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annwfynGood morning all.
First of all, a summary of my holiday as I fear LJ entries were rather sparse while I was out there. It was a rebellion against the computer kind of thing.
Overall, I think Australia was a rather nice experience, although there were far too many people I didn't get to see - special note toravenseer who I really missed hanging out with. I did, however, have a spectacular day at Melbourne Zoo, where one can wander amongst kangaroos, and see many monkeys (who weirdly move a lot like ksirafai when she's climbing trees, bunk beds, or other random objects) and see a bear up close and personal. Bears are rapidly moving up my Coolest Animal Ever league table. I got to spend a day at the beach at St Kilda, where the water is crystal clear, the fish are coloured, and you can buy pavlova as big as a human head! I also got a fantastic trip along the Great Coast Road where we saw many waves, many beaches and spent a superb afternoon climbing around in a rainforest. There's a rainforest in Victoria where aerial walkways have been set up in the canopy, so it's possible to really get a different view of the place.
I also controlled my shopping enough that my only expensive purchases were a pair of Emily the Strange boots (although as I paid full price for them and gazed at their gothy goodness I wondered if this was betrayingmelsner in some way. But I'm told they are very new and won't be available on clearance for some time) and a red silk strapless top that fits me like a second skin.
I also managed to spend two weeks in a room with Andy, Ginnie, MattMatt and jez (tho the last one isn't that unusual) and no one killed me! I'm impressed. Now all I need to do is wait four months and wait for all the pent up resentment stored over this holiday to just explode...
*exhales*
Anyway, in other news, I'm in a good mood today. This may seem peculiar, as I've been up and down like a kite for the last two weeks. It turns out that what I've really been stressing about (and it's a definite peculiarity of the Sally-brain that she often doesn't know what is making her stressed and ratty, even while she is bursting into tears over chipped nail varnish) was related to the gentle pokings at mortgages that jez and I have been making, and a broker who apparently can't use e mail for anything other than leaving cryptic messages such as 'urgent - phone me now' or 'there is a problem' or 'you're going to die'. OK, I may have been exaggerating that last bit, but not by much. I got home, called her, and found out that actually the urgent problem was that she couldn't get hold of me by phone. Despite me saying I was in Australia. Despite me leaving her my e mail address.
Damn her. And her little dog too. However, all is now well. I'm home. I'm fed (and I've found a really nice cafe in Greenwich that does fantastic organic scrambled egg) and I'm bathed. The world is a better place. I'm pondering my holiday, being impressed by how much more glamorous Australia looks inmolez's photos, and sorting out my life determinedly.
One of my missions for today involves money. I've decided to try and sort out all my debt (which admittedly isn't too bad, but is looking thoughtfully at the £1000 mark). First of all, I should probably pay off my student overdraft, which is solely sitting there out of laziness on my part. Then I want to sort out my credit card. At the moment I had a credit card which sits there. It has a bit of a balance on it, but not much. I make minimum payments every month, have never missed one, and the balance sits there, well below the maximum amount. It's got a crappy interest rate coz I got the credit card when I was 18, no special features, and is mostly worthless.
Therefore, I want to change credit card. What I want is a good deal on balance transfers and a reasonable long term rate. Just something better than 'this is what you get with an RBS Student Account'. Any advice and opinions? I could probably just pay off the balance on it, but right now I'm trying to not spend money until after a mortgage/house has been arranged and I know how much cash I've got left after that to play with.
Opinions?
First of all, a summary of my holiday as I fear LJ entries were rather sparse while I was out there. It was a rebellion against the computer kind of thing.
Overall, I think Australia was a rather nice experience, although there were far too many people I didn't get to see - special note to
ravenseer who I really missed hanging out with. I did, however, have a spectacular day at Melbourne Zoo, where one can wander amongst kangaroos, and see many monkeys (who weirdly move a lot like ksirafai when she's climbing trees, bunk beds, or other random objects) and see a bear up close and personal. Bears are rapidly moving up my Coolest Animal Ever league table. I got to spend a day at the beach at St Kilda, where the water is crystal clear, the fish are coloured, and you can buy pavlova as big as a human head! I also got a fantastic trip along the Great Coast Road where we saw many waves, many beaches and spent a superb afternoon climbing around in a rainforest. There's a rainforest in Victoria where aerial walkways have been set up in the canopy, so it's possible to really get a different view of the place. I also controlled my shopping enough that my only expensive purchases were a pair of Emily the Strange boots (although as I paid full price for them and gazed at their gothy goodness I wondered if this was betraying
melsner in some way. But I'm told they are very new and won't be available on clearance for some time) and a red silk strapless top that fits me like a second skin. I also managed to spend two weeks in a room with Andy, Ginnie, MattMatt and jez (tho the last one isn't that unusual) and no one killed me! I'm impressed. Now all I need to do is wait four months and wait for all the pent up resentment stored over this holiday to just explode...
