Three year plan to get debt free, Slinky and a nice new House!

Xandersmum

On the 18th of July I turned 33 and decided I was big enough and ugly enough to try and sort myself out, get out of debt, save for the house of my dreams, and get happy! I have tried doing a diary before but didn’t really stick to it, but I have doing the 10 positive steps challenge and have found the regular posting a real help, so thought I might have more luck this time around!


My Little Boy will be starting reception at his Infant school in September. He is physically disabled and he is attending a fully adaptive mainstream school in a really nice area about 8 miles from where we live and we would really like to find a new house near the school as the senior schools round there are really good too – However nice areas come at a price and it would mean either raising or putting £100k on our mortgage. I am self employed at the mo, with a small Ebay shop, but I am starting college in September to retrain as a classroom assistant. We have no childcare, and hubs works nice which means finding a part time job is difficult as I am carer to my son who needs daily physio, but have really enjoyed volunteering at the school so though I may as well try and raise some pennies with a job I can do while he is at school!


So I have a three year plan to take me up to my 36th birthday, by the end of which I want to be in a position where we can look to move.

• By the end of year one I want to have cleared my debts – not so fussed about the MIL as it is interest free but want that gone by the end of next year at the latest. However anything with interest needs to go.

• · By the end of year 2 – Have £10k in Savings

• · By the end of Year 3 – Have enough saved and be in a good financial position to look at moving without being laughed out of the bank!

I also have a couple of personal goals too:

• · Get my Diabetes under control – I have been a type 2 diabetic since 2003 but have really struggled to get back under control since I lost my Mum last year. I really want another baby but my body just wouldn’t cope with it, and having had a child with spinal problems despite being under control I definitely wouldn’t take the risk of having a baby if I wasn’t!

• Lose 2.5 stone minimum! At my heaviest I was 19.5 stone, at my lightest I was 13.10 – this morning I was 15 on the dot! I have put on over a stone since they changed my insulin, and it’s really getting me down. I’m eating no differently than I have done following Slimming World but I am going up and up! I have a wedding in 4 weeks and I’d really like to be half a stone heavier before I go, but don’t think it’s going to happen!

I plan to raise as much money as I can by doing Ebay, reviews, surveys , comping, Swaggers etc. I have cut back my spending massively over the last few years, and hop that when Xander is in full time school I’ll have more chance to work on my Ebay shop. Have a spare room full of stock that I just haven’t got time to sort out at the moment! I have told Hubs that he has to stay up and have him for an hour each day so I can get in there over the holidays – we’ll see if that actually happens! I hope this diary as well as the stepping will help keep me focused!

princesst84

Youve done it!! Started your own diary
Just popping by quickly to wish you well on your journey, far too late now for me so better get off to bed now but will be back tomorrow

Night
x

chevalier

http://www.makesenseofcards.com/soacalc.html

Can I suggest you fill in the above so you don't miss any outgoings that you could cut back. Also to use as a tool to show your OH when you 'emphasise' your need for him to have the little one for an hour each day.

Sorry to hear about the diabetes and the weight. I am guessing that one impacts on the other. Do you have reviews of your medication? Also I am not sure now, but they used to do 'green prescriptions' for free gym sessions, would this help?
chev

Xandersmum

Hi Princess :wave:You found me before I posted on the steppers page!!

Thanks Chevalier - I was doing okay with the weight loss until they moved me onto full time insulin and it seems to be a downward (or upward) slope from there. I walk everywhere, jog, and even bought some groupon gym passes with my birthday money but nada! I'm not giving up though!

Well today I am acompanying my baby sister (she's 17) for a colonscopy for her crohns. She is so brave, but I am bricking it! That is all I really have on today apart from tearing the house apart looking for Hubs no claims proof before his insurance company put his premium up!

Xandersmum

Managed to lock us out of the house last night - luckily my dad managed to get us back in, but reulted in me and hubs having a ruc about my stupidity! I admit it was very stupid but didn't really need reminding!!

Had a lovely lunch out today, as it was hubs first day off since a fortnight ago, so went for a Frankie and Bennies cheapie 5.95 lunch. Food was lovely but the service was shocking! Had a chicken wrap and salad which was lunch and felt like a real treat without being naughty!
Then went to asda and got Xan's school shoes and PE kit sorted - £16 Bargain!
Going to try and schedule some ebay tonight in case of a free listing this weekend, and catch up on some rubbish TV!

Xandersmum

Didn't do much today - was meant to be going to Wacky Warehouse but our friend couldn't make it and its too much to take Xan on my own so we've rescheduled to Monday

Took some parcels to the post office, and watched a bit of the olympics and that is about it!Must achieve more tomorrow - going to get my steppers list done tonight for tomorrow!

Xandersmum

Right - Think I have finally got rid of the virus on the laptop! Fingers crossed anyway! Back Back to posting!

Decided to set some targets to achieve by the end of the year:

• MBNA Card Under £2500
• M&S Card Under £800
• MIL Under £5000
• Weight Under 14 stone
• Blood Sugar Score under 65

I have decided to pay 10% of what I make in Ebay shop each week off the credit card on a Sunday Night, but a minimum of a tenner. So this week I have done £78 in sales so will pay off a tenner when monster goes to bed!

Xandersmum

Manic Week this week - was Little Man's 4th Birthday so have had a few days at Drayton Manor (tesco vouchers), followed by yesterday at a local farm (cheapy disabled rate)

However, now want to get on with making some money! The ebay shop is looking pathetic, but that will have to wait this weekend as it's free listing so time to get going on my three boxes of outgrowns! Going to try and get 30 listings - I know it should be more but I find it so boring!! Will see if I can do better than that though! Not a lot else planned for the weekend, just selling and tidying!!

Xandersmum

Bloody hate the scales (and myself) - Weight now 15.2 and its only 12 days until the wedding! I'm so down at the moment, I really don't feel like going.

Blood sugar this morning - 14.6 - Awful, double what it should be!

Did my measurements this morning, going to see if the inches move even if the scales don't! Bust - 43, Waist - 37, hips - 47.

Brekkie - Puffed Wheat with semi skimmed milk and Green Tea

Xandersmum

Right - Well my plan to post over the school holidays didn't really work out! But I'm back on it now - Want to try and turnover £3000 before the end of the year and get £2000 of it paid of the debts - the rest should cover fees and the car service and mot, and more stock if necessary!

Xan has just completed his first (part time) week at infants - he has been really brave with only one little wobble yesterday!

I have photographed all my new stock, ready to start uploading once he goes to bed - want to open my new ebay shop by Monday! I've also applied for a play selling account as I see a lot of my lines are on there, and the commission doesn't seem too bad!! We'll see how that goes!

Xandersmum

Really pleased, have put 7 lines in the shop so far and have already had a sale! Plan to get at least another 10 lines on tonight but ebay have imposed a 100 item limit including multiples so trying to fish out my most likely to sell lines!

Planning to blitz the kitchen tomorrow and have a NSD! Will take a few days of hard slog to get it ready for decorating! Plan for tomorrow is to do all the washing up, sides and hob top, plus empty sort and clean at least 2 cupboards.