Being on the straight and narrow... and STAYING there!

guisantes

Hi jwil :-) Hope you are ok?

Still no news on the car. It is now officially off the road *sob* so just need my friend's fella to look and see if he can do anything. My mother-in-law has offered to pay up to £200 to help fix it though, as she has my car whenever she comes to the UK which will be a massive help if it *can* be fixed.

Last Thursday was another NSD as worked and had dinner already organised.

Got paid on Friday, and decided to do a big chunk of Christmas shopping. Firstly paid off half of the Argos card, the other half I'll pay off next month. This needs to be paid off before interest free period at the end of the year. I also paid £116 off the credit card, but paid £32 in interest too.

I went to lovely Amazon and half of my shopping should be delivered by the end of the week. I've been really strict with the budget this year, usually we end up erring on the side of generous, but have tried to find thoughtful presents that don't cost as much.

For the parents and grandparents, I had printed some collage pictures of us and the kids (£1.19 a piece including frame - good old poundland!) I also got some calendars printed (photo ones) personalised with birthdays for DH's mum and grandma. I also picked up some poundland goodies to go in the gift baskets I'm going to make for other family members.

For DH's son, we've also found a toy 'laptop' on offer, at less than half price, which is a real bargain at £35 so that will be his main 'Santa' present, so we will just need to pick up some stocking fillers and he will be sorted. The aim is to not reduce the amount we're putting on the cards between now and Christmas, and to not buy anything else on credit.

Did a big shop on Saturday morning to stock up cupboards of non perishables we'll need for the month. Spent £100, but this also included some pumpkins for the boys, (which they had great fun carving on Sunday!) and some halloween cookie cutters and face paints. I didn't need to spend quite as much on nappies (just pull ups and flushable wipes lol) but the potty training is a bit hit-and-miss at the minute.

DH and I also took a trip to a farm shop and spent £20 on meat, got 10 meals worth, including beef, chicken breasts and chicken drumsticks. We have also decided to have a party for Fireworks. We've been saying for years that we want to, and decided this is the year.

We started stocking up on things food-wise last week, and we're going to pick up extras over the next couple of weeks, and do cheap things like jacket potatoes, chilli, chicken drumsticks and soup. A few of us are clubbing in on the fireworks, so it shoudn't cost much (and a lot less than the £30 it would for the family to go to the arranged display the other side of town!)

Yesterday I wasn't feeling too great, and it was an NSD (number 10 out of 10 Yay!!!) Today I think I'm going to get the fireworks, so will most likely be spending today, but we'd budgeted for this so I'm not worried.

The thing that I've really noticed is that I'm a lot more organised now with the budgeting. Whereas we used to 'wing it' money wise all the time, then realise at the end of the month that we actually had no money to do stuff, now we have a plan at the beginning of the month, and still have just enough money in the bank to get through to the end of the month. It's nice to be able to have a couple of takeaways without feeling guilty, and to know that we are still knocking chunks off the debt.

I was thinking this morning, and think that, bizarrely, we'll be better off when I'm on mat leave than we will now! We'll most likely have more disposable income. Well, here's hoping anyway!

Oh dear, another essay, so I'd better go and do something constructive! x

jwil

Well done on the NSDs! You might even be able to sneak in another one before the month ends!

You sound really organised for Christmas, and some lovely gifts there, especially the photo ones - that is such a nice gift for parents and grandparents.

The budgeting sounds like it has gone really well, and the fireworks party sounds ace!

guisantes

OK, so I've been rubbish and not posted in ages. I've *mostly* kind of kept on the straight and narrow, though Christmas may have slightly blighted my plans a teensy tiny bit.

We now officially have paid off the Argos card, so own our own table and chairs, :j but the credit card has gone up a bit. :mad: We ended up getting a bike for joint Christmas and Birthday for DSD, but the family clubbed in on that. We bought it on the credit card, so that we could put the money back.

Ended up using the money the family gave us to finish off the few bits of Christmas shopping that needed doing, but in the knowledge that I would be using the equivalent out of this month's wages, so will be putting it straight back.

I had hoped to get the credit card down to £1500 by Christmas. Being honest, I'm not entirely sure if I will manage that goal, but I'm hoping to get as close as I possibly can.

DH has been given £200 bonus plus £50 in Tesco vouchers. We are very relieved this has happened, as we have DH's grandad's 70th birthday party Sunday and were wondering how to pay for our share. The vouchers money should more than cover food for Christmas, the meal, putting petrol in the car (We've had some unexpected trips this month, it was 1.5 hours to DH's xmas do, plus DH had to do an airport run this week too) and maybe buying a small gift for each other.

OK, if I'm honest, I've already got DH's present (because it was more than half price, I put it on CC (Slap wrist!!) but I knew that I wanted to get him something!) Because he doesn't know that, and will give me some money to buy him something, I think I'll just put it straight back on the card, so I'll be able to put the halo back on, albeit slightly skewiff.

The latest addition to our family is already showing MSE ways... :money: by being a BOY :-) I haven't bought anything for him yet, there's not a great deal to buy, as we have all DS's clothes up the loft. I will need to buy a new travel system, but have found one that seems to be very reasonable and sturdy. Hopefully it will be in the sales so we can save even more money on it!

The last couple of months, despite the odd CC indiscretion (which I've owned up to lol) I have stayed pretty much on budget for everything. Spare pennies have all gone toward the Christmas fund, but as soon as it's new year, that will all be diverted to the CC.

