2017 - A year of change and positivity

[Deleted User] · 18 December 2016 at 10:10PM

I started a diary a few months back - but to be honest I'm not feeling the love with it! So with Christmas and New Year fast approaching I figured now as the ideal time to draw a line and make a fresh start.

My debt was at its highest a couple of months back and was standing at £9173.90. It's been made up of largely a shed load of unexpected bills -vets bills, car purchase x2 (1x unplanned as first car should have lasted me a good 5 -7 years but I gave up on it after 18 months and 2.5k of bills :eek: ) and subsidising the final couple of months of maternity leave. Anyway, enough of that - what's done is done - it's time to put it right and make sure we don't find ourselves back there.

As well as the money I'm going to use this diary to track my other goals for the year. Following the birth of my DS I've managed to lose 2st 9- the 9lb has crept back on again and needs to be shifted! I've done it all through Slimming World and exercise (more about that in a mo). Would like to lose 1 stone, preferably before the end of March. I'll be tracking my progress here. Exercise - I started running in May and love it! I've entered my first 10k in March and would love to complete a half marathon in 2017. I've also signed up to a challenge to complete 1000k in 2017 so will use this diary to keep me focussed.

I also need to get on track with running the house. I feel currently it's a tip and out of control - sounds daft but this has a massive effect on my ability to relax and switch off. Everything from cleaning, to meal planning and batch cooking to shopping needs to be addressed. Again, hopefully this diary will help.

Anyways back to the finances......
The debt is split as follows:
Cc1 £5570.74
Cc2 £953.35
Cc3 £790.01
Overdraft £498.20
Next - £42
Very - £297.34

Total: £8151.64

Cc1 & cc2 are 0% at the minute, so main focus will be clearing the rest.

Kanoona · 18 December 2016 at 10:45PM

Good luck! And hope you all have a lovely Christmas and new year.

Fiona x

Perryface · 18 December 2016 at 11:01PM

Hi Seabiscuit, hope you have a great Christmas and knuckle down in the New Year! I am sure we can keep you motivated!

[Deleted User] · 19 December 2016 at 6:59AM

Thanks Kanoona and Perryface - Merry Christmas to you both.

Well I've woken up with a full blown stinking cold. Little one also had a really rough night so it's going to be a long day!

So I'm taking advantage of a little bit of child free time to try and put my plan for tackling the issues in post 1 down in writing.

1. Finances
I've redone my trusty spreadsheet and have allocated a minimum of £250 a month to debt repayments. Not a lot I know but it does equate to £3k over the next 12 months. This won't stretch us to the point of having no life along our journey. I'm hoping to increase this via eBay (we've got so much decluttering to do!). Our mortgage payments will also be decreasing in Feb by £160 per month, so providing my monthly wages are what I've calculated (I've just returned to work after maternity leave and haven't had a 'normal' pay packet yet), part of this can be saved and part can go to increase re-payments.

2. Weight and exercise.....
I'm going to continue with SW (not very MSE I know but helps to keep me on track and I'm not a million miles away from my target weight and once reached membership will be free) - hoping to reach target by end of March. Need to meal plan to keep my eating in check (something I've been soooo bad at!).
Exercise - I need to be running 20km a week to hit my 1000k target. Ideally this should be split between 2-3 runs. As I'm hoping to do a half marathon distance also needs to be increased.
I'm going to aim to do a 15 minute mini work out everyday to supplement the running, whether it's on the exercise bike, weights or hula hoop.
3. General House Keeping....
15 minutes before and after work to be allocated to quick fixes i.e. Putting laundry away, sorting paperwork etc to try and keep the house looking organised:rotfl: Will then do deeper cleans at weekend and on my days off. It'll be kind of my own take on fly lady. Will also batch cook and freeze in order to try and help us stop reaching for the take away menu after a long day at work.

Right best crack on - have a fantastic day x

[Deleted User] · 21 December 2016 at 7:04AM

Morning everyone!
Well works over and done with until the new year - feels good! Got a lovely festive day planned today with a friend and our little ones.

Had a £16 off £60 spend for Sainsbury's - wouldn't usually shop there but the store cupboards were dwindling a bit so stocked up on bits that are pretty much same price as elsewhere and offers.

Need to pop to Aldi for a few bits at some point - im dreading it! After that I'm done. Still got a lot of wrapping to do and the house as per usual is complete chaos but we'll get there.

I've got a load of sweet potatoes to use up so think I'll make a curry with them to freeze. Will also do a stock take of the freezer and pull together a meal plan for coming weeks (although we'll probably be on the Christmas food for weeks!)

Right cuppas finished - time to get on x

[Deleted User] · 21 December 2016 at 7:31AM

Morning Seabisuit, merry Christmas to you.

Have a lovely day today x

[Deleted User] · 22 December 2016 at 7:05AM

Thanks purplemumof2 we had a lovely day. Little one is a little bit young at the mo to appreciate what's going on (he's just turned 1), but he had a fab day all the same. We took a picnic too so it kept costs right down.

