New Year. New House. New Budget

Lurker1972

have to admit I stole the tetris game from Mr Bloater as I am a fan of his diary - he plays shed tetris but as the shed is testosterone-only zone I stick with the freezer version

debt now stands at £9420 & in 13 days time 4 cards will become 3 as the second Council Tax free month will clear whats left on priority one card. repaid before interest charged. woooo

have been a bit bad with trips to the chocolate machine this week so that needs to stop. meal planning is going well but I do end up doing the majority of the cooking which isnt so great....unless you are MrLurker!!

So far this year I have saved £70 on the grocery shop thanks to money off vouchers, multibuys and whoopsies & i have vouchers for the next 6 weeks - MrT has obviously missed me over the past few weeks as I have shopped elsewhere - I was a Mr T girl more through habit than anything else. but not now. My weekly shop is influenced now by money off vouchers. I think I will be quite upset if I have a week without any!!

not so good news on the weight loss. its going up & it has to be lack of exercise. but at least with the evenings being lighter it should feel easier to go out & be less of a couch potato....shouldnt it?

Lurker1972

4 cards became 3!!! woooo
only temporarily as we have ended up replacing the car!!!!:o

We got a good deal, and had a plan for paying for it without adding to debt by surrendering Stocks & Shares ISA that was earmarked for the interest only part of the mortgage. However, we have been able to put the car on an interest free card, with ISA as a fall back position should things go wonky

True debt now horrific but I have tweaked my spreadsheet to show pre-car figures as this continues to be the main target.

Target debt now £9304. Weight still sodding well going up!!!! I really dont get it. However, clocks change this weekend, I am off for a long walk with ma & puppy (via the cream cake shop) & intend to spend the weekend in the garden.....not sat on my increasingly lardy butt.

Lurker1972

ho hum....

I really did speak too soon. we thought the replacement of the car was the last whammy. We were wrong.
About a month after the car our precious Kitty became poorly. She was in kitty hospital for 4 nights and despite the vets doing everything they could to get her well again, she was simply too poorly. one huge vet bill later, no kitty. Heartbreaking doesnt cover it.
Despite being no bigger than a shoe box, the house was completely wrong without her - i think she had settled into the new house quicker than i had. 10 days & a trip to the local animal shelter later, we were adopted by 2 7year old fluffy sisters. the house feels right again & they are healing the holes in our hearts. they are very much indoor girls so we are having to deal with litter trays.....thats a novelty....I hope to encourage outside toilets when the weather picks up.

We have insured these 2 (couldnt insure Kitty, had no idea how old she was as was rescued stray) & they are pampered princesses.

All that meant, stress eating, wanting to spend blah blah. all my usual.

Total CC is now £18865 (never confessed the full amount before, was hiding the car)
Total debt including sofa £19062.97.

Weight - still over 12 - 12 2 4 as as this morning.
I blame a lot of that on redundancy 3 years ago. I had time, I had a few successes in the kitchen & now cook from scratch - food is yummier & therefore I want to eat more.
however, am also lazy couch potato, I plan & think until theres no time to actually do.......

However. I have substantially reduced trips to the calorie machine. top up shops are also minimal. and i do only get what we NEED.

As for wanting to get the house our way while debtbusting.....we decide what needs doing, cost it, & then formulate a plan to allow it to happen without increasing the debt. if it means only making minimum payments for a month, so be it.

i had a plan for the garden. I now think that was unrealistic, and am formulating an interim plan, one that allows it to grow over time with us (its pretty much a blank canvas). think it will take time to convince Mr L that we dont need 2 sheds -the garden is not that big!!

As always I have rambled on too long. have stuff to chuck in slow cooker, shower to have, bed to strip & remake, washing to put on airer....and be out by 10.

Move it, move it!!!

Jazee

Lurker, don't be too hard on yourself. You seem to have a plan in place to stop debt increasing and there will always be something that mucks up the plan. Like you we had to replace the car this year. I'd be well under £10k now if it wasn't for that!