I get paid Friday (though maybe tomorrow as it always hits my account early). My bosses have said they want to talk to me before I go home tomorrow, we've had a fantastic year at work, and last year I got a £100 bonus. This year I have a lot more responsibility, do all the credit control etc. and have made a big difference to getting money in, saving us money in interest etc. so fingers crossed there may be a little extra in there again to go on the CC.

I've had some wobbles over the last month or 2 though, my inner brat has wanted to throw toys out of the pram over being good. DH and I had a massive fight too, cos I told him we couldn't afford to buy a certain present for the boys (we haven't spent loads, and they will still be overwhelmed by all the stuff they DO have!) DH said I suck the fun out of everything, and I ended up getting really upset.

Sometimes it's so hard being the one to be sensible all the time. I've been trying so hard to make sure that everyone has nice presents, and that we stay pretty much on budget. And I'm worried about how we're going to cope when I'm on SMP until August when the CSA payments go back to normal. Sometimes it seems like a lot of responsibility and that I'm the only one who seems really worried about it! :mad:

I also miss my car. It's so frustrating not being able to have the freedom to go where I want, when I want. oh well, I'll keep buying those lottery tickets! :rotfl:

jwil

It is hard trying to be good all of the time. I know how you feel. Has your OH not had a LBM yet? My DH is debt free, and he doesn't seem to understand sometimes that I just want to do nothing and spend no money!

Congratulations on the new addition being a boy though, and good luck with the lottery! I'm still hoping for a win too

guisantes

Hi jail hope you're ok?

Sadly DH hasn't had a LBM. He know that we're going to be very skint at least for a few months when baby boy comes along, but is of the opinion that it's 'the norm' to have some debt, and that maybe the fairies are going to come along with a solution. Hence why I'm in charge of our cash flow!

He is sometime on board, and does remember how amazing it felt to make guilt free purchases that we had saved for, but he is still of the 'stick it on the card' school of thought and was very annoyed that I reduced the Cc limit. :-(

It does sometimes make me feel like I am 'sucking the fun' out of things, but sometime I need someone to help me stay on track too!

jwil

guisantes wrote: »

Hi jail hope you're ok?

Sadly DH hasn't had a LBM. He know that we're going to be very skint at least for a few months when baby boy comes along, but is of the opinion that it's 'the norm' to have some debt, and that maybe the fairies are going to come along with a solution. Hence why I'm in charge of our cash flow!

He is sometime on board, and does remember how amazing it felt to make guilt free purchases that we had saved for, but he is still of the 'stick it on the card' school of thought and was very annoyed that I reduced the Cc limit. :-(

It does sometimes make me feel like I am 'sucking the fun' out of things, but sometime I need someone to help me stay on track too!

I'm good thanks.

It is hard, but long term your DH will thank you when you are both DF! Hopefully if you just keep at it, your DH will come on board. I think mine might be getting there very slowly.

guisantes

Hi jwil :-) I had put a long reply a week or so ago, but have no clue where it went :-( I read your thread and saw that you've had a big sort out finance-wise. That's great that you'll end up better off long-term. I hope your DH is feeling better now and that you're enjoying your new laptop and kindle ?

Hope you had a good Christmas? Ours was really really lovely, it was so nice being at home, we were really organised and sorted all the food and everything out Christmas eve, so we just had to heat stuff up Christmas day :-) Despite us not spending the earth, the boys loved all their presents, and the family appreciated the thoughtful touches. We were also given a lovely present from DH's family, new radiators and them being fitted! (Sounds random, but we've been meaning to do it for ages and haven't had the cash lol!)

Well my goal was to get to £1500 on the C/C by New Year and...

my balance is showing as £1802.74 :eek::eek: but....

actual amount owed is £1500 :T

Basically, when I got paid, got enough of a bonus to bring the card down to my goal (Yay!!)

Then on Boxing Day, we were in DH's car on the way to my dad's house when it stopped working whilst we were driving. Long story short, it's the cambelt, and it's screwed, so the whole car needs writing off :mad:

It's a company car, so we went from being 2 car family to no car family, and got given the authorisation to hire a car for a week (hence my credit card balance ;-) it's being paid back)

Luckily, it's forced DH's company into a corner. They've been wanting to buy him out of his deal, but put a stupid offer on the table a couple of months ago.

Anyhoo... he had his meeting yesterday and he's being given a massive payrise, plus £2k outright to go and buy a car :T:T:T

I have also put my car in for a re-MOT with a different garage today.

DH and I had a massive argument last night. He wanted to go and get a nearly new car on HP, or do a lease deal :eek::eek: but I've brought him round to my way of thinking, that we get a cheap runaround to last for the next year or so, and in the meantime save like mad and see where we are. He's been saying for ages he wants one of those beds where the telly comes out the bottom, obviously it was never going to happen with our finances as they were before, but I've pointed out that if we live frugally for the next few months, we could potentially pay off C/C and save enough to buy one. He's happy at the thought of our money being our own, and we had a long talk about money saving, and how we've been living within our means and that I want to continue on a budget, even if it's more relaxed than it has been. I'm so glad he's on board

Hopefully we will be back to being a 2 car family soon, and better off to boot. I'm sooooo relieved :T:T:T

What a great start to the New Year.

Happy New Year, and have a few drinks for me!!! :beer:

jwil

Happy New Year Guisantes!

Well done on reaching your CC target, but shame about the car. Woo hoo to DH's payrise and car payment though!

We put in new radiators last Christmas - I can't think of a nicer present! Warm and more efficient!

Here's to a great 2011 :beer: