Macgirl's "Stop Procrastinating and Get on with it" Diary

macgirl

I used to fall for that one too Chops and if you eat it all in one go, you don't get fat. Yeah right

Just completed my exercise DVD and feel good. I missed 2 days this week due to a heavy workload and felt quite anxious that I'd missed! I could really feel the effects of stress on my body this week, so I must try to keep the fitness going to keep that under control. Work has been very tough this week and I'm glad it's over. A friend has asked me to go back to yoga - it's £5 a week, so I want to say no, but it's such a good stress reliever that I might take her up on it....


So for today, I have to sort out some paperwork and address things which have not been done during the week. This includes my pension which needs sorting, my passport, which they sent back as I forgot to sign the form, aswell as Ebay and Amazon listing and a trip to the bank to pay in some cash.

I've lost a few lbs this week, but official weigh in is tomorrow - so I'll stay in suspenders til then

Have a good day if you're reading x

Nelmer

macgirl wrote: »

I decided to "treat" myself to a Fry's Choc Cream - YUM I love those.

You and me both....I nearly bought a box in Costco last night but knew that was not in the budget money or WW points wise so resisted.....just:D

Enjoy the treat, you are allowed :rotfl:

macgirl

Banking and shopping done, so a quick coffee break (and half a hot cross bun ).

Managed to get little DD some new shoes this morning - half price :j
I never get bargains when it comes to kids shoes and it's one of the few things I won't scrimp on. They also had summer sandals so managed to get her some of those half price too! Yippeeee - I'm so pleased with myself :j:j:j

DD1 needs school shoes, so they will be full price, but she's had her current ones for over a year, so we can't complain.

I also got her some school summer dresses - 2 for £6 as opposed to £8 each in M&S that I paid last year, so all in all a very MSE morning

kissjenn

Excellent result on the bargains and the fitness.

SB destroys shoes and I usually find out when the washing is suddenly full of very wet socks!

macgirl

£120 off my Virgin card today, which takes it under £3k - just.

Progress is perilously slow, there is always something else to spend money on - car tax, tyres, clothes and shoes for children who won't stop growing blah blah.

Right off to get busy with a spreadsheet :cool:

macgirl

DH has come home this evening with a plan.
He said we should just "forget" about the £17k of debt (at which point I sprayed coffee all over the table). Pay the minimums and pay if off "whenever"

He wants us to remortgage this place and take a bit extra out to finish the last jobs - it could be done for £3k I reckon.

Then we'll buy another house, move out and get the work done here in a week or 2 while the house is empty, then let it. Which was always the plan, but as we have done all the work thus far ourselves, I'd expected us to finish it before we moved on. He thinks my expectations are too high and it does not need to be perfect in order to rent. Fair enough.

This mortgage is in my name only, so don't know if he'd be classed as a FTB (handy if we can get something sub £250k) - plus he is self-employed which will be trickier, but we've decided to speak to someone to see what our options are, then we have a plan and something to aim for.

I am intent on paying off most of my debt before moving, but his thinking is a bit bigger (or blinder?) and maybe it is the right thing to do.....
On the plus side his business is thriving - though he is a realist and is always reminding me that "anything could happen"......indeed.

hypno06

Taken from MSE:
PS Update Note: 4pm Budget day The answers are all in – in a nutshell you must never have bought or owned (ie even if you inherited) a leasehold or freehold property anywhere worldwide before – and in the case of buying jointly with someone else it only works if BOTH of you are first time buyers.


so OH wouldn't count as a first time buyer.

As for the rest of it - be careful. Don't get sucked into a "quick fix" that could turn out to be neither "quick" nor a "fix".....(speaking from experience here, especially considering my debt stems from a property disaster!)

macgirl

Ah, bummer. Thanks for finding that Hypno.

Yes, as unsavvy as I am when it comes to money, it does feel too risky. The good thing is we have plenty of equity in this house, it is a popular area and rented houses do not stay empty for long. It would also be easy to sell - we constantly have leaflets shoved through the door telling us they have buyers waiting.

BUT.....I know it's better to be free of CC's when faced with 2 mortgages, higher Council tax and bills etc. DH said I'm wasting my time trying to pay off £17k by selling bits and bobs, which is a bit deflating, but also wrong IMO. As much as I hate to quote those robbing capitalist !!!!!! "every little DOES help".

The debt has grown from habitual overspending and general frittering. That is largely under control, though I am still extravagant on occassion. Leopards are leopards are leopards......

Our biggest expense over the last few years has been full time nursery fees for 2 kids. That will stop in September freeing up a chunk of cash, so.....I don't know.
There's risk and there's risk, I guess.

Thanks for your thoughts

hypno06

macgirl wrote: »

Thanks for your thoughts

Hope you didn't think I was just being negative. I just know how many times over the years I have looked for the quick fix, and when it doesn't work, I have been faced with more debt, higher rates, and more sleepless nights. One thing about the long slog, is that it really does give us the tools to make those changes work long term, and by not rushing into doing something, we have given it ample thought, and it is more likely to work.

I am sure, for example, that I could move house now.....I certainly don't want to stay here long term, and have never made any secret of that. I could get a mortgage for more than I expected, based on my sole salary, and I could see it as an ideal way of moving forward given all the crap that I've had. Clear the debt by including it in the new mortgage, etc etc etc......

But of course, one "solution" would be replaced by bigger problems right now.....so a couple of years time is far more realistic and sensible. I'll just have to be patient, but when it happens, it will happen in a much better way.

I'll get there, and so will you. As you say, September sees a big change in outgoings - work with that for a while and see where it takes you x

macgirl

I didn't think you were being negative at all. :A

As you say, the quick fix is rarely that. My debt is £17k now, but it was realistically double or possibly even triple that. I have been cutting and repaying for years.
I ran it up largely without DH's knowledge, though by his own admission he should have paid more attention to the joint stuff.

Fundamentally, we have totally different attitudes to money. If he doesn't have it, he doesn't spent it. The end. He is not remotely bothered what anyone thinks of him or his car/house/status whatever. Stupidly and embarrassingly, I am. I feel that I should have X,Y,Z as I earn X and "deserve" it or "should" have it at this age/salary. This is what Flylady calls your "Inner Brat" and I defo have one of those!

We could put this house on the market, pay off the debt and still have a chunk as a deposit. But I know we'd regret that. Rightly or wrongly, we have a plan and if it takes a bit longer to get there, then so be it.

This DFW journey has already taught me a great deal about myself.
Thanks again for taking the time to reply x