The countdown to the start of my new life

yukkibear

Hi everyone, since joining MSE I have been on a great journey and met lots of wonderful people (virtually).
I started my life here debt free, and was looking for good ways of cutting back and getting some savings behind me.

Last year I had to take a 3k loan as OH's car packed up, but we managed to pay that off within 10 months instead of three years! Driven by this, we then booked our wedding in Feb this year for March 2011.

A few months on and the savings aren't as good as they could be for the wedding. I don't want to get married and have debt, so I need to work really hard over the next few months to save as much as we can.

We don't have any debt as such but there is approx £1700 on a 0% credit card which I hate. It's 0% until the end of the year so the balance HAS to go before then.

I have proved to myself that me and credit cards shouldn't be together. They are great for making large purchases and it has enabled us to pay for wedding deposits etc, but I've also put extra purchases on it too easily so as from today the card has gone away and I will be working towards paying this off at the same time as saving and paying for the wedding.

I am the main money guru in our house. OH really isn't good with money but he does understand the need to save and supports me with all the money decisions along the way. He is getting much better at not spending any money so at least we actually have some left over.

My main weak areas of spending is food. I have a bad habit of popping to the shop when I'm at work and buying dinner and chocolate etc. Wine is also a vice, but we haven't had a takeaway in months, which is something we used to do all the time.

I plan on using this diary to track all my spending etc and hopefully using the motivation ti reach my target. I would love everything to be done and dusted by Christmas, but realistically I would imagine I have until February to sort the last minute pieces out.

I printed off the last two months worth of bank statements this morning and have been going through them, so I can track the weak areas and focus on the good. I'll post a recent SOA later as I haven't done one for months.

yukkibear

Credit card debt as at 8/7/10 = £1450.46
Left to save for wedding = £1330.18

Total to save / pay before Christmas = £2870.64

Primula

Happy new diary Yukkibear, I will be subscribing and following you along if that's ok. By the way, the dress is gorgeous. Your SoA looks absolutely fine to me. I'm with you all the way re food, that's my biggest problem too, that and stupid impulse spends but getting better at these. Anyway, off to subscribe now.

yukkibear

Good to see you Primula.

I have the evening to myself tonight as OH is out, so am enjoying a glass of wine and working out some figures.

Today saw £6 (£12 now) ish in ebay sales land in paypal. I'm saving my paypal to buy the dress, and hopefully I'll be able to order it soon.

I did buy a chocolate bar, crisps and lucozade at work earlier though = £2.70. I know I know.

DD1's new bed arrives tomorrow which was the last purchase to go on the credit card. Once that goes on I'll check the balance and write it down in large figures so I can batter the number down.
She also said if she sorts her wardrobe she'll have no clothes left. I would agree with that but bless her she knows we're skint so can't go mad. Perhaps I'll have to think of something to fund some new clothes for her.

beanielou

Happy shiney new diary

yukkibear

Thanks beanielou nice to see you here

yukkibear

Not a bad day today, I made a sale of approx £4 which helps the total, and I've finished a mystery shop which will net me £25 as long as it is approved. I've just signed up for a few more so hopefully I'll get picked for a few of those. I will use the purchases for Christmas pressies to kill two birds with one stone.

I paid £252 off the credit card today which gets it to its £1450 balance. This is money I have saved during the month from "extras" and rounding down my bank account.

Did spend in the shop today though buying chocolate and something for dinner. However I did next weeks food shop online and only spent £29 as the account is looking a bit thin so we'll see how it does us. The freezer is full so we should manage ok. I used a free delivery code as well.

wendz86

Yay for the new diary! We will have to encourage each other to be motivated to do moneymaking and saving things.

Sounds like you have made a great start with the mystery shop and the sale.

beanielou

You have had a good day today

mariagti

Happy new diary YB!:j

Your SOA looks pretty good to me. You've found your perfect dress already?

yukkibear

A good day today, an amazon sale of £9.

Yep Maria I have found my dress, hoping to order it this weekend. I decided I wasn't going to spend a fortune on something I would only wear once, so for me it's great and wont break the bank.

OH's birthday today so we're having a chinese and a beer, more money, but you have to have a treat on the birthdays I think.