Financial faux pas and other disasterous decisions

moo2moo

Its end of year confession time and so the sermon begins. Forgive me people of t'internet for I have sinned (Good old Catholic guilt in action) purchasing more pairs of shoes than is perhaps strictly nescessary although if anyone has any idea how I can get splats of Guinea Fowl blood off suede before Monday that would be rather useful otherwise my boots are going to raise quite a few eyebrows at work.

Debt outstanding at 31st December 2008 £33797.36
Debt outstanding at 31st December 2009 £17936.59

To be debt free by Christmas 2010 means we need to reduce the debt by an average of £1495 a month. We also need to eat which makes this a rather ridiculous goal. However if we can stick to spending £20,000 on everything we need to get through the next 12 months (aka the enhanced live on 4K a year challenge) then it is achievable. Its going to be a huge shock to the system though.

The only good news is that as the debt decreases so does the amount of interest that we pay so we're currently forking out half what we were paying a year ago meaning that a chunk more is paid off the debt each month rather than paying interest. So to make things just a wee bit more interesting I've also signed up to the pay off £20K by Christmas 2010 thread which in theory should see us starting 2011 debt free with cash in the bank. Tis a very nice incentive although perhaps not the most practical one I could come up with.

So my goals for 2010:

• Live happily and healthily on 20K for the year and be grateful that our income allows us to do this
• Debt free by x-mas 2010 with cash in the bank
• More flylady less slovenly ho
• Tackle the garden in the hopes that vegetable growth can be encouraged
• More quality family time
• Lots more cooking from scratch, scarily I'm beginning to enjoy it. Eeek.

moo2moo

Water is finally back on. Unfortunately the water from the burst main which cascaded down the road adding to the rivers running off the field has now frozen solid. Its minus four outside and showing no sign of thawing anytime soon. Not that this matters as I've still not put the battery in my car - if its not connected it can't go flat - and I have no plans to go anywhere until Sunday.

Time to start catching up on the laundry I couldn't do yesterday. The Flylady peeps have very generously given me the day orf which I will be utilising to do all thae stuff that didn't get done yesterday and to tackle the Ninja Level Flylady tasks :

OPTIONAL LIST FOR THE MASOCHISTS AMONG US!

1. Tidy a cupboard or 10 of your choosing
2. Run appliances through a clean cycle.. degunk filters etc too
   
3. Budget and meal plan for next month.. most of us will be a little strapped for cash. OHs job is too unpredicatable to be that organised, anything planned usually gets changed at the very last minute.
   
4. Clean pets out.. and their beds and bowls!
5. Wash any grotty windows so you can see out.. and light can get in!
6. Binbag dance
7. Make sure homework/uniforms etc are ready for school/work next week
8. S&S kitchen
9. Vacuum a neglected floor.
10. 15 minutes filing/shredding
11. Call a friend/relative you've not seen in a while
12. HHC-doing something

Also need to persuade the DDs to finish writing thank you letters.

moo2moo

Thank you letters aare all done. At least the kids contribution to them is. now have to write the envelopes and add thankyous for my gifts to the relevant people. Still they should all be ready to post by the time OH arrives home.

mooomin

moo2moo wrote: »

Debt outstanding at 31st December 2008 £33797.36
Debt outstanding at 31st December 2009 £17936.59

Firstly, there is no such amount of shoes as "too many". The very idea goes against the laws of nature, so lessen your guilt. *absolves*

Secondly, well done on clearing £15860.77 in a year.....that means your target for this year is more than achievable as you will be making those payment off capital, more than evil interest, thus clearing it more quickly.

moo2moo

mmmm but OH is muttering about replacing the telly box as watching jaundiced people is rather odd. Plus the picture suddenly shrinks to a 4" square which is rather hard on the eyes although a vast improvement when Bill Nighy is in the althogether. Sadly it never performs this amazing feat when you want it to.

DedicatedDFW

Hi moo2moo Happy New Year!!! I have really enjoyed reading your thread you have now inspired me to a small amount of de-cluttering - 1 drawer but its a start!

Intergalactic_Floozie

moo2moo wrote: »

mmmm but OH is muttering about replacing the telly box as watching jaundiced people is rather odd. Plus the picture suddenly shrinks to a 4" square which is rather hard on the eyes although a vast improvement when Bill Nighy is in the althogether. Sadly it never performs this amazing feat when you want it to.

Tell him it's an absolute cracker of an idea, and as you've missed the sales this year, you'll get one in January's sales NEXT YEAR and start saving up for it now...(that way he'll think it's his idea)

rupe34

Happy New Year moo (from the slovenly ho who just got up )

moo2moo

I like your style Rupe, unfortunately my lot would never allow me to get away with that. I escaped to the shower for five minutes peace earlier managed to get as far as putting soap on my head before DD2 appeared to see where I'd disappeared to.

Still I've been on a roll today. Bathroom is now sparkling (the less said about the cobwebs in the corners the better). Got carried away in DD1s room and have cleared out all her drawers, her wardrobe, her desk, its shelves and the cupboards under her cabin bed. Have stashed two giant bags of clothes in the amazing tardis like cupboard above the stairs ready for DD2 to grow a foot.

DD2 was far more sensible and decided to tidy without my assistnace as there was less chance of me suggesteing she disposes of some cherished paper aeroplane or collection of treasured twigs.

Retireved dinner from the bowels of the freezer but since the kitchen isn't much above 13 degrees its still resolutely frozen. Will be resorting to nukeing that in the microwave later. Have a friend coming over tomorrow for dinner so retrieved a pork joint, thats still frozen too. Stove has been on all night but its still chuffing freezing and it keeps trying to snow. Very pretty though it is I much prefer trouncing through puddles than snow drifts.

OH has appeared, eaten, slept and gone to play outdoors for a bit. Think he thought I was going to rope him into tidying too. As if I'd do that. Will persuade him to sort out his bedside drawers later.

moo2moo

Dedicated DFW your signature says you're aiming for an extra £25 a day bringing in more than I earn in a month before tax. Do you have some secret master plan? Wanna let us in on it? Doubt I'd get that much plying my wares under a street light in my new itsy witsy teeny weeny none polka dot bikini.