Enjoying the journey - budgeting, saving and remaining credit card free

fedupandskint

Time to update how the debt repayment plan is going for the long term loan I'm overpaying on. Still plugging away with a long way to go....

28% of £19653.31 repaid over the last 12 months.

Next month will reach 30% repaid. There's still a very long way to go but it's better to have reached this point than just repay the minimum payment and interest on the long term loan.

Let's see how much will have been repaid over the next 12 months with my overpayments planned. Hoping at least have reached the 56% repaid point on my piece of paper, it would be good to get to under £10,000 mark in 2 years. I won't feel quite so freaked out once it reaches this point.

Trying not to be tempted by sales, doing well. Spent Christmas money on the next piece of walking equipment to be replaced after 12 years and are now several sizes too big. Have put birthday and Christmas money towards these now I have enough. Also ordered new pedals for my bike to replace the ones that tear my legs apart as they are like animal traps. These spends also came out of Christmas money. Have enough left to replace my old walking trousers next time I see them in the shop and hopefully enough left over for some mountain biking shoes. I reckon there will be as I'm going for some fabric walking boots or trainers instead of an expensive branded hard trainer.

Chrysalis1976

Those overpayments will certainly help as well as the great amount paid off can you see how much interest you are also saving too? That would be a great boost x

NYE sound good, we were going to camp for the night and see the new year in up on the hills but the weather will be too bad so we're stopping at home.

Well done on your purchases and intended purchases, feels so much better to hand over vouchers rather than cash!

C x

fedupandskint

Budgets all set up for 2015.

I've set a new one up for Christmas treats next year for £5 per month to run along side the other £5 per month for sales next year and Christmas decorations after mine were ruined in a flood a few years ago and I didn't feel like replacing them until this year.

Set up the new Crazy Clothes 2015 Challenge on the DFW Challenge board. It's worked really well for me the last 2 years to help me stay in budget and focus on what's really important to me which is paying off the final unsecured debt I have currently.

Onto some chores next for me to warm up!

fedupandskint

Not before I add up my totals for the grocery challenge

Budget for 2014 £1200
Total for 2014 £1431.25
Over by £231.25 equals £19.27 per month over budget.

Will try harder to stick to the same budget for next year, let's see how I get on!

fedupandskint

A profitable hour spent inputting barcodes for CDs that have been stored in bags for 7 years. One bag done leaving one more to do when I get another box to put them in.

Should get around £23 for those unlistened to for all those years. Which means so far £44 made from old books and CDs to pay off that long term loan.

All cleaning done today, still deciding on what to cook for New Years day meal, nothing like leaving it till the last minute!

Chrysalis1976

On a roll today, that £19 over on food is not bad at all well done and the clothes and christmas challenges seem to help you focus well for you. I hope the effort you're making with the CDs is worthwhile, every little helps is definitely my motto for the next year!

fedupandskint

Thanks, those challenges certainly do keep me on track! Happy new year to you, have a good one!

As for me, went to see mum today and we had a good old mooch around the shops and she treated me, and I mean treated me, to a lovely coat which was half price in the sale but still quite pricey. What a lovely mum who told me it looked great on and should last me a few years unless I grow out if it, which I refuse to do! It's a lovely insulated modern looking one that will keep me warm on the station platform in winter and also be good for going to town at the weekend. Then can be packed away for next winter all neatly.

Also told mum how much I am overpaying on the loan in Jan, a lot, hence why buying clothes is not a priority for me while doing the house up and overpaying to pay the loan off ASAP.

Got nibbles for tonight, 2 treaty puds for the weekend, to go with the rest of the food for tonight and tomorrow.

Made my self exercise again today, twice this week, getting there at last and I intend to keep it going to get ready for the next active holiday break in a few weeks time!

Just need to pack for tonight then off out and hopefully out walking tomorrow.

fedupandskint

Firstly, Happy New Year to everyone, apologies for the delay.

Had a relaxing New Years Eve then went for a great day out walking which woke us up!

A lovely weekend with long dog walks, more shred with weights done yesterday and once more today.

Went back to work on Friday which was fairly quiet thankfully and meant it wasn't such a shock to the system today, like it appeared to be for some colleagues today!

Can't wait until the weekend arrives, no doubt this week will fly by.

Aiming to debloat over the next month or so and hopefully get back to my happy normal weight now all the Christmas food has gone

fedupandskint

I have eaten almost my whole body weight today, I've felt sooooo hungry for some reason, hormonal I think. Should be back to normal tomorrow as this tends to happen for one day.

Exercise planned for tomorrow night again too to make it 3 times this week.

Had an early night last night and slept straight through to my alarm going off, must have needed an extra hour or so! Think it will be the same tonight too!

Just gone through more CDs to see, small amount this time but I'll total it up with the other payment to pay towards that loan as every penny counts of course.

Used gift cards to buy a few sale items which comprise of a Christmas jumper for the next one, a bikini at a bargain sale price and a jumper as I'm getting sick of the sight of the ones I've worn for 2 years solid! Will see how they fit first and then decide to keep them. As gift cards paid for the I don't count them in my clothes budget and they don't count as spends.

NSD 4 today, looking forward to the weekend and a lie in!

fedupandskint

More CDs packaged up ready to go off to their new homes, total at £36 which isn't too bad considering they haven't been listened to for many years. All going towards the loan overpayments of course.

Exercise done once more this evening, getting there at last.

Weekend in its way at last!