Reducing Debt - being accountable and taking responsibility

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  • Come next July/August time, you'll be able to pay for a holiday outright with 1 or 2 months 'debt' money.
    I firmly believe that when you have a achieved something you should mark the occasion somehow. (Spot my theme)

    I got a new job - new purse
    I finished paying off my student loan - new handbag
    Successfully completed a massive work job - new handbag
    (Don't think I need to go on....)

    Ha ha! I'd already thought about using the debt money to pay for a holiday but then it all depends on house move.

    I might factor in a 'Paid off £5k' treat...

    Y'all are leading me astray!! :rotfl:
  • First mortgage free month I'm going to blow the whole lot on something so incredibly frivolous for us all I will surprise myself.

    That sounds so good. Have you decided what it will be yet? Bet you have.. :p:p
  • That sounds so good. Have you decided what it will be yet? Bet you have.. :p:p

    Actually I haven't. It's too far away, still got 90 lots of £400to go which, at the moment, is 90 months. Obviously it's not going to take quite that long because I won't let it. But, for now, £400 a month capital reduction is about all we can manage.
    Outstanding mortgage: £23,181 (December 19)
    MFW 2020 Challenge Member #10 0/£2318
  • Can't believe its nearly the weekend again. No idea where the time has gone this week.

    Had 3 NSDs this week but I need to nip out later to get some yoghurt and mint for dinner - we're having a homemade feast of lamb koftas, flatbreads (thanks to HiddenIdentity for mentioning the recipe one time), hummus and raita. All except the raita is defrosting (we made a batch last week and froze leftovers). I've no idea whether the hummus will freeze / defrost well...!

    This weekend we've no plans. Work has been so busy for the both of us over the past few weeks that we just want to crash out come the weekend. We also need to catch up on some housework and laundry. Shouldn't be too spendy. Need to get some wrapping paper and a card for a birthday later in the week.

    Waiting for new statements to be generated for CC1 & CC2 so I can accurately see when my promotional balance transfer rates end. My budget generally reflects this but I want to have a more accurate picture.

    Have a happy weekend, fellow Debt Slayers :dance:
  • DrSpendLittle
    DrSpendLittle Posts: 698
    Debt-free and Proud!
    Forumite
    edited 7 October 2017 at 11:54AM
    Happy weekend!

    I’ve finally got on top of the MSE website and managing my diary subscriptions. Previously, I would look for diary updates manually by heading over to the diary and trying to find where I left off last time. Ahem. Safe to say it all got a bit too time consuming and I kept missing out on some updates. Now I go to my profile and then to unread posts. Am I the only one who finds the site a bit clunky to navigate?

    I’ve had a £1.44 interest charge in CC1 which must be from my work train ticket that is still sat there. Bit annoying as I thought my overpayment this month would wipe it off but it doesn’t seem to have. I’ll need to wait until Monday when the statement is generated for a clearer picture. The cost has come out of my work expenses category in YNAB (rather than me reconciling the balance upward and ignoring it as a cost).

    I’ve put the lonely £20 that was in my emergency fund on to CC1 so the balance is now below £500 (phew) and sits at £495.12 (£113.68 of that is outstanding work expenses that should be paid off by the end of the month).

    On the subject of my emergency fund, I’ve decided on something controversial. I’m not going to contribute to my EF until I’ve at least halved my CC debt, probably January. I’ve theoretically got £675 in there that will be spent on a new boiler this month. If I have an emergency, I will just reduce my credit card over payments that month (I typically pay about around £800 of overpayments per month) and use that cash. I’m content with my discipline in sticking to my debt slaying budget, so I’m confident I can make this happen. Plus DF can sub me if I’ve already made the overpayment.

    So, my signature now has a Total Debt Repayment figure in place of an Emergency Fund figure. I really like having that total repayment figure visible. Keeps me motivated and on track.

    Not sure if it’ll be a NSD today or not. It’s DFs turn to get the food shop this week so I reckon I may manage a NSD but I do need wrapping paper and a card at some point this weekend. Going to spend most of the day cleaning and tidying as we’re behind on housework from both being busy at work lately (we both have a 1 hour commute to work).

    DSL :j
  • Just ordered my foundation off l00kfant4stic via T0pc4shback - managed to get a 15% discount on the l00kfant4stic (new customer) saving £4.05 and 12% cashb4ck generating £2.75 which means my £27 foundation has only cost me £20.20!!

