A Budgeteers Continued Quest to be Debt Free & Mortgage Free By 40

DedicatedDFW

Hi all

Thursday Spends:

£8.04 - 2 magazines with freebies just shy of £20 in them that i buy so a great saving :T and 2 sarnies as well Really need to change my lunches

DedicatedDFW

Ok folks - i've just poured a glass of wine :beer: and snaffled one of the sarnies i bought earlier

Round up of the week is that i have been ill - yet again - Don't worry, i am so used to it by now but it has really taken it out of me. When i get ill like this i do have a tendency to spend - as has probably been noted - it is a simple pick me up but a costly one. I am still not well and am worse than i have been in a while BUT i want to get back on track. I've noted this week all the spends but the positives are:-

i've submitted 2 applications for a new job :eek:

I've used my gym membership to the full

Looked into and purchased train tickets at the best possible price

Made packed lunches - just not enough to keep me going all day

Health wise am going to look into thyroid information and also going to look into good energy health food - i've already done a bit of this so that is a good step this week.

DedicatedDFW

Morning all

i am still not 100% but am glad that i am almost on top of things housework wise - dusting all done, all floors downstairs cleaned / vac'd and washer doing its thing, pots washed and moved.

Today i will be spending money on the food shop but that is all in the budget. I will of course, pop on here and confess any other spends hopefully there won't be any :cool:

I meant to say as well that yesterday i really wanted to buy a new dress for a night out It was in the sale and i saw it as i was scurrying by on my way to somewhere else Oh! How i drooled! I'm still thinking about it now! But the good thing is that i resisted :T

I've been and got a prescription today - knew i wasn't well - good thing is that that is free too - every cloud and all that :rotfl:

Sold some bits on the bay of e - sadly not the more expensive bits that i'd like to have sold but very nearly enough to cover the gift item i purchased And of course in a few weeks i'll get the money back anyway on that - unless everyone suddenly changes their minds and don't bother with my birthday :eek: or buys me something instead. Anyway it is done now x

DedicatedDFW

I need to put some MSE plans back in place and generally have a sort out and overhaul of everything!

This weekend i will tackle my craft bag in the spare room - all my craft items have been whittled down to just 1 bag (standard carrier bag size) i need to re-check i am keeping everything in there. It would be pointless to sort out the bedding in the room as that has all been done and is all being kept, pictures have all been sorted out too as have bits of ornaments although i will take a quick look at these again :cool: Having less items will make the place tidier, easier to clean and easier to keep on top of Done! All are being kept - must have been very thorough last time :T

Also there a few things that seem to have been just dumped in there These WILL be addressed! Friday

Although i am thinking that everything that is somewhere it shouldn't be in the whole house should be picked up and if it can't be rehoused / put in right place within 2 minutes it all gets put in the spare room - then i gradually move and re-allocate things say on a basis of 2 a night when i get in from work - one to ponder methinks :think: Friday - progress made - moving over 2 items each day to the correct place..

I'm also going to sort out ALL of my tops - i will have a bit of a trying on session and a think of what can be worn with what and basically overhaul that section of my wardrobe Hopefully i'll discover some treasures for le bay of e Friday

I am going to research our next holiday destination so we can make the most of our time there - we are going for 5 days i think? and i have about 5 things i want to do already but equally we need a break and i don't want us to be rushing around trying to fit everything in - it will all come together i am sure i also need to print off all doucment and get together my toiletries bag - had a bit of an expense last time replacing items just before i went so this will help me plan things out Thursday

I will respond to the letter i have received. Tuesday Done! Twice!!

I will [STRIKE]draft[/STRIKE] write, print and post my complaint!! Done! Lets hope they get it sorted out now

I will go through my finances! basically i want to clear the overdraft as, other than the fact that this debt, the money is not working for me - it costs me in the region of £280 a year which is more than i earn in a week at work :eek: That £280 would be better off paid off the mortgage or put into savings

So I will check what my regular outgoings are - can these be whittled down ? Checked and now need to go through and think about things Done! All direct debits & s/orders are both essential and the lowest they can be. Other essential spends are £112 transport a month - sometimes this is less if i have days off due to holiday but this is the cheapest it can be. I can only see shaving money off the food shop as a way of saving funds - possible rolling weekly challenge :T

I will list all cashback i am due so i can keep on top of it Done! :T I really could do with this being paid out

I will check for MS's - already done but will keep doing Done so far and on-going

I will apply for a new job i have seen advertised - this is a smallish priority as the money is about the same as i am on now but the job seems to come with alot of responsibility and is quite a high-pressure role. It would be a huge priority if it was for more money of course. But still I WILL get this in this weekend. Done! And for 2 new jobs and checked for others

I WILL spend at least 1 hour gardening erm about 5 mins so far

I WILL go for at least 1 run - hoping for 2 Done! Classing this as done - didn't run but went for a massive walk :T

I WILL sort out my new bank account and apply for another new bank account as well Friday

I WILL finish my book. Friday

I WILL start my next book for my course Friday

I WILL order more books for my next course. Wednesday

I WILL finish off my NVQ Done!!!