*exhales*
Anyway, in other news, I'm in a good mood today. This may seem peculiar, as I've been up and down like a kite for the last two weeks. It turns out that what I've really been stressing about (and it's a definite peculiarity of the Sally-brain that she often doesn't know what is making her stressed and ratty, even while she is bursting into tears over chipped nail varnish) was related to the gentle pokings at mortgages that jez and I have been making, and a broker who apparently can't use e mail for anything other than leaving cryptic messages such as 'urgent - phone me now' or 'there is a problem' or 'you're going to die'. OK, I may have been exaggerating that last bit, but not by much. I got home, called her, and found out that actually the urgent problem was that she couldn't get hold of me by phone. Despite me saying I was in Australia. Despite me leaving her my e mail address.
Damn her. And her little dog too. However, all is now well. I'm home. I'm fed (and I've found a really nice cafe in Greenwich that does fantastic organic scrambled egg) and I'm bathed. The world is a better place. I'm pondering my holiday, being impressed by how much more glamorous Australia looks in
molez's photos, and sorting out my life determinedly.One of my missions for today involves money. I've decided to try and sort out all my debt (which admittedly isn't too bad, but is looking thoughtfully at the £1000 mark). First of all, I should probably pay off my student overdraft, which is solely sitting there out of laziness on my part. Then I want to sort out my credit card. At the moment I had a credit card which sits there. It has a bit of a balance on it, but not much. I make minimum payments every month, have never missed one, and the balance sits there, well below the maximum amount. It's got a crappy interest rate coz I got the credit card when I was 18, no special features, and is mostly worthless.
Therefore, I want to change credit card. What I want is a good deal on balance transfers and a reasonable long term rate. Just something better than 'this is what you get with an RBS Student Account'. Any advice and opinions? I could probably just pay off the balance on it, but right now I'm trying to not spend money until after a mortgage/house has been arranged and I know how much cash I've got left after that to play with.
Opinions?
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no subject
Date: 2006-05-04 12:48 pm (UTC)However, of late the duration of the 0% APR term has been coming down as far too many people used it as a way to make free money. (If you take out loans of about £50,000k pay them off with a credit card transfer at 0% and then put the money in a high interest account you could make quite a bit of money, people used to bounce from 0% card to 0% card)
The other option that I know a few people have taken up is to get a visa electron card, as it works in as many places as credit cards do these days and it takes the money out of your account. Which if your wanting to pay of the full amount every month is pretty much the same thing.
It should also be mentioned that while Australia looks more glamorous in my photos, I have decided that I definitely do not, as such I will be pruning most of the pics that involve me posing (I can handle the ones where I don't seem to be grimacing like an idiot)... :)
no subject
Date: 2006-05-04 01:00 pm (UTC)St Kilda beach is lervely, we drank beer beside it and marvelled at the hotness.
We didn't make it up the rainsforest walkway, 'cos Jo was too terrified of enormous rainforest spiders.
Welcome back.
no subject
Date: 2006-05-04 08:48 pm (UTC)They just more than halved my rate.
no subject
Date: 2006-05-05 02:56 am (UTC)Well, we will have to work out a trip to the UK and see you on your home turf!
Hugs, it was lovely meeting Ginny and the boys, and hugs to you and Jez.
Incidentally, you asked when I was running away to SYdney? THe answer is Wednesday the 10th of May...
no subject
Date: 2006-05-05 07:57 am (UTC)You also get that impression because Ginnie sometimes throws her feces at pedestrians.
Ironically, I have 20 pairs of Emily Strange sneakers in my room. No boots, though.
no subject
Date: 2006-05-05 11:58 am (UTC)I didn't buy two little goth tops because I couldn't bring myself to spend £20 per top. I heard your voice in my head and I knew it was wrong.
no subject
Date: 2006-05-05 05:59 pm (UTC)