    :money: :T

    DF gone food shopping and I've been left with the task of finishing the spring cleaning in our bedroom - we pulled out the bed and dusted / hoovered behind there. Now the bedroom is a tip! Still, it makes for a low spend day so I ain't complaining.
  • Morning campers!

    After all the xmas chat over on Hiddenidentity and Treadingonplaymobil's diaries yesterday, I ended up spending last night (well, once I finally finished making and eating lasagne) browsing on the tinterweb for xmas pressie ideas and I pretty much sorted my gift lists! Safe to say that my list (...c'mon, who doesn't make their own list when browsing xmas gift ideas..) is the longest. Oops.

    I haven't saved for any of it yet though! My plan is to allocate £160 from end of October salary and £250 from end of November salary. This £420 will be the maximum I'll spend on gifts this year. I'm hoping to get it below that and any residual will go in the December food / fuel categories as we tend to be the ones who drive to visit family over the festive period.

    As I type it, £420 seems a lot to spend and I didn't think I actually spent that much each year. In the past, I just know this spending would have all gone on CC2 and not be paid off. Naughty. Before the boiler went on the blink, I had mentally put aside last month's £500 work fee to cover xmas (I've known since Feb that I'd be getting it in Sept/Oct). I've obviously had to rejig things. I still intend to pay £960 each month off my CCs in Nov-Dec and a further £157.91 on car finance payments per month. It'll be really tight but I like a challenge! I've got a hair cut and clothes shopping planned from end of December salary as I'm sure I'll need a treat by then!

    DSL :j
  • You can do it Dr...
    Outstanding mortgage: £23,181 (December 19)
    MFW 2020 Challenge Member #10 0/£2318
  • Yesterday was another NSD - I was struggling to figure out how many I had over the past week. I spent money in the supermarket on Monday and Friday last week and then did an online order on Saturday, which makes for 4 NSDs. Today I need to do a food shop and get some wrapping paper / card.

    I was feeling the urge to spend money yesterday - just even a mooch around the pound shop. Its strange. I don't think I'm bored or need something to do, I think its just a residual habit left over from the DSL Spendy Era. Anyway, I carried on with more spring cleaning and then made a soup for lunches this week.

    One thing I've realised is I've forgotten to budget for a long weekend with the girlies in the new year. The entire weekend shouldn't cost more than £200, but I will probably have to reduce payments on CC2 that month. I hope to have the balance to under £6k by then so I'm a bit more relaxed about it than I would be if we were going away in November.

    Aside from spring cleaning, DF cooked a curry last night and we have enough for leftovers tonight. Yum. I need to get some more meat to put in it (just the paste left over). DF wants prawns for a change but I'm not so keen. Plus they're not so MSE ££s friendly!

    All in all, had a quiet weekend doing more spring cleaning. Feel like a bit of a hermit these past weekends but I'm keen to get the cleaning done in readiness for selling the house and we have been a bit lax with it over the past year, so it really needs doing. Next weekend I'd like to pull out the wardrobes and give it a good dust / hoover behind there. Not done that in quite some time and I'm dreading what we will find!!

    Working at home quite a bit this week. Yay! Looking forward to saving money on fuel, car parking and lunches.

    Have a great DFW week!

    DSL :j
  • ...I just made a payment of £3 to CC2 so the payment in my signature is a nicely rounded £600 and my total repayments are £2,102.16 instead of £2,099.16 :rotfl:

    Taken it from Fuel budget!

    Food shop was very successful - spent £49.39 (Waitr0se and Al8i)i and got lots of things that could theoretically last a week and a half with a small top up shop. In reality, DF may not want to stick to the meal plan I've in my head so there is a bit of flexibility built into my system. The freezer is packed with food so we must have a roast at some point (beef or ham to choose from).

    Also got some toiletries (£2.47) from Sup3rdrug and wrapping paper / bow (£2.97) from C4rd Fact0ry.

    Overall, a spendy day but all on budget.

    Really excited for the birthday I've been buying gifts for :D It's been so nice buying gifts and not stressing about spending the money. I always used to feel awful buying gifts as it was the one time where being in debt really bubbled to the surface. Really looking forward to my first xmas of not relying on credit cards :D

    DSL :j
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