Benbenandme's Coffee Shop ... All welcome!

EssexHebridean

Sounds like a really good day - glad you had fun!

benbenandme

Just the Natural History one but it was fab
Woohoo, I sent my self-assessment off in October and last week tax credits wrote to me to say they don't know my self-employed income yet. I phoned them and helpfully pointed out that actually, yes they did, and gave it to them again. Anyway, today I have an additional £786 credited into my account from them :j :j Now I can't wait to get home tonight so I can start sorting my finances once and for all and decide what happens to it! I will definitely be getting my hair done as it desperately needs it, my highlights haven't been done since August so its not so much a case of roots, more a case of foot long growth I also need to assess if I have put enough away into the car maintenance pot and a few other bits like that, and whatever is left over can get chucked into the mortgage pot A fabulous start to the day :T :T

benbenandme

It really must be my lucky day today, do you remember before Christmas the cd/dvd ones? Well, (quick reminder as it was ages ago), I bought 6, then found out it was before the promo started so returned them all and then bought them all over again once it had started and sold them on ebay. Well tescos have credited the points today, for all of them including the original lot I returned !! So theres over £70 in clubcard points coming my way in the next lot of statements :j :j ... Think I might buy a lottery ticket tonight as its definitely one of those lucky days

skint_spice

They do say good luck comes in threes... what a great day so far! no going out and picking up George Clooney tonight though - he's mine:D!

Madcatgirl

Hi Benben - I'm a lurker too on your diary, but love reading about all your money making schemes - I would defo buy a lottery ticket, it certainly is your lucky day!

Take care
x

benbenandme

Thankyou SS and Madcatgirl, I didn't buy a lottery ticket and I didn't trip over a hottie while I was out today, but I did treat myself to a yummy scrummy all-time favourite dinner ... crispy duck pancakes, profiteroles and a bag of mini-eggs :T :T Healthy eating can start again tomorrow

skint_spice

oooo :drool: yumm! obviously I would prefer a nice carrot myself but good for you on treating yourself, hope the hair appointment is made too. x

benbenandme

Morning all Today should be a fairly relaxing day, I don't have much thats urgent but I would like to catch up with a few bits and pieces. So that means its list time yet again!

• utterly blitz finances and move to correct accounts
• visit grandad
• send off form for phone cashback
• dust and hoover through
• take xmas trees to tip
• clean car out
• find a matched bet
• general housework
• make hair appointment
• check out new mobile contracts

Have a good day everyone

pixiechick99

benbenandme wrote: »

Morning all

take xmas trees to tip

Have a good day everyone

This made me giggle....I've seen this on your list before I think.....;)

benbenandme

Okay, finances have been done on paper, I still need to move some money between accounts but at least I know where I'm at. Ignoring the extra money I got yesterday I have £34 left to last me until payday (friday). This should be plenty as I have done the food shopping already and have a tank full of petrol

So that leaves me the new money to decide upon. I have £786 in total, I bought ds a new pair of school shoes last night after school as his are now too small. They cost £36 :eek: so that leaves it at a nice round £750. I'm going to get my hair cut and my highlights done which usually costs around £70 which reduces it to £680.

Now, (this is where it gets more complicated ), heres me plans that I posted for the new year:

My new target for the next 12 months sees me wanting to reduce the mortgage down to £32k. This means I am looking to shift £9,500 off it which is a huge amount in comparison to my income. I have thought a lot about how to do it and it gets broken down like this:

• Regular mortgage payments = £2300
• Regular monthly overpayments = £2400
• £10 a day challenge = £3650
• Other payments = £1150

Okay, a bit more info about some of these; the £10 a day challenge gives me a manageable bit to aim for each week. This money will be made from the usual things like ebay, surveys, mystery shops, car boot sales, matched betting, bingo, quidco etc.

The 'other payments' includes one-off things such as birthday money, cashback from my mobile redemptions, some of the money from my parents for xmas, any other odd unexpected bits that come my way

Okay, so focusing on the other payments section, I already have £180 in this part of the fund, which came from: £100 from mum/dad xmas money, £50 mil money towards ds swimming lessons (that I've already paid for), £30 from bits sold on ebay before the new year. I also have £440 accounted for, thats money that will be coming in during the year for this pot (birthday money, more swimming money etc).

So in total I still have £530 to find over the year for this pot. Well I've decided that of the £680 I have left I will put £530 into this pot and get it finished, then the remaining £150 will go into my savings account for other things I may like to spend it on later in the year: spending money on holiday, haircuts etc I'm sooooo happy about these plans, I really am. Its helped me feel really motivated again as now I just need to focus on the £10 a day challenge for the rest of the year and thats it! Nothing else to need to find on top of that

Off now to put all those figures into the mortgage calculator and see what its done to the figures, back soon