Debt Destruction December!!!

Mountaingirl

CEW wrote: »

Hi All,

I have finally managed to force myself to post my first update since joining this challenge. Bit worried that I'm not doing too well but here goes:
j

Me too CEW, to my shame:o.

I have got all the Christmas stuff done now, at a cost of about 100 over budget. I also have spent almost all of the 200 food budget that was to see me to the 22nd, just have about 30 left for fresh veg but the good thing is that the freezer and fridge are well stocked and more store cupboard is also ample so I will be fine.

I am up to 6 SFD which is OK I guess.

the thing that's disturbing me is that my DH brought all our spreadsheets up to date and we are consistently overspending which is Not Good at all, and we cannot carry on. January is going to be a complete car crash money wise

Main things that eat money are: home improvements, childrens activities (lots of school trips to be paid for at the moment and I do want the kids to go on them) and childcare.

With respect to my aims, I have dug and extended the veg patch, got my chores under control more so my weekend is free -er, if not totally free.
I haven't yet run or really got stuck into the 5 a day, but a group of mums from the school are making a 'fat club' so we can all lose weight together in January.

Oh and I phoned my pension company and increased the amount I pay into it each month, so that's a very good thing as I need to make sure I'm not destitute in my old age.
I'm in the state of mind now that I really need to have a fresh start, thank goodness a new year is coming up!

LoveaDove

Sfd = Number 5 :j

I think it's the grey skies and pressure of Christmas that has us all staying tucked up indoors, enjoying naughty foods and putting on weight. It is really difficult to get motivated when the days are short, cold and cloudy. I see it as our way of semi-hibernating! Please please post though if you are feeling a little down, we are all here to cheer you up or lend an empathetic ear.

I shall also partake in a lovely brew :coffee:

And share some calorie free Cake with you lovely Hobbitses for our Elevenses ---> :bdaycake: (Just pretend the candles are not there)
(Also gluten free, sugar free and fat free! And Vegan friendly!)

fyggy

Good morning DDDers

I'm on my first of 3 night duties. T-5 nights to do in the next 3.5weeks before I finish this job. No nights in the new job. Normal hours. How strange (still!). I'm another NHSer - a few of us on this thread:T

I had hoped this post would be filled with all my up to date numbers and totals. However, I managed to leave my iP@d in my car. Boo. I am however on target in all budgets, despite this month being the least strict since the summer and I began Kat's challenges. It's the most boozey for 6 months too! But all under control.

We got our tree up on Tues. As planned we bought a smaller one and stood it on a table - so it stands as tall as the 8footers we used to get preLBM :rotfl: Had a lovely time going together to pick it, decorating, mulled wine, mince pies, Jingle All The Way film on, santa hats and then out for some Xmas drinks with neighbours- we live in a big converted Mill so it was a get together. Managed to come in on budget- £20. A good day/evening was had.

Money making has been good - £45 for LFC ticket (for a game I can't go to (given to guy who sits infront of me)), £60 owed by a friend & then I have £130 coming in next week from sales in 2nd job.

Still need to do food bank donation. Will organise myself. Suspect it'll be after xmas now as we go away to Bangor, NI on Tues for 6 days to visit my lovely in-laws. Neighbour is feeding my little tiger face so no boarding fees- she'd normally go stay at 'Grandmas' but we're bringing my DM with us too! Hoping this week with inlaws will be fairly inexpensive. We've got their present sorted - an album from our wedding last year & £7 Downton Abbey season 4 book. And doing a secret santa with my sibling inlaws.

All in all I'm happy with the Christmas gift spending so far. It's much better than in previous years. I've given myself a max of £10 budget per person, but invariably spending £7. Just got 1/2 of DHs gifts to get and my eldest nephew's which I know what I'm getting now. He's been the hardest to buy for, now aged 14. I 99% of the time get him LFC (football team) stuff as he's the only other mad Red fan in the family having been brought up well by my late Father. So there's the emotional attachment to wanting to maintain the Liverpool thing my Dad started/injected into him like he did to me. This is when I find spending sensibly more difficult.

SFDs = 6/15
Hoping today will follow suit as I'll be asleep in a 6 hours!:T

Decided I want to have paid off 50% off our CC debts by the end of 2014. That works out at £300 per month. I think it will be doable. Perhaps challenging in the first quarter, but we'll finish paying off our HP (£155 pcm) in March and 2nd home's backdated Rates (C.tax) will have dropped £30 pcm too.

Have a good day guys :money:

plymouthscubagirl

Tiptoes/Fmess- I think thats a fab idea. I need all the encouragement possible as I too have put on a stone nearly since Summer :eek: Work clothes getting tight and OH stupidly took wrong bag to charity shop in the summer (all my lovely next size up clothes) instead of tat I had. And they wouldn't give it back. Bless him, did make me chuckle as he called me from the shop, asking if I wanted him to buy back my jeans for £2.50 each

Anyone else putting goods in baskets and emptying them once the guilt sets in. I've even got as far as checking out too!!!

