Got to get a grip of this...

E2006

Still eating out of the freezer/cupboards. Last night it was bolognese, spaghetti and garlic bread - was yummy! I need to have a rummage and decide what we are having tonight.

Only a week till payday :j

E2006

Ive came to the realisation that since Christmas I really havent given debt busting the focus it needs. Its payday in 2 days - my 3rd of 2012, and I havent made half as much of a dent in the debts as I should have done. Mainly as a result of DH and I spending stupidly - buying takeaways when theres plenty of food in the house for example, popping to the shops midweek and spending more than is necessary on things we really dont need etc

We've had some personal stuff going on, and Ive been really down for the most part of this year but on Friday when talking about it, we realised that the root of my being down is actually the whole money situation (Im also having some treatment and the tablets Im taking mess with my hormones meaning for the last few months ive been like an imposter in my own body - Im normally a very positive cheerful person). The other issues dont help - but its ultimately the debts that are getting to me.

Anyhoo, que some number crunching, and if I up my payments by an extra £150 per month we will get the repayments back on track and make some real headway with the debts. Just have to find the extra £150 :idea:

Some of it will come from shaving money off the food/entertainment budget which currently is £300 per month (£200 food £100 entertainment). The entertainment budget is meant to be for DH to play footie weekly, go to the football twice per month (he has a season ticket and gets a lift there and back so its a cheap afternoon out (minus the cost of the ticket obviously which he budgets for during the year), but then for bits and bobs to make life a little more pleasant such as a coffee when on a day out etc. Anyway, the entertainment budget the last few months has been absorbed into the food budget, which has ended up being used for anything and everything, and has gone nowhere.

The plan is to stick £100 in the food purse (and do 2 fortnightly shops of £50), leave £100 in the account for entertainment, and then stick the final £100 into an online savings account so that if its needed it can be accessed. If its not spent by the end of the month it will go towards the debts. Sounds do-able on paper right?

The remaining £50 will come from some spare funds in DH's account.

Just got to get my head back in gear, and start posting more regularly to keep myself on track.

E x

E2006

Pay day tomorrow :j I received my pay slip today and I have an extra £135ish from my travel expenses. Thats the extra payment (I can easily find £15 to make it up to the £150) to the debts taken care of for this month :T

With the extra payments - I wont be debt free by the end of the year, but I wont be far off at all. Then again, if we have any spare savings money, we may just pay the remainder off in December, which would be a fatastic Christmas pressie

Freezer tea tonight - meatalls spaghetti and spicey tomato sauce. Theres more than enough food left in there to get us through to the end of the week (plus some), but Im really impressed by how empty the freezer actually looks. Im planning to defrost and clean it once its empty so no plans to go shopping just yet - should make the lower food target this month more achievable.

E x

E2006

Lost my last post :mad: so this will be a quick one.

Pay day today, signature updated. Budget planned for the month - just got to stick to it

Still eating out the cupboards/freezer - chunky hm chip butties with beans for tea tonight as DH is out playing footie. Other than a little fruit I dont need any shopping just yet - trying to hold off as long as possible!

E x

E2006

Yeay, its the weekend :j. It wont be a NSD today as its my nans birthday so my sister and I are taking her out for lunch. DH is at the footie so will need some money for that.

I dont need much shopping - just fruit, ham for packed lunches, milk and bread and some salad bits. I should get all of that for under a tenner in Al**. Meal plan for the week is something like this (may be mixed up a bit)

Sat: Lamb Rogan Josh and Indian snacks (freezer)
Sun: Sunday lunch at family's, light tea like jackets and beans
Mon: Lasagna, salad & jackets
Tue: Poached egg's, chips and beans
Wed: Chicken stirfry (me), Jacket cheese and beans (DH)
Thur: Spaghetti Bolognese
Fri: Tea out (work night out)

Off to get dressed for the day...

E2006

So much for posting more regularly !! Ive just been so busy with work. Anyway, Im now off until the 16th and going to enjoy every minute of it with the boys. We're trying to have a good week on a budget. Yesterday we went to a large park, had a walk through the woods, fed the ducks, took DS on the play park, then rounded it off with a cuppa and cake in the coffee shop. Fab day out for only £5.20.

