Tales from a country cottage

Igamogam

ani*fan wrote: »

I have now finished my weekend work as it was proving just too much to cope with. I was so exhausted and tearful all the time. I'm feel better for having my first real weekend in 6 months. What isn't looking better is the budget for next month without this cash.

Your health is more important,You will find a way to manage without the cash/generate some from elsewhere.

Made me laugh that the purries have lost weight - ours are beginning to think about returning to terrorising the wildlife and will soon lose the winter weight gain!

Interesting PM BTW! Yep looks like we work with the same kind of frogs!

I really need to get a grip and get back to looking at the finances and being a bit more organised on a more regular basis.I tend to do it in fits and starts.Also need to get a job application done this wee

ani*fan

Hey everyone!

It's nearly payday...yippee! My favourite day of the month.

My new plan to separate cash into different accounts has worked a treat. I can't believe how easy it is now to keep tabs on things and not get all stressed out and anxious. I'm no longer doing sums in my head 24 hours a day to try and avoid bank charges. The system just works so well and is so easy.

OH has done a mgnificent job with the shopping and helping us all get healthier. Despite begging for some caramel rocky biscuits *ahem* we have had such a healthy diet this month. OH is a food nazi but I don't mind really.

The petrol budget has been an eye opener. We use much less than I thought and so much can be claimed back. I plan to keep putting the same amount into the petrol account and letting it accrue so that hopefully there will be enough there to pay road tax and MOT when they roll round. Hopefully, but we'll see.

As a result of this, there may just be enough cash to pay off the whole overdraft at the end of the month. :j That would make me so unbelievably happy. It really would. Every time I log on to internet banking it's there, making me annoyed. Once it's gone, I'll be down from 8 debts to 4 which is much easier to keep on top of. I can begin slaying a credit card. Wonder which one will get it?!

In the meantime, OH has finally qualified as a referree for our favourite sport and I'm just delighted. There is a big game coming up this month but it's quite a distance away. We were pondering an advance booking of a cheap hotel but I think, with some better planning, we'll be able to stay at a friends and save the cost. Either way, I'm onto it with my planned spending. It's all so exciting!

Not much else of interest happening this month. The weather is wierdly warm and I'm thinking of looking out some seeds and starting to grow things. Food, primarily. I can grow a great spring onion and those things aren't cheap.

Happy debt busting everyone.

ani*fan

I've been having a think about how to make managing money less stressful. Since organising my wage into different pots, I now know it's possible to not have to spend any time in tears in front of my pc trying to work out why I'm so poor and so carp. There are ways to make this better and I plan to find every single one.

So the monthly bills are under control. Which leaves the unexpected, giant ones that freak me out. Having lived an mse life now for a good 6 months, I'm well aware of how spontaneous purchases of expensive things can hang round your neck for years. So that's all stopped.

Having scoured my bank statements, I've realised that one of the huge problems is paying for the car. Road tax, insurance and MOT. 3 big ones that panic me every time and end up getting put on a credit card.

So, I need a plan that's much less vague than 'overpay into the petrol account and hope for the best'. That's not good enough.

Insurance due April 2012 £250 per year
Road tax due June 2012 £215 per year
MOT due December 2012 up to £500 per year

The total for the above is £965

:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

I get freaked out just thinking about it. Which is crazy, since I've been a driver for 10 years or more.

So, the yearly cost of this divided by 12 months is a few pennies over £80 per month. However, because the insurance and tax are due in the next 3 months, if I only save £80 per month between now and then, I won't have enough to pay them.

I have only ever, all my driving life, bought the minimum 6 months road tax. Even though it's more expensive, I couldn't see the longterm benefit of buying a year's worth. This time I'm going to get 12 months road tax.

I've never done a comparison for my car insurance. I know this is totally pathetic but I tend to just stick with the same old insurer. This is usually because I put off looking and get caught out with a last minute 'well I might as well just keep this policy going'. This time, I want to pay it outright. It's cheaper and I want to be rid of a monthly DD. After reading about the woman who bought hers for 96p (or whatever amount, something tiny) I'm completely inspired.

I want to stay with the same garage who mot my car. This is because they are close to my home, they are a friendly bunch of guys who are easy to talk to (not unlike taking your car for your dad to have a look at ) and they don't bill you 'til a month or two down the line which helps hugely with getting the money together.

So, I need to have roughly £250 by the middle of April. That means the end of Feb wage and the end of March wage. Then another £215 by the start of June. 4 months wage divided by £465 = £116 per month. Yikes.

I have £100 extra in my petrol pot just now. I was planning to pay it towards the overdraft. Is it more sensible to save it for car insurance?

If I did, then my monthly amount needed to cover costs would reduce to £91 per month. More manageable?

I need to think about this one. The overdraft would only be at £100, which is not too bad and much better than it's been. But still, I would love to be rid of it. This is where I fall down. I'm rubbish at making decisions and just do nothing. Then end up in trouble.

I remember reading on here someone getting told off for paying more debt than they could afford. Staying stress free and calm is really important to me. The rollercoaster of paying off laods then waiting to see if you make it through the month doesn't work for me long term.

If anyone has any thoughts or opinions to offer, they would be massively appreciated.

Igamogam

Hi Ani
I am up at some silly hour too - cant sleep. Have job interview today and am so nervous - just been to T*sco to buy tights and whilst there bought 2 pairs of shoes cos I was fretting the ones I had borrowed from friend where just too big! I will catch up on your latest post later when I am not feeling so darned wobbly

ani*fan

I've just made another realisation after waffling on about my car costs.

Surely the answer to all things MSE is 'which option is the cheapest?'

My overdraft costs me £1.50 a month. Car insurance by DD would cost £25 for the year. My overdraft would be gone by the following month.

So the answer is...pay the car insurance outright.

Unless anyone has seen flaw in my logic?



Oooh, how I love this site for helping me think.

ani*fan

Hi there Igamogam!

Good luck with the job interview! I'm sure you'll be great, and your shoes will be too.

lucielle

Morning, lurker alert, as you've already said that the thought of having a big bill sends you a bit wobbly, it does make sense to have the insurance money put to one side. It will also give you the option of shopping around. HTH
L

ani*fan

Thanks lucielle

What does HTH mean?

greenanne

i'm like you ani*fan,i've never paid for twelve months car tax.every year i say i will then i can't afford it.only today i've renewed for 6 months.
speaking for myself i have insurance with tesco and i pay monthly.having to pay large bills can be a problem if you have something else unexpected come up.:)

Igamogam

ani*fan wrote: »

Thanks lucielle

What does HTH mean?

Hope That Helps

HTH