Starting BEFORE I mean to go on

specialkaye

Well I am all moved - took ages but i've defo neglected my diary.

Moving house is sooooo expensive, on the plus side though my Dad only lent me £8500.00 instead of £11,000.00 so £2500.00 less in debt than i'd thought I'd be

Sorted out mortgage payments, dad repayments, internet, water, gas and leccie and council tax all on DD.

Had a bit of a disaster with the TV lic though - as the house had been empty for a couple of months the house had been put under investigation. Just unpacked set up tv etc and the investigations man came round and made me do an interview under caution!!! Hadn't even had chance to turn it on. I hadn't taken any time off work at all for the move so hadn't had chance to go the post office and I hadn't got my internet yet so didn't think to do it. Rookie error I suppose having never needed to have my own before. Never nasty letter through the post this week but thankfully im not getting charged. Scary though.

Things seem to be going well - had to do some minor repairs and my kitchen tap handle has fallen off .

MFW stuff is going to be on hold I think though until after Christmas when I can really get a hold of what my monthly outgoing are - had quite a bit to pay out for the house and a lot of my first direct debits are a bit higher in the first month.

Still working 7 days a week with 2 days off a month so thats keeping me busy busy , the first of my Christmas parties start tomorrow. ( I have 3 meals, one theatre show and 2 nights out) Mostly all paid for already.

Started my preparations for Christmas - just bought a tree- a real one still alive growing in a pot - and some decs to put on it. Sunday is a day off and also the 1st Dec so i am planning on putting it up then.

Phew - right time to wash off my hair dye in prep for the 'party season' - need to look fabulous!!

skint_spice

Congratulations on getting in and boo to the tv licence folk - surely they can use their discretion?

EchoDelta

Hooray for moving in!

Glad you got the tv licence sorted - I had no idea they were so badass with it...... :eek:

You asked up thread about the daily interest rate - there may be a clever way to work it out but I just asked the mortgage company.

specialkaye

Skint_Spice I think they did as the letter said I wasn't getting fined (this time)

I've just registered for online banking for my Nationwide mortgage so should have up and running next week, will be able to easily see and make overpayments. Will update my sig once I can access it.

Logged a claim for some cash back as my internet registration didnt track so hopefully £24 for that - hopefully it'll be ready for the January sales????

I also have £25 Mand S voucher from my contents insurance - can't decide whether to use it to bring down the cost of presents or use it in the Jan sales and get a bit more for the money. I think the latter as my Mum's b'day is in Jan anyways.

Now I just need to find the money for actual Christmas pressies. Nearly at the £25 payout for a swagbucks voucher. Other than that it's just going to be bargain hunting I think.

Other than that life outside of the nest is going pretty well, although i am massively underprepared for the DIY skills needed to maintain a house - Dad, I'm blaming you!

specialkaye

Wow seven months since ive posted!!!


So much has been going on and hardly any MSE activity

Tried in November to make an overpayment online but the money was returned straight away - double checked the account details and they were right so shameful to say but I gave up and haven't made a single overpayment!! Unfortunately my nearest branch is 12 miles away in a town I never go to.

Also my lodger moved out 3 months ago and after my exams in June I have been looking for a new one. No one I actually know is looking at the moment so tried advertising. Had a lass lined up but she changed her mind the day she was gonna move in, then had a couple of guys interested but neither showed up for the viewing.

Need to get a control over my spending, when I was going to college one day a week id spend a fortune in food as i was out from 7 until 630 as the college is over an hour away and would pop intot he shopping center there. EVERY TIME. So now i have a break until September its the perfect chance to kick start my MSE ways again.

Turns out I had a couple of sign ups on swagbucks which has given me £15 of AmAzon vouchers for absolutely nothing. Was so surprised as my post of the referral section on here must have been wayyyyyy up in amongst the pages.

Cut down my hours slightly so I am now either working 5 or 7 days a week instead of 6 or 7. Works out at a reduction of 2.5 hours per week and gives me 2 out of 4 weekend to reclaim as my own.

Ive also started a couple of expensive hobbies - open water swimming often £30-50 an entry plus travel and wetsuits etc. and walking inlcuding A BEL award which will allow me to lead expeditions so a lot of new kit needed for that. Thankfully I have most of what I need now and the rest can be bought at leisure when its on sale!!!

