Just me, random skint not mint diary

penelopedee_2

Congratulations Kel, liking the new name

penelopedee_2

Monday already, where is the time going!

My lovely DH has just re-landscaped the wreck of a back garden that we have, giving me proper borders to plant flowers in. Its amazing what he done for very little money - just a bit of cheap gravel and some turf we are currently saving £1 coins in a pot for. So I have been trawling the garden centres looking for the half dead knocked down plants because between myself and my green fingered neighbours we can normally get them going again. Can't believe what a brilliant job he's done its looking lovely even without the grass down

Debt wise I am plodding quite well. Had a refund from the car tax that has covered the plant costs easily (might even stretch enough for some extra lawn edging - my dad would laugh at me becoming gardening obsessed!). New car is taxed until next year and I have already put back most of it so its just waiting to be paid.

Paid over £300 off this week and I know exactly where we are until I get paid again next week.

My day job is still being a right royal pain in the b*tt. Luckily I have a nice group of friends there to get me through the day cos without them I think I would have walked by now.

So smiley Pen today. I love planting my new flowers, there is something about nature that seems to lift the worries

The boys now want a big old planter my neighbours have offered me, to start growing veg in. I wonder how they will like weeding and digging!

penelopedee_2

I read the debt free roll of honour this afternoon and its really giving me another light bulb moment/kick up the b*tt!

So I've set up a proper debt spreadsheet now to give myself some proper targets and I need to list some targets on here to pull myself into the right direction. I feel I've been wandering about in debt mud for far too long and I really want some freedom back in my life.

So I have 2 main targets for the next 20 weeks. (I like small blocks of time!).

1. Nothing else goes onto the credit card. If I ain't got the cash then we ain't 'aving it. (I am so scared of this statement!!!)

2. I want to pay off a card with £1600 on it within this 20 week timescale. :eek:

I have already put back the holiday money, put the car tax rebate back ready for next year and am halfway there to completing the birthday pressie fund for the next 12 months.

I must get back to meal planning and cutting the grocery budget because I am still frittering madly by popping to the shops each lunch time. I know its emotional spending really because I'm having a carp time of it in the day job but it is going to stop. I managed £20 a time for 4 days last week - shocking. We didn't even eat like kings either, it was just buying for the sake of it.

So, to give myself a little boost I've taken £200 from my savings account (I've still left some emergency money) and that will be my overpayment today.

£1600 - 200 = £1400

I am also going to kick the wine habit again. I drank some really awful stuff last week just because it was cheap. Didn't even like what I was drinking. So now, if I want my hair highlighted again this month I need to find the money from my 'wine savings' ie, no more on school nights at least.

I am actually inspired tonight and not scared of the figures at all. My mind set is definately shifting again

Life here at Pen Towers is very busy, DH has finished the garden apart from the turf but the pound coin pot is growing nicely to cover this.

I want the feeling that this debt is gone and I can change jobs when I want ....... I am going to do this

Forgot to add: Available Cash = purse £13.50, Bank £80 (of which £20 needs to be stashed just incase I need to top up petrol before payday Friday)

penelopedee_2

£38 spent on groceries today. £10 put in a birthday card =

Bank £42, Purse £3.50

penelopedee_2

Took the boys on a day out today (we've 2 with us now). It was brilliant going on a safari etc but was expensive. They really wanted to do it so we showed them the cost and gave them the choice of that or going away this week and they wanted the day out. I'm so glad they did as it was such a good day I did book everything on line to get my 15% off and then found food vouchers etc.

So back to moneysaving reality tomorrow - luckily they are very good at entertaining themselves and playing outside like we used too (in the old days!).

I've paid another £200 off the target debt today and hid another £100 in a savings account.

Had a bit of a wobble in the supermarket earlier at the price of food! Perhaps I've been shopping in a daze recently (its been mega busy) but how expensive is just fruit/veg & salad bits now-a-days. Can't live on turkey twizzlers all the time

The boys have just come in (starving as usual) to heres to a nice family night in I can see the tiger bread and cheese disappearing quite quickly tonight.

postingalwaysposting

Woo hoo Pen, well done on the debt payment and saves :j Oh and I have seen the food increase, it come to something when bread is cheaper than lettace :mad:

penelopedee_2

Completely mad time at home at the moment and its draining my energy (I know I love it but sometimes I wonder why!)

DH has decided to landscape the top bit of the garden so it looks (in his words) like Steptoe's Yard at the moment with bags of rubble and old bushes that have been pulled out. There is mud everywhere. If we ever do our bathroom remind me not to pick white again! I've told him he can do what he wants if it keeps him busy and doesn't cost me a penny!

Moneywise we are ok, I've enough left for groceries and petrol as long as we are careful. Anything else will just have to wait a week. But I'm not worried, all the bills are paid. (Well I am but there is light at the end of the tunnel somewhere just not too close right now:o).

Had a choppy moment last week when I took the family out and the new car broke down. But luckily it was still under warranty and its back now and fully mended and didn't cost me

Need to get to bed soon, back to the day job tomorrow. It isn't as bad as it was a week or so ago but there's a bit of bad feeling around which is making me sad. I shouldn't be such a sponge for emotions!

Off to bed in a mo, finally got a few quite minutes with DH

penelopedee_2

Another £200 paid off my current target debt. A bit more stashed to top up the Christmas fund and I ended up in credit the day before payday again.

Even managed to go round the shops today and talk myself out of buying things and putting them back. I love it when I'm on a MS roll like this.

penelopedee_2

Had a weekend away with DH - completely last minute and unexpected - and no children - and seem to have moved forward on the on the debt busting front (sort of).

Weekend was a little expensive for my taste but I just have to skim the money off other budgets to get things sorted.

But, the major achievement is DH has finally surrendered his CCs to me. He is handing the money side of things over completely for the time being. I think he's had a bit of a light bulb moment. I have been in ill health recently and I can see it has frightened him - the rock that keeps the family together couldn't get out of bed for a week or so and still a month later is only at 50% without a light at the end of the tunnel.

So this is the end of one chapter for me. I want to finish this diary now because it has been a bit of a bitter and recently painful experience (literally). Going to start a new diary tonight and move forward into my new life x

Just trying to think up a funky title for it, but to be honest I'm carp at that so it will just be 'Pen - again; getting there slowly'.