Starting early...

Katzen

...before we've even finished accumulating all our debt! _pale_

We bought our forever home in June and were lucky to be offered an affordable loan from my Mum &Dad to pay to extend and renovate the place. 5 months on and the building is underway but we've made the classic mistake of totally underestimating our costs and not having a contingency. We are fortunate that our credit history is good so we have got a 0% balance transfer card and a 0% purchase card between us, which should cover the shortfall to get it all watertight and good enough to move in- fingers crossed!

Current debt stands at £8500 to bank of M&D and £1750 to barclaycard. Final debt will be more like £30,000 to M&D and a further £6000 to Tesco credit. The good news is that once we move in we have our current property to rent out and up our income, which will cover repayments to my parents, with the rest coming from whatever we can save from our income. I know I've done the sums right and we can manage this, especially if we can be sensible about what we spend on decorating (I'd rather wait and save for a new kitchen than put any more on the debt, DH is a little more 'live for the moment' about money), but I also know if I don't keep a tight reign we will be deep in the brown stuff for a very long time to come!

This diary will be used to keep me on track, stopping me slipping but also reminding me of the progress we make.

Plan of action:
-Complete the grocery challenge to get food spending on track again
-Give up alcohol for November to reduce grocery spending and improve my mood (I think self medicate my SAD through the winter months)
-Inventory food stocks and get some used up. This will also help when we eventually move house
-Pay in my £1/£2 savings pot (£92 this year) and start the one for next year
-Track my personal spending and aim for £50 extra in savings by the end of the month
-Get back to 'Needs not Wants'

Best get started...

Piquant_2

Welcome to your new shiny diary! Good luck with the debt free journey

Piq

Katzen

Thank you for the welcome Piq

Today I have:
-banked the coins from my tin
-been to the gym to make use of my membership and improve my mood
-eaten leftover soup for lunch
-walked the dog (just missed the worst of the rain!)
-done shopping and then menu planning. Probably would've been better if I'd done those the other way around though
-had a nap and a nice cup of tea:D

Katzen

Didn't get chance to update yesterday, had a busy one doing bits at the new house. Even helped to lay the bathroom floor so maybe I'm not as useless at DIY as I thought . Managed a trip to the gym and no alcohol. Not so good on the sugar free diet or the NSD but did only buy the honey needed for dinner (which was lovely) and no extras so that's good. Must remember to return library book today to avoid fines

Katzen

First NSD today :j was going to drive in to town to return a library book and then walk the dog. Decided to kill two birds with one stone by walking the dog into town, 35 mins each way but not a penny spent:A
Dinner was some pasta and pesto to use up some that was looking a bit furry in the fridge so double :A for today. If I can just keep this up for another couple of years then we will be all good

Katzen

Not a NSD today sadly as I had to go get my flu jab. Did spend the remaining £3 from my tenner on donations for the Christmas food bank appeal at school and also walked there and back with the dog so I do feel another little :A is in order. Was going to go hockey training tonight but the fireworks seem to be bothering the dog today so doesn't seem fair to leave him alone. Will stay in and get some lessons planned instead I guess.

Katzen

Another NSD and AFD today. Was also going to be a gym day but got as far as the end of the road, realised I was late and decided to turn around to spend an extra 40mins with DH before he went to work. Not a bad day really but must get myself to bed now- yawn!

Katzen

Tiny spend today so I'm not going to count it as it was change from the bottom of my bag. I do feel bad but that's the end of my bag change so it will be the last! Other than that, another alcohol free day and a gym trip. Little sad that the pumpkin I cooked at the weekend didn't last until I got to eat it tonight, although I can't be sure that's not just what pumpkin tastes like.

Katzen

Friday night and I'm in on my own as DH is out at a leaving do. Trying so hard not to open the bottle of wine I have just found hidden in the back of the cupboard. Instead I have put a chilli in the slow cooker and treated myself to half a tin of peaches with fat free yoghurt. Sometimes I am so rock and roll that it hurts :rotfl:

hummingbird

Well done Katzen, just dropping in to say hi!:j

Katzen

Didn't update yesterday as it turned into a busy one. Slept in and was late for hockey match, then back home, quick change and out into town with DH. He treated me to lunch/dinner then went off for an appointment, leaving me to mooch alone. I didn't spend a single penny :j Today has included the weekly shop and a little Christmas gift for Mum from a discount store (which I saw in a different branch yesterday but held off so I could keep the NSD). Not happy that my weekly shop wasn't very cheap. DH is working most of this week and eats dinner at work so I eat out of stores or freezer those days, so I only needed a couple of main meals for the week and it still came to too much. Did include a couple of bits for the food bank appeal but that wasn't more that £2.50. Must try harder with my shopping list and making sure I stick to it exactly.