£67,031.92 is a frightening number indeed....

Suffolk_lass · 13 July 2017 at 4:21PM

My Mum also got me to keep a diary one summer holiday (which she still has) and it is amazing how little it takes to give children a good time. We used to especially like camping in the garden with a picnic (or BBQ) and judging by my diary, lots of playing tennis, making camps and swimming

Treadingonplaymobil · 13 July 2017 at 8:43PM

Thank you so much for all the ideas - we have an A3 sheet absolutely covered in ideas, some cheap, some free, some expensive (not many), which should be a good resource when we're feeling uninspired over the summer!

I was thinking of something I wanted to order today (a desk, not relevant), and realised how incredibly easy it would be to spend the entire amount we've paid off - even though it's been such a massive slog, it would only take one or two indulgent months to completely reverse the progress we've made. Scary. I guess because we were overspending so dramatically every single month (like, a grand or so), it feels like we've made absolutely freaking huge cutbacks and ought to be paying off at least a thousand a month, but actually we're just not gaining an extra £1k in debt each month, and then managing to pay off a few hundred on top of that. Loooonnnngggggg way to go.

Anyway, it's made me realise how I am still really getting used to the 'new' budget (ie one that actually bears some relationship to our income); it still feels like we are depriving ourselves every month rather than just living normally. I wonder how long it will take for this lifestyle to feel normal and the previous life to feel extravagant.

side note: washing up bowl in use, but according to DH is too small. I've told him he's in charge of sourcing the next one. :rotfl:

to do today
1. make butterbean soup. Not done, as I realised we had enough leftovers for dinner tonight, and for me for the weekend, and I couldn't be bothered to make it to instantly freeze it. Will make it on the weekend to welcome the wanderers home from their camping trip.
2. Continue rearranging all the stuff I've moved out of the dining room and making space for it - nothing like moving things around to make you realise what's useful and what is just clutter. Ongoing!
3. finish tidying my bedroom. Done.
4. make candles. Done, only two days after putting it on my list! I think it took about a month last time.
5. Scale the mountain range that is my ironing pile. Done. Where's my halo?
6. re-pot my windowsill cacti - they have outgrown their little pots! Not done. Forget the halo.
7. Walk 10,000 steps - this has slipped again and it makes such a difference to how I feel. Not quite done I think (pedometer on my phone on the blink), but I did get out for two reasonable walks which was good.
8. social media. Done.

to do this week
1. Order camping gear needed. Done - limited it to new self inflating mat for DH and I and a sleeping bag for DC3 (who never had one while in a cot, but will now she is out on a big bed). That's enough to see us through for now, but will need a single bed for DC3 at some stage (she can share the double bed with DH for the camping trip next weekend as I'm not going). Going to see if I can get through without buying any more equipment this summer, but who knows what will break on the first outing of the year.
2. Continue with cleaning the house thoroughly one room at a time. Ongoing.
3. Make strawberry jam with the big batch of strawberries in the freezer. Done!
4. Order walking boots for me, preferably on sale or with some cashback to take the sting out of it. Not going to do this, as discussed above.

Aims for July:
1. Pay some extra off the MBNA card - I'd like this card gone asap. Well, a whopping £15 paid on top of the minimum payment so far, hoping to make another payment before end of month.
2. Pay for camping holiday commitments out of self employed income rather than adding to debt.
3. Stick to the budget even more closely than in June!

armchairexpert · 14 July 2017 at 1:35AM

I guess because we were overspending so dramatically every single month (like, a grand or so), it feels like we've made absolutely freaking huge cutbacks and ought to be paying off at least a thousand a month, but actually we're just not gaining an extra £1k in debt each month, and then managing to pay off a few hundred on top of that. Loooonnnngggggg way to go.

This is where we are as well! The only difference is that it's mortgage, but we run a Line of Credit mortgage. So what happens is once a year we pay off a big chunk when the tax returns come in (long story but we always get a large tax return) and then slowly eat back into that overpayment over the year. And I didn't realise that. So, like you, I feel like we've made huge cut backs, and we're now breaking even instead of going backwards. And that's great! Except I thought the huge cut backs would mean we got ahead and things got easier. So, sympathies.

Treadingonplaymobil · 14 July 2017 at 5:25AM

Week 22: Day 6

Sigh, have signed up for a 'school trip' with DC3's preschool today which I could really live without. Was tempted to not go as I haven't mentioned it to DC3, but it will be good exercise (walking there, and plenty of walking round) and I have already paid (£10), so it would be a total waste. So need to make a packed lunch to take.

And once we're back from that, I need to help DH pack the car to take the DC camping for the weekend. But then I get two whole days of peace and quiet. Won't know what to do with myself!

to do today
1. make wraps for packed lunch.
2. make packed lunches.
3. Continue rearranging all the stuff I've moved out of the dining room and making space for it.
4. Walk 10,000 steps.
5. social media for work.
6. Donate to leaving present for head teacher.
7. help DH pack for camping.

to do this week
1. Order camping gear needed. Done - limited it to new self inflating mat for DH and I and a sleeping bag for DC3 (who never had one while in a cot, but will now she is out on a big bed). That's enough to see us through for now, but will need a single bed for DC3 at some stage (she can share the double bed with DH for the camping trip next weekend as I'm not going). Going to see if I can get through without buying any more equipment this summer, but who knows what will break on the first outing of the year.
2. Continue with cleaning the house thoroughly one room at a time. Ongoing.
3. Make strawberry jam with the big batch of strawberries in the freezer. Done!
4. Order walking boots for me, preferably on sale or with some cashback to take the sting out of it. Not going to do this, as discussed above.

Aims for July:
1. Pay some extra off the MBNA card - I'd like this card gone asap. Well, a whopping £15 paid on top of the minimum payment so far, hoping to make another payment before end of month.
2. Pay for camping holiday commitments out of self employed income rather than adding to debt.
3. Stick to the budget even more closely than in June!

Treadingonplaymobil · 15 July 2017 at 5:13PM

Week 22: Day 7

In the midst of trying to hit maximum achievement levels this weekend while DH is away with the DC, so haven't been on here much.

We are on the brink of needing to tap our savings pots (again), but I'm trying to hold off as long as humanly possible - I didn't realise that DH's camping with the DC this weekend would be so expensive (an organised group camp, so non-negotiable location), and the additional £50 has taken up the month's 'spare' money, so any overspends are going to come out of savings pots. However, we have never made it past about the 10th of the month before without 'borrowing' from one of those savings pots, so every day we are managing right now is trail blazing stuff for us.

I bought a bag yesterday out of my clothing budget (you might remember that this comes out of my business budget, thanks to the fashion-related nature of my work and needing to look 'good' all of the time) and was reminded how much I love buying something really really beautiful and well made and well thought through. And then remembered how long it will be before I can do this more than just very occasionally and with house things too. Sigh. Sometimes (well, all the time) it feels like such a long boring boring boring boring path to being debt free. I am reminded again of my 'my lightbulb isn't really on but I'm doing it anyway' post from a few weeks back. I'm not finding one single microsecond of this process exciting or satisfying, but I'm doing it.

Already done most of the things on my to do list for today, so won't bother sharing them. New ones coming tomorrow.

emmie26 · 15 July 2017 at 11:01PM

I wish I could say something really motivating and uplifting but I really can't, because for the most part I feel exactly the same and I've been doing this for less time than you. Reading other people's diaries it seems everyone is feeling a bit bleugh at the moment, I wonder if it's the time of year. I find it the most expensive time over the summer and it does seem that bit harder to stay on the debt busting wagon. Hope you get your mojo back and you lightbulb ramps it up to 100w.

Treadingonplaymobil · 16 July 2017 at 7:04AM

Week 23: Day 1

New week! I do enjoy starting a new MSE week (mine starts on a Sunday because that's when my LBM was), feels like there's more potential and new plans. I do like making plans (carrying them out, not so much :rotfl: ).

Have continued to achieve stuff at manic levels while DH is away, but now trying to cram as much as I can into my last few child-free hours.

Pleased to see repayments are inching towards the £3k level - when the barclaycard minimum payment goes out next week (just over £300) we will be well over £3k. Still a fairly pathetic percentage paid off (it will be over 5% though, finally), but it's all debt that I don't have to ever look at again I suppose. I have to confess a degree of green eyed monster when I see people who have proportionally similarly huge debt (£25k plus for one person, rather than £50k plus for two people, if that makes sense) and their DFD is only a couple of years away. I really really really hope we can drag our DFD forward once DC3 is in preschool in September.

to do today
1. make butterbean soup for dinner.
2. feed sourdough.
3. declutter and tidy the DCs' room.
4. go for a walk.
5. social media for work.
6. hand washing.
7. order piping bags for making biscuits for clients.
8. do a few hours work.
9. plan work for next week.
10. menu plan and my supermarket to check budget.
11. ironing.
12. give the rest of the house a quick tidy.

to do this week
1. survive MIL visiting. :A
2. continue with cleaning the house thoroughly one room at a time.
3. charity shop run with decluttered stuff that is currently (ironically) cluttering up the hallway.
4. plan out the first couple of weeks of activities for the summer holidays.

Weekly round up
Last week's debt total £55,821.62
This week's debt total £55,773.59
Total paid off last week £48.03
Grand total paid off £2,834.54

Aims for July
1. Pay some extra off the MBNA card - I'd like this card gone asap. Well, a whopping £15 paid on top of the minimum payment so far, hoping to make another payment before end of month.
2. Pay for camping holiday commitments out of self employed income rather than adding to debt. So far so good, but there is one more camping trip to cover in August.
3. Stick to the budget even more closely than in June!

Kantankrus_Mare · 16 July 2017 at 7:27AM

Well done on reaching the £3,000 debt repayment point.!! :beer: That really is fantastic!!

Im slightly concerned about one of your items on to do list though?

Hand washing? Do tell.....:D

Oh and Im up so early as I did a two and a half yoga workshop at gym yesterday which wiped me out for 9 o clock last night so awoke early ......aching I might add.
Ordered a mat off amazon yesterday so will hopefully be able to add to my yoga workouts by doing a bit at home. I am challenging myself to do the sideways splits by christmas lololol.....which will be quite an accomplishment aged 50!! Well Ill be 51 by then. Hmmmmm not sure its going to happen.

Kantankrus_Mare · 16 July 2017 at 7:33AM

Doh..............its just occurred to me.......you mean washing clothes by hand..:rotfl: I had visions of you stood for an hour just washing your hands. Silly me.

Suffolk_lass · 16 July 2017 at 8:27AM

Kantankrus_Mare wrote: »

Doh..............its just occurred to me.......you mean washing clothes by hand..:rotfl: I had visions of you stood for an hour just washing your hands. Silly me.

Yes, me too. I was wondering if a previously undeclared OCD condition had developed.

£67,031.92 is a frightening number indeed....

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