Mrs Toast's Journey to DFD

Mrs_Toast

Happytogetdebtfree and please-let-me-be-lucky thank you for the good luck wishes.

On my own I did get told that the sky dish would work after but I didn't know the box still would so that's really useful, thank you.

rises from the ashes I know I'm missing quite a lot on that section of the SOA but my plans for over xmas are to set up savings accounts for most of these things. I already have one for the holiday and clothes/haircuts so should be easy to sort out. Hopefully we will still be able to live while still paying off debts.

beanielou the reason my mortgage is so low is that it's only interest only at the moment. It was the only way we could get a mortgage originally and it was fixed for 5 years. We bought the house at the beginning of the credit crunch so decided to stay put. We could have remortgaged in July but decided to go onto the new interest rate as we had an Olympics trip to pay for. Then my DH went on long term sick until he got a new job two weeks ago so didn't want to risk it. Hopefully we can remortgage at a decent repayment rate at the end of January when I know what my DH is earning after tax.

I am planning on selling as much clutter as I can in the new year as well either by ebay, facebook or car boots. There is a local indoor one and hopefully it will be busy in January.

My first target is our overdrafts. DH's is only £137 and should witter down once he starts using that account for fuel again. Mine is a bit higher but I am aiming for July to close that account for good then move our joint account to Lloyds TSB. I love their online & mobile banking as it's much simpler to use and has the money manager.

Thanks everyone for the advice. Will try and find your diaries and subscribe to them so we can help each other out.

rising_from_the_ashes

Mrs_Toast wrote: »

rises from the ashes I know I'm missing quite a lot on that section of the SOA but my plans for over xmas are to set up savings accounts for most of these things. I already have one for the holiday and clothes/haircuts so should be easy to sort out.

Brilliant! They key honestly is budgeting for things so that the money's there when it's needed and you don't need to resort to sticking it on a c/card or OD (I only just starting to get a handle on this!:o)

Mrs_Toast wrote: »

Hopefully we can remortgage at a decent repayment rate at the end of January when I know what my DH is earning after tax.

Speak to a Mortgage Adviser - Which* have a free service http://www.whichmortgageadvisers.co.uk/ and they will let you know the best product, even if it's not someone they deal with.

Also - you may be better to wait until DH has been in his new job for a few months as a very new job can be a reason for rejection - again, Which* advisers would know which companies are likely to accept / refuse new jobs. HTH

Mrs_Toast

Thanks for the great advice rising from the ashes. Just thought I would write down what I have done today.

* Set up standing orders for DH's fuel of £210 and altered my standing order of £245 grocery money so I get it just before xmas.
* Paid £5.83 into my overdraft account. Was going to be £5.68 but added the change in my purse as it was only small. As a big supermarket says 'Every Little Helps'.:j
* Put up xmas tree with DS and my niece who is 2. Bit chaotic but worth it. Just a few bits left to do and hoover the needles:rotfl:

I spotted while I was at Lloyds TSB that they do a 'round up' service where when you use your card they round it up to the nearest pound and puts it into a savings account. When I get back from my DSis's party tonight I will look into that.

Also double checked how to pay my credit card payments in at the bank as can't quite figure out the online stuff yet. And updated my sig :T

Mrs_Toast

Planning on having a NSD today as we are all full of a cold. My spends for yesterday were:

£1.00 for milk @ Iceland
£6.91 @ Co-op (sandwich stuff for DH and gluten free bread for me which was reduced :money:

I really need to wrap some xmas presents up for tomorrow and make some fairy cakes for the 2 xmas parties. Hopefully my cold will improve for then.

Mrs_Toast

Well it wasn't a NSD on Sunday or yesterday. Hopefully aim for a NSD today but I doubt.

Paid our first payment onto the barclaycard. The minimum payment was £39 so I rounded it up to £40.:j

DH got paid from his new job this morning so the bank account looks healthy. I have already transferred £50 into our holiday savings account and rounded off the joint account into the motorbike savings account. I would say thats a productive lie in while DS was still asleep :rotfl:

DS is off to preschool this morning for an hour on his own for the first time. Hopefully when I get back I can get the clutter on the desk sorted so I can get the sewing machine out to finish xmas presents.

Mrs_Toast

Finally got round to opening some more savings accounts this morning.

Holiday £100.12
Clothing £37.00
Haircuts/Beauty £5.00
DIY £50.00
DS's Classes £10.00
Leisure £20.00
Xmas & Birthdays £18.00
Car Maintenance £30.00
Overdraft Repayment Saver £1.09

I have also done a full budget sheet for this coming month and if we're careful we should have approximately £500 spare unless I have forgotten anything. :T This may have to cover the long January but it's still great especially with everything budgeted for :T

TimeforTea_4

Hi, just wanted to subscribe so I can follow your progress.
You have some great ideas.
X

Mrs_Toast

Thanks very much for subscribing Timefortea.

I will get my grocery budget tomorrow so I have now joined the grocery challenge. £150 for 5 weeks @ £30 a week should be doable if I plan. If it was easy it wouldn't be called a challenge

DH took £50 out the joint account on Wednesday as we have a few outings this week. We had takeaway Wednesday night but it was well under a tenner. DH's work lunch at the Chinese buffet was free as his boss paid :money:. He wasn't expecting it as he's only been working there 3 weeks but very appreciated. Tomorrow we are having breakfast with santa at a local candle workshop. It's very reasonably priced and has already been paid for by the organiser (family friend). She has told us that she is paying for DS as a xmas present and we can pay whenever we can as she knows money is tight which is great. As we saved money on DH's xmas lunch we should be able to pay for it and have money over for activities .

Going to have a NSD on Sunday & Monday hopefully as going to do my food shopping tomorrow night after the Christingle service.

Have figured out that due to being paid early this month and being very short last month, we will have to pay for several bills twice this month :eek: including the CC minimum payment (£38) & council tax (£103). I will have to work it out and might have to use some of the savings I put away on Tuesday, back in the joint account towards the end of the month. This is why me joining the grocery challenge is important.

Right, off to write my menu plan and shopping list. Hoping everybody is keeping dry and warm

welshdreamer71

Evening Mrs Toast x you seem to be starting with all guns blazing good luck lovely, im going to look into opening accounts for all the individual bits as youve done too...

rising_from_the_ashes

Mrs_Toast wrote: »

I will get my grocery budget tomorrow so I have now joined the grocery challenge. £150 for 5 weeks @ £30 a week should be doable if I plan. If it was easy it wouldn't be called a challenge

I am in awe .... that's less / week than I spend on just me