Aprils Fool No More!!!

stoplurking

Evening all. Wish i'd never mentioned heading over to MFW! Everybody stay here even if it's just to cheer others on. It's great here, cosy.
Thrifty, (please stay) my signature shows what i still have to pay. I know it looks impossible at the rate Im going but after this month i should have £1200 or so a month to throw at CCs and i have an investment (yes, with those debts! Why?) of about 6k coming out in July/August so that will all get paid off CCs. So, I am hopeful of meeting my DFD.
Also, though I don't know about ease of changing banks,Ii can say I've been with First Direct for about 20 years and have found them to be brilliant. Just my opinion. Good luck with your mission. SL

Mrs_Toast

Evening everyone,

I've had another spend day but was all in budget. I spent £6.69 on afternoon tea with DH after we found out we are expecting a girl :j. Had to pay £3 for parking at the hospital and £1 for playgroup this morning.

I am hoping I can go without spending anything tomorrow. I'm really tempted to visit the charity shops for baby girl outfits but instead I will sort out DS's baby clothes. I'm planning on keeping his jeans and then make some patchwork cushions out of his baby clothes that we were gifted.

Will update sig now.

thriftylass

Done a bit towards decluttering my life. Tidied up the desk and put aside for shredding loads of old bank statements and bill and all sorts of other rubbish. It's a start, gonna do more tomorrow.

That was a good explanation, the grey zone between debt and savings = debt prevention. The 8k I want to get together do exactly that. It's various pots, emergency fund, DS, and a wedding and the start of a kitchen pot as I only want to do them if I can pay them outright without going into debt and borrowing money. Plus it will also need to cover unexpected bills, the roofer, birthdays, Christmas, the next MOT and so on. I love it here and am glad I can stay.

Living_a_good_life

Evening all Well a spend day today and have broken the food budget - in my defense I have MIL, FIL, and niece coming for the weekend. Going round Mr S my wee boy asked - Mummy why are we buying nice food? :rotfl::rotfl:

He had his first trip to school today post rugby training - his keyworker was stunned at the difference in the playground - running around roaring and brumming like a racing car. RESULT!! :j:j:j This is compared to sitting on the bench looking terrified which was the pre rugby behavior!

Need to work now -knocked the shopping on the head at the price of work hours so need to go until about 11.30 tonight.

Have been contemplating my 5 year plan over the Easter break. A friend turned 40 last week - not sure she was quite ready for it. For me its about 5 years off still so where do I want to be? With DFD approaching - the next priority is cash for DH car and then we will have a bash at MFW. So by 40 either well on the way to MF or maybe just maybe moved into our end game house. This would be about double the value of our current one so is a heck of a stretch. Undecided whether its better to stay here MF one day and live the high life or stretch ourselves again. Really dont have the answer and to be honest a move may not be an option but a girl can dream...... 4 bed, office, off road parking, veg plot, rayburn, large sitting room, oh and paddock..... and if possible neighbours at least 3 fields away.... Got to get under the table now to duck away from the flying pigs.....


Right to work - or Ill be living in the shed age 40

Love to all
LAGLxx

NinjaSavingKat

Morning all....

Tis a bit of a freezing office today so I am wrapped in my very expensive Venetian silk scarf,... and thinking. Well done KUTAT for staying in miniscule buget and not buying carp at the supermarket. I have yet to spend ANY of my budgetted food money as I have honestly been living on left over crisps, fizzy drinks and cake. I am starting to crave fruit...

CONGRATULATIONS!!! ..to Mr and Mrs Toast on the little girl they are expecting. Exciting times ahead with another little one running around.:T:T:T

LAGL your flying pig comment made me LOL! Your house idea sounds amazing. Throw in a bee hive and solar panels and I'm in...:)..( you said come live with you didn't you - or did I imagine that? :rotfl:)

Angelpye - I need about that much as well for three months wages. This is what I would like to do once the debt has been paid off.

The book I keep talking about is a culmination of a few money books - namely "Think and grow Rich" and "The Richest Man In Babylon" - condensed and made simpler.

One rule - save 10% of your wages and don't touch it for years ( although keep moving it around to ensure you get the introductory rates that last a year - every year! ). Your "Rainy Day Fund" is something different - your RMIB (richest man in babylon) fund is a long term fund. Something I plan to call "Richest Kat in London Town" fund. I will start this on the 01/01/2014 the day after my debts are paid off...:p..Dreams..........£50 a month / 30 years = £18000... (without compound interest)

Then there is the "Unexpected Motorbike Repair Fund" that will stand at £500 - £175 above my excess on the insurance just in case.

Then the £1000 "I Need A Holiday This Weekend" fund. That will be me happy.

Then the £25000 "I Want My Own House" fund is the last and final funds that will be stgarted in January.

How I divvy up my wages accordingly will depend on where I am in January. Who knows I might even have some of those funds ready to go by then..? I just get to open shiny new accounts to go with it - because yes I want all the funds seperate...:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Right - time to sort the "work" issue for the day... more on the tonight. Am getting my stupid nails taken off today... wanted to wait until tomorrow but can't type on my little netbook at home hence I am quiet in the evenings...:p

Onwards and Upwards!!!

thriftylass

Really tired this morning. Just don't know how to make DS sleep in his own bed now he can climb out. Hubby doesn't help as he's a softy and always gives in as he hates DS crying and prob thinks I'm harsh to let him. It's just a tantrum if we always give in.......Anyway.

Gonna phone the mortgage company today and arrange to stay another two years on a new fixed contract. Gonna save us 60 quid a month on the monthly payments and all the other deals with other companies were too much hassle and not that much better value (not to forget the other fees and such you have to pay for changing). Gonna have a proper think in two years time when we're maybe able to overpay etc.

Gonna phone the roofer again too see if he'll come this weekend.

karmachilovething

I don't have a 5 year plan (maybe I should, I do find the overall picture difficult to see) but I have been doing another thing which is smaller scale: "x things before x+1 age"

OK that doesn't make much sense explained like that! :rotfl:

This year for me it is "30 things before 31" and next year it'll be "31 things before 32" So you have a lot of small targets or good habits to establish before your next birthday. Small mouthfuls that make big differences in a year.

So some examples from my list
"Take control of my debts" (tick, note it's not clear because I don't think that will happen, but I want to put that on my "31 Things" list)
"Watch less TV" because I tend to just zombie watch whatever is on, and there are so many things I'd prefer to do if I think about it
"support local business over big business" now this is a personal one, and not for everyone I know. It connects to how much power money has, and how I want to use my portion of that power to support businesses I think are more valuable. So my spectrum has local/organic/british made/ethical on one end and big business/tax dodging/exploitation on the other. This is balancing against MSE-ness though, as it's not always the cheapest route, but it is another way I have been conscious about where my money goes.

Living_a_good_life

Morning all - hopefully a sfd today - with lots of work thrown in for good measure.

Kat - now for my ultimate dream.... to own a house with oodles of bedrooms and let people who just need a "break" to come and relax. Think big country cottage guest house with large kitchen table and endless cuppas. Obviously huge garden, possibly woods and stream. I have quite a lot of friends who are missionaries overseas and to be able to offer them a retreat when they are back on furlough would be brill, to be able to roll this out to others would be good too. So there is my ultimate dream - DH who is not such a social animal would like an annex Who knows maybe one day - oh and a pig pen for the flying pigs.

Re the solar panels - dream house is thatched so not an option although it didnt stop one of the solar companies knocking on the door of our current cottage:rotfl:. Re the bees - I have friends with bees - sounds like a lot of hassle when I can just nick their honey!!;)

Right hi ho hi ho its off to work I go, de dum de dum....

Love LAGL xx

Thrifty - have you tried the reward chart route? Also a gate across the door so even if they get out of bed they cant get any further. That combined with "Get back into bed" at loud volume I think worked for us!!

kickuptheasstime

Love your plans Kat! I'm inspired by your £50/30yr total... maybe when everything is paid off I can start saving too!

I do really need to put together a 5 yr plan, but I feel so stifled by debt right now

Congratulations to Mr & Mrs Toast! Amazing news!

I'm planning for a SFD today there is absolutely no reason for me to buy anything. I have lunch in the fridge at work so that's sorted and no other demands right now - look at me all determined again...

I have got two items that I need to post to Ebay buyers, but as they're at home right now, I'll package up & send tomorrow

I'll update later x

Mancman86

thriftylass wrote: »

Quick question. Has anyone ever changed bank accounts to get the lets say £125 reward like First Direct do just now. Been with the same bank for years out of loyalty (why) and lazyness plus it has a convenient branch. Is it difficult?
Cheers

I moved over to Halifax last summer from Natwest with the promise of £100 when i joined and £5 per month when 1k is paid in. It ran very smoothly. I paid the £100 in on the day of opening and 30 mins later the £100 extra was in m account. They even guarantee if it all goes wrong with your D/D's they will fund the gap.I reccomend it.