Keeping up with the Jonesy

Jonesy88

Ooo thank you Busy! I like the sound of me having "adventures" - my life seems quite boring at times when i'm just plodding along!

SW Week 3: 12st 1 -1.5lbs this week and half a stone lost since i started

I've succumbed to the dotty p's 25% off event and bought a work dress and some work shoes. I need to raise around £20 to keep this purchase cost neutral

ETA: i've also hit a milestone on my DFBXmas challenge: £875/£3500 25%, woo hoo!

Jonesy88

Jonesy88 wrote: »

Goals for February:
1. Get under 12st and exercise 3 times a week. - well i'm 11st 13
2. Get debt under £2500 - I'm at £2625, more about that later...
3. No buying more then 3 clothing items and make them all cost neutral - £20 to raise to stay cost neutral

Goals for March:

1. Get under 11st 7
2. Get debt under £2500
3. Keep overdraft under £300 and pay off by end of month
4. Raise £20 and keep clothes spend cost neutral

Jonesy88

March already!

Well this month is going to signal change as i have a new job starting tomorrow! I'm incredibly nervous as i really want this to work - the job and company could lead to a good career and i really don't want to have to change jobs again. I want to settle somewhere and work my way up . The new job is 16 miles away meaning my commute time will increase and the working week is longer but its more money and the company will pay for my finance exams and study. Fingers crossed everything works out!

We're also still pretty fixated on the house we saw a month ago, still asking questions but it's heading in a positive direction

Money-wise, March is going to be pretty horrible. Although the new job comes with a hefty pay rise, i'll be changing from weekly to monthly pay and so i'm effectively going to have no money for 3 weeks until payday. I've arranged a £300 overdraft and cut back on my car overpayments so hopefully i'll be able to manage.

Scores on the Doors:

Car: £2625 - 48% paid
VSP 2014: £9.67
SPC 7: ??
£365 in 365: £90 - paid up until the end of March
CCC 2014: £20 down
DFBXmas: £875/£3500 - 25% paid

Wish me luck for tomorrow!

stressed.mum

Good luck for you new job Jonesy, hope you have a fab day

Jonesy88

Thank you stressed.mum!

My first week went well i think - didn't do too much but met a lot of people in my department and got a "buddy" to help me settle in The commute is around 30 mins in the morning and 40 at night, so not too bad. Yesterday they even had an ice cream van outside the office giving away free ice creams! If this is a sign of things to come i shall definitely like it here!

Money-wise, March is even more dreadful than expected. For a positive reason though - we put the £1k reserve down on the house! Scary stuff! So now we have a £1k overdraft on the joint account and my DFD has been pushed back to August. I'm excited but so nervous, financially things have just got so complicated. We need to sell our house, exchange contracts by 7th Sept and complete by December 2014 - Argh! All this costs too - selling solicitor fees, buying solicitor fees, estate agent selling fees, stamp duty, energy efficiency certificate thingy....

Hmmm.... 2014 might be the skintest year yet - i'm determined to be frugal to reduce the debt (mortgage) for the future years

Jonesy88

Come on payday! I'm am skinter than skint. My overdraft now stands at £400, the joint overdraft was £1k and we still have £900 to save for our holiday. And this isnt even included in my DF by Xmas totals Arghh. I've joined the 100 days challenge to get these paid ASAP.

Well, onwards and upwards. Payday is 9 days away and by raiding accounts i'll have enough to pay everything i need to - it does mean i'm reducing my virtual pot though, but needs must. I've also amended my spreadsheet and made plans/deadlines, which instantly makes me feel better, like i've regained some control. So:

31st March: Pay off my OD
30th April: Pay off joint OD
31st May: Pay Dad for holiday
31st August: Pay off car

Fingers crossed we don't get any extra bills to scupper my plans!

Jonesy88

WHAT?! Where has my 1st of the month post gone?

*cries*

It was massive too . I'll have to rewrite it later.

Jonesy88

So, here goes my second attempt at an update.

March had its ups and downs, my job is going well, car pooling may be an option and i've managed to get my hone contract down to £9 a month with 2 months free The house is on the market but we haven't had any interest yet and i've put on all the weight i've lost .

Goals from March:

1. Get under 11st 7 - :rotfl:
2. Get debt under £2500 - achieved
3. Keep overdraft under £300 and pay off by end of month - was £400 but now paid off
4. Raise £20 and keep clothes spend cost neutral - achieved

Goals for April:

1. Get under 12st.
2. Get car to £2100
3. Pay off joint overdraft

Scores on the Doors:

Car: £2485 - 50% paid
VSP 2014: £2.12
SPC 7: ??
£365 in 365: £0 - raided due to house stuff
CCC 2014: neutral
DFBXmas: £1015/£3500 - 29% paid

Jonesy88

Yay! It posted

April is going to be so tight yet again. I paid off the car insurance with my wages at the end of last month so i only have pennies to my name.

More excitingly though i'll be going on a few overnight trips with work over the next few months. The reckless side of me wants to go out and buy a £70 Cath K1dston weekend bag, however i'll just have to content myself with watching a £15 ebay bag. I'll only buy it when my ebay funds will allow. I could just use an old rucksack but i want to make a good "smart" impression with work mates.

Hopefully someone will buy or atleast look at our house soon. If nothing has happened by May, we might go down the "cash for homes" route. You get less than the market value but they pay all fees and its done and dusted within a few weeks. I guess i'm just stressing out as we need to exchange contracts on the new house in September so need to have sold/exchanged our old house by then too. If we moved out now, we'd go back to my parents and could theoretically save £1500 per month. 6 months saving this is £9k, so providing the cash people don't offer a silly amount, it could benefit us to go with that option. We'll have to see though - there's still so many variables.

Right i'm off to watch my skyplus'd OBEM and Games of Thrones

Jonesy88

OH has been paid so the joint overdraft is gone

Mum also kindly offered to buy me the ebay weekend bag as it was my birthday yesterday so things are good in Jonesy-land