Scottishmummy's Life and Debt Diary

Scottishmummy

Hi everyone or anyone who chooses to read this. Bit of background first - been a member of the DFW forum for over 2 years now and at first i was on here constantly. I eventually had to stop as it was taking over my life. However recently we have been finding it harder and harder to get through the month without gritting our teeth at times in the hope of getting enough money into the bank to cover DD's going out. We have managed and had no charges but it has come extremely close at times. So about a month ago I returned and have been catching up with a few of the threads but I think I need to get a diary going to help keep control of things at this end. We are a family of four plus two cats and have been on a DMP with CCCS for five years with at current rate about another 20 years to go. However we will hopefully get this reduced to 15 years or less with a bit of planning.

This month in particular is proving very expensive. The car needed 4 new tyres - budgeted for - and the MOT is tomorrow - this WAS budgeted for however our washing machine went BANG last week and after trying for a couple of days to get one on freecycle we gave up and had to get a new one which ate into the MOT budget a bit. If the car doesn't need anything we'll be fine but as it is a ten year old car I have my doubts it will sail through but we'll see. DH also has his accountant's bill to pay. I did some overtime last month which will pay off most of that hopefully but will probably still need to find another £70.

On the positive side both the car insurance and house insurance are up for renewal so will get both via quidco which will earn us a bit of money, however insurances tend to take up to three months to validate so the actual payouts might be a long time off.

I am going to do a separate post with the plan for this diary otherwise this first post will be an essay.:rotfl:

crapwithcash82

Hello! :wave:

From one ScottishMummy to another, I just wanted to stop by and say hello! I find my diary a great source of planning and reading others gives me inspiration - I can understand how this site could take over!!

Good luck with reducing the term or your DMP and I will cross my fingers that your car passes its MOT!! :T

Scottishmummy

Okay the plan for this diary is
1. keep a note of spending - doing the NSD's
2. Use it to get motivated to sell stuff on ebay - have far too much [STRIKE]junk[/STRIKE] sellable goodies
3. use it to keep me on track with my diet - 13lbs lost since starting on 16th April:j
4. Use it to moan about my DH when he comes home with a bag of shopping that contains milk (needed), bread (needed), fruit & veg (needed), 4 packets of biscuits, crisps, chocolate cake etc(most definately not needed).:mad:
5. Keeping track of flying with Flylady - haven't yet made it over to that board but will try - house desperately needs work done.

And anything else I decide to add later.

The £2 coins that are collecting in my signature determine where we go camping. They are used to pay for the ferry to wherever we go so the more we collect the further we go. So far we keep going to Mull but it would be nice to collect enough to go a little bit further to Coll & Tiree or save even more and go back to Orkney.

Okay, think that's enough for now off to read someone else's diary.

Scottishmummy

Thanks CWC, it was reading other peoples diaries that helped with the start of this one. Funnily enough but not intentionally all the diaries I read are from people living in Scotland except one (Essexhebridean) who wants to live in Scotland.

boredofbeingathome

Hi SM, just wanted to say that i know how you feel re everything coming at you at once. It is a pain at the time but will soon pass. Maybe one moneysaving tip would be for your OH to do his own accounts, it will save you a bit of dosh and lots of books/courses folks on here could point you in the right direction.

I like camping too, can't think of anything better when the weather is right.

kissjenn

Hi SM,

Yet another Scottish Mum here...maybe its true what they say about we Scots after all.

I've just discovered Quidco, cocked up first one and think I may have the hang. We've a lovely new accountant - don't have bill yet so still lovely. Last lot were big firmwho cost an arm and leg for nothing, I hope your OH is faring better.

Kissjenn

Scottishmummy

Hi BOB and Kissjenn

I used to do my own accounts when I was self-employed too but DH's are more complicated. He effectively has two self-employed jobs and the allowances he can claim are different for each. We do his day to day accounting it is just the year end stuff that for the sake of £250 is easier to let the accountant take care of. I would be too frightened to c*** it up and end up with a huge tax bill. It is just a pain this time around as accountant usually encloses his bill along with the tax return in january but for some reason this year we didn't get it until April even with phoning at the beginning of March to ask where it was.

MOT was a HUGE fail! In fact the car is positively dangerous:eek:. The track rod ends are almost hanging off which if they go there is no steering:eek::eek::eek:. Also needs front brake discs. I thought they were done recently but DH says no it was just the rear brakes that were done. With a couple of other things it is looking like in the region of £300:eek:. That is not including the £54 the fail just cost. DH will phone later today to get a better idea of the price once they have ordered the parts. They can't do the work until friday though which means I'll have my tax credits by then to pay for it. Means I am bussing it to work for the next couple of days but DH will still need to use it to get to work as there is no public transport for him to get home at 3.00am and there is no way he is paying out over £14 for a taxi. Probably well over £14 as that is how much I paid the last time i had a night out and that was pre-kids so over 10 years ago:eek::eek::eek:.

Oh well I've transferred £8 from Paypal. Better go look at DD's clothes and see what is ebayable. 2 weeks until there is a car boot sale here so that won't help just now.

Pippilongstocking

Runs in says hi - waves madly and says well done on making a diary - x - will keep up and see what you are upto -

sillybillyme

just wanted to say hi and good luck with the debt busting :rolleyes:

i like to moan about my oh too when he buys things that are not needed his favourites are kfc and burger king tho and because he stupidly pays on his debit card i can see what he has bought when i check the online banking !!!!!

i will keep track of your diary as i started one yesterday too.

good luck xxx:D

Scottishmummy

OMG! The garage have just phoned and it could be as much as £575:eek::eek::eek: There is no way we can afford that much this month with everything else going out. She said that was the upper limit as they have ordered some bits which they may not actually need in the end. It is coming up for about 7 years we have had this car and we knew it would start needing work done on it at some point but my last car was older yet used to sail through it's MOT's. It probably doesn't help that the parts are probably more expensive to begin with on this car (Volvo). Hopefully they will take payment in two parts.

Scottishmummy

Hi Sillybillyme, I'm about to head out the door to catch the bus but I'll read your diary later.

What is it with OH's?