A Thread for After Debt?

SOT2011

Well done Alybaly ! :j :T :j :T

Fervent37

AlyBaly wrote: »

Been a bit quiet on this thread recently but I still read and still get a lot of tips from you lovely people. Happy to type this today in the debt free roll of honour ! ......

Well done AlyBaly :j

Little_bit_dizzy

Hello everyone, hope you're all well, safe, and warm.

Been trying to cach up all week but it's been crazy at work and busy at home too this week. Anyway, I made it

AlyBaly, Well done and congratulations! Brilliant news

Thanks eveyone for the eczema tips. I used E45 (simply as I already had some) and it seems to be working. It's certainly a lot less scaly than it was, which is good.


Rising, glad to hear you are now safe once again on the roads, even if it did cost a bit more that expected. Better tp be safe than sorry...


It sounds as though Eliza is doing well JG, so pleased for you that the formula seems to be working out.

The good news is that the car that we're selling passed the MOT today, so it's now for sale with a 13 month MOT, which I'm hoping someone will find attractive. Fingers crossed.

Otherwise I've had a reasonably good month so far. £300 has been stashed into my new Reg. Savers account which I'm pleased about. My ISA's almost full too which I'm really chuffed about as I've never used my ISA allowance until now. As for sticking to the grocery budget, hhhmmm, lets just say that's a work in progress




Keep warm everyone

Little_bit_dizzy

I thought I'd re-visit my goals that I set for the year and see how I am doing....

Little_bit_dizzy wrote: »

HOME

• Remove fir trees from the side of the garden and replace with new fence panels
• Decorate at least 2 rooms. One will be the bathroom and the other will be confirmed.

WEIGHT & HEALTH

• Lose 42lbs by the end of the year 4lb's is a start...
• Give up the fags. (So far so good - last one was on Sat 7th Jan. Only 4 days, but it's a start) Still no fags - 6 weeks tomorrow!!!
• Have at least 3 alcohol free days per week Not bad so far... kind of sticking to it!

ME, MYSELF & I

• Make time to read more Must try harder!
• Make time to cross stich more Must try harder!
• Worry less about things I can't change & care less about things which don't matter and aren't important Can't even begin to explain how complicated my family are (and so far 2012 is topping the bonkers scale, but do I care? Noooo. Am I stressed? Not one bit!!!
• Make more time for me & DH Hhhmmmmm

MONEY & FINANCES

• Remain debt free Tick
• Keep the focus. Being DF does not mean I can afford everything! Tick
• Utilise full 2012 / 2013 ISA allowance. Never actually done this! Tick - looking good so far.
• Stick to grocery budget of £40.00 per week. Moving on to the next point...
• Maintain my spreadsheets and charts. It's not geeky - it's clever Tick

MSE

• Give support and encouragement to others as they have given to me
• Provide my MSE 'family' (that's you guys!) with updates and honest feedback. I know they won't judge me if I slip up, mock me for 'rounding' or laugh at my OCD ways.

Some of it's going ok, but I think there's room for improvement. And I can't wait to get rid of those trees in the garden...

Where did I put my chainsaw? :rotfl: :rotfl:

rising_from_the_ashes

AlyBaly that's fantastic news:j:j:j Well done & HUGE congratulations:D

Little_bit_dizzy wrote: »

As for sticking to the grocery budget, hhhmmm, lets just say that's a work in progress

So is mine ..... I don't know how I struggle to stick to it as it is very generous compared to a lot of peoples ..... down to the lactose & wheat intolerances and the fact that "free from" things are a lot more expensive:mad: but I'm still always struggling to stick to it.

However, I did do some major stocking up in Jan so things should balance out - am still in 2 minds with the extra stocking up in case of redundancy ... have decided if it's an "unmissable" offer, I will but if not, I'll try to put the money aside.

Take care all - hope the weather's OK wherever you are (I must say it does make a change England getting snow when we've none here and is a bit odd....)

rising_from_the_ashes

Well, made my first "rounding down" transfer today ..... £8.90:D so that's gone into the "groceries & fuel" pot - trying to get ahead on these two is my major challenge atm:o

Survived trip to the vet for wee cat's booster this morning - the new vet was fantastic and patient with her and she was much better behaved than normal and also managed the journey without "incident":T.

Even better was that it cost £13.25 which was even better than I'd been told on the phone. Even at 1/2 price, it's substantially cheaper than my old vet where I paid £49.85 for big cat not that long ago:eek:.

I've made it 1/2 way to the garden shed fund which is brilliant:) so hoping I'll be able to get one in the not too distant future - it will make a huge difference being able to keep more gardening stuff like big planters for growing veg in etc.

Hope everyone is well and it's not too cold ... not trying to rub it in but I've just spent the past hour tidying in the garden - very strange seeing the snow / cold in England when it's OK up here.

