Learning to pretend, in a good way

brizzledfw

Hey Suzi..sounds great. You sound very positive and organised. Agree it's the small things that make a difference. So far for example we are on track for cutting our groceries bill by half this month..around £300 saved!! That's your OP for a month, as it were and OH and I we're just saying that we have hardly noticed....

Suziebabe

Wow brizzled, that's inspiring! Did you make the saving in,one month, or did you step down to it? We're still adapting to a new way of eating, so although I'm monitoring the grocery spending, I'm not trying to reduce it just yet. We're adapting to a low GI diet, which is a bit of a challenge as we were junk food fiends :shocked: - but we're paying the price now! Interestingly though, it doesn't seem as expensive as I thought it would be - that quinoa sure does last a long while :rotfl:

Felt the need for a quick update, having just done my monthly spreadsheet check ... Back down to only 3% of debts cleared :(:(

Even more of a revelation, was the new regime on minimum payments - I hadn't noticed it coming in, but it means that 2 of my December CC payments are double what they have been, as they now include any fees added as well as a minimum payment :eek: My face was a picture when I first saw how much is going out at the beginning of December! But then I plugged it all into the magic spreadsheet, and found that while it probably means I can't reduce the overdraft next month, I will get to reclaim my 1% - so that's actually quite good really. At least, that's what I'm telling myself, I'm sure December won't throw any extra expenses our way at all :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Must prepare for the next round of shuffles A LOT better than this round!

Suziebabe

Wow, where did the last few weeks go? December mania I guess! Almost ready for Xmas, looking forward to some time off - in particular, having some time to get back into my spreadsheets and planning for 2014!

Funnily, just now, when I looked at the heading for this diary, I got cross with the title - should be stop pretending and bl@@dy well get on with it ... Maybe that's a sign my mindset is changing? ("about time too" say the stalwarts) - I know, I know, I never said I was very quick at this life changing malarkey !

I think this Xmas has brought it home to me, we're just about on track for managing the Xmas spending (but am holding my breath for the last push to stay on track) but the car's needed yet more money spending on it. Luckily, I had some money in the savings pots, so it didn't derail us, but next year I think I'll have to cash in the shares I've been hanging on to to get a replacement, just to stop us haemorrhaging more cash ... More thinking required, and definitely more time with the spreadsheets

Off to try and see how to change a diary title...

Suziebabe

Well, it looks like I'll have to live with the title, can't see how to change it & don't really want to start a new one ...

Finally finished work for the hols, and more or less there now - just wrapping to do and mince pies to make - tomorrow's jobs, unless I feel like getting stuck in tonight (unlikely!)

I'm itching to get stuck in to my planning for 2014 - hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to spend some quality time on my spreadsheets. And finally reckon up where we've got to for the end of 2013 - I suspect it won't be pretty, but at least I'll have a clear view of where we are, and what we need to do for the next 12 months to be in a better place next Xmas.

I'm contemplating a radical step for 2014, I almost daren't write it ... of giving up alcohol for the year :shocked::shocked::shocked:
It's not as though I'm a heavy drinker anymore, but we do tend to have at least 2 bottles of wine between us every week, which soon adds up - add to that the inevitable snacks that go along with the drink, and allowing for special occasions/the occasional mid week bottle after a bad day/drinks out with friends & associated taxis - I reckon I'm easily spending about £1000 a year. Which would be fine if we weren't in debt - but we are, and so it's starting to feel like an extravagance.

On top of that, I need to tackle my health issues and concentrate on eating better, and getting more exercise. And there's still a mountain of clutter to clear, and only weekends to do EBay/car boots etc in - it all seems to point to having some time away from my friendly red wine. I'm a bit nervous of falling into the new year trap, of making lots of plans I can't stick to. But this one feels like it's just plain old common sense.

More updates over the next 2 weeks hopefully, as I get my spreadsheets up to date!

Suziebabe

Hmmm - lots of thinking going on at the moment. As we're having quite a quiet Christmas, with OH working all the overtime he can, and DS glued to his new computer games, I'm getting some time to myself, and it's making me ponder about my attitude to money & how much we owe.

I'm thinking of starting a new diary, as the title of this one keeps irritating me. Someone posted earlier (funky ribena?) that pretending was part of the problem - I think I do see why now. When I look at my figures for what we paid off in 2013 I could cry, despite not having a holiday we still only cleared about £600 - it was heading towards £1.5k at one stage, but then trailed off. I know I hadn't got my piggy banks properly set up, so the slightest thing derailed me - but I also know there were lots of 'screw it' moments along the way, albeit only by treating myself to a coffee & cake (and not new shoes/bags/holidays etc) but it's really not the point is it? All I did was scale it down, turn the dial down to less satisfying treats, rather than tackle the underlying problem that I was spending money I didn't have, and should find ways to feel better that didn't involve spending.

So how to make it different in 2014? And 2015 and 2016 - because that's how long it's going to take to clear the debts, and that's assuming I don't fall off the wagon - it stretches out to 2019 at our current rate of spending.

So far I've :
- not gone anywhere near the sales (have filled up a few online baskets mind, but then closed the browsers - could be called a near miss, but actually more like picking at a scab)
- started on filling up the freezer - parsnip soup (from the freebies OH picked up on xmas eve) and a batch of mincemeat pies (10p jars with just-past dates). Operation turkey starts tomorrow!
- done my January budget, and set up my sealed jar, and put the first catch in
- made sure the piggybank pots are as close to where they should be as possible. Only the car pot is looking too low, but hoping the car will limp on until late Feb, when MOT and expected car repairs are due, by which time I'll have rebuilt the pot
- paid £99 to the M&S card, leaving me with just £10 a week for the rest of the month for spending. And setting myself a personal goal that I'll make sure that only goes on essentials to be presentable for work, and any change goes off M&S. It sounds a bit dim, but I hadn't been paying the planned reduction off the debt at the stat of the month, but using whatever was left at the end of the month. Not really surprising that it didn't work then huh?
- have reworked my debt tab on the spreadsheet, to calculate the number of months to debt free, based on this months payments. Seeing that figure go up is horrible (I had an error in my spreadsheet that meant I went from 39 months to 57 at one point, nearly fell off the sofa!) but as I make extra payments during the month, I'm hoping that it'll be more heartening and less demoralising. My aim is to be clear by May 2016 - a month before my 50th birthday.

Maybe I shouldn't start a new diary - maybe the title will be the thorn in my side reminding me not to pretend anymore?

Anyway - back to my spreadsheet to try and shave some more money off our spending. Is it too early to do February's spreadsheet yet?

Soldiering on ...

BEAT_THE_DEBT

Hi I have given up drinking at home and as I don't go out much I don't drink now lol. I did drink C eve and I will Nye. I feel great for it you will too xx

Suziebabe

BEAT_THE_DEBT wrote: »

Hi I have given up drinking at home and as I don't go out much I don't drink now lol. I did drink C eve and I will Nye. I feel great for it you will too xx

Thanks BTD! I've given up for months at a time before, but the last time I gave up for a year was when I was expecting my son - he's now a teenager! The thing I've noticed before was how well I slept - didn't know sleep could be so refreshing! Looking forward to it again!

shaz1963

Hi Suzie,
I have been having a read through your diary....loving the way you analyse the whole approach to getting rid of debts!! (im the same).

Well its that time of the year where I have bought a new book (I did have spreadsheets but gone back to paper format) and I have sat and wrote down everything....mm little depressing!

However Im also gonna start setting myself targets :-) im like yourself, we like the odd meal out etc etc.

Im hoping that by keeping an eye on this forum it will encourage me more!!!!!

Shaz x

Suziebabe

Thanks Shaz - some might say I overanalyse things !! Or prefer thinking about things rather than acting on them - me & my OH can talk up a good plan, but struggle at actually going beyond that!

Hope the paper works out - I'm thinking about the whiteboard idea someone mentioned, stuck to the fridge, so we can update it with the state of the household account, something about seeing the number written down makes it more real than electronically. I'm glued to my iPad, so even though I don't really like the Numbers software, it's easy for me to check budgets to bank accounts each night while the tele's on, when I had to power up my ancient laptop I found myself not bothering, then it all getting out of hand.

We love meals out, especially Sunday lunchtime - but after doing the figures I think it'll be on hold for quite some time! I'm thinking of how to salvage the bits we like and make them lower cost - so we love taking the dog out for a walk, we're quite near some good beaches - but instead of following the walk with a pub meal, maybe take a flask of tea & some sausage rolls along to eat afterwards in the car. OH won't get his lunchtime pint, but I sure he'll adapt :rotfl: (he can always take his hip flask to spice up his tea!)

I'm making the most of my new year enthusiasm - by mid Feb no doubt I'll be back in the doldrums! I must admit, these forums are brilliant for keeping me going though, knowing it's not just us who are tightening our belts to clear debts helps enormously.

Good luck!

shaz1963

Hi, yep im the same, over analyse lol!!!! Your whiteboard idea does sound good...however Im going to see how the book and the pencil method work!! I found my spreadsheets were colourful but tbh I didnt pay them enough attention haha!!

Long walks with the hip flask in tow sound like a plan, I actually need to get back to my long walks, the last few weeks I have always had an excuse (weather, busy etc).....this never used to be a problem as I had to go out when my two dogs when they were younger but they are oldies now that prefer just going across the road to the grassy park area!!

Well Im hoping I can find your enthusiasm and start hitting these cards.

Hope you had a nice weekend x