I'm tackling my debts in 2010

emmie26

Well I've finally had to break into the £20 note that has been in my purse since the end of december because I really needed to get some flea treatments for the cats and also some bulbs for the kitchen and living room, all in all I spent £25 which I am gutted about because it has come out of my treat fund and it is far from a treat but it is not budgetted for anywhere else.
I had really wanted to save as much of my treat fund as possible because I hoped it would last me for next month as well, the main reason being that I did some rapid calculations and realised that if me an OH managed to put just under £1000 a month towards debts then we would be debt free by the end of the year, which would be incredible, this month I think we can reach this amount mainly due to the fact that we have had money for xmas and birthdays. Next month however I will have no overtime payments as I have not done any overtime in december so was hoping that all of my 'spare' money (the money that doesn't go towards bills) could go towards debt repayment making the target a little more attianable.
There is nothing major that we know of in febuary, no birthdays or big nights out so shouldn't need too much money, but will need at least £50 just in case.

I can't wait to pay the credit card bill this month for the first time ever because we are paying off almost a third of the £3000 balance yay!:T

brummiebabe

Emmie - it sounds like you're doing fantastically well!!!!! Cancelling the loan seems like a good plan....you can always get the windows in a couple of years - hopefully when you're in a better position!!:T

InaPickle

You're doing great - well done! It's annoying about the treat box, but look at it this way: at least it is there when you need it and it isn't getting you into any more debt. x

emmie26

I cannot believe it but for the past 2 nights I have not watched the tv at all, by the time I have made the childrens lunchboxes and planned and prepared the meal and dessert for the following night then tidied up and got bags packed etc for the following day there is just no time, not if I want to come and have a look on the DFW forum that is.

previously I sat and watched telly for ages once I had put the children to bed and then rushed around like a mad woman in the morning, always forgetting my lunch meaning I had to buy it during the day and then in the evening I would get in and be panicking about what I could cook for tea, now I am determined to use all the things in the back of the cupboards, freexer etc that have been forgot about to make some lovely meals.

Tonight I made salmon fishcakes, as I had some tins of salmon and I needed to use up the last of the reduced 40p bag of potatoes I brought last week, they went down really well and my son really enjoyed helping to make them, for tomorrows dessert I have made some jellies with chopped fruit in, jelly is from the back of the cupboard, fruit is my bargain of the day. I popped into aldi to look at the fruit prices and managed to get a bag of apples, 6 kiwis, punnet of strawberries and punnet of grapes for the grand total of £3.50, this is less than I would sometimes spend on a punnet of strawberries alone in tesco, I will definately be buying all my fruit and veg from there in the future.

Mum has given me the slow cooker today I'm really excited to get started but don't know what to try first any suggestions?

emmie26

Nothing really to report from a spend point of view I'm getting a new car tomorrow though courtesy of work, I'll have to pay a contribution from my wages each month but it is diesel and so should work out much better fuel wise aparently should do 60 miles per gallon in urban areas and a massive 90 miles per gallon on the motorway woo hoo!

I've been waiting for it for ages and can't wait now, should be the most sensible money saving thing I've done all year, cost per month for a brand new fiesta is £116 which includes servicing, insurance, tax, breakdown cover and all general maintenence I shouldn't have to even change a bulb.

Its my birthday coming up _party_ (will have to change my name to emmie27 ) I want to go out for a meal with hubby, but really don't want to spend much any suggestions other than macdonalds?

Hubby has been invited to a stag do in may and its going to cost £150 :eek:he can't decide what to do and I don't really want to influence him too much I'd prefer him not to spend all that money but he was given £350 for his birthday which he has put entirely to debt repayments so I can't say anything, hope he says no.

emmie26

New car came today :T I have never before had a new car, I still haven't really because its a company car but its lovely.

Have accepted another shift which means I am going to have been working solidly from the 7th Jan to the 23rd without a day off, now that is hardcore. Oh still hasn't decided about the stag do he has said he will let the organiser know before the end of the weekend, don't know what is going to happen in that time to help him decide, although he is paying the credit card bill tomorrow, the most ever paid off in one fail swoop :j.
Oh is a bit worried that I'm working too much and I will exhaust myself and won't be able to keep it up and maybe he's right but I've been reading some other diaries and it seems people come in two types they either go for it and deprive themselves of luxuries and work solidly for a shorter time or they cut down whilst still enjoying some of the luxuries of life but take longer to pay off the debt, unfortunately I am the former mostly because the thought of it taking much more than a year is really hard for me to take I think I can just about accept the extra work and the budgetting if I can see the end in sight. The thought of taking the children on holiday abroad is whats really keeping me going, I don't want them to miss out just because we are crap with money, was looking at the disney cruise through the med and that gave me some inspiration to keep going.

