The Final Push - Getting Rid of the Last Loan and CC

WelshWoofer

I have a really busy day today....

• Walk dogs (already done)
• Go to building society to withdraw money from nan's account to pay for care home fees
• Go to bank to pay in a cheque and get some cash for the week
• Print out map for the hotel for tonight (already paid for)
• Find the boxing tickets
• Drop my dog off at the kennels for the night
• Meet mum to give her the little dog back after her holiday at 2.30 in Birmingham
• Write shopping list
• Hoover downstairs
• One load of washing and dry naturally
• Pop to Boots for some makeup (why does it all run out at the same time!)
• Pack a bag for tonight
• If I have time, write one or two lessons for next week
• Food shopping if there's time (£6 voucher to use that expires tomorrow, can do this then if I run out of time)
• Go to boxing!
• Phone hairdressers
• Pay council tax (late:o)

Better get cracking!

WelshWoofer

Well I'm back again :wave:
Had a really busy week so far and had no time or inclination to post.

Things are going well - I only spent about £15 at the boxing - quite a lot under budget and have managed to put away £25 of the budgeted spend to pay for the dogs haircut on Saturday:j I'm having mine done too (not at the same place!) on the weekend but its all accounted for financially.

Have had 2 NSDs this week so far too - seems to be every other day during the working week. I've also just checked the bank and British Gas have refunded £30 into my account - good news. Also, I got a letter from the water people saying that my direct debit was going down by £10 a month to £23 - completely out of teh blue but I'm not complaining!

I'm just waiting for the PPI money to be paid back into my account (its about 4 weeks now since they wrote saying it would be 4 weeks to wait) and then I can pay a wodge off my loan and completely clear my overdraft (only a few hundred pounds now).

When that happens and I get paid again in 3 weeks time I should be quite comfortable financially (relatively speaking) with only the loan repayment as a debt. I'm going to try making overpayments as often as I can to bring the term down. In theory, I should have at least £200 a month left over after all repayments, dds and food and petrol and spending money etc has gone out.

Next week my budget will be £40 spending money, £45 food shopping, no petrol as I filled the car this week and £50 hair cut (I know!)

We have to go to OH's mums retirement do on Friday and his sister's on Sunday so that only leaves Saturday as a social day and I think I'll stay in and save cash - I'm sure OH won't say no to going out with the boys if he wants to go somewhere!

NeverEnough

Sorry to be away for a while Welshwoofer - life has a way of getting hectic and taking up loads of time!
It sounds as if you are doing really well on your DF journey though, well done!

Thanks for the grocery spend tips - I'm trying some of them at least, our weekely spend is far too high still and I am between jobs at present so we need to make savings wherever we can. I have an interview on 28th and hopefully if not successful, I'll get another contract via my faithful agency - I decided to take 2 weeks off when the last one ended as I've been living away from home for the past year and am busy packing up the little rented cottage's contents to treturn home tomorrow. With a hint of sadness although the job was difficult under poor working conditions!!

Keep going and I'll pop in again soon! xx

WelshWoofer

Hi Never Enough ! Nice to see you back!

Nothing much to report today - just another day at work - another day's pay I suppose!

Have checked the bank, no sign of the elusive PPI money yet - grrr!
Going to have a quiet night and have a bath, watch the soaps and relax for once.
I might start a shopping list and meal plan for next week if I feel the urge later - it has to be done by Saturday and I'm out tomorrow evening so I guess it'll have to be done tonight?

Am I the only one that finds it hard to come up with different meals every week? I get bored of food and find I just can't be bothered sometimes but it must be done. Ho hum....

Right off to have a look at the Old Style board for food inspiration...

NSDs September so far 9
Money in purse £29
Surveys £10.15
CC balance £11
OD at payday will be £450 approx
Grocery budget £48/£180
Spending budget £60/£180 (£29 left in purse)
Untouchable Savings £2500
Money pots (car and Xmas 2011) £4 each
Internet savings pot £8

WelshWoofer

Have had a really busy day and just having a sit down.
Some minor good financial news - hair only cost £38 instead of £50 ish - stylist was not in so a junior one did it just as well and cheaper:j
Been to the library and taken a book back and got 2 new ones - this is saving me loads as I used to buy about 3 or 4 books a month.

Done the shopping at Mr S using vouchers to save £3 but was still over budget by £10 - sometimes its more than I budget for - this time it was due to bargain dog food, extras to stay in with tonight, and storecupboard things like rice and pasta.

