The ultimate incentive proposed! Buying a house, a wedding, and staying debt free.

Cinny91

Tete_en_l'Air wrote: »

Anyway Miss Cinny, do I not remember a picture from your flickr of a DRESS you made?

This one?
I'm self taught with sewing so not very good, I can make dresses like that, bags and take in dresses/jeans but that's as far as it goes. It's mainly guess work!

Tete_en_l'Air

Yes! I think that's a brilliant effort! And a lovely style too, where did you get the pattern?

Poddle, good idea about having a general chat over a meal! You should do that! And I want to know what this lovely place is so I can go. Mmmm, fooooood! I've never heard of Gaucho - I guess it's a trendy London thing?

Poddle I love the sound of the course, might have to have a look and see if there are any one-day ones here. My friend was saying she'd seen a car-maintenance-for-girls one but it'll have started by now I think - would really like to do that as well.

Dinah93

To be honest I think we just need to sort out our budget from scratch. I've never done this, but I'm going to post an SOA. This will be our current budget, although we intend to make alterations this evening. However any additional comments would be helpful.

Statement of Affairs and Personal Balance Sheet
Household Information
Number of adults in household........... 2
Number of children in household......... 0
Number of cars owned.................... 2
Monthly Income Details
Monthly income after tax................ 1623
Partners monthly income after tax....... 965
Benefits................................ 0
Other income............................ 310 £10 a day challenge, will drop soon when NIM starts the course
Total monthly income.................... 2898
Monthly Expense Details
Mortgage................................ 0
Secured/HP loan repayments.............. 0
Rent.................................... 480
Management charge (leasehold property).. 0
Council tax............................. 0
Electricity............................. 0
Gas..................................... 0
Oil..................................... 0
Water rates............................. 0
Telephone (land line)................... 0
Mobile phone............................ 60
TV Licence.............................. 0
Satellite/Cable TV...................... 0
Internet Services....................... 45 New computer fund
Groceries etc. ......................... 0
Clothing................................ 0
Petrol/diesel........................... 200
Road tax................................ 0
Car Insurance........................... 0
Car maintenance (including MOT)......... 250
Car parking............................. 0
Other travel............................ 0
Childcare/nursery....................... 0
Other child related expenses............ 0
Medical (prescriptions, dentist etc).... 46
Pet insurance/vet bills................. 75 Contacts £2, 1 x pre-payment prescription, 2 x £12 dental insurance, £15 for fillings etc
Buildings insurance..................... 0
Contents insurance...................... 0
Life assurance ......................... 0
Other insurance......................... 0
Presents (birthday, christmas etc)...... 60
Haircuts................................ 0
Entertainment........................... 325
Holiday................................. 250
Emergency fund.......................... 1000 Also known as our regular saver accounts
Wedding Saver.............................35
WoW subscriptions ........................ 18
Gym .....................................112
Total monthly expenses.................. 2844

Assets
Cash.................................... 6000
House value (Gross)..................... 0
Shares and bonds........................ 0
Car(s).................................. 2500
Other assets............................ 0
Total Assets............................ 8500

No Secured nor Hire Purchase Debts
Unsecured Debts
Description....................Debt......Monthly...APR
HSBC CC........................748.......0.........22.9 NIMs uni fees as they wouldn't take the OU vouchers
Overdraft......................1000......0.........0
Total unsecured debts..........1748......0.........-

Monthly Budget Summary
Total monthly income.................... 2,898
Expenses (including HP & secured debts). 2,844
Available for debt repayments........... 54
Monthly UNsecured debt repayments....... 0
Amount left after debt repayments....... 54
Personal Balance Sheet Summary
Total assets (things you own)........... 8,500
Total HP & Secured debt................. -0
Total Unsecured debt.................... -1,748
Net Assets.............................. 6,752
Created using the SOA calculator at www.makesenseofcards.com.
Reproduced on Moneysavingexpert with permission, using IE browser.

So, there we are. Things the SOA doesn't take into account:

We intend to sell one car for about £700 we hope. This will in turn lower the car costs for maintenance and insurance.

NIMs fees in January are partly covered, will need another £200 or so.

Braces. I need them. This will be about £4000 over the next 18 months.

NIM should be getting a £100 pay rise at Christmas.

We are cancelling the gym asap!

clearmydebts

Hi all,

Got some very sad news this morning. My cousin went into labour last night and her little boy died. She was only 22 weeks (3 weeks ahead of me).

I was meant to be meeting her this weekend to compare bumps but that obviously isn't going to happen now. We don't know what went wrong yet but it is very upsetting, especially as she was only a couple of weeks away from the baby having a chance to live.

Please say a prayer for her if you get a chance.

Cinny91

Crikey Dinah, you don't give yourself much wiggle room!

Would it be an option to just put £800 into your Reg Saver to keep £200 freed up during the month incase you need it? Then at the end of the month put it (or whatever's left) into the saver.

Also, the holiday fund. I know you and NIM like bigger holidays (well, I'm guessing with Egypt!) but while you're saving couldn't you just go on one holiday a year? Me and OH have been to some lovely places in the UK on a tiny budget, you'd only need to be saving £100 a month for that too. Freeing up £150 for the OD or CC.

Cinny91

Tete_en_l'Air wrote: »

Yes! I think that's a brilliant effort! And a lovely style too, where did you get the pattern?

It's just a simple A-line dress. You make the pattern yourself to your measurements.
Did you say you were going to the library later? See if they have a copy of this book, it's basically where I learnt everything. Has lots of great ideas too, plus the A-line pattern!

Dinah93

clearmydebts wrote: »

Hi all,

Got some very sad news this morning. My cousin went into labour last night and her little boy died. She was only 22 weeks (3 weeks ahead of me).

I was meant to be meeting her this weekend to compare bumps but that obviously isn't going to happen now. We don't know what went wrong yet but it is very upsetting, especially as she was only a couple of weeks away from the baby having a chance to live.

Please say a prayer for her if you get a chance.

Thats heartbreaking, so sorry to hear that. Will keep her and all your family in my prayers. x

Dinah93

Cinny91 wrote: »

Crikey Dinah, you don't give yourself much wiggle room!

Would it be an option to just put £800 into your Reg Saver to keep £200 freed up during the month incase you need it? Then at the end of the month put it (or whatever's left) into the saver.

Also, the holiday fund. I know you and NIM like bigger holidays (well, I'm guessing with Egypt!) but while you're saving couldn't you just go on one holiday a year? Me and OH have been to some lovely places in the UK on a tiny budget, you'd only need to be saving £100 a month for that too. Freeing up £150 for the OD or CC.

Next year is the honeymoon though.... don't want my honeymoon in England! And to rent us a 2 week cottage in England is only about £300 less than a 2 week holiday in a 4* hotel somewhere hot, so I always feel its worth it for a proper holiday, in England I'm still chilly!

Regular saver levels are set and can't be altered without hitting the interest.

I keep thinking if we sell the car, that's the CC almost cleared, plus then we can reduce the car payment from £250 a month to about £150, freeing up some money. Urgh, its too complicated now for my little head to handle, with all the upcoming costs and changing wages and cancelling things and what not.

Cinny91

clearmydebts wrote: »

Please say a prayer for her if you get a chance.

I'm so sorry, I don't know what to say. I hope your cousin is okay, I can't even begin imagine how your family must be feeling. Big hugs :grouphug: (of the dodgy kind) x

Tete_en_l'Air

So sorry to hear about your cousin CMD, that's awful - especially as you're both at such similar stages of pregnancy. It'll be hard for her when your little one comes along.