InaPickle

Wow Emmie, you are doing brilliantly! (Sorry for not being around, but I've had a busy few days.) I'm really glad to hear about the car and also the cooking: not only will you be cooking really healthy, cheap food for you and your family, but you will also be passing on an indespensible life skill to DS so that he isn't useless with food when he flies the nest eventually.

As for paying off your debts, you can go at it in stages: you are working really hard right now, but as OH says, it's not possible forever, so perhaps promise yourself not to take on any more than you have for the minute, then find something else to do like selling on Ebay etc, which is a bit more home-based.

Best of luck, and well done on the tax payments! x

emmie26

gee thanks pickle, you really know how to pick a gal up when she's feeling knackered and frustrated.
I've got nothing really to report, I'm desperate for make-up, I wear it every day and spend a fortune but I'm trying to get through all my bits and pieces before my advantage card comes through as I have nearly £20 on it so that would get me a couple of items.
OH has been to pay credit card bill today and managed a massive £950 :T yippee!
Went to do an extra shift today and realised I'd also said I'd do an extra shift wednesday and thursday I really can't keep this pace up I think I need to limit myself to one per week as with the extra work that comes with budgetting like meal planning and lunchboxes and shopping at more than one supermarket to bag bargains is taking its toll. Oh and I want to have enough energy to visit the dfw diaries.;)

emmie26

I am officially knackered my last day off was on the 6th of Jan and I'm counting down the days to the weekend when I can have a lie in :T

I don't want to feel like I'm missing the children after all they are only 2 and 4 once, so after work today we went swimming, and as we all know there is no exercise that is as exhausting as swimming, once I had got home helped son with his reading and then the usual thirty minute bedtime routine I was ready to collapse. It was worth it though, the children love swimming and it is a free treat cause it was at the gym which was paid for up front last year.

I have not spent a penny since last update, I can't keep track of the number of NSD's I have had this month there have been loads :A

Shopping budget is going great I have cupboards and freezer full and thirty pounds to last til the end of the month so I think I'll be able to do it Petrol budget on the other hand is already £40 over that has been a nightmare to stick to :mad: we will have to increase it next month.

We are going out for a curry this weekend and I can't wait I need a bit off relaxation and fun after the fortnight from hell, I've been worrying that my extra shifts may dry up but there just seem to be loads I can't keep up with the number they are offering me, up to yet this month I have done 37 hours overtime so I should have a healthy chunk to pay off cc's next month:)

emmie26

Here goes, I've been really excited to do the January summary cause its been a good month.

Budget

Shopping budget £200 / Spent £205
Petrol budget £80 / Spent £120

Overtime

36 hours (I'm not sure how much I will pick up on this cause I will be paying BR tax)

Debt repayments

Overdraft 1 [STRIKE]£800[/STRIKE] £685

Overdraft 2 £750

Barclaycard 1 [STRIKE]£3,300[/STRIKE] £3,225

Barclaycard 2 [STRIKE]£2,800[/STRIKE] £1,850

Car Loan [STRIKE]£1,300[/STRIKE] £1,162

Halifax [STRIKE]£3,700[/STRIKE] £3,670

Total [STRIKE]£12,650[/STRIKE] £11,343

Debt reduced by £1,307 :T:T:T


I am overjoyed by this amount, however, I have to come clean and admit that a lot of the extra money that we paid off came from xmas and birthday money that we were given by relatives, so future months will never look this good.

The biggest successes came with the reduction in the food shopping budget we would normally spend over £300 on food shopping and a further £40 on school dinners, we have stopped school dinners and also saved over £100 on food shopping, even with the extra lunchbox things.

I have not spent any money on coffee's out, no clothes, no make-up, however we did spend £30 on a meal out (it was my birthday but still unnecessary expenditure)


All in all a good month!