Catriona's Credit Card Countdown

beanielou

Hope lodger now gone?

ZTD

beanielou wrote: »

Hope lodger now gone?

And more importantly didn't need to speak to Huey The Porcelain God on the Big White Telephone...

beanielou

ZTD wrote: »

And more importantly didn't need to speak to Huey The Porcelain God on the Big White Telephone...

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

catriona79

ZTD wrote: »

And more importantly didn't need to speak to Huey The Porcelain God on the Big White Telephone...

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

That particular telephone is of an interesting hue of avocado actually

catriona79

He's gone,

He's gone

He's gone

He's gone

He's gone!!!!....

Happy dance!!!!!

catriona79

Well, what a change! Good morning diary.

I spent most of the day yesterday painting the spare bedroom and the hallway. Everywhere smells of paint and is in chaos, though I'm going to get on top of it before midday. Feeling much more positive now, I had been a bit low over that last few days with missing the ex. It's such a curse.

But I have now got a few things planned to look forward to.

My plan for until the new year is to keep paying off my CC and my homeowner loan, at the rate I am paying them currently. Which is about £300 a month. After all expenses I should have £360 spare, £60 of which will be saved towards car expenses (I do that at the moment also), such as insurance and repairs, MOT, and the remaining £300, which I wanted to push myself to save I am going to give myself to spend - sensibly - but not on things, but on experiences, in order to keep my mood from dipping, as I deal with the breakup. I will then reassess in the new year.
I loved going to the spa and I know that it had a v positive effect on my friend as well, so we are going to plan another one for early November.

I'm going to make a new SOA now and post it on here to stick to for the next three months.

What I really want to do is to enjoy my home, without putting too much pressure on myself to make huge overpayments or savings, as that would end up in me having to rent the room out.

The aim for now is to stick to my budget and make sure I do not spend more than I earn!

I can then see how things are in the new year. But for now, it's all about being grateful for what I do have.

And the best thing is that I have a choice. I can always rent my room out if I want. I also have savings, should things go bad.

Ok, time for that SOA.

catriona79

Statement of Affairs and Personal Balance Sheet

Household Information
Number of adults in household........... 1
Number of children in household......... 0
Number of cars owned.................... 1

Monthly Income Details
Monthly income after tax................ 1991
Partners monthly income after tax....... 0
Benefits................................ 0
Other income............................ 0
Total monthly income.................... 1991

Monthly Expense Details
Mortgage................................ 459.6
Secured/HP loan repayments.............. 151.19999999999993
Rent.................................... 0
Management charge (leasehold property).. 0
Council tax............................. 75
Electricity............................. 30
Gas..................................... 32
Oil..................................... 0
Water rates............................. 12.39
Telephone (land line)................... 0
Mobile phone............................ 18
TV Licence.............................. 12.12
Satellite/Cable TV...................... 60
Internet Services....................... 0
Groceries etc. ......................... 200
Clothing................................ 100
Petrol/diesel........................... 150
Road tax................................ 5
Car Insurance........................... 35
Car maintenance (including MOT)......... 20
Car parking............................. 10
Other travel............................ 0
Childcare/nursery....................... 0
Other child related expenses............ 0
Medical (prescriptions, dentist etc).... 0
Pet insurance/vet bills................. 0
Buildings insurance..................... 10
Contents insurance...................... 5
Life assurance ......................... 0
Other insurance......................... 0
Presents (birthday, christmas etc)...... 50
Haircuts................................ 90
Entertainment........................... 200
Holiday................................. 0
Emergency fund.......................... 0
Healthcare / dental..................... 15
Professional membership fees ........... 12.09
Total monthly expenses.................. 1752.4


Assets
Cash.................................... 6800
House value (Gross)..................... 180000
Shares and bonds........................ 0
Car(s).................................. 11000
Other assets............................ 0
Total Assets............................ 197800


Secured & HP Debts
Description....................Debt......Monthly...APR
Mortgage...................... 102640...(459.6)....2.89
Secured Debt.................. 11529....(151.2)....2.79
Total secured & HP debts...... 114169....-.........-

Unsecured Debts
Description....................Debt......Monthly...APR
Virgin CC......................5000......50........0
NatWest CC.....................3850......38.5......0
Tesco CC ......................2250......22.5......0
Total unsecured debts..........11100.....111.......-


Monthly Budget Summary
Total monthly income.................... 1,991
Expenses (including HP & secured debts). 1,752.4
Available for debt repayments........... 238.6
Monthly UNsecured debt repayments....... 111
Amount left after debt repayments....... 127.6

Personal Balance Sheet Summary
Total assets (things you own)........... 197,800
Total HP & Secured debt................. -114,169
Total Unsecured debt.................... -11,100
Net Assets.............................. 72,531

catriona79

Working from home today, and just now having a coffee and pain au raisin break. Mmmm.

I'm loving being here by myself.

