Write it down to make it real

Jacey53

This is going to be a really dreary thread but I hope it will help me focus on what is important:

Pay off all my debts, then clear my mortgage before I retire

Lose weight and increase my fitness - I am currently a size 20/22 and at 5'2" that is really unhealthy. I also spend so much of my money on rubbish like chocolates and pastries:(

Sort out my house - it is full of stuff which I have wasted money on.:( I want to implement a routine to keep it clean and tidy

Same for my garden - I am growing a few vegetables this year and want to increase this year on year

Same for my crafts - I buy things to start - then never carry through:mad:

I think this will do to start. All of these items have links to the rest of the forums and having lurked (with occasional postings) I have made a good start on
setting up a DMP - I have just made my second payment to CCCS and feel as though I'm on my way
sorting out my house - I am subscribing to the (US) Flylady site to start and will join the flylady thread on here as soon as I can get into some of my rooms
I am also starting on cooking from scratch and freezing foods, packing a healthy lunch to take to work and having breakfast every day

I feel a bit less tired now - I work long days (out of the house for 12 hours with travel) and sometimes fall asleep on the sofa which disturbs my sleep later but I suspect much of my weariness is due to feeling overwhelmed.

BUT - I have started and things will only get better - I have taken control
:):):):):):):):j

Jacey53

Yesterday was the first day of the rest of my life (or whatever the saying is)

I resisted going to the shop today - I only needed milk but would have picked up chocolate and probably cakes or biscuits as well - my first recorded NSD
I spent quite a bit of the day in the garden (dug over a small neglected bed and put in some potatoes).
I also put posted some stuff onto freegle - one in response to a "wanted" - it's great when things fall into place like that.
This week I will also update my signature on here, post my SOA and put some small things onto e-bay

judi24

Congratulations on your new diary - I can empathise with alot of what you are saying! Post your SOA some of the lovely clever people on here will jump in to advise on any saving you can make!

Good luck

Jacey53

Hope this works - this is the budget that i worked out with CCCS

Incoming
Take home pay £1796
Pension £28
Total £1824


Mortgage 510 includes buildings&contents&PPI
Water 15
Council tax 72
Gas 10
Electricity 18
Telephone/mobile/internet 43
TV licence 11
Medical insurance 7

Bus fares 87
Road tax 13
Car insurance 23
Petrol 100
Spares and service 10

Food, toiletries, cleaning 148
Cat food, litter & insurance 21

Prescriptions 7
Dentist/optician 10
Hairdressing 10
Clothing/footwear 20
Newspapers/magazines 12
Hobbies/Entertainment 10
Charity donations 10

Emergencies 10
Total 1177

Income 1824
Expenses 1177
Surplus 647


My minimum payments on my debts would have amounted to £779 so i am lucky in that my creditors have all agreed the DMP without much hassle. Only one will reduce interest.

This was the budget as of 1st March.
I have made some changes and others are happening:
No TV - No TV licence - i have kept my DVD rental with Tesco at £8 per month instead
No magazines as of 1st May

I am trying to reduce my home phone and broadband - i have a PAYG mobile and use less than £5 per month on that. I currently have £15 credit from a gift voucher.

My council tax is higher this month - but i have not received the notice so i await my bank statement. I have been in a low-rate utility deal which ends this month - but i believe i am in credit with them both anyway.

I believe my petrol and parking will average out at £80 per month - but there are peaks so I am putting the £100 away each month and will re-assess after 6 months.


Can anyone please see anything i have missed or any scope for further cuts? I would like to have a life which includes the occasional lunch out but would like to clear my debts as soon as i can.

Also - is it best to save the odd bits of money until i have accumulated a decent sum and pay that to CCCS or should i amend my monthly payment each time i make a saving?

Jacey53

Thank you for your support Judi24. I am impressed by what you have achieved :beer:and hope I can do similar.

I have now freegled some large items that were cluttering up the house and will put more of the smaller items onto e-bay. I now have around £20 in my e-bay account after fees and this will go up a little each week.

I think I'll leave it there for a while and then when my freezer is empty I will use that money to re-stock.

Can anyone please advise me how to manage what looks like "spare" money in my bank. I have £10 toward the dentist which i won't spend this month, but will need for an appointment in June.
Because thsi is loitering in my co-op bank account I feel as if I have a lot of money. And then I'll spend it........................

I've started a co-op savings account to put my car money in - this way I can budget for tax, insurance and repairs and also work out what I need for fuel.

Should i have another savings account for clothes, opticians and dentist? Then by the time I need something I will have the money to pay for it.
Hey - I'm saving up!!!:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

winchester

Just returning the favour for posting on my diary. Keep up the fantastic work - keep pounding on those debts. They will cave eventually.

Jacey53

Thank you Winchester. Having the support of people on the forums is a great motivator.

Jacey53

Saturday 17th
Got a shock when I looked at my bank statement yesterday - I thought my council tax payment had been missed as the balance hadn't changed, then realised that I'd been refunded £72 by the TV licensing people.:j
That will nearly pay for a years' DVD rental with Tesco (can do without TV but like a DVD at the weekend when I iron). It also means that I don't need to buy the listings mags every week now.

I have posted another big item on my local freegle group and have taken photos of 3 new dresses (with tags) for e-bay. The money I paid is long forgotten but I will be glad of the space and anything I can get now.

Today
farmers market - I don't need anything for me, but need to pick up some fresh veg and a cake for my dad

put some money into building society - my "allowance" for hairdressing, dentist and clothes - until I need it. I have joined the clothes challenge and so far spent nothing this year

open a separate account for all the small savings I make so that I can send them to CCCS when I get a reasonable amount

drop off some stuff that I freegled - the recipient doesn't have a car

Tesco shop for dad - and I get the points

bit of a clean of his house - he tries but cannot mop floor or vacuum properly

home and late lunch of a toastie, then into the garden for an hour or two

fish for dinner so no elaborate preparation

ironing and a DVD tonight ( I have wine)

I will check my CCCS account and update my signature here and update my budget with the changes I have made.

A good day in prospect

BLT_2

That will nearly pay for a years' DVD rental with Tesco (can do without TV but like a DVD at the weekend when I iron). It also means that I don't need to buy the listings mags every week now.

Firstly congratulations on taking stock of your lifestyle, its the first step towards resolving the issues you highlight.

I note from previous threads that quite a few people have had the shopping problem where the basket is vastly larger than the initial requirement, and have opted to do online shopping, the temptations is removed that way.

One thing that does confuse me is that you have cancelled your TV licence, I,m sure you have thought of it butif you have kept your DVD rental, how are you watching your DVDs? Unless it is just a standard monitor with no TV receiving capabilities you are still liable for the licence.

Would hate to see your new regime destroyed in tteh first month by a 1000 pound fine for non payment of TV licence

Jacey53

Thanks BLT. I don't have a TV at all any more. I watch DVDs on my computer. I can also watch catch-up TV without a licence (until the law catches up with the technology). I am not allowed to watch any live TV on my computer - if I do l can be fined.
I hardly ever watched anything anyway - unless i was ironing, and then it was mostly catch-up or a DVD.
I learned all this from these forums and checked with the licensing people.

The people on these forums are brilliant.:beer::money::T

Jacey53

BLT
I agree with your advice about on-line shoppping. It's the only way to stop me putting things I don't really want into my basket.