DaringToDream of a Debt Free Life!

OH has gone back today so getting used to be at home on my own again. Having a bit of a mope and had takeaway for tea (although used a discount code and cashback).

Back on the debt busting tomorrow! Going to be a lean month as got £200 in my petrol and food account to last me, and £180 in my fun account, plus £40 in my wallet so need to try and make that last. Owed £14 expenses and Weill hopefully make a bit extra on some eb*y sales too.

Wishing this month away already, think it's going to be a long one. But got lots of cheap weekend things planned so fingers crossed it goes quickly.

First day back at work after leave today- was so painful! Managed to get the gym though after work so took out all my frustration on the cross trainer. Need to try and work off those pounds i put on when OH was home!

Was on course for a NSD today (managed one yesterday), but then fuel light came on so £68 of fuel and a pint of milk later my NSD was broken. Made dinner from the cupboard though, and have food in for tomorrow and wednesday, so shouldn't have to buy anything else for a few days.

Am working in London tomorrow so my lunch/coffee will be covered by work, and will be a long day as i need to make up the flex-time debt i accrued when OH was home (we can get into flex time debt which was worth doing as i normally have more flex time than i can take, so it means i can save some leave days for next time OH is home).

1 eb*y sale last night so £6 to holiday fund which now stands at £44.95. Total is slowly creeping up and got a few more sales finishing tonight with 2 confirmed (but small) sales so hoping i can get it up to £50 by the end of today! Aim is to try and get it to £250 in total!

Have £100 left in 'fun' budget and now £112 left in petrol and food account. Will definitely have to fill up again before the month is out, so that only leaves around £40 for food (plus a little bit more due in from expenses), so might have to be bit creative nearer the end of the month. Going to try my hardest to not spend on credit cards but i think that might be tough this month what with having to pay for the hen do.

All plodding forward though. Foul weather here tonight so just going to have a long soak in the bath and then settle down for some trashy TV!!

Thanks Blue Eyed Girl- just been reading your diary and great progress on the credit card repayments, always a nice surprise when it is lower that you were expecting!! I've actually just recounted our holiday pot and it is £60 instead of the £50 i was thinking it would be so am super happy about that!!

Low spend day today, was on expenses and only spent £1.50 over what i am allowed to claim back so not too bad. Dinner was a ready meal from the fridge that was about to go out of date and so needed eating. Just finished making some home made granola for my work breakfasts out of oats, honey and some cinnamon (basically whatever granola-y ingredients were in the cupboard) so fingers crossed it tastes nice with my yogurt tomorrow! Have some raisins in my desk drawer so will also add them too.

While i was waiting for the granola to cook i did a meal plan for the week (feeling so virtuous!!). Reckon if i stick to the plan i can get to friday night without buying any more food. Out with a friend on saturday so will be spending on food then so going to try and hold out until then! Have been updating my debt spreadsheet and my car and student loans are the biggies that scare me and need to go (car first, student loan is just ticking down every pay day), so i need to get these credit cards and OD paid off ASAP!! Once the cards are paid off i'm going to save all the money that was going to cc repayments for a few months, and by that point i should have been at this address long enough to get a decent rate on a loan to pay off the car at a lower interest rate than they are currently offering me (did a soft check tonight and best rate was 15% so barely better than the car loan!!). That's my plan, just need to stick to it now!!

Afternoon all!

Countdown to the weekend has begun, and i'm working from home today so have been able to get on top of housework and laundry so won't need to do that either :T.

Broke my food shopping ban yesterday, although not majorly. Popped out for a panini and a coffee at lunch. Only £4 and still no supermarket shops done, but just needed to get out of the office for a bit as had a stinker of a day and the meeting from hell in which i actually had to walk out for a tactical toilet break to stop me getting either raging angry or starting to cry. Managed to pull myself together but work is just so bad at the moment and shows no sign of getting better so i think £4 for a sarnie and a break isn't too bad a price to save my sanity!!

NSD today, waiting in for someone to come and sort out some of the snagging on the new house. Out with a friend tomorrow for a walk and lunch at a national trust place so that will cost a bit to get in (not a member) and pay for lunch but will come out of fun fund. Can't wait though, is a very good friend who lives about 100 miles away now and has a little one so i don't get to see her as much as i'd like, so can't wait to catch up!!

Got dinner from the cupboard planned for tonight, and have some chicken, ratatouille and some sausages (sausage butties :T) defrosting which will do tomorrow night and sunday so hoping for no shopping until sunday when i'll probably have to pop out and get a few fresh bits for the week. All i've bought in the last week is a pint of milk though so really pleased at how i'm using up what is in and saving money at the same time.

Fun fund is at £66, plus have £40 fun money in my wallet for tomorrow so hopefully will bring some leftover cash home with me. Otherwise i have £115 left for the month for food and petrol. Not too bad considering this hasn't really gone down in the last week. Will probably need about £65 more of fuel, leaving £50 for food for the rest of the month. Got chicken breasts, mince, 2 x packs of meatballs, fish fingers, nuggets, waffles, home made pasta sauce and ratatouille in the freezer, and a bunch of stuff in the cupboard so hopefully will just need to buy fresh things. Worst comes to the worst i have £5 of nectar points i could use and i also have some slim fast shakes in the cupboard so i'll have those for my dinners and maybe lose a few pounds too . Just desperate not to spend on cards this month- must stay strong!

Hope you are all having a good friday- happy nearly weekend!!

DTD xx