I went to Lidl this morn for some bread and pastries and they had hoary nth bulbs there. I'm going to make a centre piece decoration in a big ceramic bowl, and put the hiacynths in it.

Getting excited about all the nie things I will be able to do. It's really worth it! Even if I have less money.

Feeling good at the moment!

Ok, back to work. I will need to update my spending and see how I am doing against my budget! I had to go and get a brush, a roller and a big tub of paint which was about £60 in the trade merchants', so that will have depleted my budget. But the walls are pristine. And I've been good at sticking to my food budget and clothes and personal care budgets too. I'm going to need to get some work clothes though, soon, as I've had mine for a couple of years and been wearing them day in, day out.

P.S. Now that the lodger isn't here, I don't really feel like moving. It's so cosy and nice!:)

catriona79

ZTD wrote: »

Well currently we're so scarce on the ground, pretty much everyone is unique - and people complain like mad that when staff are off, jobs don't get done, and nobody knows anything to do with the subject.

However, that probably won't lead to any sort of job security, as the work would just be given to somebody who knows nothing about it, has no aptitude for it, and we'll lurch from one disaster to another with "we are where we are".

I have no overriding quantitative criteria to meet apart from it needs to be nearish to work and it has to have a half-decent internet connection. "It has to be a nice area" is rather more vague though.

For some people in London, the bed is the reception...

It's not that amazing. It's the same difference between a car with a loan and a car without. You still have to insure and maintain and all that (not so) good stuff.

Another Saturday morning and feeling cheery again, despite the neighbour having woken me up at 1 am with music and just now playing retro music such as Que sera sera....;)

She never opens the door (prob cant hear it for the music), so im going to have to put a note through the door. What can you do.... Madhouse.


Z - are you house hunting? How is it going? And workwise - are you looking? I haven't heard back from any of the two jobs i applied for... Not getting down, going to do more applying!:) i am in HR so in theory should have transferable skills, though still struggling with the market's perception of a public sector worker.
Is your job restricted to the public sector?

Re houses and not having a mortgage i guess it gives you a fair bit more security, as you need a smaller income to keep afloat. In that way it would be brilliant and enable me to take more risks workwise.

Hard to let go of my house, but i keep thinking about what you had said, about "the gift that keeps on giving". Smaller outgoings!

I spent the whole morning budgeting and reconciling transactions to work with my plan of spending the rest of the year doing some nice things, not adding to the savings pot, but nt spending more than i earn. This month ill have overspent by £21. Which is ok. I'll try and get some back from next month's groceries.

I've done some clothes shopping but since i hadnt spent any money on clothes in the last two months, i had some funds to carry over.
I like that about ynab. Now im not feeling down about having spent it.

Ok - time to get up!!!! :eek::eek:

ZTD

catriona79 wrote: »

Another Saturday morning and feeling cheery again, despite the neighbour having woken me up at 1 am with music and just now playing retro music such as Que sera sera....;)

She never opens the door (prob cant hear it for the music), so im going to have to put a note through the door. What can you do.... Madhouse.

You could always go real retro with this - real organ music just cuts through those walls...

catriona79 wrote: »

Z - are you house hunting? How is it going?

I have a number of possibles, all in my price range. I am currently sorting out my finances...I was, in a distant time and in a galaxy far, far away - what's called "organised". Not any more... :eek:

catriona79 wrote: »

And workwise - are you looking? I haven't heard back from any of the two jobs i applied for... Not getting down, going to do more applying!:) i am in HR so in theory should have transferable skills, though still struggling with the market's perception of a public sector worker.
Is your job restricted to the public sector?

My job is in IT, so is very transferable. Unfortunately, with the sickness I've just had/am having, I'm probably stuck with this employer for at least a year.

It should be at least 2 years before another re-structure.

catriona79 wrote: »

Re houses and not having a mortgage i guess it gives you a fair bit more security, as you need a smaller income to keep afloat.

Those are my thoughts. Ultimately, when you own a house, you only need to pay Council Tax, heating and food. Repair costs depend on how handy you are.

catriona79 wrote: »

In that way it would be brilliant and enable me to take more risks workwise.

Hard to let go of my house, but i keep thinking about what you had said, about "the gift that keeps on giving". Smaller outgoings!

I spent the whole morning budgeting and reconciling transactions to work with my plan of spending the rest of the year doing some nice things, not adding to the savings pot, but nt spending more than i earn. This month ill have overspent by £21. Which is ok.

The fact you know that is more than OK - it's great. It shows you have a handle on it.

catriona79 wrote: »

I'll try and get some back from next month's groceries.

I've done some clothes shopping but since i hadnt spent any money on clothes in the last two months, i had some funds to carry over.
I like that about ynab. Now im not feeling down about having spent it.

It's what it's there for. It's not like you spent the "clothing" budget on fags...

catriona79 wrote: »

Ok - time to get up!!!! :eek::eek:

:rotfl: