Debt Destruction December!!!

Doodles1971

splodgethefirst wrote: »

Good evening!

NSD #2

This weekend I opened a new current account with Metr0 Bank - been moving my money around and giving it a go having 2 CAs - one with DDs/bills money, the other with spendy money.

has anyone else had experience with this? (realise it is somewhat contrary to the envelopes required by Kat - but I am very bad at having cash to be honest ...

Also read about the weekly saving challenge - you save the number of pounds for the week you are in ? considering making that a savings goal (but doing it in reverse so the highest amount goes out first)

I use the two bank accounts, one has all dd bills etc and dh wages go straight into that account to cover all those bills

Second account has rest of wages and we use this for living for the rest of the month. I'm the same not good with having cash around as spend it far too easy.

We have been doing this for about 7 years now and it works for us, makes sure you don't spend bill money which is what we used to do all the time.

Good luck with it hope it works for you:)

Mountaingirl

So sorry to not come back and post before now - I was just really rushing around for a couple of days.

So, I have 2 SFDs already, a very nice start.

My food budget will be quite high as I have guests over Christmas. I intend to spend just 200 on everyday food until the 22nd. Then I have another 300 to feed the hoards from the 23rd to the 31st. I'll be dragging stuff out of the freezer so I can defrost it before the christmas chaos.

I batch cook quite a lot already - we have homemade baked goods always and I cook up stuff like chilli and bolognaise in large pots! I will try and empty out my freezer and dream up some odd dishes over the next 2 weeks or so.

My 5 things I want to do next year are:
1.Take up running - not far, but 3 times a week
2. eat my 5 a day
3. get rid of half of my mortgage (this is very ambitious I have to say)
4. Complete the landscaping of the garden and the little DIY stuff in the house
5. make sure my weekends are chore free.

I'mm going to read the rest of the posts now and see what everyone is doing

abundant1972

Evening!!!

Am off to a productive start...

I changed my Direct Debit which will now go out on 01/01/14 for £560.00. I keep thinking that come end of October next year and all this money suddenly frees up I'm not going to know what to do with myself... I have money still to put aside for regular outgoings etc, and should have £40 excess each month to stash to one side.

I got a bargain deal on my car insurance renewal... my regular company quoted £240... and I got them down to £210... all paid for as had money saved!

Kat you'd be proud - turned down office xmas party when asked again - and opted myself out of the bran tub - I got many 'bah - humbug' comments but I can always fall back on the fact I'm pagan and Christmas is against my religion ha ha

:rudolf: Today = SFD number 2 :rudolf:

Yes - i know reindeers are Christmassy - but I just like them! They're cute!!!

Thrifty... I'm right with you on that one! I find I'm always waiting for the next pay day, so I can chip a bit more off the debt and as you say, sort the spread sheets and balance the books. The days in between are filled with thriftiness and work, and I lose count of how often I log into my online banking a day to check things against my budget ha ha!!! I'm obsessed!

I had an idea called 'a month ahead'... Work out how much you need to live on for a month including all your food, bills etc... How much would that be per day? Get a spread sheet with 31 boxes on... each filled in with the amount you worked out. When you have spare cash - you can drop it into a tin or jar labelled 'a month ahead' - as you fill each day, you colour it in... When it's full - you are then a month ahead of yourself and won't be always living for that next pay day... Plus it gives you something smaller you can strive for during the course of a month...

I don't know - this might go against the 'pay off all your debt first' principal, and is perhaps something we can do when debt free...? What do you think...???

Iwillsucceed_2

Hello all!

Ninjakat! I just want to take my hat off for your determination and focus to pay off your debt!! I want to congratulate you too!! You are an inspiration and you know it!

Regards!

abundant1972

By the time I finished writing my post two new ones had gone up talking about the weekly save challenge... Good idea!!!

So how does it work...? Would 1/1/14 be week 1 - so you save £1.00...8/1/14 week 2, so save £2.00... all the way through to week 52? If you do it in reverse you just save £52.00 in week 1 of January?

Habibiboo

Mountaingirl wrote: »

My 5 things I want to do next year are:
1.Take up running - not far, but 3 times a week
2. eat my 5 a day
3. get rid of half of my mortgage (this is very ambitious I have to say)
4. Complete the landscaping of the garden and the little DIY stuff in the house
5. make sure my weekends are chore free.

:wave: I'm really liking your goal #5 Mountaingirl, sounds like an aim I could really use myself (working from home means I always seem to be working) Do you mind if I bandwaggon that one?

splodgethefirst

abundant1972 wrote: »

By the time I finished writing my post two new ones had gone up talking about the weekly save challenge... Good idea!!!

So how does it work...? Would 1/1/14 be week 1 - so you save £1.00...8/1/14 week 2, so save £2.00... all the way through to week 52? If you do it in reverse you just save £52.00 in week 1 of January?

Indeed - though I am going to do it monthly (and backwards) - so month 1 = £202; month 2 - £186; month 3 - £170 etc back to month 12 (December!) - £10

cowboymum

Nsd here today - first one of December. Not much else to report apart from having a snotty cold. Have no idea what my 5 things for next year are - hum will have to have a good think.

EyesWideOpen

Hi all!
Checking in with SFD no 2.

I had a spend day on Monday, got a few groceries but nothing else. Monday I was good and batch cooked two different meals which has given 4 portions. I've still got some veg in so will make soup with that.I love a thick lush soup but I'm fairly new making them myself. Perhaps I can have your thoughts on what sort of soup to make? I have carrots, swede, garlic, onion, leek and potatoes. I've also got a well stocked cupboard with lentils, beans and some spices.what combinations would you go for?

Tomorrow will be a spend day as I will get rest of groceries. I will also try, if I get time, to get the last Christmas presents bought as I can then stay out of the shops until the new year.

With regards to the "no sales" rule this month I'm going through each of my items on my list of clothes I wanted to get for me and my girls and I have already brought it down from nearly £300 in the online basket to £185. If I am truly strict I can get it down further, just need to keep mulling it over.

Bex296 what are you doing your PhD in? I finished mine in 2012, in engineering. Have you long left?

Mountaingirl

Habibiboo wrote: »

:wave: I'm really liking your goal #5 Mountaingirl, sounds like an aim I could really use myself (working from home means I always seem to be working) Do you mind if I bandwaggon that one?

Be my guest Habibiboo! I want to have some proper 'down town' instead of feeling as if I am using the weekend to catch up all the time.