It's not just about debt anymore. It's about living better too.

PiggyBankShaker

beanielou wrote: »

Hadent heard that!!

Hi beanielou! I googled "cleaning PVC" and it was on a thread from MSE about 2 years ago. And if it's on MSE it can't be wrong can it?

beanielou

So do you just stick it on a cloth?

mummypig321

Hi there,
I was just having a read of your diary and i have an answer as to why you were so tired on the 19/5/13. The previous day you gave blood, if you are on iron tablets and have previous been anaemic you should really consider not giving blood for six months to a year? you also say you suffer with depression, please dont think im preaching but in order for you to function to full capacity and to maintain good health both mental and physical you need to protect what you have and not go giving your blood away. Im a donor but have recently had a episode of depression and i have withheld giving blood for this reason due to not being 100%. losing any amount of blood causes stress on your body even if its only 200-300 mls of blood.
I mean well in what i say and hope this comes across perhaps put yourself first before giving, as much as i love and feel rewarded by giving blood my health ultimately comes first and this is always something i can go back to when im well again.
If you find yourself to tired have a break!

PiggyBankShaker

NEW Statement of Affairs and Personal Balance Sheet Oct 2013

Household Information
Number of adults in household........... 2
Number of children in household......... 2
Number of cars owned.................... 1

Monthly Income Details
Monthly income after tax................ 1600
Partners monthly income after tax....... 1161
Benefits................................ 138
Total monthly income.................... 2899

Monthly Expense Details
Mortgage................................ 452.21
Council tax............................. 92.50
Gas & Electricity............................. 50
Water rates............................. 39
Land line and internet................... 10
Mobile phones............................ 45
TV Licence.............................. 12.12
Groceries etc. ......................... 230
Clothing................................ 15
Petrol/diesel........................... 80
Road tax................................ 10
Car Insurance........................... 38
Car maintenance (including MOT)......... 20
Travel Rail season Ticket................89
Childcare/nursery.......................144
Other child related expenses............ 40
Medical (prescriptions, dentist etc).... 5
Pet insurance/vet bills................. 5
Buildings & Contents insurance.....................8.33
Life assurance ......................... 31.72
Other insurance (Boiler cover)......................... 6
Presents (birthday, christmas etc)...... 5
Haircuts................................ 5
Entertainment........................... 60
Holiday................................. 0
Emergency fund.......................... 0
Total monthly expenses.................. 1486.88


Assets
Cash.................................... 3500
House value (Gross)..................... 95,000
Shares and bonds........................ 0
Car(s).................................. 2000
Other assets............................ 0
Total Assets............................ 100,500


Secured & HP Debts
Description....................Debt......Monthly.. .APR
Mortgage...................... 81300....(452)......2.5
Total secured & HP debts...... 81300.....-.........-

Unsecured Debts
Description....................Debt......Monthly.. .APR
Barclaycard.....................2840......68...... .0%

Monthly Budget Summary
Total monthly income.................... ........2899
Expenses (including HP & secured debts)...1486
Available for debt repayments.................1413
Monthly UNsecured debt repayments........ 68.00
Amount left after debt repayments........... 1345

Personal Balance Sheet Summary
Total assets (things you own)........... 100,500
Total HP & Secured debt................. -81300
Total Unsecured debt.................... -2840
Net Assets.............................. 16,360

beanielou

Any idea what you do with the amount you have left every month?
You could pay BC off in 3 months!

PiggyBankShaker

Urgh, I am a rubbish diarist. No posts for 3 months. I my defence, nothing interesting or noteworthy has happened moneywise. It sucks having not money! The debt hasn't increased, but neither have the savings. We've been getting by in a very boring unremarkable fashioned.

ATSIJS is still working 4 days a week despite all the assurances that he would be full time by April...! My JSA ran out so we were £280 worse off.

I had a very low point with my depression and anxiety that happened around the same time ATSIJS took up the stair carpet, but I really turned a corner after that. I took the decision to stop taking my antidepressants and my debilitating tiredness lifted, and behold! I could function like a normal human being again

Then, last week, I got offered a job. It pays £3000 more than my last job and it is full time. There is a commute involved, which will cost £100 a month and we will also have to pay childcare, although this will reduce over time. We can both take child care vouchers in our pay and this will mitigate some of the costs.

The upshot is, as you can see from the SOA above is that we will be £1394 a month better off.

The plans are:

Overpay the mortgage
Top up the savings
Pay for house improvements

We're not going to pay off the Barclaycard as it it is on 0% until 2015 and we'd be better off saving interest on the mortgage instead.

House priorities are:
This winter

• Replacing the last four 'old' windows to A+ rated
• Insulating external walls & replastering
• Sundry decorating

Next year

• New kitchen

pennywisepoundstupid

Hi PBS, sorry you have had a low point, but sounds as though you spotted it and managed to get yourself sorted which is fantastic.

Well done on the new job, sounds as though everything is working out fab for you, onwards and upwards I say.

PiggyBankShaker

Thanks Penny

It's definitely been up and down for the past six months, but health wise and finance wise they are definitely improving.

I think sometimes, it is useful to step back and look at the bigger picture. On a day to day basis things have been hard and we have seen little improvement, and thinking like this it would be easy to get demoralised. But actually today things are much, much better than they were six months ago.

Just got to keep plodding on

PiggyBankShaker

We got the first window quote yesterday and it is £2344, if we added a new front door too (last old PVC thing in house) it would be another £1400ish.

From costs of previous work, I estimate that all the insulating and plastering will cost about £1500 for the 'small parts' and maybe £800 for our bedroom. Then the kitchen insulation and plaster will probably bee another £800?

If these are accurate them this is six months pay, which means we couldn't really afford it all until April next year. Part of the reason to do it is the reduced energy costs from heating, which we wouldn't recoup this winter.

We could maybe do all the doors and windows and just the downstairs insulating and plastering which would be £4500 and we could get the work done in January...

Have to chat to ATSIJS I think.

PiggyBankShaker

Flogged the old car today for £100. Could maybe have gotten more, but seeing as it was literally zero effort on my part I'm not fussed. It'll pay my train fore for the new job for a month.

I start on Monday. I'm quite looking forward to it but also a bit nervous about working in an office, with a commute and people. Good bye flexibility, hello early mornings... oh well, the money is good and we certainly need it!

On an unrelated front, my mother has developed breast cancer. She had a mastectomy yesterday. I'm really worried about her, and my Dad, who can't really cook / take the initiative without my Mum.