New Year. New House. New Budget

Lurker1972

Cannot beleive how quickly this year has disappeared - so strange to think that this time last year we were preparing to move!!

Havent updated as much as I probably should have, but have been so busy lurking on other peoples threads - they have much more interesting & inspiring things to say!

Anyway, we spent money this year. More than anticipated or possible should have, but whats done is done.
The good thing is that MrL has finally agreed that my way of doing things (ie putting money away each month for annual costs) is the way to go - pity its gone out of the window this year!!
This means that from January paydays we will be sitting down to create a PROPER budget. Hopefully one we can stick to.
Once that is done I will start back with posting total debt balance on the 1st of each month.
I'm well on track to stay within budget this month, making up major shortfall from last month. on the down side, I've not done any overtime this month so January pay will feel a bit empty.

Have just completed a survey with valued opinions which takes me over the payout level, seems to have taken ages to get there, but am not complaining, its another £10 that will eventually be paid off a credit card.

ebay sales this week have been good £38.50 from 2 items, on the not so good side, its gone straight into MrLs pocket so I wont see it again (but that puts less stress on his overdraft so isnt all bad...might still be able to get some of it off hjm)

Gas/Elec switch is progressing nicely. House insurance renewal paperwork arrived yesterday, no change to premium, time to do some research there...am using my poorly sick day well!!

Lurker1972

Poorly sick day went downhill following a canine related accident that left me with a better understanding of while removal of finger nails was such an effect form of torture.
The resulting hanidicap combined with not being fully recovered from lurgy means:

* the house is a tip
* the Christmas tree is only half decorated
* I have an ironing mountain that should not be possible in a household of just 2 people
* the washing basket is overflowing
The last 2 combine to mean
* I have no clothes ready for work tomorrow.

All that & still I sit on MSE ..... looking for inspiration & a proverbial kick up the butt.

Internet can wait, its not going anywhere.

so - jobs

Make bed
Hoover upstairs
dig out clothes for work for next 2 days & iron.
sort through ironing, fold & prioritise into baskets.
washing onto airer
white wash on
play with Christmas tree lights
finish decorating tree
put shopping away
back on internet, update spreadsheets, move money from grocery account

hmmm, hopefullt that will let me get to bed before 11....

Lurker1972

Ok so what bits got done...

Make bed Done
Hoover upstairs done
dig out clothes for work for next 2 days & iron. done
sort through ironing, fold & prioritise into baskets. done
washing onto airer done
white wash on done
play with Christmas tree lights done
finish decorating tree
put shopping away done
back on internet, update spreadsheets, move money from grocery account


Going to leave the tree for now, I think it may be ok now the lights are twinkling better. Got 2 invoices to send for eBay items that sold tonight - 6 items listed, 5 sold. am quite pleased with that.

am more & more convinced that the washing machine is terminally ill - stuff comes out with marks that werent there to start with....and so called clean washing smells a bit ...off

think i will leave the spreadsheets until tomorrow - its payday anyway so would be playing with figures anyway...although I will just check my bank account.....

Lurker1972

& almost without noticing, its 2012!!

Our debt stands at a shocking £10355:eek::eek:
All racked up in the last 12 months, due to the move, bad planning and a couple of un-anticipated expenses.

I think oops is an understatement!!

Mr Lurks has finally come around to my way of thinking, that budgetting for annual expenses is the way to go. 1 step forward.
I have finally accepted that my earnings are not high enough for me to maintain making a 50% financial contribution. another step in the right direction!!
This month, we will be starting over, creating a new, much more realistic budget, with pots for car tax etc etc.

We are also back on the meal planning wagon (well I am, Mr Lurks will just have to go with the flow) and I am armed with a load of borrowed Slimming World recipe books to help create some new favourite foods.

Hopefully, a non-diet, healthy eating diet will show results as I am currently the heaviest I have been in my life. a terrifying 12 st 4 lbs & 8 ounces.

Fingers crossed its all minuses from here!

Lurker1972

it occured to me on the way to work yesterday that not all of the debt was last year......but probably £8k was...feel slightly less irresponsible now!

Lurker1972

Half way through the week & its been good.
3 x NSD
3 days of taking lunch to work
3 days no cake.

These last 2 are challenges set by me & my friend - I challenged her to bring in her lunches, she retaliated with no cake......I am so wanting a cuppa with a piece of fruit cake right now!!!

I have been using myfitness pal to monitor calorie intake etc & its been very interesting. Calories dont appear to be the problem, its the carb/protein balance that is waaaay unbalanced.
The plan is to track intake for a month (makes me much more aware of snack attacks) & then start to make changes to improve things.

