Swimming BEFORE we start to sink.

Aiming_High

savingholmes wrote: »

Fab news on the competition win - are you going to keep it, sell it, make it a xmas pressie to each other or what?

I'm keeping it savingholmes, I've wanted one for AGESSSSS but couldn't warrant it while debt busting, so it will be all mine.

vintage43 wrote: »

What a brilliant diary, you are so motivated, I would like to start one too, do you fill it in daily, I hope it will keep me motivated! How do you put lines through the old amount on your signature to add a new amount??:beer:

Thank you. :beer:

I fill it in as and when, quite often daily, but when things slow down a bit (i.e. waiting for payday etc) I tend to slow down a bit on posting too. As for the lines, when in edit your signature, highlight what you want to show crossed out then press the S with a line through it. Hey presto a debt gone down (or normally :cool:)

Aiming_High

Things have been tight recently, the car didn't help matters and christmas shopping doesn't help either. We're getting really strict on it this year, I've found quite a few bargains for many gifts, but it's the kids presents as usual that hit us harder.

I've set a strict budget of £200 each for them this year.....but with 4 it adds up to quite a bit. (normally I go over this quite a bit) Plus one has just had a birthday, and another is a few days before christmas with the youngest a couple of weeks after. :eek:

We made a big dint in things the other day, with getting a few main presents on buy now pay later....which we will pay off by saving minimum of £35 a month to pay off early. Not the best way to do it, but we've only just started debt busting and while we CAN cope with all payments, we want rid quicker for our own sake. Most of the kids are now done, the CC has had a little bashing, but it not at it's limit.

Wages over the next 2 months will finish things off and excess on the CC to get that as low as possible ready for the real full on debt busting after Christmas with hubby fully on board. :T

Beencounting

Sounds like you have a plan AH, which is half the battle.

I'm hoping we can stick to the budget with the kids this year, but it's soooo difficult . I find as they get older, the presents get physically smaller so they look so much less, but in fact have cost loads more!

Keep going, we're all going to get there with our amazing positive attitudes :rotfl:.

Been

savingholmes

That present budget sounds high to me.... They do polls on here from time to time. I spend between £50 and £100 on each child and I have two.... I have lots of other relatives tho so get them to chip into big pressies....

Aiming_High

Their big present tends to be £100-£150 (i.e. iPod touch for one this year) then a few more bits to open. Birthdays are set at £100...maybe we do it the wrong way around, but it's what we're used to

debtfreewannabe321

I spent about £200 on ds1 (he's 13) he got a dvd/tv hd ready for xmas and some trainers, books & other small bits to open and that's about it! I've spent around £100 for dd & ds2 each. Whilst they are small and we are in debt, i'm going to make the most of the fact they don't know what designer brands are and the must-have toys!!

xx

Aiming_High

We used to spend a lot less when they were younger. I think it's because main presents cost so much now. They do get presents of family but the budget with them tends to be £10-£20 so it's not like they get hundreds off family too.

Aiming_High

Oo browsing the forum on my iPad.

savingholmes

wow - we tend to club together in my family if the kids want big pressies that way it reduces the pressure. This will be my third MSE xmas so the kids and family are used to it. They still get big things just not all from us

But it is all individual at the end of the day.... Our kids don't need anything... they only have wants so to me they are so blessed whatever they end up with...

Aiming_High

I've not been around for a while due to being unwell.

Anywhoo, payday has graced this house. Work mucked up though and we're missing 2 weeks pay, however with the fact that it is a 5 week month, and we got bonus it ended up being like a 'flat' pay-packet.

All bills have been payed, my signature updated with the ones I'm tracking, and even though the CC has gone up a little bit as needing it due to struggling a few weeks back, we did pay £100 off it, so the damage is limited. AND I get paid again on Tuesday (the missing 2 weeks). :T

We have a few more christmas presents etc to get, but as we're not sure what yet I think we'll be paying a HUGE chunk off the CC then if we need to use it once decisions are made we can, but if it can come straight out of the bank first it will and it will stay off the CC.

I've just caught up on survey emails, but now need to go and find more....vouchers should be trickling in soon.