Getting clarity on my finances

fantastiyk

Day 30 of "1 debt vs 100 days" - haven't been paying anything to it since I last posted. There is absolutely no money in our house at the moment.
Extra payment per week challenge is doing no better - I have to have £90 payment for weekend and so far have £20. Also need approximately another £70 for travel and accommodation expenses while at the event this weekend. DH said this morning he would get credit union loan as I have £7 in my CU account so it wouldn't be enough to get me what I need. He hoked out his savings book and has £50. :T They lend 5 times what you have in savings up to a certain limit - not sure how high they go, as I hope not to need it. Think we will need £140 then. If I have any left afterwards we can pay it straight back. I hate borrowing more when we're trying to get on top of things. Would love not to have this event to spend on.
Have national insurance contributions of £65 to pay off for next week also - have £40 of that saved so that's a good start.
Since we have started keeping track of our budget and cutting down what we spend, we seem to have less money. I know that's not logical but its what we're both noticing. last month we seemed to be doing so well and this month while we can account for where everything has gone it is not in the same areas as usual. Card payments are a couple of pounds over the bare minimum which is a first for us all year. If things keep up like this it'll take forever.
Payday tomorrow, hoping to squeeze £2 quid out of budget for a euromillions ticket for this friday.

Our kids get free dinners when they're at school and when they're off there is no increase in benefits to make up what they eat at home. I know we're lucky to have that during term time. It's just they always eat like elephants during the holidays and that's their growth spurt time. Cost of food is skyrocketing at moment also. 5kg of potatoes cost me £5 yesterday - last friday they were £3.50. Have noticed this on a lot of things. Grocery bill for July is a lot higher than last months.
No luck on the job front at the moment either. And there are very little new ones being posted this last week.
PIL have gone to visit SIL for the rest of the summer - she's a teacher and now that's she off and had her hols she wanted to help out. So easier for DH to look for work further away in the meantime - just need a job to surface.

Don't think I could fit in much more moaning today - would probably get chucked off the boards for being so negative

This is definitely a day to go focus on something other than money. It is so hard to be cheerful sometimes

mamato3

Keep your chin up fantastiyk your doing great I think everyone has periods like this when the figures just don't seem to go down quick enough no matter what you do! And yes I know what its like having the kids eat like horses over the summer mine haven't stopped! I seem to be topping up things every other day!

Everyone needs a good moan so don't feel bad about it - and buy that Euromillions ticket you never know x

fantastiyk

Hi Mamato3,
Thank you.
Gosh I really was on my pity pot yesterday:rotfl:
But it worked!!:rotfl:
I shouldn't really say that, but we had a reshuffle of some things we'd put money by for, eg the MOT which didn't take as much as we'd thought, and we have groceries to do up til the middle of next week, apart from milk bread an possibly a few veg, so took a bit from that budget for this week, also had bought some school uniform last week but hadn't transferred any money that I had in bank account saved back into my purse so found the £90 :T sort of. Will have to make up the rest but its better than I originally thought.

Have spent £416 on my grocery budget this month already :eek: but just realised today that there's almost 5 weeks in July :rotfl: as if that excuses me.
I have also stocked up on reduced washing powder which should last til October along with many tins of beans and packets of pasta which were half price and wraps which were well reduced. All of these things keep so will see us through the leaner times.
Bought our Euromillions ticket this morning :j wouldn't that win be lovely.
Its a a lovely day here. So 2 loads of washing out and one in the machine. Just some more housework to do and then will go for a walk with DD3

mamato3

Glad things are looking up:) and yes you're probably right about the car situation, hubby checked his overtime and its up to £500 so if we manage another £150 out of this month's pay that should get him a wee run around for a few months! We were hoping the £500 would cover DDs music fees in Sept coming in at a lovely sum of £430 but I'm sure we'll find the money somehow!
It's been a beautiful day today for a change lots of washing done in my house also especially as the little guy is not taking to potty training very well I forgot how much I dislike this part! Anyways enjoy the rest of the lovely day x

fantastiyk

Yea, potty training always sounded like it should be a breeze - the reality was always anything but, if I remember what I think I remember!

Its easier to feel more upbeat when the weather's good.
I exaggerated today and told the kids I thought we were having a visitor - I know she'll call sometime in the next week - and I needed some help to tidy and clean. Gosh it's great, the entire downstairs is gleaming. DS came home from work and asked if we were having visitors. When I asked him why he thought that, he replied that I always make them help tidy if I know we're having visitors
When the tidying was done I said "now that we've a nice tidy house we probably won't have any visitors". All 3 DDs have a hissy fit if anyone messes anything in the room they tidied. I should do this more often.
As a treat we then went next door and played with their puppies in the sun. It tires the puppies out and our neighbour says she can advertise them as "well socialised" when she sells them, so we all win.

debtfreewannabe321

ahh i could have written that post about the grocery budget!! I was also having a rant on my diary about it!! :eek: and whilst we have bought more food this month because ds1 was home from school we didn't buy that much more for the food budget to go up by £150+ :eek: i was utterly shocked!!! I'm joining the grocery challenge for august just to try and keep my on track a bit better i hope it works lol we had to raid all our other budgets to pay for the extra !!

fantastiyk

Hi dfw,
I think this seems to be every mothers post this month! Why has July got so many shopping days?
I've had loads of visitors this month and they eat a lot when they're here all day!! As well as the kids being extra hungry.
Think I'll start a fund for next year for "Holiday Eating"

fantastiyk

Update on debt:
LBM May 2012 Total Owing: £3559
Balance: £3061
Total paid off to date: £498

CC 1 £[STRIKE]2500[/STRIKE] £2361
CC 2 £[STRIKE]669[/STRIKE] £[STRIKE]460[/STRIKE] £400
Overdraft £300
Family £0

fantastiyk

Have just looked back over my posts and realised we paid £139 off our debt this month :j

This is really good considering I'd been on here earlier in the week moaning. I think I worry too much about it all the last few days before the cc statement comes out.
I'd been feeling frustrated that I wasn't paying off more when realistically I'm paying off a lot considering our income.
I know the money I owed to family got gathered up in the end, I was just in such a blind panic trying to work out where to get it from that I didn't see I had it already.

So really, I'm one debt down. And only 3 to go. :T

Hubby is paying a little each week to the mechanic for work done on the car for MOT and the parts needed were able to be got at a breakers yard so he won't be long getting it sorted. He was able to help the mechanic fix our car (handing him parts and bolt thingys etc) as the man who works for him was off sick so he's not going to charge for as much labour :T

Will try to make a few payments off my 2 challenges for the month of August - I hadn't counted the d/ds for our cc as they were going out automatically but I see some others do. I was trying to use the challenges for anything over and above the minimum payment.

Anyways, have a lovely weekend everyone

mamato3

Only 3 debts to go thats fantastic:) Its great to see how far we've all come on our journeys! Even at times we feel like its not going fast enough!