New Plans for 2014!

Save_me

Hey Jonesy88, you'll have to let me know if/when it pans out! Sometimes it's hard being so sensible isn't it!

Save_me

Hello All

Well payday for OH happened on Friday but it looks like nothing has gone out just yet so I can't update anything. Hopefully I'll get a chance to check tomorrow and see my debts reduce!

I've just downloaded a new (free) app but it doesn't seem to be calculating the debt free period correctly. As it stands (I haven't finished entering all of my debts) I will be debt free August next year - that's without entering in my planned overpayments.

Does anyone have this app and do you know what I'm doing wrong? I've put the debt information from January, eg, Loan current balance = £7822. IR 15.9%. Monthly payment = £310. When I click on that debt, it then changes from monthly payments during Jan & Feb of £310 up to £792 in March and higher during the rest of the year.

It looks like it could be a handy, motivational app if/ when it works.

Anyways, still trying to be careful and not go mad. Resisted the urge to buy a new fireplace over the weekend even though this would help us to complete one room being decorated. So tempting!!

Plan for the week includes making lunch for us both each day and going to the gym as much as possible so it distracts us from spending! I also want to start listing a couple of things on e*ay (even though I hate using it!) so I can declutter and get some money to pay off debt.

I've just written a couple of letters to try and claim back PPI. One I know my OH did have and the other is on a loan from so long ago I don't even have statements to check. I can only write and ask and see what comes back... you never know...

Save_me

Woop woop! I can (finally) change my signature! :beer:
One payment made (actually the first) to my personal loan. The rest should be paid by on the 4th, 11th & 18th - it's a pain when they don't all come out on the same day!

Now to keep on track for this month so I can aim to pay my family back £1000 by Christmas (£800 ready to go and payday on the 20th). :j

All Christmas presents (except OH and mine) are bought and paid for so just need to think of something not too expensive to get each other and then we are done!

Now what to do about a car... oh, and a holiday for next year... :eek:

purple_angel_2

Hello Save me,thought I would pop by and say hi.:hello:

Well done on your progress on far.xx

Save_me

Hey Purple Angel! Thanks for popping by!

I'm still trying to be good, but it probably helps that I'm feeling a bit rundown lately and haven't got the energy to think about decorating the new house or buying my dream wardrobe!

As we've tried to be so careful I've planned a 'date night' Saturday so we can either go out and get some food or maybe get a takeaway. Plus the weekend is going to be for putting up the Christmas tree and having a big clean before the big day (not sure why I go so mad but I can't help it!).

It's funny but money pours out of our accounts left, right and centre and it didn't really concern me too much before. Now I've started to watch what we are spending and try to repay some debt I spend my evenings watching the online banking to tot up each and every penny!

It's hard to get my head around how much should be in there (it's minus figures at the mo but we knew that would be the case while we got ourselves sorted). I get paid on the 20th of each month and OH is on the 1st. Direct Debits come out throughout the month so I never really knew how much would be left over. My planner gives me some help but it's still tricky.

Anyway, enough moaning! I've got a lovely hot cup ot tea and a bar of chocolate from the OH to get on with - he's good to me! :A

Save_me

It feels as though my lightbulb has switched off today and I've barely begun. I think it's because I've had a boring day and now a boring night. I'm wondering how to keep going trying to entertain my little family while spending barely anything.

Is there a page with free/ low-cost ideas for entertainment on the weekend? Something we can look forward to so it doesn't feel like such a strain.

I think the fact that my plan is just about do-able and now I've got to add another £1000 to a paid off card to be able to buy another car is just making it seem impossible. I know that come the New Year, we will want to do things or buy things for the house and while I was hoping to do this now and again, the extra card payments are going to make this impossible!

Tomorrow will be better. I'm going to go for a first and not spend a penny (except the weekly shop at L*dl) this weekend. We are putting up the decorations Saturday and maybe I'll use Sunday to finally get online and start selling some things!

Save_me

Oh well, it's done. The car has been bought (and not quite paid for). I'll add the extra debt to my signature now :eek::eek:

At least we know what the figure is finally and can just catch up on paying things back asap. It does mean we will have only £250/month for fun and overspends. I'm sure it's achievable but I just know how much we spend as it is and to all of sudden stop is going to be hard.