SOT2011

Is nice to get outside isn't it! We had a "bracing" walk at lunch time. The snow from last weekend is still on the ground in places and what isn't snowy is quite icy, but though there was a definite chill in the air, it was dry and even a bit sunny which was lovely.

Good news re: rounding down, I find it works for me, though this week it was only pennies, I had to transfer a bit out of savings, to add to the pennies so I could transfer them back to savings again as can't move less than £1 at a time.

I have a new policy for the grocery budget, I have been having a takeaway on the first Friday after payday and by getting noodles and beansprouts, a main course and prawn crackers, then making my own rice, I've been extending it to do two meals, but it is still expensive compared to normal meals, so this month I am going to wait to have the takeaway IF and only if there is any grocery (or maybe fritter fund too) budget left at the end of the month, so added incentive to stay on track with that.

Today I took my split wellies back and got a refund - they seemed happy that it was unreasonable for them to have split after just 11 weeks, which is a bonus, and spent the credit note (I could have had a refund but knew I wanted to get a few bits whilst I was there) on 3 huge rolls of top up loft insulation and some tiles to finally do a splash back in the downstairs loo.

Managed to get the insulation up in the loft, but I am worn out after laying out one, so the other two will have to wait till I next get the urge to do some. Hopefully it will help warm the bedroom up a bit - found several areas where the original insulation was really badly laid and had left big gaps, so will see if it makes any difference.

JulieGeorgiana

My MSE is playing up, can hardly get on anymore :mad:

Anyway, as I tried to say days ago... Well done Aly you should be proud x

Dizzy Look at you, how well are you doing??? Like you I also got my £300 in the regular savers, my ISA will be full once a cheque clears next week... my grocery budget was over (but only £5!!!) You should be proud!

Rising I am so glad things are looking up for you x

SOT well done on the refund, and to spend it on loft insulation... very MSE

So today is a happy/sad day! I sold my car!!!

Happy - I got the money for a deposit for when we move in the summer (and for a wedding we have to go to, and for the christening... and a few other bits!)

Sad - She was my first and only car, I had her 7 years and bought her after I split from my ex... she was my independance! Now I am careerless and carless! Obviously in return I become a SAHM

Got a £111.18 Refund on my car insurance and £19 on my road tax too

Last night DH and I celebrated our wedding anniversary (8 months late) but it was planned for now because I was too sick to do anything in June. I think I went to bed at 6.30pm on our actual anniversary!! It was very nice... but spent £35 on chinese!! Lucky I started planning and saving for this 5 months ago

Eliza is a month old on Monday, she's growing so fast... she smiles, pokes out her tounge (DS taught her that), tries to stand too. She loves nursary rhrymes and sitting in her bouncer while I do housework

We did baby time again yesterday, it's so nice socialising with other mum's, this week I found out about two great products to help with bottle feeding when out and about... which were cheap too, and you know will work...

DH and I are going to go to a first aid course the centre are doing (£15 each and a free first aid box) we thought it would be good to do this as we have two children in the house, plus it's normally a lot more for these courses

Got to go, Eliza is awake and wants to play

Take Care everyone x

backinbusiness

Hello JG, Rising and all.

Glad things are going well for everyone. Had a lovely day to myself today. Eldest daughter was out for a meal with her friends, followed by a sleep-over there, so whilst she's been in touch, not seen her at all today.

Youngest is with her Dad helping him to clean out gerbil cages (in return for cold, hard cash of course! - she is her mother's daughter after all!)

It's lovely and mild up here today. I'd tweaked my back a little, not incapacitating, but certainly not up to the housework(!) - so general advice is that you keep moving - the dog and I went for an hours long walk up to my favourite gorge - fantastic. Took it easy, as I didn't want to slip and aggrevate the back - but in fact the walk loosened it off a bit - should be fine tomo!

Finances going to plan (largely) after the big hits in January. Both daughters have been acccepted onto their school trip to France in 2013. Eldest has been before and will be paying for this one herself (she is already going to Iceland in 2013!). Last time I paid the trips in one go, but it hurt too much to part with so much in the one go, so will be taking advantage of the installments option this time! Slightly discouraged when they told their father they were both going and his reply was "Who's going to pay for that?".

I am finding myself restless financially. Whilst I was battling to get debt-free I was for ever tweaking,paying off bits, changing, improving etc the way I run my finances. I really have now stuck on what works for me now but I am bored!! I still love my spreadsheet, but even that only takes a few minutes to update every day (maybe twice a day!) now. Rest assured life in general is not boring - I just can't find anything very interesting to do with my finances any more!

Somebody help?

BiB

JulieGeorgiana

BiB I get like that with my spreadsheets too... but I end up finding things to do... add a few months, predict how to afford more price hikes, estimate a years gas and electric usage then monitor it, add another 4 eeeks meal plan, and price up the months food shopping. I am always doing things like this, yet still get fed up. have ypu listed all the cards in your purse and contact numbers in case it gets stolen?

As you can tell I've been bored of my spreadsheet a few too many times!