I WILL spend at least 2 hours writing Started at least 30mins done - Now up to 1hour

To do the writing I WILL print off what i have written so far Friday

I WILL cook a meal from scratch this weekend Done! :T

I WILL look into better foods for me Done!

I WILL pop on here and read for motivation Done so far and on-going

I WILL start a spending diary next week.

I WILL post all spends on here Done so far and on-going

I WILL do cashback deal Done! :T

DedicatedDFW

That seems enough to be going at doesn't it ?

I'll let you know how i get on xx

Hope all are well x

DedicatedDFW

... looks round sheepishly... whispers i spent some money ... sneaks out again...

No Not really - I am here for myself posting what i spend in an attempt to rein in the unnecessarys, keep track of spends, get back to thriftiness and a life of mse

So Spending yesterday was:~

£36 - part of which is a christmas gift and that is that person completely bought for now :T and the other bit is again a gift for me - the birthday money more than covers it and this way i can say to 1 person you got me this, the other person you got me this and the third person you got me this (they don't know persons 1 and 2) so that way everyone will feel i've done the best with the money off them and it'll seem as though they gave me plenty as i seemingly got 1 whole thing off each person if that makes sense :cool:

The thing i hope they turn up as i got them off le bay of e and am anxiously awaiting them coming Still its covered by paypal right? I've never had to claim before but i'm pretty sure its covered if the item doesn't come...

Unnecessary worry probably due to illness and lack of sleep - i'll be surprised if i got a straight hour of sleep last night - i think its the heat and, oddly, over-tiredness - my body is kindly informing me that its not right - but that is also a complete drain on me and i now have a terrible sore throat

Oh goodness - forgot to say majorly exciting news for me but sadly involves spending money as well I'm going to book on a course - i'll crack on with it so that i finish it before the start of uni BUT i really wanted to achieve this course this year and due to expense and timings it didn't seem possible but now i can do it :j:T <-- thats me doing my happy dance Even if i then need to do the course under a different accrediting body at another time i'll be so far ahead as having done this it will be tons easier to achieve :T It is a stepping stone in the right direction for my career so i am a happy thing about this

Of course all of this reminds me how i need to streamline my home and have the things in it working for me and not against me and with a view to this the decluttering should help today

I have actually re-done the ornaments in the spare room - the only things i'd get rid of are my Mr's - don't think he'd be too happy about that! :rotfl::rotfl: But it is good to know that what is in there should be in there

DedicatedDFW

Grr!! Comp keeps crashing on me - we really need a new one but it'll have to wait - although i'm a little concerned about my uni course due to this...

Anyways i disappeared just before as i remembered i got halfway through a job whilst awaiting brekkie and i've now finished said job :T And i've got a loaf in the BM Fab!

Now - this week at shopping i did not buy any bread (in an attempt to keep the costs down) i also got reduced veg to save a bit of money and so on - total cost was nearly £70 !!! *faint* Now £20 of that was alcohol :beer: This is non-negotiable on our spends and we have very few nights out and it is much cheaper having a little drink at home But the food budget needs to be addressed - the problem is not any treat stuff - i don't get any - its the healthy stuff - its sooo expensive :eek: As i have been feeling rubbish with illness for a bit i have been addressing what i eat and did need to buy a few things that should last a good few weeks - cost of £5 but still :eek:

Oh and the not buying bread is all part of doing things that i like - baking bread (even if it is in the machine) and using the things we have - there is no point having a breadmaker if it is not being used. Right off to have a quick read before getting on with another job

DedicatedDFW

Hi Everyone,

Hope all are well - I am conscious i've not posted weekend spends and i will get round to this when i get all receipts together etc. - nothing extravagent just some forgotten ingredients and a bit of carbooty

Today though has been... an NSD :j Yeah! its been a while and i am super pleased about it too.

Got quite a few of the things done this weekend that i wanted to. Got alot to plod on with though over the next week before starting a new list.

Big focus this month is reducing food shop, starting my new course and perhaps decluttering 50 items -i need to achieve my goal on this this year

Hope everyone is well xx

DedicatedDFW

Hi all,

Hope everyone is well ? i am managing to move a couple of things each night / day now so that is good and will help for the big sort out

I have also done a but of writing which i have really enjoyed doing too

I got a couple of important jobs out of the way - namely submitting applications in time for the deadlines and also responding to post and making a complaint so a goodly lot of things achieved there i feel :T

Not tried all tops on - just not had time and needed to prioratize - scheduled in for end of the week now

I finally completed my NVQ :j:T Pleased this is done

I am also shattered though so for now its off to bed and i will catch up some more soon xx

jwil

Well done on the NVQ and new course :T

Still keeping busy I see

You are covered if the ebay item doesn't turn up so no worries there