Jo_R's debt-free diary, slow and steady progress!

Jo_R_2

Thanks Ruby - do you have a diary we can have a look at? If not then start one so we can have a read!

Most of my unplanned spends are relatively small in the scheme of things and usually oversights on my part. For example, when I have forgotten to order things with the shopping, I have needed to pick up bits and bobs from the local Somerfield or Co-op, and much as I love the Co-op, things DO cost more there than the supermarket.

The other very recent example is my DD1 has a fancy dress day at school, which I knew about a few weeks ago but still left it fairly last-minute to organise something. I ended up going round town and bought various bits and bobs for DD1 to rummage through and pick what she wanted. Okay, so none of them were crazily expensive but if I'd have planned in advance I could have known exactly what we needed to get but also what we didn't. Truthfully that's partly down to bad organisation.

I must admit I am tempted (what you say about being a spendaholic) to buy things very recently, luckily I'm fairly restrained and find it easy to keep in my mind's eye the impact of such spending. I think you're right though - once you have it down on paper it is so much easier to face up to it - knowing figures is all very well but you can't argue with a completed SOA:eek:

Good luck with it and post us a link to it when it's done if you like!

Jo_R_2

Just spent some time reading the first three or so pages of this diary and can't believe how far I've come in just under a year.

From a life of worrying about monthly bank charges, whether we have enough money to pay the rent, and being squashed up in a tiny two-bed end terrace, to being pretty much spot-on each month with money to spare for overpaying, every debt being dealt with, and in a logical order, plus even a small emergency fund which I haven't had to touch so far:)

Okay so it's not my ideal, but it's workable and it's better. I've paid off debt (Income Support overpayment, overdraft and Virgin cc), reclaimed my PPI from my loan, and am looking at being debt-free by the end of 2012 on my interest-paying debts (need to work out where I'll be with the Tax Credit debts which I've been paying but keeping separate in my mind as they are interest-free and payments worked out on what HMRC say I can afford.)

It's a bit of a boost for me as I was just having a bit of a moment - I came online to go through my receipts and running totals and transfer some money about and was cross at myself for my unplanned spends and having to transfer money about to accommodate them. Normally I like doing it but I was putting it off a little if I'm being honest:o

I figure that nobody's perfect but as long as I have the wherewithall to deal with it appropriately then things will balance out by the end of the month and we certainly won't be any worse off for it.

Anyway - off to 'balance the books' and will report back later or tomorrow with the findings.

Keeping_Positive

:beer::j So much in a short amount of time and DFD in 2012 :j:beer:

Jo_R_2

Yeah, very pleased about that!

Okay, so from the other night I have a small problem... After totting up receipts and recent purchases from my SOA, I subtracted my running total for the month from my current account balance, which should give me an amount equal to what remains of my PPI... but it doesn't, I'm short:eek:

I worked out somewhere there's £70 amiss. I couldn't see where it has gone, and considering when I dd my sums a couple of weeks ago everything was pretty much spot-on, I'm confused!

I decided to leave it a few days, as I know I have a Paypal payment clearing for a coat I bought, for which I need to pay cash in - I have £30 for the coat plus an extra £20 so £50, the £20 will go a small way to making up the deficit but I want to be able to see where the money has gone! I want to transfer the PPI money over but want to know exactly how much I've actually got. Going to go through it again later to see if I missed something.

Jo_R_2

Still not worked out where the stray money has gone, I'm still puzzling over that one! Gonna have another look tomorrow when my head isn't so foggy.

The ex's wife has been asking for details of the loan I have (I took it out when with ex mainly to pay off his debts.) She has mentioned she would like to sort out paying back his share. I held off for a while because the cynic in me said they'd heard about my PPI and wanted a sneaky way in to try and claim they should get a share, but then I realised I was being slightly melodramatic (but considering his past behaviour the cynicism is well-founded;))

I emailed her the details so waiting now to hear back what they might be offering.

So half-term week... Have planned visits to play sessions at the local children's centre and have discovered our local library so will be taking the kids there. Also planning going to the park, have a friend visiting one day with her little girls and hoping to fit in some home baking. Also planning massive declutter of DDs' room and baby's room so that should take up at least an afternoon if not more :eek:

Just been busy putting our old pushchair on ebay. It's in good condition with lots of bits and bobs but I don't use it, we have a stroller I use to swap between DD2 and baby depending on if DD2 is in walking mood If she is in that then baby goes in the sling. I'm still keeping an eye out for a cheap but sturdy double for school runs as my back has been feeling quite fragile, thing is DD2 is 3 and quite hefty so don't want to get something too fragile! Also put on some baby clothes to sell - I don't tend to list too much in one go as I find it a hassle going to the Post Office with lots of packages and DD2 standing in line with me.