DH is at the footie today so DS and i are pottering at home. He is currently out playing in the garden. NSD today as DH is driving to the footie and back

Next week we are off to the train museum (free), a large open air museum (free as we have season passes), farm (free as we have season passes which were bought for the bargain price of £25 (for 4 people) off grupon), some more nice walks (free) and the one thing that will cost us - bowling (DS's choice).

Ive just rang Barclaycard to find out when my interest free period ends. The balance on that card is £5950 and I was worried about how I would be able to shift such a large balance by 1st June which is when it ends. Anyway, Ive found out that as the transfer was done in 2 stages, only £1500 ends in June and the rest is 0% until August. Phew. I wont be able to pay all of that off by then though as its only 2 more paydays until then, but I will be able to clear the majority of it and then either transfer the remainder or take a hit on interest until June payday. I will need to compare the interest rate to the transfer rate. I just wish I could wave a magic wand and be rid of it

E x

E2006

Good MSE day today. We took DS to an easter bunny trail (£1) which was lovely and he got a little supprise (bag of easter chocs) at the end, then we went for a walk up the river to see the ships (he loves them almost as much as trains). After that we had a picnick in the car as it was chilly, then went for a walk round a lovely park (that has little winding paths through the trees, and bridges over streams etc) and leads down to the beach where we skimmed stones etc. We then went into the amusements and spent ages on the 2p machines using only £1.40. We bought DS some candy floss too before coming home, so total spends for a lovely day - £3.

Im feeling much more positive about the debts. Its because I have a plan again. I had a plan before Christmas and every pay day took me closer to the goal (which at the time was paying off the virgin card). But Ive really struggled to get back into it after Christmas and felt like the re-payments were a bit willy-nilly with no focus. Anyway, now that I know that only a small amount of the largest CC ends in June, that will be my focus for the next few months, and I dont have to worry about balance transferring until August. Ive looked at the re-payments, Ive updated my spreadsheet, and Im excited again at being back on track.

Started slimming world again today - I do it myself, rather than going to a group - and all I can think about is food. The house is full of easter eggs, and I desperately want a takeaway and a glass of wine tonight. Normally, if I could have them, I wouldnt want them! We are at a family wedding in 3 weeks, and the dress I had planned to wear wont zip up :eek:. I really need to stick to the plan for the next 3 weeks so that I dont have to spend money on a new outfit in a bigger size :mad:

Oh well, off to fill my face with some [STRIKE]choc[/STRIKE] grapes.....

E x

E2006

Just checked my bank accounts and mad a PAD to the cc of £1.30. Every little helps

We've had a lovely day at the train museum. It was free to get in, and we took a picnick for lunch. Total spends for today £3, which was for a drink each in the cafe. Think we're off to the farm tomorrow.

Tea tonight was sasauges, beans and home made chunky chips. It was tasty, but Ive got a takeaway craving at the minute - withdrawal I think . Still, its doing my bank balance and waist good to resist.

E x

debtfreewannabe321

hey it sounds like you are having a great easter i haven't done half as much with my kids and just realised our zoo passes run out this week and that was the only season pass i held oops so going to try and get a day in there before friday

Glad to see your mojo is back for the debt repayments always helps when you're focused xx

E2006

Ive closed my next directory account :j. It had a smallish balance that ive transferred onto one of the 0% credit cards. It will be paid off next payday. I had to transfer as I wouldnt have been able to pay it off entirely this month if I also had to make the cc payment, so it made sense this way, as it would have cost me more in interest to leave it another 2 months. Not sure why I didnt do it sooner, but Im so pleased its done. My finances feel so much more in order.

I also closed my old egg card yesterday. Its had a zero balance for ages - and I'd told egg to close it but obviously they didnt and it transferred to barclaycard.

We've been to the farm today, but it poured down . It was also freeezing. Still, we had a good day. Spends slightly more for today because we bought 2 hot drinks each, and some soup to share so that we could shelter inside the cafe when the heavens opened - £10. Still not bad for a full day out.

Im still full of cold, but getting a bit better. DH is going to take our nephew home soon, and Im going to stay behind and have a hot bath in peace.

Fajitas for tea, mmmmm

E x