Learning to budget to make future adventures happen

crunch_time · 26 July 2017 at 8:41AM

Morning all!

No spend day yesterday. Went to family for the day so was just fuel there and back. Dinner was stuff I found in the freezer.

I'm still agonising over what to with the credit cards. I feel guilty about some of the things that are on them but the truth is everyone is right and I need to save for moving house and giving up my job and temporarily being without income for a few months whilst I start up my new business.

We also finally have our puppy to pay for in the autumn, a new laptop for my business and a new mattress. I've got to get a grip as it's really important to pay cash for these and have some for moving costs and a back up for the winter months when I won't be earning yet.

Perhaps still having some debt in 2018 will make me more focussed on my business.

So I think I will still slush away the debt but not be so hard on myself and set unrealistic expectations.

Here are the things we need to save for.

Husband glasses - £450
Mattress - £800
Puppy - £1000
Laptop - £800
Moving costs £1-2k - I realise it will be more and this is covered by equity.
Buffer £1-2k

Cor that's a lot!!

We have £500 already. Better get cracking!! Will have to put these in some sort of priority order and maintain a buffer of about £500'at all times as an emergency fund.

Plans today involve dd s first hair cut so a small cost there and maybe a trip to the park as the weather is better.

Crunch xx

Hiddenidenity · 26 July 2017 at 10:33AM

Have a lovely day x

crunch_time · 27 July 2017 at 7:55AM

Morning all

Checked baybof e this am and a BNWT item I put on for £10 has a bid of £30 on it!! Can't believe it!! Nothing else has been bid on yet but that will definitely go someway tompaying some of the kids clothes costs currently on my credit card from the splurge (£113).

My back was really bad yesterday but gradually got better and felt better when I woke up this am.

Need to do food shopping today a day early so will be borrowing money from my mon payment for my cc which is due in a weeks time.

Eagerly awaiting husbands pay day tomorrow. Still no movement on the house. Must just be patient

Crunchy xx

crunch_time · 28 July 2017 at 6:51AM

Morning all!

Pay day today wooohoo!! We over estimated husband pay rise by about £50 but that's not too bad as he is paying more pension and other benefits.

Both credit cards have gone down a little due to some pot amounts coming off like £50 to pay off the rest of the car excess (finally) and £50 to pay off some clothes. Also husbands min payment has come out so that's £100 off furniture done.

So debt is now £4732, long term savings is £840 and the savings pot is £1187. We will need £100 of that for spending money for center parcs next week but otherwise I'm doing a good job of keeping things frugal at home this holidays.

Today we are going to the butchers and the park and try and get lots of washing done.

Happy Friday everyone!!

Crunchy xx

Hiddenidenity · 28 July 2017 at 7:15AM

All looking fab

Happy friday, hope you have a wonderful day x

crunch_time · 29 July 2017 at 7:48AM

Morning all!

Had a lovely meal out with a friend last night. It was lovely to walk away from the bedtime routine and go and have a pint. A change is as good as a rest. I also finally launched my blog yesterday!!!! I wrote my first blog post and uploaded it and communicated it on instagram. I'm very excited about it and plan to make money from it somehow eventually.

I'm surprised at what I can achieve if I just go for it. I'm a chronic procrastinator but this has taught me I can really do something if I set my mind on it.

Plan for today is a family day with jobs like mowing the lawn and weeding. We will keep it a no spend day too.

My back isn't feeling any better so must take it easy

Happy Saturday everyone!!

Crunchy xx.

Lucy5781 · 29 July 2017 at 11:58AM

Loving your diary.

Also in our Mid 30s, we've only got our mortgage but as I've now stopped working after having DS it's the day to day budgets that we need to work on!

Lxx

crunch_time · 1 August 2017 at 9:57AM

Lucy5781 wrote: »

Loving your diary.

Also in our Mid 30s, we've only got our mortgage but as I've now stopped working after having DS it's the day to day budgets that we need to work on!

Lxx

Thanks Lucy! Yes its the day to day budgets that get us too. Gradually getting to grips with it though.

Thanks for reading my diary!

Crunchy xx

crunch_time · 1 August 2017 at 10:07AM

Lucy5781 wrote: »

Loving your diary.

Also in our Mid 30s, we've only got our mortgage but as I've now stopped working after having DS it's the day to day budgets that we need to work on!

Lxx

Thanks Lucy! Yes its the day to day budgets that get us too. Gradually getting to grips with it though.

Thanks for reading my diary!

Crunchy xx

crunch_time · 1 August 2017 at 10:23AM

Ughh! I just wrote a long post but then deleted it! Rubbish. Here is a shortened version as I must get on.

1) We have had an offer on the house and another viewing tonight so hopefully will sell the house this week!!
2) We have had to buy husband some new glasses as his eyes were really bad so savings now stands at £550.
3) Husbands work has FINALLY paid the last of his expenses owed - £380 - which I have used to pay them off so his credit card has gone down to £3020!!!! I feel like that is great progress.
4) With some tightening of budgets and cancelled plans I have managed to get my cc down to £1276. Next week the min payment will come out so it will be £1176 - feels like progress!!

Total debt is now£4268!! Looking forward to getting into the £3xxx but must now save for house move bits as that looks like the next thing on the horizon.

I estimate that we will need...

- £250 mortgage arrangement fee
- £450 mortgage valuation fee
- £500 moving van costs (unless we hire a van and do it ourselves)
- £800 to move our office and put down another slab for it (it cost £3000 so its cheaper to take it)

The mortgage valuation fee will probably be the first thing to pay for which we already have the money for so we are getting there.

My aim for the next two months is to just keep a real handle on things as things will be changing and I cant control a lot of it! Costs may come up sooner than we thought which might mean some juggling with credit cards etc but i have run a budget for the rest of the year and we can afford what is coming up.

Right must get on.

Crunchy xx

Learning to budget to make future adventures happen

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