Rome Trip for Feb

I have been costing up my trip to Rome to see how I am going to budget for it. Yep - doing everything backwards I know. I have really only put aside £100 for my trip so far but the break-down currently goes like this:

Flights £ 76.20 (includes baggage chargers)
Accommodation £149.87 (Paid £70.00 on credit card)
Insurance £12.29 (for one adult and two kids)

Total £238.36 (Paid so far £146.20)

So my current account overdraft has been taking a hammering and I am breaking one of my rules of not getting into more debt. I should be able to clear the overdraft and pay for the rest of the trip with my tax saving.
I am all set to pop into the post office on the 28th and present a cheque for the full 1st half of my IRD payment. So after that I should have about £400 available to pay for the trip and for spending money.
Yes I know I should be using this money to clear my debts. But as I haven't had a holiday since last May and I have been promising my god-daughters a trip to Italy for the last 2 years, I figured I could kill two birds with one stone - so to speak. And well a trip to Rome for 3 for four days at under £500 is good isn't it??

I Love Reward Cards

On Wednesday I went over my weekly budget, I did something I hadn't done for almost a year - yes ....... I went and had my hair cut. It was all because of a comment I read on a PF Blog or was it the Motley Fools Dealing with Debt board. It seems we female PF blogger's have the same hair do. OK it's not quite an Essex face lift, but we just brush it back and tie it with a band. Well that was me, I was conforming to some unknown standard type and I didn't even know it. How could this have happened. So it was time for some action, probably some really delayed teen aged angst and it has ended with a totally new hair do and £27.50 over budget for this week, the third week of this new year.
OK you may say what does this have to do with Reward Cards? My totally new hair do will now require a few extras that my "dwd do" didn't need ie. a ceramic hair straightener and some hair gel. I was in Boots yesterday and saw the above named items on sale (you just have to love the January sales) and I also remembered that I had almost £20.00 on my Boots advantage card. It didn't take a lot of thinking - £5.00 for a straightener and I get it for free cos I have faithfully been shopping at the same store. I love reward cards! And yes, I still have just over a tenor left on the card.

Welcome 2008

Well the New Year is here and I am back to my old ways - but hopefully better prepared than before. I have promised my god-daughters a trip to Europe and I have finally booked it for February, which is low season. If I am really good between now and then, I should be able to cover it all in cash. But that means no dinning out or any shopping for the next seven weeks. The flights including taxes are £20.00 and I am looking to get accommodation for no more than £160 for three nights. Just hope weather is nice for us - I don't mide gray and cold just don't want rain.

January also means tax payment and I have to pay for the first half of the 07/08 tax year. This year I am ready - and will be able to write a cheque for the full amount, which is wonderful!
Last year I had the tax man breathing down my neck some, for the money.
Then, it's all clear until the end of July.

I have an account were I have been paying in each week monies set aside for my taxes and have been putting aside more than I really need. (I still haven't received any billing from the IR as to how much is going to be due at the end of the month) But whatever the outcome I know I have more than enough if I go by last years chargers. Will probably use some of the money in the tax account to help fund the trip in February.

Oh I didn't say - I am taking the girls to Rome!!