Onwards and upwards

Lurker1972

mmmm day off....

I am supposed to be running around the house clearing up so that we can spend the weekend trashing it again while making it all festive - yup am a big kid & the Christmas tree is going up tomorrow.

In reality, I am searching the internet for Christmas Present ideas. and not doing too well. I am taking part in the work secret santa which isnt the most MSE thing, but I do enjoy it. I have a wine drinking cat lover to buy for which should be fairly easy. its not.

i have completed 6 items on the list for the weekend. not bad but could be better.

Its Mr Lurks payday today which means I can make the final CC payments for the month. woop.
I have a voucher from MrT for this weeks shop & another for next week for a competitor. havent done many shops this year without vouchers & I think by the end of the year the voucher/bogoff/multibuy/ whoopsies saving will hit £500. i am pretty pleased with that......might give myself a target of £600 for next year.....

Nearly lunchtime, so need to go & chuck some stuff in the food mixer & make some cakes - only cos the oven is on, no other reason, honest.....omnomnom

Lurker1972

Woo another 1lb off!!! Didn't expect that this week as we failed on the self imposed (but GP suggested) take away ban this week. However, despite the KFC the weight seems to be going in the right direction. Finally. So that 3.5lbs off in 3 weeks. Hopefully I will start to feel the difference soon ..... And maybe get the wii fit out to aid loss..... Maybe!!!!

One more payday cc payment to make today and we are done with debt reducing until 15th December.

Freezer inventory, meal plan & shopping list is the next job....wonder what secrets I will discover in the depths of the freezer......best wrap up warm too, I could be some time...

Lurker1972

Freezer inventory completed. Little bit disappointed I didn't find any wonderful treats, however there was enough to feed us last week without having to buy too much extra. Wouldn't have spent enough to use the money off voucher, so bought MrL razor blades since he had been asking for some for about 2 months!!! Last weeks shop was under £40 so I am happy. Fingers are crossed for the same this week.

Minor set back in the we had to replace tyre on car this week. We do save monthly for such events, hower the timing sucks as my car tax is also due the month. Car account to be emptied today, then will formulate plan for covering the rest of it when I get paid next week. Am hoping that a minimum payment month plus my overtime will do it.

Weight stayed the same which is good if a little frustrating - am close to being under the next stone target....need to move mine !!! more!!! Starting......now!!!

Lurker1972

I love this part of the year! Finished work at 3.30 on Monday and don't go back until the new year. Blissssssss.

MrL however is back to work for one day (today) so I have the house to myself and a to do list as long as my arm. Mostly housework as we have his offspring and mother coming for a couple of days so have to get the beds sorted etc, food in....that is a touchy subject. The offspring are somewhat fussy eaters and its likely that he will end up doing 2/3 different meals in an attempt to please everyone. I don't agree with that at all, but as he will be cooking I shall let him get on with it. I was a fussy eater, but I don't remember mum cooking different meals for me, just variations on veg.... Am much better now I am a growd up!

First order of the day is to phone the insurance company and see if the are willing to haggle on the house insurance renewal.....fingers are crossed.

NewLeaf_2

wow Lurker loving the diary

Lurker1972

Well, that was a little disappointing. Having been with house insurance company for over 12 years (yup, am guilty of auto-renewalitus) I had hoped for a little more than ' just cancel the dd'. No begging me to stay, no offering of deals.....gutted.

No big deal, the research had been done so am all set to accept a premium £160 lower with comparable cover. I just need the company to call me back as I can't find the 'retrieve a quote' bit on the website!
We normally pay monthly with no charge but new company charges interest .....hello bt offer, means the 0% debt will be increasing a little in the immediate future but will pay the normal premium off the card each month to clear it so in theory it will reduce quicker. Well in my head it will anyway!

Next task.....get bed ready for MIL......