5 year plan for debt and mortgage freedom

walby1993

Hi DB,

Its been a while since I checked in and look at the developments - how exciting to start thinking about having a second baby :j. The whole debt vs children thing is sooo hard. I swing from "sod it, we will start trying this year" to "It would be best to wait 3 years before trying". I think the final decision comes down to whether your ruled by your heart or head. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on what way you look at it) I think I am ruled by my head. However, for you it will be much easier - you have enough space for another LO and, at the rate you seem to be going, you will have paid off a big chunk of your debt by the time new LO would arrive.

Deeperblue

Feb 23

Hi everyone :wave:

Didn't post yesterday as I was still busy trying to find somewhere to stay in London since that B&B was fully booked. Finally managed to find somewhere just next to Kingscross which looks great... but costs a little more To be fair we haven't paid for a holiday for over a year as we usually just tag along with parents who pay the cost of the accommodation and we pay for food (so works out cheap for us), so this will be our holiday this year

The meeting is in a building near St.Pauls, so pretty central, but I never thought about looking for soft play centres in London... I'm sure they must have something along those lines so I'll have a look, thanks Naomi

Katali, If you have a pretty good diet and aren't vegetarian/vegan, I wouldn't worry about taking any of the fancy Pregaday or whatever suppliments. In my opinion the companies just pray on peoples worries and make you think you need them when you don't. The only thing it's important to take is Folic Acid, 400mcg a day (5mg if you have certain medical conditions such as diabetes or epilepsy), which your supposed to start 3 months before trying to conceive and until the end of your first trimester (about 14 weeks). These don't have to be a fancy brand or anything and I'm just on the supermarket own brand ones.

Oh, and I was a January baby and I don't mind it I think it's quite nice because if I don't get something I was after at christmas and can ask for it for my birthday.

Knitting is going well :T Not had much time for it over the past couple of days (was working till 8 tonight) but I've taken to doing it on the bus and train :rotfl: I'm too busy trying not to drop a stitch to see if people are giving me funny looks I've done about 6cm of the back bit now. Woohoo! Go me! :rotfl:

Going to go through my accounts now and see what the numbers are like after all my big spends on train tickets, hotels etc.... *looks sheepish* Will post when I've done 'em.

~ D.B. ~

P.S.

Walby, We have 2 bedrooms, so as long as we have another girl we'll be ok! :rotfl: I agree, the toss-up between kids and finances is so hard. You have to think about how stressed you'd be trying to cope with debt and a baby and if you'd be the best mum if its really hard.... but equally, if you need to, you would find a way to make it work. Life must go on

Deeperblue

Feb 23 cont.

Financial state as of.......01-01-11.....05-02-11.....Current:
HSBC OD...........................1650.............705. 69......942.25
Santandar OD.....................2000...........1796.96......1823.33
Natwest Loan......................7900...........7661.88......7661.88
Santandar CC......................4020...........3988.00......3988.00
Virgin CC............................4230...........4210. 11.....4210.11
Parents Loan.......................4000...........4000.00......4000.00
HSBC CC............................140..................0.
Natwest OD........................0................1432.50......1540.02

Totals........................£23,940.00.....£23,795.14....£24,165.59

Well, poo.

That doesn't make for happy reading!

The £400 that's been added to the debt has come from £350 of London stuff and then various direct debits which have come out since the 5th.

I am yet to be paid this month so when both of our wages go in on Friday I'll be able to pay off about £1k :T I'd love to be able to get out of the HSBC overdraft if I possibly can because it'd be so lovely to see another zero on that list

Since I'm off down London tomorrow and wont be back till Friday night I wont be on here for a while, so take care everyone and see you after my jollies to the big city :wave: :beer:
~ D.B. ~

P.S. Taking my knitting with me!

katali_d

Hope you have fun in London! Thanks for the advice re vitamins, sadly I got a little over-excited a couple of hours ago and went and bought some of the pregnacare ones. They were on offer, which is my excuse. Plus I had vouchers, so really they didn't cost anything!! Oh well, they can't hurt! We've decided to start trying ASAP in case it takes ages, so I'm getting my implant taken out next week, and thought I'd start taking the vits now. Have a fun couple days

Deeperblue

katali_d wrote: »

We've decided to start trying ASAP in case it takes ages, so I'm getting my implant taken out next week, and thought I'd start taking the vits now.

YAY! A TTC (trying to conceive) buddy!

I'm waiting for my next period to start, which is due in about 10 days, and then it's down to doing the baby dance

~ D.B. ~

Deeperblue

Feb 27

Well I'm back It was a great little break, if a bit frantic trying to heard a 2 year old around London during the school holidays.

I was very MSE while away: We went to the Natural History Museum (free), visited the city parks (also free) and had picnics instead of restaurant meals.

Oooo... the other good news is that I may be able to claim back my train fare and part of my hotel fee through expenses :T


Went shopping today but not sure where I put my receipt so can't tell you exactly what I got, but I spent about £16 on a few staples (bread, milk, carrots, cheese, rice, cereal) and £2 on a foot stool for LO for when she starts toilet training.

LO's birthday went well, with a big thank you to mum for doing all the catering except the cake (I'll post a pick of the awesome cake a made when I get it on the computer :rotfl:)

Going to get some more knitting done while I watch the end of Got to Dance.

Hope everyones had a good weekend.

X

~ D.B. ~

skaps

Glad you enjoyed your time in London and that you managed to do it in a moneysaving way. I always find it hard when I go out to London not to spend too much and often end up worrying about it so much I don't enjoy it. Or making an excuse not to go out. But on Friday I met up with some friends for lunch and spent £20 which wasn't as bad as it could have been.

Can't wait to see the cake you made.

keggie

Hi DB,

Have just read your diary and am really impressed with your food budget and meal planning. I fully intend to keep following you progress.

Good luck.

debtfreewannabe321

Hi DB!

Just checking in, sounds like you had a great time in London! I was there at the same time at my mums (for my birthday) I could have waved :wave:

Not so good news about the debts increasing, but i'm sure with your budgeting you will whittle that down in no time !

p.s the slow cooker cake was yummy! you'll have to try it!

katali_d

Hi DB, glad you had fun in London, and yay for expenses!