Debt Free by THIRTY!!

debtfreeby30:S

So it's April spending review time. I wanted to limit April spends to £200 but with car tax due this may have been a little optimistic! So here we are...

£52.35 on meals out (naughty!)
£79.50 on car tax
£19.27 on toiletries (including a prescription)
£124.67 on groceries and household

I also bought train tickets for our trip away in June, these were £48.69 but this came out of my big spends account so doesnt count toward the month's total! This gives me a grand total of £275.79 and I can take BF's £40 contribution to car tax off that leaving me with £235.79 spending in April. Pretty happy with that!! Specially as I had to buy car tax (I would have been under £200 if that hadn't have needed buying! ) plus I did spend a little more this month than I had done previously this year on going out. At least I can do lots of debt slaying and still have a bit of a life!!

I do all my monthly spending on a cashback credit card so am a month behind of sorts, I allow £300 for food and anything else I need to buy day to day in my overall budget. The easiest way for me to make overpayments on the BC is to spend less than this £300 which I have managed to do this month by £75 - this will be added to my overtime wages in May and thrown straight at the credit card!!! Yey!!! :j :j

I'll still continue to try and get extra together too, my item on eb@y finishes today, it was on £18.50 last time I checked...

All in all I'm pretty happy!! Will try do even better next month!!!

Happy Sunday everyone

debtfreeby30:S

eb@y item made £25 after fees, will pay P&P out of my monthly budget so this £25 is finding its way over to the BC nice and swiftly - love how fast P@yp@l is doing bank transfers these days!! Signature update time!!!

debtfreeby30:S

My fixed DD of £180 went out to the BC today so updated my signature accordingly, just hit 38.2% of my £3000 target which I'm over the moon with :j All being well in May I could be knocking on the door of 50% paid off a whole month early!! Got to make sure I don't lose steam!! I was also a month behind on the 0% CC too so knocked that down by £25. Every little helps!!

Totted up my NSDs so far, on 22/25 but I did hit 10-in-a-row before this Sunday which in my mind deserved a :T Even though I won't make 25 it's not all bad!!

Happy Monday everyone!!! How is it the start of MAY already this week???? Aaaaah!!! :eek:

debtfreeby30:S

Just had a quick look at my Next account to check the date I need to settle the statement and my credit limit has shot up to £2000 :eek: No clue why the operator let me reduce the limit down to £200 a few weeks ago if it was just going to go up again!! I've just read their info and it says it is reviewed and adjusted on a monthly basis so there clearly is no point me altering it. Hopefully a catalogue that doesn't get used too often won't make much difference on my credit report!! I can always close it if need be. Anyway, little rant over!!

debtfreeby30:S

Just popped along to wish April goodbye and look forward to May starting tomorrow... Where has that come from?! I mean the 5th month?! It's nearly half way through the damn year!! I guess time really does seem to get faster as you get older! Anyhoooo I'm setting myself another 25 NSDs for May which technically should be achievable as its got 31 days!! I will also set myself a budget of £225 for spends as I have my hair to pay for in a couple of weeks. I'll see what overtime I can pick up to to add to overpayments for June. If I can hit £150 extra for the BC over the next few months I will be more than happy!! I will also like to keep up with my recently restarted running and hit at least 3 per week throughout May. Fingers crossed some of the excess chub falls off :eek:

heyjude2013

Hello debtfree,

I know the year is flying by! I also need to up the running as well as the money saving!

Did my first no spend challenge this month and struggled to 10, what's your top tip to make it to 25, very impressive!

X

debtfreeby30:S

heyjude2013 wrote: »

Hello debtfree,

I know the year is flying by! I also need to up the running as well as the money saving!

Did my first no spend challenge this month and struggled to 10, what's your top tip to make it to 25, very impressive!

X

I used to run quite a bit then I lost all motivation, attempted to run a marathon with next to no training and didn't even look at my trainers for a year after that!! The excess chub I carry around these days means I've had to start up again or else I'll be humongous come the time I'm a "real" adult at 30!! Done my 2nd run of 3 this week tonight so I'm not doing too bad so far, just need to start increasing the distance!!

As for NSDs, well done on reaching 10!! :T I was useless at them when I started but I'd definitely say get a spending diary if you haven't already got one, the joy of writing NSD in big capital letters next to each day is just wonderful!! :j I'd also say you need to get into your meal planning and aim for at most fortnightly big shops - preferably you'll want just one big shop per month with a mid month top up shop. Saying that though if you did a weekly shop on one day and allowed yourself two other days to spend every week you should still make 16 NSDs per month!! Maybe start per week and see how you do?? Good luck!!

debtfreeby30:S

Aaaargh I've just got a 25% off voucher code for this weekend at one of my favourite online clothes stores. Why do they send me these?? I've been doing so well not buying clothes and now this just makes it so much harder as technically I would be being saving money and being a savvy shopper Don't do it don't do it don't do it!! There will be other codes and chances to buy nice new things when I'm debt free!!

1stTimer

Don't do it, you're doing so well but could you justify a little treat to congratulate yourself?

Ooh it's a hard one....

Well done on the running, I currently training for a 26 mile walk for charity and wow I'm hurting in places I never knew I had :eek:

debtfreeby30:S

1stTimer wrote: »

Don't do it, you're doing so well but could you justify a little treat to congratulate yourself?

Ooh it's a hard one....

Well done on the running, I currently training for a 26 mile walk for charity and wow I'm hurting in places I never knew I had :eek:

I have managed to resist so far!! It's not easy though because I could easily say it's a "reward" for doing well but no! I need to see this through to the end, there will be other voucher codes after I am debt free!!