of what I'm owed! I am not pleased! I'm working tomorrow so I'll get my payslip then and try and sort out what's gone wrong.. sigh..

I'm starting to get really nervous about uni. I move out in 32 days.. I don't feel old enough to go... I don't want to leave my boyfriend behind... and I'm really scared I won't be able to keep up with the work and stuff. Everyone else is going to be super clever... i really am going to be at the bottom

I've been saving for it for so long and always thinking about how much I wanted to be able to go so save my money for that instead of buying something.. and now I don't feel like I want to go anymore.. I think it's probably just nerves, I'm still going to go.. but i'm scared..

on a happier note it's my boyfriend's parents' (who are kind of like my second parents!) silver wedding anniversary tomorrow theyre having a party on Saturday.

I've made them a card (which took me absolutely HOURS. perhaps i should have just bought one!) and I'm making them a present, but it's not quite finished yet. I should be able to finish it tomorrow though, it won't take long.

after much badgering of them I got paid for a survey I did months ago today.. and I had an email from the author of a student cooking book (she has a website and the recipes on it are absolutely delicious so I can't wait to have the book!) - she's sent me a complimentary copy of her new vegetarian cookbook as a thank you for answering some questions about what me and my friends cook!

I've also signed up for another free trial of a DVDs-by-post service.. with any luck my first one should come tomorrow!.. and even better the incentive for signing up that day was a free DVD of Bend It Like Beckham.. so I can watch that one with my friends.. and unless I really want to keep it for some reason I'll take it to the video shop where they trade in DVDs for cash! hehehe

rosie

went to my friend's last night... we only kind of became friends pretty recently, it's nice because he;s one of my only friends that lives close enough that you can just "pop round".

had a great time

I'm so happy I don't have to work today! it was really busy yesterday and I was worn out!

I got £4 in vouchers today for a survey (you can spend them in the supermarket like cash, so my mum buys them off me).. and my free 5-year railcard for having opened a bank acct (normal cost: £100)

and.........

I won another 20p on the scratchcard! That's £6 now

Rosie

Worked again today.. then my friend came round and we went food-shopping with my brother as my dad is working and mum is away and we needed some food. (and yes I used my coupons!)

While I was there I noticed an advert for seasonal workers - it's flexible and you only have to work 10 weeks a year as the minimum - so I have applied, I just need to check with my current boss if it's OK to give me a reference then hand it in

Put 2 washes on & hung them out so I have clean uniforms and to clear the back-log of dirty clothes in our bathroom!

Then we watched a film it was good. Tomorrow I'm working again and am going to my friend's house to watch films there.. and we're going to cook something, but I'm not sure what yet.

I had my assessment through today stating what they are giving me to help me at uni, and was most surprised to see they are paying for me to have a PC - I thought I was just taking my current one!

I'm not sure what to do about it. I think what I might do is email my assessor and ask about it, because what might be better is if I take my PC for now, and can use my allowance to get a new one in 2 or 3 years. That seems more sensible than having 2 now, or alternatively turning down help, but I'm not sure if that's OK or not.. it might also be that I need a different computer to be compatible with the other stuff, I don't really know!

I'm just doing yet another survey (third one today..) but it's a lazy way to get cash and vouchers suits me better than working anyway!

I'll let you know how I get on with my job application - I hope it goes OK, because it'd be really handy for me to be able to have another source of flexible work for my holidays

rosie

we had a party last night, it was really fun

was at work today as well

i wrote 2 letters complaining today - 1 to HSBC for always keeping me waiting, and 1 to Co-op (a supermarket) because we went there last night and I tried to use my perfectly valid Co op student discount card, and they didn't know what it was and were really rude about it and tried to imply I somehow faked the card or something! and they just obviously hadn;t been trained in it when they should have been... it did go through in the end... to their surprise! (when my friend who works at a different co op told them what to do...!)

i normally don't like to make a fuss but I'm fed up of being messed around, and in the co-op's case, it's not fair on their employees if they don't train them properly.

in other news, I got a £15 amazon.co.uk voucher for surveys.. handy

good today: I went to the library and registered myself to have concessions on charges etc because I count as having a disability (hypermobility syndrome) under the Disability Discrimination Act we have

it was really simple and means I don't have to pay or get reduced charges for a couple of things

I also sorted out my student bank account... what a hassle... they are so inefficient there and I always have to wait absolutely ages! I much prefer my usual bank, but I need to have the free overdraft facility in case I need it which I can only get with a student bank acct.

I also get a railcard worth £100 which is handy - it lasts for 5 years.

anyway, with a bit of luck it should all be sorted now and I shouldn't have to go back and wait again!

rosie

won another 20p on the scratchcard.. well.. it all helps

I also had a very unexpected card with a cheque from my mum's cousin... I've just been making a thank you card for her - so saving money on buying one and I think it shows more appreciation to make your own!

now I just need to remember to post it

on the downside, I did a quick estimate of how much money I have coming from work, and it's rather less than I worked it out as before - must have done it wrong the first time! - nevermind.. (you can see why I think my A in maths was a fluke!)

Just working Thurs & Fri next week.. on Tuesday I'm driving to Leeds to be assessed for a clinical trial of some foot orthotics for treating hypermobility syndrome, then in the evening my friend and I are having a BBQ at his house and a bit of a party ... so I will probably spend Wed recovering!

rosie

Worked again today, another £25

did a survey, £1

getting ready to sell some more stuff on ebay too..

ooh! and I had an unexpected cheque from grandma & grandad as a "well done"! always nice

well I got my exam results today... I am very pleased.