I have to pay £25 for the dog haircut today but I have managed to save £20 from last weeks spending money so that a little chunk of the overall budget saved.

I have also done all the housework, washing, changed the bed and have now come to a standstill!:p

WelshWoofer

NSDs September so far 9
Money in purse £40
Surveys £10.15
CC balance £11
Grocery budget £103/£180
Spending budget £90/£180 (£40 left in purse)
Untouchable Savings £2500
Money pots (car and Xmas 2011) £4 each
Internet savings pot £8

Just been through the accounts and I am now £371 overdrawn (when the direct debits and phone bill are paid) with 2 weeks spending money (budgeted £40 per week) and 2 weeks food shopping (£90) left to come out.

That makes an overdraft of £540 ish by pay day. This will be paid off by the extra wages I'll get (due to tax overpayment last month) and the PPI money due so I'm not worried about it.

I will try hard to see if I can get it to less than £500 (even £499 would do!) by making savings here and there, probably mostly from spending money.

WelshWoofer

Aren't I hopeless! I haven't updated this for days!
In my defence I've been really busy with work, its been our anniversary and its just all caught up with me.

Nothing much to report though - had a few more NSDs this week, the shopping went £5 over budget yesterday (not a complete disaster but not ideal) and generally sticking to the DFW ways.

Still no PPI refund - I'll give them to the end of the week and then complain I think - apparently Lloyds TSB are notoriously slow at coughing up even when they've made an offer.

Just had to pay the phone bill that I forgot all about - another £60 for line rental for the coming months. Bummer!

Will have to look at the budget for the next 2 weeks until I get paid - no big plans to do anything now the anniversary is over with so it should be quite economical - famous last words!

WelshWoofer

Sorry I've not been around all week - work is keeping me very busy and life just gets in the way. I'm still sticking to the DFW little things rules though most of the time.

I had some great news this week - Lloyds are now paying me £2910 as PPI insurance refund and it'll be with me in 2 weeks (it took them 6 weeks to tell me this after they agreed to pay me back!)

I've decided that £2000 will go to the last debt I have (a loan and then that's it debt wise!) and £600 to pay off the overdraft built up over my teacher training days) and £100 to the Xmas fund and £200 on me!!! I need some new winter clothes and comfier shoes for school so will spend, spend, spend!! (Not that £200 gets you an awful lot these days!).

Today is a "me" day - OH is off out later with mates to watch football and have a few drinks so I have time to myself for once.


So I will/have....

• Walk dog for free exercise
• Checked banks
• Catch up on surveys
• Go shopping for clothes (Trafford Centre I think)
• Do the food shop
• Dust downstairs
• Tidy conservatory (a dumping ground for school stuff)
• Do one load of washing and dry naturally
• Put other dry washing away
• Maybe do an hours marking (might have a total day off school stuff)
• Watch a film tonight and some rugby this afternoon

WelshWoofer

Money in purse £25
CC balance £0:j
Overdraft - gone:j
Grocery budget £104/£180
Spending budget £109/£180 (£25 left in purse)

Untouchable Savings £2500
Internet savings pot £108
Surveys £10.15
Money pots (car and Xmas 2011) £8 each
Extra payments made off loan £1900:T


A quick update for my records really - will do a big post later/tomorrow with all of the news.

WelshWoofer

Morning!
At last a bit of peace and some time to update things.

Financially, things are pretty good - I'm not flush by any means but solvent at least!
I will hopefully get to payday without being overdrawn - if the budget is ok. The overdraft is paid off, an extra £1900 has been paid off the loan (thank you PPI people!), the credit card has a balance of £0 and I've done the shopping and have cash in my purse for the week.:j:j

I have been underpaid for the past 2 months by about £110 a month and hopefuly now its been sorted out so next pay day should be a good one - I'm due about £220 back in a tax refund and will get my proper wages, although I have managed on the lower wages quite well.

The extra money will go into the savings account to pay for Xmas (already about £110 in there) so Xmas should be quite stress free (famous last words!).

We're going to my mum's this year so won't have to shell out for all of the food, drinks and sweets that I usually have to - will give mum some money instead or maybe a Tesco giftcard as she won't usually accept cash as our contribution. We're going out for Xmas lunch but all of the extra bits cost a bomb and its not fair that mum and dad pay for the lot.

I'm going to start looking at Xmas shopping and pressies this week and hopefully buying stuff now will prevent the last minute "s*d it just buy it attitude"!

Right better get on with the day......