determined to be debtfree!

abba1772

well done on coming in within budget hun you'll be all chuffed with yourself x x x :j:T:j:T:j

debtfreewannabe321

Thanks Abba! :j

I so wish i had done a budget YEARS ago...I certainly wouldn't be in this mess i'm in now! :doh:!! But oh well, onwards & upwards as they say! At least i learned from my mistakes before we went completely under

I'm back from our lunch out! Was yummy and tasted even better because i didn't cook it or have to clean up :cool: the kids wore themselves out :dance:& we were given chocolate (3 big bars of cadburys!)to take home :rotfl:so that is one thing off my shopping list this week lol! I didn't win in the raffle but never mind, all i would have wanted was more chocolate :EasterBun and then i would have to go on a diet by this time next week after consuming 3 large bars & one box (haha i've been dying to use that cartoon!) lol


I now am stuffed so much that i have no motivation to empty the freezers! Nor do my meal plans! BUT i must (someone please kick me off lol) as otherwise i will go to do my shop tomorrow and be back to my old ways of no list and wandering around aimlessly picking up everything i 'fancy'

So off i go to try and do some of my list ....I'll probably be browsing ebay in 5 mins flat with a cuppa knowing me though! Hope you are all having a lovely sunday!

debtfreewannabe321

Have done a meal planner for the week (for main dinners anyway)

Sausage & mash
Shepherd's Pie
Stew
Chicken Nuggets & potato Croquettes
Chicken, Rice & Veg
Lamb Steaks & Rice
Meatballs & pasta

And All of it apart from rice, potatoes & some sauce for the chicken is in my freezer & cupboards!!! I only need to go for basics now and snacks for the kids (fruit bags etc) and fresh stuff. I'm therefore hoping to get WELL in under my budget & have enough left for a sneaky bottle of wine

I can but try lol :rotfl:and i'm only taking cash not cards, so if i do go over i will have to ask to put some back ...really really don't want to do that lol so that will keep me in check i hope!

I'll be back tomorrow to let you know how i get on! Budget for food left for the month is £203 i think....and any extra at the end of the month will be going on a take away so trying really hard to be good :cool:

Deeperblue

Well done on the budget! That's awesome :cool: :T

abba1772

you're doing really well on your budget just think your takeaway will taste even better as you've earned it lol

walby1993

DF, building a treat in sounds like a good plan! Might start trying that myself as otherwise you feel like your scrimping and scraping, working hard and are getting nothing out of it. Obviously you will be working towards getting debt free but the occassional treat may help keep me motivated!

debtfreewannabe321

Well this morning I was busy busy :T.

I went to the HSBC & paid off my overdraft & took off the facility (like losing an arm that was! _pale_) I still have the account as i have decided to use that one for all the pay, benefits etc to go into & DD's & SO's to come out of.

My new Co-op account -to which i received all the paperwork today- is my new account for saving towards insurances, school/nursery fees etc & any left overs in the current account. I want to save a few hundred pound of 'spare' cash in case of emergencies, i.e car breaking down! After i have the savings i will then put all extra every month onto tackling the debt. I feel i need the emergency fund doing asap though as 1) my car breaks down on average 6 times a year! 2) i have no CC's, Overdraft etc to pay for this if it does happen! 3) knowing my luck the car, washing machine & hoover will all break at once (don't have much luck with any of those things)

I did the weekly shopping today and came in at £47 my budget is approx £65 a week but i think that i can lower it next month to maybe £55 p/w (just to be on safe side ) that will instantly save me £40 that i can put into the co-op...I also made use of mysupermarket -think that is what it was called?- and it saved me £13 :money:- of which i spent on the treats :T so i could have got my shopping for under £40 wahey go me! I printed off the shopping list and found it was brill as it told me which brand to get and everything! Saved me looking- and accidently finding lots of other things too lol

ANd out of that £47 i got treats too! Donuts, lemonade & icecream & lollies for the kids (and a bottle of vino for me lol) I really don't know how i used to spend £100+ a week now?! But then i always had loads of waste that i would feed the birds and my compost bin!

debtfreewannabe321

abba1772 wrote: »

you're doing really well on your budget just think your takeaway will taste even better as you've earned it lol

OOOh i know and imagine how much i can get if i keep up my weekly spend...(below £50!) LOL

debtfreewannabe321

walby1993 wrote: »

DF, building a treat in sounds like a good plan! Might start trying that myself as otherwise you feel like your scrimping and scraping, working hard and are getting nothing out of it. Obviously you will be working towards getting debt free but the occassional treat may help keep me motivated!

My friend told me to do this instead of using for saving/using on debt....she told me that it would give me more incentive for spending less in the shops every week! Have to say she was dead right :rotfl:LOL

abba1772

I agree with your friend I take the kids out twice a month eg play area, cinema, then get something to eat etc etc and we also get a takeaway once a month so the kids appreciate it and my eldest knows if her clothes start getting too small for he automatically puts them in my ebay pile which is at the bottom of the wardrobe lol and she knows it will be replaced x I think if they see us appreciating money they then appreciate it and don't ask so much for things x