I'm going to look at batch cooking on the weekends I think. It'll give me something to do and stop me from being lazy if I've had a hard day at work (yesterday was MaccyD's so we've moved our treat night from Sat to compensate).

Plus with Christmas coming up, we can spend time visiting friends and family which should make our time feel well spent instead of reaching for the card.

I think I'll also plan our 'date' nights better so every 2 weeks we've got something decent to look forward to. I'll aim to use vouchers for meals out so it's cheap but just as nice.

I feel a bit better about the process today and have a bit more of a 'can-do' attitude. Hurry up January so I can pay some more bills!! :T

Domayne

Hi save me! I'm also along for the debt busting ride, Although my debts aren't that big and I've not had a super active social life for a long time now, my biggest downfall was a game I play I used to spend anywhere from £300-1k a month on it! I still spend there but I've cut it down to 30-60 a month (will be even less after 'lumi' (game version of xmas) is over) but I find that I've had to cut the time I spend playing there to about 1-2 hours a day to not be tempted to spend anything...Now on weekends, I really enjoy baking! Tomorrow I'm going to make some chocolate brownies and a lemon drizzle cake, and while its not free - it is pretty minimal costs and they last for quite a bit of the week and I take them into work with me with packed lunch or left overs from the previous night (was previously spending at least £5 a day on food at work!) I'm not sure where you live, but you can google for free things to do in your area, like museums, concerts or go for walks and take a picnic from home with your other half etc (although it might be a bit cold for picnics now xD) I also watch ALOT of movies on netflix/lovefilm these days and have an unhealthy obsession with the food network channel, but least its free! ....I like doing magazine competitions as well...especially take a break lol I've not won anything so far but I have fun doing them and its only 78p a week! Also I've been recommended a site called pinterest, I haven't checked it out yet but I hear they give good tips on crafty things and other activities you can do!

Save_me

Hey Domayne! I've been addicted in the past to computer games and it's taking me a long time to stop. I luckily didn't pay anything for them (except the initial purchase price) but it does take up your day!

Thanks for the activity tips. I will be baking tomorrow and taking the dog for a walk so it gets me out of the house for a bit!

I've just gone over my food budget for this week by £10 but hopefully I can claw this back in the next couple of weeks so for the month I can be within budget. It is coming up to Christmas so I'm not going to be too hard on myself but I also don't want to buy lots of things 'just because it's Christmas'!

I checked my Paypal account yesterday and found nearly £90 in there so sent it straight to my bank and paid some more off towards our bank loan! That was a good feeling :A

I think there's zero fees tomorrow on fleabay so I'm going to try and shift some things so I can add more to the loan repayment!

Save_me

I've just tried to go to bed but can't sleep. It was supposed to be an early night as I have loads to do for work tomorrow but I just don't feel well and got a million things running through my head.

All of a sudden, my Student Loan popped in my head. I don't normally give it too much thought but then I suddenly realised, that's a debt too! I pay each month and get my annual statement and although it does go down, it's not by very much.

I jumped up and did a calculation and I need to pay £133 a month for 10 years to clear it! I am paying anyway (not too sure of the figure right now) but the above is without interest added on.

If I stick to my original 2014 plan of paying the usual debt (CC & Loan) and if I want my 2015 plan to include saving and overpaying the mortgage so that I can start trying for a baby towards the end of the year, when should I start overpaying and get rid of the Student Loan??

Now plans change, but if I could overpay on the mortgage by £500/ month (max amount currently) from 2015 onwards, it would reduce the term from 30 years to 18! Surely this is better than worrying about repaying the Student Loan back?

Argh! I hate all of these figures running around my head! It's a constant worry now and I panic that my calculations are wrong and I may push us over the edge.

I even resorted to buying a lottery ticket tonight :rotfl:! I tried to go to sleep dreaming about all of the debt I would pay off (inc. mortgage) if I won, but then that got me thinking about all of my debt! :mad:

I think I need a holiday!