I needed AAAB and I got 5A's and a merit in an extension paper. I also had a letter from the exam board saying that I got one of the top 5 marks for one of my subjects out of 27,000 people who took that subject

so I am in to Cambridge University and very pleased now I can properly start planning things.

in other news, I signed up for a gambling site run by a wellknown UK company who run bingo etc after seeing it on a message board, where you can play a "scratchcard" game once a day for free (don't worry, I won't be tempted to actually gamble, I'm far too tight for that).

anyway I've been playing it for maybe a week and I won 3 lots of 20p (the min. payout) then today I won £5! That's a whole hour of standing on my feet and scrubbing pots so I am chuffed, for the sake of a couple of clicks. Plus it's kind of fun. In a way.

rosie

Got rang up last night asking me if I wanted to work today, so of course I said yes... another £25 for my fund

not really doing anything tomorrow...relaxing ..maybe go over and see my boyfriend.. then thursday I get my results!

so fingers crossed for me please

rosie

went into town today to meet up with my friends (we all live quite far apart with town between us, so it's easier to meet up there than at someone's house)

moneysaving stuff:
- parked on the park & ride (free) and ended up walking instead of paying for the tram.. on the way back my friend walked with me to keep me company then I dropped her home.. i had quite a nice walk there, you go through parts of the city I don't normally go through..

- went round with my internet printouts and picked up some free makeup samples from department stores.. they didnt have the lipstick but they gave me some skincare samples instead (i dont really like their skincare stuff, but I'll put them on eBay - clinique stuff sells quite well) and said come back another day and we might have some more lipsticks in.. which i will do..

- for lunch we shared a basket of bread (a whole 50p each )

- i picked up one or two craft bits and bobs in the sale at Hobbycrafts for making my cards

- went to the library and picked up some books to read & some ones with ideas for making cards

um

- i have been wanting a new hoody jumper, I lost my old one and I got one from a charity shop in an amazingly cheery pink

rosie

well, I'm back after a couple of days of our internet being broken..

I was at work on friday, they cancelled me on Thurs just a few hours before I was due to come in - what a pain - I wish they wouldn't do that! but what can I do eh..

anyway, so last week was another £50 towards uni from work...

I find out where I'll be going on Thursday, it's getting so close now!

I've been doing stuff for presents.. I made a card for my boyfriends' parents silver anniversary next month... it took me absolutely AGES though.. but i hope they will like it.

I also had a lucky thing with their present in that a while ago I picked up a really pretty gift bag for 25p in the sale at a shop (they are normally quite expensive), and not only is it all silver with hearts etc so perfect for a silver anniversary... and it's the PERFECT size for what I plan to give them so that made me happy hehehe


for his mum for Xmas my plan is to give her a box of cards etc that she can give to people for occasions (my mum had one for her birthday from her friend and really liked it) but I will try and handmake the cards.. the book I got from the library has pretty ideas but most of them require loads of special things to do them with.. so I am going to look for some simpler ones!

rosie

I had my assessment for Disabled Student Allowance for university today (I have an inherited disorder called Hypermobility Syndrome - if you are interested go to www.hypermobility.org)

anyway it went pretty well and I am feeling a lot more reassured about that side of things... it has yet to be finalised but they are proposing to sort out:

a decent chair and footrest, a dictation-machine-thing, a note taker for lectures, a book rest, wrist rest, book allowance (for core texts so i can study in my room with my computer, special chair etc instead of always in the library), printing/photocopy allowance..they will pay for my internet connection i think.. they have just been really great about it.. I already have my PC and printer so I don't need those.. but it really is great the help they are giving me (some of it, they were trying to give me and i was saying no i could manage without that and tehy were saying no but you haveto be comfortable and not just "make do" etc, they were very nice )

so yeah, that is a weight off my mind really..

I also got £15 not £5 for taking my friend and his friends home last night, because they all gave me £5 each, which was nice

rosie

Just finished another week at work, and another £125 towards my fund..

A bit annoyed though because she cancelled me working on Monday, which is quite short notice and I had planned things around it... but no matter...

on Sunday I was planning to go to my boyfriend's house and have struck up a deal with my friend who is going out for a party in nottingham, and will be drinking so can't drive home..

he is going to get the bus in, then I will go and ipck him up (it's only about 4/5 miles from my boyfriend's house) then drop him home (about 4 miles from my house) then go home myself.. and I get £5 for my troubles... and help him out, so we all win

I've also booked to do a test drive on Monday and I get gift vouchers for it but I am going to ring them and try and make it a bit later on now I don't have to go before work!

Rosie

Went to a wedding on Sunday and also scored some new clothes

- jumper for thom: 50p
-coat for me - 50p - but had 5p in the pocket
- top for me - 50p
and 3 sheets I'm, going to attempt to make clothes with all 50p

Since then I haven't really done much. Just been working.......zzzzzzzzzz.......... but it all adds up - I reckon by the end of next week I should have made ~ £500. Which is nice. I'm sorting out tomorrow when else I'm working with the supervisor, but she said there were lots of hours for me... which is nice.

I'm a bit annoyed - I ordered some passport photos from a site on the Internet because they are much cheaper than from a booth.. and they are over 2 weeks late in coming. I'm going to ring them tomorrow - my email to them was ignored

rosie

Woo, I am tired...

I got £42 back in travel costs from the playscheme. That is like a full tank of petrol for me which I know I didn't use, so just goes to show it pays to drive carefully - and they actually paid me for 30 miles a day not 34 which is what it actually was.

Working again this week and every day except Wed next week - I have to go to a meeting at my 1st choice university because I count as a "student with a disability". I also have an assessment on Monday for Disabled Student's Allowance, which is money available for you to get equipment etc or helpers (like note takers) you need to help you study because of your disability (I have hypermobility syndrome, which mainly affects the joints/muscles and causes pain and instability in them)

rosie