Staying Positive & Focused !!!

mamato3

I've been lurking for quite a while now and have read into the wee small hours some of these fantastic and inspirational diaries - I hope my own gives me focus to stay positive. Today I lost alot of that positivity and feel a little deflated

We don't have a lot of debt (paid about £1000 last year) and we're lucky that everything gets paid on time but today has tipped me over the edge. OH's car went in for repairs today, hubby originally thought about £50 turns out its more like £245 yikes! So as much as me don't have lots of cc debt we don't budget very well for things like this! So my little pot of holiday savings has had to get raided to cover the cost, this left me feeling very sad and wondering why do I bother because something else always appears and eats away what cash I've managed to save! Unfortunately we need two cars for travelling to work although I will have to seriously start looking for something closer to home petrol is one of our biggest outgoings!

I will do an SOA when i find the link (new to all this posting) and would appreciate all you lovely peoples thoughts on it. I'm sure there's ways for us to cut down.

Our main debts are the Virgin CC £1541, and a loan that we're 18 months into of a 5 year period It seems like such a long way away - and also our mortgage of £92000, the dream is to get rid of all debt so we can get the mortgage away before oh is 55 - like I say it's a bit of a dream. We're also a family of 5 me, hubby, daughter 12, Son1 8, Son2 3 - so its expensive enough for just our weekly costs but again I'm sure there's ways to cut down.

Well thank you to anyone who wants a read and wishes to join me on my journey hopefully it won't be too bumpy!

mamato3

Okay so definitley not an NSD today - paid for said car repairs which were £220, £40 petrol into my car and £20 into hubbys and £3 for DD for School .. leaving us £55 to last until payday on Wednesday which should be grand. We have a birthday party on Saturday to go to pressie bought on boots 3for2 through quidco and double points! very MSE of me! I have a few things in mind to help the finances this year

1. Save up all Tesco, boots, nectar points for use at end of year for crimbo pressies;
2. Do Not spend over £500 over the year on gifts for family (this to include crimbo pressies), I have a big family with lots of nieces & nephews,
3. Try and continue with the save a pound a day - I seem to do well until about the 15th of the month and then my pounds turn to pennies!
4. Try and save!!!!!!

Have managed my pound a day today so thats made me happy.

Hope everyones having a super Thursday!

mamato3

I also started to keep a spending diary from the start of January so I've just tallied up January's and February so far and boy is it a shocker!

January
Grooceries £332.05:eek:
Petrol £190.00:o
Lotto £32 this includes a syndicate in work and also own lotto lines (optimistic I know)
Gifts £20
School Related Costs - £150 includes music lesson, break and trip money

Now if that wasn't bad enough here's February's so far
Grooceries .gulp. £350 :eek::eek:
Petrol even bigger gulp £225:eek:
Lotto £32
Gifts 45
Eating out/Take Aways £120.00 :mad:
School Related Costs £50.00

I have to admit I didn't think we spent anywhere near £350 on food!!! Big changes have to be made there and petrol unfortunately is a necessary evil although may try the bus next week to get into work to see if it makes any difference to the cost. Lotto I am the syndicate organiser and it has to be said we're an optimistic bunch! we've always done the same 3 lines at home so I don't think I could bring myself to stop doing them.

And I wonder where our money goes! I guess I don't have to wonder so much now! Not sure if thats a good or bad thing!

I'm going to stop thinking money things this afternoon I thinks I am becoming a little obsessed by it all

mamato3

Spends today Home Bargains £12.00, Iceland £13.00 - these should do us all weekend also got Mothers Day cards which are really pretty and £2.50 for four which is great, I've spent that on one before! Also got juices to bring to birthday party tomorrow its in one of those soft play areas where the drinks cost a fortune so will bring those along together with a few snacks for the boys - they both eat constantly lol!

Have just been told that I can do four days a week until end of April (currently do 3) this is great really going to help me save up the holiday money. The plan after holiday is over is to throw everything at the CC and hopefully get that away sooner rather than later. Its on 22 months interest free so there's a little freedom there.

Two other big financial things this year will be DD going to Grammar School we're expecting uniform to come in around £500! and cousins wedding at the end of the year which means four outfits to sort out, gift, money for the day and getting babysitter for the little guy. The Pound A Day is going to be done in two halves - open in July after holiday and whatevers in there will go towards uniform then start again up until November to go towards wedding costs. Thats the plan we'll see if it works out that way, I can already hear the tin calling to me:D but I will resist temptation (I hope).

Feeling postive today now that I've got the extra hours in work so am off to list five items on ebay - I'm trying to list five items a week but to be honest have listed soo much over the last 2 years I'm kind of running out of things to sell - but I'm sure I can do five a week - we shall see.

Happy Friday Peoples

mamato3

7 items listed on ebay :j lets hope they all sell!
Kiddies bedrooms cleaned and hoovered (for a while anyway)

All in all quite a productive little morning

mamato3

Yippee one bid on one of my ebay items and a few watchers on others

Off to finish the rest of the housework:)

happy weekend folks:)

jwil

Good luck!

mamato3

Thank you jwil I need all the luck I can get!

m40

Good Luck with the diary mamato3, you seem to be in a similar situation to me. Getting harder to make it to the end of month.
I also have a daughter going to grammer this september and
have started saving for uniform etc.

jwil

This is the link for the soa http://www.makesenseofcards.com/soacalc.html

Have you had a look at the Old Style boards yet? There is loads of information there on how to reduce grocery bills.

mamato3

Hi M40 thanks for stopping by - the diarys great it lets me get all the things that go round in my head down in black and white its getting a little crowded up in there! I would recommend it!

Im so proud of my daughter for doing well in her AQE and really pleased she can go to a Grammar school but the cost I'm not looking forward to at all but like you hopefully we will have saved up a good bit by the time it comes round to buying uniforms.

jwil - thank you for the SOA link I was still on the hunt for it hopefully I will get this done over the weekend - perhaps you would point me in the right direction as to how to subscribe do a thread I keep losing all the great diaries I find! I think the old style board will become a new friend over the next few weeks!

I have to try and get all the kiddies up and out early this morning wish me luck they like to take their time on a Saturday!

On a debt busting note all my ebay items have watchers and 2 have bids:T so really pleased with that.

I'm off to get some more caffine into me before I wake the little darlings - whatever yous are up to have a good one