Its payday on Friday for me, but the creation of the new all singing & dancing budget will have to wait for another 2 weeks when MrLurks is paid. think that will be a HUGE eyeopener for us both, but mainly him......

If I am going to make day 4 I need to get off my butt & make tomorrows lunches...trouble is I am being hypnotized ....One Born Every Minute......however I have just remembered that there is a magic button on the mremote control that allows me to pause the program.........

Lurker1972

Its Friday-eve......and am feeling quite angelic

today would have been NSD4 if it wasnt for having to pay for parking (I usually get a lift to work with MrL) but moneysaving head was on & instead of parking at the car park closest to work & paying £3 for the day (gone up this week from £2) I went to the one furthest away & only paid £1.60.

I took the easy way out last night & decided that todays lunch would be soup. having ruined the NSD already the temptation was there to buy something nice from canteen despite having the soup there. Luckily, my friend has failed in her challenge & brought lunch in so my competitive streak kicked in & I am still on track!

Myfitness pal is proving very useful. In order to adjust the carb/protein balance I have boiled an egg to include in tomorrows lunch. I am going to be gutted though if after all this self control as far as cake is concerned I don't lose any weight!

Overtime is available this weekend, however I have decided that the housework needs priority and I am going to reclaim the kitchen & make it sparkle

I have been on a mission to use up all my toiletries before buying new ones, but have been distracted a couple of times...I am currently using a night cream that I have had for YEARS as a foot cream, have been dispensing hotel supplies into my normal bottles that are easier to use & still seem to have a way to go before I have a streamlined bathroom. am currently using bubble bath as shower gel...am focussed and very tempted to do an inventory of everything as a demotivator!!

This weeks challenge was food related - next week will be exercise - it will be to wear my pedometer every day (mainly as a fact finding exercise) but will continue to take in my lunch - I think I can get another 4 NSD next wee, aggh just remembered, tomorrow wont be, its pay day & that means work lottery syndicate...

right, need to pull finger out, do some ironing and make tomorrows lunch....winning my challenge is within my grasp.....

Lurker1972

1 month down already!!

Debt now stands at £10070.
The creation of a proper budget was without a doubt an eye opener. MrLurks was very quiet when I pointed out that we can't put money away for a holiday & pay anything more than the minimum on the credit cards!

We have sorted out another long term 0% bt credit card, and should just manage to clear the smallest one before the end of the 0% - thanks partly to not paying council tax for 2 months.

I have been a complete angel as far as lunches are concerned - have made both of us lunches everyday for the past 4 weeks. Its been a struggle at times but there is no doubt that I am seeing the benefits as far as not spending is concerned. Weight, not so much - I lost 1lb for the first 2 weeks of calorie counting, then gained 3 & half in week 3 ?!?!?!!? I am hopeful though that the gain may be just a glitch.

overtime in the morning, then out for the afternoon with me ma, feet up Saturday evening. Sunday is down to the weather - I have my fingers crossed that we'll be able to build a snowman!!

Lurker1972

MrL may have gone into sulky bear mode after we sat down & played numbers but we are already seeing the benefits.

This may have been helped by me rounding down our income - the numbers balanced without it, so its a cushion which then gets thrown at the cc.

I would now like a smug faced smiley....we WILL be repaying target 1 cc in full by the end of March. this has been helped by not paying Ctax, the cushion & and £100 payout from quidco.... looking at the spreadsheet, target 2 will also be repaid in full before the end of the 0%. pity those are the 2 smallest ones, but its all progress.

MrL is poorly sick today & I am now unsure what to do that won't wake him. Batch cooking sprang to mind, but the freezer is already full & I still need to find room for my whoopsies from the supermarket run. This year thanks to vouchers, whoopsies & bogoffs etc I have saved £55 - no complaints there.

some friends at work are moving & that has triggered a redecoration bug.....may have a ponder about that as I have a colour scheme in mind for the dining room & the paint wouldnt be that pricey, would just be the cost of a new carpet. all in all it could be done and still be quite purse friendly.

Time to get off my butt & play freezer tetris....washing is going on the line just as soon as its ready - will probably end up freeze dried, but will smell much nicer....

downnotout

Freezer tetris lol love it, its very hard to stick to a target, I have failed 3 times in doing this dfw diary land, this time things are different we have a baby on the way so EVERY effort has to go on clearing as much of the debt backlog as possible I round income down and expence up too to male the figures look that little bit worse just to keep mrsDNO on track