Anyway my eyes are bleary now so I will say goodnight and hopefully return in the morning with a list of things to do:D

bevan840

Hi Jo

Don't know if you got an email, but ebay are doing a no insertion fee day on 18th and 19th

Jo_R_2

Still struggling along until the end of the month here:o

Needed tea bags and baby snacks along with which during half-term come DD1 and 2 snacks:eek: Spent just over £7 which came out of the money Mum gave me rather than resorting to the current account, so not really any worse off.

Redid my sums the other day and it seems somehow I'm not as badly off as I thought I was re: the PPI money. When I worked it out again it seemed to balance out, then OH kindly informed me he was short for the rent so had to transfer £250 to his account:mad:

Also rather annoyingly OH ripped his Tax Credits cheque when he opened it the other day (OH receives the Working Tax Credits part of our award via cheque addressed to him) and the Post Office wouldn't accept it. So he had to phone up TCs and they'll be sending him out another.

Good news is the day after he phoned up, not related to his ripped cheque, TCs sent him THREE cheques totalling nearly 1k:eek::D The cynic in me says to call up and double, no triple check it is correct before we do anything with the money.

Possible good news is that OH's stepdad has offered us a Vectra for £700. It's 9 years old and has done 120 000 miles and I have been told is cheap for what it is but I would rather do my own research. It would certainly save us some cash as I was planning on looking at 7/8 seaters in the region of 2k at least once we'd saved up, but obviously has only 5 seats. We're mulling it over but I think his stepdad is after an answer ASAP so we need to make up our minds.

Half-term is killing me! No it's not been too bad really, paid £2 for playgroup on Tuesday, visit to the library was free on Monday, then had a friend round for a few hours today with her little boy so the kids had a great time playing here. Tomorrow brings activities at the local children's centre in the morning then hopefully we will get round to baking the cookies I have been planning to do all week:eek:

DDs' room is being nicely decluttered and tidied, all their toys are now stashed in their wardrobes, meaning we have some space in the conservatory, just need some furniture to go in there now! My little plan is to keep a list of the bits (small and big) I'd like to get for each room and gradually work through them. Big things include a new sofa and dining table, the table can wait but this sofa is grubby and squishy, comfy as anything but have no idea what on earth possessed me to pick beige (chosen right before DD1 was born six years ago - what was I thinking?!)

Have been tempted with the offers of interest-free credit but hate being tied down so it may be a case of picking something and saving for it - craziness!;)

ruby1968_2

:wave:Hi Jo R after all your hard work do you really want interest free credit?
Half term nightmare 2 teenagers that don't know whay to do with themselves!! roll on Monday.

thrifty_fifty

fingers crossed for you. I know it's hard when your OH willpower is slightly more lax in areas you can be tight on. We have rotating food weeks where one of us devises a menu and cooks all week-£20 budget. I try and make food that whilst it isn't the most exciting stuff, is cheap and gets all your vitamins and minerals in there. A good one I try is a tin of tuna, tin of mixed bean salad, value chopped tomatoes and pasta. You can make a huge pot of the stuff for around £2 and it will do two nights meals. I like to have lots of salad, just spinach lettuce and tomatoes, it's cheap from the market, and healthy. Only problem there is, a man's appetite is slightly larger than a womans, and as he spent a lot of time in Germany as a child he like meat in his diet. His face turns up at the thought of salad in winter, and if it is salad it has to have an assortment of items-olives, salami, potato salad. Suddenly what was intended to be a £2 spend over 2 or 3 days turns into £5 for one meal. That stresses me out, as I feel if I was in control, the food would come well under budget and we would be eating healthily, plus I wouldn't continue to put weight on.

I think women find it a lot easier to give up their comforts than men, but that is in my limited experience. I've biked 8 miles to work and back in sleet and snow to save petrol money in previous years. No car is a good move for you. Unexpected repair bills can cost a fortune and blow your budget.

Hang in there, and hope baby comes soon.

x

beanielou

Baby?
What have i missed?