I Will Will Will Do It This Time!

cakelover_2

Hi PollyBanwell, thanks for stopping by. Glad to hear that other people think it's ok to not be making so much headway with debts over Christmas. I will check out your diary also

Here is my SOA as promised. This is my SOA starting January and only mine as this is my debt (though I do need to work out what OH needs to give me for our most recent holiday. Money's been a bit up in the air with OH starting a new job and Christmas and I haven't worked it out yet). I have allocated £100 minimum to pay on my card every month (at the moment the min payment is about £80). I do have quite a bit left over every month but I havent allocated anything for birthdays, christmas, dental/hair appointments, trips away (I know I should just focus on clearing my debt next year but I can't deny OH a holiday when none of this is his fault, next year also won't be a big holiday, may just be a little trip to Venice or a cheap deal somwhere) etc. I do need to see about combining fuel as at the mo we pay seperate companies for gas and electric. Any feedback is much appreciated.

Income £1173.47
Food200TV Licence11.87Gas23Electric35Water13.43Sewerage22Council Tax (OH pays rest)110Contents Insurance18.48Car\HP134.89Car Insurance27.87Car Savings (MOT's, tax, service etc) 40Petrol50Bank Loan225.98Account Fee6.5Mobile22Credit Card100

Left £132.45

cakelover_2

Oh my SOA came out all weird, will try again.....

cakelover_2

2 people in household
Income - £1173.47

Food - £200
TV Licence - £11.87
Gas - £23
Electric - £35
Water - £13.43
Sewerage - £22
Council Tax (OH pays rest) - £110
Contents Insurance - £18.48
Car\HP - £134.89
Car Insurance - £27.87
Car Savings (MOT, tax, service etc) - £40.00
Petrol - £50.00
Bank Loan - £225.98
Bank Account Fee - £6.50
Mobile - £22.00
Credit Card - £100.00

Left - £132.45

cakelover_2

Well did I get some fab news yesterday or what! Got an email from the bosses at work saying we will be getting a £500 Christmas bonus this pay day :j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j after tax\NI\student loan repayment is taken out, I got £300! I couldn't believe it, I thought I was going to cry! Lol. I read it 2 or 3 times to make sure I was reading it right! My initial thought was, put it all on the card, but OH has paid for alot of meals out lately as I haven't had enough to take him out really so I really want to treat him to a slap up meal and cocktails. I would also really love to get some black boots, I haven't had any for a really long time, I know it's not very DFW. I'm thinking maybe put £200 on the card and then use the other £100 for a meal and to put towards boots if I get any Christmas money. I then got my secret santa present - a big box of Thorntons chocolates. A bonus and a big box of chocolates all in one day, what more can a girl ask for!

Got lots of Christmas things to do this weekend, need to try and finish making my parents card and get baking and also try to make jam for the first time. Can't believe this time next week it will be Christmas eve! :j:D I realised today I haven't increased my debt by buying stuff for Christmas this year, I think that's the first time in 2 or 3 years. It does help that I got paid earlier this year for January, which I'm not normally a fan of because if it's in the bank early you need to be careful not to touch it, but this year I am really grateful!

Have been thinking about my goals aside of debt busting for next year. Think in my quiet times at work (and there are lots at the moment!) I will write down all the things I want to accomplish next year. My boss has a 5 year plan and I'm wondering if I should have one too. I have things in mind that I want to accomplish in the next 5 years, but I need to get focussing on them a bit more.

I feel really excited about Christmas and the next year, can't wait!

fizzypops

congratulations on your christmas bonus!!!

cakelover_2

Thanks Fizzypops!

Hope everyone has been having a great Christmas. Mine has been lovely, spending time with people I love and of course lovely food and presents. Ended up being off work for 2 days last week though with this cough/cold thing that is going round, I just hope I still get paid and don't need to use any of my bonus money to make it up. Will keep £200 of it in the bank till I next get paid just in case and if I don't come up short due to being off that £200 will go straight on the card! Made a withdrawl request on one of the cashback sites I use yesterday, so £4.91 should be winging it's way to me and that will go strait on the card too.
We got a slow cooker for Christmas, really looking forward to using that. Going to make a chilli from scratch in it tomorrow whilst OH is at work, I will be in sorting out the flat so I can keep my eye on it and make sure it works ok, then I will be ok leaving it on whilst we are both out. Looking forward to making all the yummy things we can make in there think I will find ourselves a cheap slow cooker recipe book.
I think I will go off to Hobbycraft today and see what I can get with some of the money I got for Christmas. I would like to try a new craft but not sure what, would like to try something that I could then sell. I love Hobbycraft, I could literally spend hours in there just looking around. I am starting a cake decoration course in February so I should save some money for that too as I will need to buy things for it. I would love to have my own cake decoration business and work for myself, that is my long term goal. I would love to make and sell craft type stuff too and have my own cottage industry (I think that's what they call it?) so I need to have a look around and have a think of what I can do, that will hopefully bring in some money a bit quicker next year, especially whilst I am learning my cake decorating. I am already signed up as self employed for mystery shopping so I don't need to do that, however I do have a tax return for the grand amount of £10 to do before the end of Jan, I must get on that!

cakelover_2

Used our slow cooker for the very first time today, made a lovely chilli from scratch (also something I hadn't done before) and it was lovely. Browned the mince first then put it on low for 7 hours - lovely. Does anyone just whack mince in a slow cooker instead of browning it first? It said in the leaflet you should brown that kind of meat before putting it in, same with veg, it says you may want to soften it first? My idea is that I whack it all in and turn it on before I go to work, I don't want to be browning mince at 8am before work :rotfl:unless I prepare the night before. Funny thing is, we used the same amount of mince we normally use, yet we didn't eat it all like we normally would, we have left overs for tomorrow. Not really enough for another chilli and rice dinner but enough to have it with a jacket potato and salad or just on it's own for lunch with the rest of the sour cream. Saturday we are cooking a curry from scratch in it with chicken thighs. Does any one know if we can do this from raw in the SL or do we need to cook it a bit first?

[Deleted User]

I'm really enjoying reading everyone's diaries and seeing how people are saving money etc - hope you don't mind!

cakelover_2

Hi Poohspals, hope your enjoying everyones diaries, do you have one?

[Deleted User]

cakelover wrote: »

Hi Poohspals, hope your enjoying everyones diaries, do you have one?

I do have one - I think you've found it though :-)