Still keeping on top with all of my payments it would just be nice knowing im not paying as much in 'dead money' (interest).

Got a couple of new additions to my family in the way of kittens so there keeping me company in the few hours i actually spend in my house!


Think I might spend this evening doing some MSE activities after work, I need to chase Top CB for £25 for my car insurance renewal, change my gas and leccie, post a referral for swag as its been at least a year since my last, make a meal plan as that is one thing i know i overspend on massively. Oh and post on a few fb sites for a lodger.

Also aim for this week is to complete my mileage form for cadets as ive been carting them around to event up and down the country - probs nearly £150 back for that so well worth it!!!


Hopefully back soon to say ive completed my list!!!

specialkaye

So ive been reasonably productive:

Done 2 shifts at work number 2 which now gives me the next 2 weekends off.

Ive posted an ad on spareroom for a lodger and proactively contacted a few that are looking so fingers crossed there.

Ive posted my swag referral on the board if any readers are interested (not sure anyone reads though tbh)

Ive made my meal plan, mostly from freezer items but will need a £10/£15 on fresh stuff.

Looked at my TCB account and that says it could take up to 60 days to track so need to leave that a bit longer.

Not sorted my leccie/gas out yet (thats probs the biggest money saver as well , apart from the lodger)

Wednesday is the day im going to submit my mileage return for cadets, done further than I thought and will be upwards of £200 hopefully if they go back to Feb for me.

On a bum note my car really needs a service and new front tyres but going to try and put it off until i get a lodger.

Aim of next week is to build up some flexi time so I can take a day and do a walk in the hill with my sister. Going to teach her how to map read and use a compass as I need to practice for my assessment with cadets in October. Seems like i have plenty of time now but as I work half the weekends and full time during the week itll be tough. Have to get in 8 full days where I am walking the route myself and practising my skills, D of E walks don't count as its either remote monitoring or following the group for a bit.


Right, leccie/gas here I come!!

specialkaye

Today has been a good day,

I took my lunch to work so no spends there, was taken out to tea with my sister by my Grandmother so no spends there either.

Came in on budget in what will hopefully be my shop for the week at £11.22, all i need to do now is not let my friend/colleague persuade me to go out for lunch (which we usually do twice a week and is costing me a small fortune).

No news on the lodger front mind, think thats' all the updates I have for today really.

Looking forward to my trip to London in a couple of weeks, a surprise visit to see my bestie for her birthday. Train was gonna be £100 return but ive made a plan - im going to drive to Sheffield giving a lift to my friend whos gf lives in sheffield - he will give me some petrol money to cover some of that. I will then meet up with other friend leave my car at his and then yet another friend will take us both down to London. Hmmmmm sounds a bit complicated. Anyways all I need to do now is find a pressie.

giblet1979

Just found your diary - very impressed with considering overpaying before you even had the house!
I know things don't always go to plan, but I look forward to hearing more.
Subscribed!

specialkaye

HI Giblet thanks for dropping by, yes that was the intention but its got off to a rather slow start. I was an avid reader of the debt free diaries before as i was paying off my student overdraft and then deposit saving so i thought this would help keep me on track. then life got busy and I fell off.


Anyway I think I am back on (for now) so ill update:

NSD for me today , no money making today though.

All I am really trying to do is make sure i'm not overspent at the end of the month when I go to London as I know its going to be a spendy weekend. Although saying that I know that one member of our group is pretty skint at the moment.

Also I would quite like a cleaner again, my old one was my housemates girlfriend so she left when my housemate did, can't really justify it when im just on my own so will have to wait until i new housemate/lodger.

Also i fell like im really unorganised, I dont know what my current mortgage balance is or how much interest per day im spending. Really need to find out lol!

giblet1979

I wouldn't worry - some people on here are so organised and clever with the numbers. I figure if I just do the best I can (paying off debt and then mortgage op'ing) that I'll be getting rid of the debt as quickly without knowing the exact numbers. I think it is probably more motivating over the long haul tho to know exactly how much you're saving per day

Gib x