OH has been paid today - 4 days early because of Christmas, making January a 5 week month.

I've paid the very and next min payments so they're taken care of for the time being.

Aldi shop was done at opening time yesterday in record time! Just need to venture out to collect an online order but will do that late afternoon hopefully when the chaos of town has calmed down a bit.

Braved the scales and weighed in last night ahead of Xmas. As a target member I don't pay whilst I'm in range and only weigh in once a month, however as expected I'm well outside my target range (4.5lb) - I have a week to get back into range, which with Christmas just isn't going to happen! Never mind back on it in the new year and will aim to lose the stone to get to where I want to be.

Hopefully will get out for a run later. I'm beginning to feel a bit daunted by my running goals for next year but am determined to do it. Need to sit down and get planning......

[Deleted User] · 23 December 2016 at 6:48AM

So the run didn't happen as the little one was very unsettled and clingy. Think he's teething again

Managed to get most pressies delivered yesterday and have wrapped DS this morning. Just got his big pressies to build tonight or tomorrow - will rope OH in to do that, he's got off lightly with the whole Christmas thing this year!

Bit of a spendy day today. Need to pay for a couple of bales of hay for the neds (£60) and OH needs petrol, but as of today I'm refusing to go anywhere near a shop until the 27th at the very earliest!

Spent half hour yesterday shredding all unneeded paperwork- 30 minutes of my life I won't get back! Note to self do this as and when it comes in.....

OH had a bit of a tidying blitz yesterday and managed to get the study and DS room done. Need to get living room done today now wrappings complete, change beds and get those washing baskets emptied!

I'll sit down later and get my pressie lists drawn up for next year so that I can take advantage of any bargains in the sales. I've got almost £15 in boots points so if I can use them all the better!

Have a good day - 2 more sleeps :j:j:j

jvr · 23 December 2016 at 11:16AM

Hi Seabiscuit,

Just seen your goals and decided I must follow your diary, I need to get back into regular exercise and I think I might try running again ( I am terrible at it) but it is something I can combine with taking dogs out so feel it could be a good one after work!

Good luck!

[Deleted User] · 27 December 2016 at 7:04AM

Hi Jvr! Took a leaf out of your book and took the woofs out for a wee jog - only 1.5 miles but need to break them in gently! Figured it'll all add to my 1000 km goal and my general fitness and hopefully weight loss.

Hope everyone had a good Christmas. We've had a lovely one spent with family. We've all been well and truly spoilt.

Managed to do my local Christmas Eve park run which was fantastic. Sooo busy but a wonderful atmosphere. Must make the most of parkrun during 2017 as really fortunate to have one just a 5 min drive away. Will hopefully get out today and test my new running watch my parents gave me for Christmas - I love it!

So post Christmas my poor house is trashed! It looks like a toy shop :rotfl: As we've barely been here nothing's been done. Washing baskets overflowing and everything's been dumped everywhere! OH is back at work tomorrow so I think I'll be calling on the grandparents to take DS for a few hours so I can blitz it. Would be nice to start the new year with a nice clean tidy house- start as we mean to go on and all that!

DS is still fast asleep - didn't stop me waking up at 4:15 tho! I've put the time to good use tho and have put the first of many laundry loads in and finally made the sweet potato curry! Perhaps not the smell OH wants to wake up to but hey ho!

Had a quick look at the boots sale on line and have managed to get a couple of pressies to stash using my points. A couple of years back I had a 20p pot which I collected throughout the year to use for Christmas. I think I had about £60 by the end of the year which helped a little towards Christmas. Will do the same this year but will try 50p and under.

Right little man seems to be beginning to wake so I'll sign off for now.

Have a good day x

[Deleted User] · 28 December 2016 at 7:58AM

Good morning!

We're beginning to return to a bit of normality after Christmas now. OH back at work today, I'm lucky I don't go back til after new year.

First post weigh in following Christmas was a 2lb gain. Better than expected :rotfl: - leaves me 6lb outside my target range and 1 stone from my ultimate ideal weight - I can do this (again!)

I've just prepped a load of mushrooms that really needed chucking but figured they'll be ok for soup for the next few lunch times. Started a meal plan last night but abandoned it part way through - will get back on it later.

Popped supermarket yesterday for a few bits, also picked up a birthday pressie in the sale for my friend's little boy for February. They'd reduced the Christmas bits aswell, got some gift bags for 35p but wasn't impressed with the paper so left it. Need to get some though as my stash which has lasted me about 3 years has all been used up!!!

Getting frustrated that I still haven't been able to get out for run and test my new watch. At this rate I'll never reach the 1000km in 2017 :mad: Really need a bit of support from OH with this as he needs to watch little one but he doesn't get it

Relisted a load of eBay bits yesterday. Would be great I could make £30 -£40 a month to help out with repayments.

Right - best sign off for now. Have a good one x

2017 - A year of change and positivity

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