Nearly there!

January20

Thank you all! And mary I will find your diary. I can ramble on about nothing too so will look forward to reading it!

January20

Itsadogslife, I found your diary as well, but haven't read more than 3 posts because my mind is buzzing at the moment because I think I've made a decision.

I live in a lovely flat, that I rather like a lot, but one of the things missing is access to private outdoor space. There is a lot of grass and a lot of trees here, but it's all communal. Another thing is that it's leasehold and the yearly service charge is the equivalent of 2 months mortgage. For a long time, I thought I wanted to move into a small house but I don't really want to leave my area and I will never be able to afford a house in this area (anyway they are too big for a woman on her on!). But there are flats, not in blocks, (split houses type flats if you see what I mean) which would give me the little bit of outdoor space that I need ie a small back yard where I could have potted plants (have done it before as I rented a similar flat only a ground floor one and I would like an upstairs one this time) and enough space for a barbecue! I'll have to check the lease because I don't think I ever want to buy a leasehold property again! It would also be a sideways move ie the cost of those flats is very similar to the value of my flat. No garage most of them though.

It's a mid term plan because I have a default on my credit file that will expire in October next year. I haven't been able to get any kind of sensible credit in the last 5 years, so will not try again until next October. I'll keep plodding on paying off my credit card, then I'll up my over payments to my mortgage as well as up my savings and hopefully by next October....

So that's the plan. Because I need a plan! I need something to aspire to. Especially, as if everything goes according to plans my dd will be going to university and a plan will make the transition easier I had a reprieve this year as she is taking a year out.

Ah, I haven't felt so hopeful in a long time :-)

January20

Made another payment of £20 this morning. Balance down to £1926.69. This month I have paid £200 off my cc which is the normal payment I have been making every month this year so far, and I didn't think I could do it because my hours at work were reduced and I am on a flat salary too. So it's good and anything more this month will be a bonus. Sadly, I already know I won't be able to pay anything else until the middle of next week at least! Patience, patience....

January20

Urgh! This is always a difficult week financially! I blame having to pay my tv licence at the end of September!! Not really lol - It's just I'm on a flat salary in September and won't get paid until the end of next week.

Anyway, I haven't been able to pay anymore to my cc since the last payment and I feel incredibly frustrated about it! Interest came in yesterday at £30.52 (I'd worked out £30.54 so my maths are getting better - that is certainly one thing I've improved dramatically on this journey!) so total balance is £1957.21.

I've also received my amended council tax bill, since my dd is working for a year and it will be £125 for the next 3 payments! Eeeek! I'm always aghast at how much we have to pay! And I'm in the lowest band too! It always feel like I am paying this every month with nothing to show for it. Very irritating! Of course, as soon as dd gets paid from her new full time job, she will start paying board and it will all level itself out. And, there are the 2 free months of February and March for both council tax and water bill. I was going to have a water meter fitted when dd goes to university but I may wait until (if and when) I move out of here.

Mixed feeling then as I'm on holidays for 10 days so don't want time to fly by too quickly, but am getting paid on Friday and will be able to make a payment to the cc then so am looking forward to that! Life is always bitter sweet isn't it?

amorge

Hi, just read your diary today and well done.

I have only just had my LBM, probably due to becoming a single mum 9 months ago and my spending has caught up with me....realised I can't spend as freely has I have been!

Today was an achievement for me, my daughter (16 yrs old) handed me £30 she owed, I went straight to the bank, paid it in and have chucked it onto the CC with highest APR - I feel a bit like a saddo saying this but..what a great feeling, even just that small amount has made me feel more positive.

Will continue to read your diary

x

silkglade

Hi January and what a great and inspiring diary.

Well done on getting so far you should be feeling very proud of yourself.

Loving the idea of having a new home to work towards too. :T

Good luck with the last card (not that you need it as you have everything under control)

January20

silkglade, thank you for saying my diary is inspiring. It's a really nice (and unexpected) compliment :D

January20

Pay day is in 4 days' time and, even though I have worked for this place for nearly 6 years now, I still have a slight trepidation as the date get closer, just in case they "forget" to pay me, like my old work place used to do. At least, with having 2 part-time jobs, I have 2 pay days, but the other one is on the very last day of the month.

I'm a bit like Pavlov's dog. I have the same reaction to brown envelopes dropped through my letter box. Even now. It's funny isn't it? It must be some kind of ancient instinctive mechanism at play!

January20

I am not doing too well today as, although it's pay day, I am still in the mindset of the beginning of this year when I worked more hours and therefore earned more, so when I got my wages into my account today I was sooooooooo disappointed! To top it up, my shower broke this morning and will need to be replaced. It's going to cost the best part of £200 by the time I factor in the price of a new electric shower (even though I'll get a cheaper one since mine is a Myra and it didn't make it last longer than any other!) and the fitting costs (which is the unknown figure!). And of course, it had to happen at the end of my week off to make things even more complicated.

It's not helping that my dd has been working like a dog for 2 weeks in her new job and she hasn't got paid, worked hours from new job and holiday pay for old job. I really feel for her. She is just a kid. She's been a really responsible young person and that's what she gets because managers are so useless! I'm a very hands on mother and I find it very frustrating to be unable to do anything for her but to listen to her problems and make the odd suggestion.

So will all of this, I haven't planned any extra payments to my cc yet but have sat in with tv and laptop, a pack of digestive biscuits and some mulled wine. Might calm down soon... grrrrrrr

GreenSaints

Hi,

Just come across your diary. Well done with all that you've achieved so far!

Try not to get disheartned. As someone told me on here, the road to DF is long and bumpy! I try to keep that in perspective when I get down. I totally agree with the biscuits to help in troubled times!

Good luck with everything. Can't wait to see your balance down to three figures