On a more positive note, today is going to be another SFD! And I just sold a load of smellies from my 'present' box at home for £50 to a male colleague. Bonus as that was stuff I bought in the Boots 75% sale last year! I sold it to him cost price!:j

Bex296

Hey everyone! I've been having a spendy few days... Monday was a SFD, but Tuesday was diesel, yesterday and today were the last few Christmas presents... Off to post them later on.
Getting close to budget limits though.... Will have to have a look at the receipts from the last few days and update those spreadsheets!

NinjaSavingKat

Hello everybody - I am being made to work! Boo Hiss! How are we all today - sorry for the lack of check in yesterday. I went to see Frozen with a friend who saw it on Saturday on her own and was wanting to see it again - it's rather good!

Oh would you crazies stop talking about January just yet ...:rotfl:.. I might work in some "health related" benefits to get you all up and active - you will have to wait and see. ALTHOUGH I am cancelling my gym membership and shall concentrate on my Yogalates Dvd's, my two kettlebells and my push-bike and actually get outside and do something!

So I have not a lot to report. Yesterday and today shall be SFD's taking me to a whopping great 6 SFD's...

Am in need of a new Ipod and Mother has said she will donate to the cause for Christmas but I need a large capacity as I will take it travelling ( £170 for 160gb Classic).. but the volume has been lowered due to EU regulations and I like to blast my ears off... the new Nano has no "hold" button so it would start playing in my tardas of a bag and embarass me on the tube... and the old one I had only goes up to 16GB... Grrrr Can't someone just give me a Classic....:rotfl:

Anyway - that is my dilemma for the day - that and whether I should eat lunch now or wait until 1530 ( I am here until 1900).....

Decisions decisions.....

apple_muncher

[QUOTE
Am in need of a new Ipod and Mother has said she will donate to the cause for Christmas but I need a large capacity as I will take it travelling ( £170 for 160gb Classic).. but the volume has been lowered due to EU regulations and I like to blast my ears off... the new Nano has no "hold" button so it would start playing in my tardas of a bag and embarass me on the tube... and the old one I had only goes up to 16GB... Grrrr Can't someone just give me a Classic....:rotfl:
decisions.....[/QUOTE]

Kat, could you not look on gumtree, ebay, even freegle? Or do Appple do reconditioned kit? Tho this may not suit you for your 5 year expedition as they may not have enough warranty.

MrsGSR

Argh grrr, had to ruin a SFD to buy work gloves as the fingers went in mine last night and I really do need them as I get really bad exema and my grip isn't great. Yes i guess I would sew the ends up but as the gloves are cheap it's easier to replace than repair esp as I'm not great at sewing.
Still I'm going along ok, only used half my fuel allowance this month so that's good. On sunday I'm taking DD to a Christmas fayre then I am going out in the evening so my personal spends will be used up then. I'm confident I will achieve all my SFDs this month.

kangadoo

Today has been a NSD for me, but the last couple of days were spendy... but also savey!

On Tuesday I spent money on food (had no milk and, more importantly, no cheese left!) but I met a friend and saved money by using my C0sta points to buy a drink, then earned some money doing a focus group thing for a friend. I also took some horrible cheese back to the supermarket, and they replaced and refunded which I didn't expect, so that was good! Yesterday I bagged a free chocolate selection box through the Co-op app offer (though to be fair it was such a hassle I almost wish I hadn't!) but, after getting really depressed about the state of my skin, bought an expensive cream to try and see if it will help. Only I bought it on eBay for £18 less than the Boots price, so I'm being a good girl!

While these aren't huge life-changing things (well, frankly I'm hoping the cream is!) it shows how my habits have changed - I'll go out of my way to use points and take halloumi-that-tastes-of-soap back, whereas before I'd have just let points build up and the minging food would have just been accepted. As for my time in the Co-op trying to convince them I wasn't a master fraudster... well, let's just call it character building! :rotfl:

I'm going to have to do something about Christmas soon, though. Have avoided it as much as possible, but there are a few people I need to buy gifts for. Just need to try and keep things as minimal as possible - and hope no-one is disappointed when I don't go overboard

LoveaDove

First Things First -I think I am turning into a real life hobbits!! I have not stopped snacking all day, pretty much on the hour every hour! I've also been sporting my fluffy slippers all day (the joys of working from home) which could be my equivalent to hairy feet! Yikes! Good job that I will be going for a run later, but still not an excuse to eat as excessively as I have. hrrrrmmmmm.

Today is my 6th Sfd! :j

Not sure if tomorrow will be a Sfd, it will be petrol dependent. Saturday will definitely be a Spend day, heading into London to experience Winter Wonderland and then the West End in the eve. So I need money for trains, will try and take my own lunch, money for dinner and promised my OH ice skating for part of his Christmas present, however went to book both WWonderland and Somerset House rinks the other day and both were fully booked. Boooo. So will see if he fancies doing anything else- we usually get 2-4-1 entry with our train tickets for a lot of London attractions, so shall see if we can find an alternative, as I'd budgeted £30 for our skating. May be he'll be happy to do something for freeee?? We shall see! :A

Got my grump on with the weather today. It has been foggy the last few days and even when it has lifted it has left the air feeling very damp= drying any washing even a little bit out of the question as there's no breeze. I did try my luck earlier when the sun came out but my washing actually ended up being wetter than what it was when I first put it out, so i had to do a very un-frugal thing and chuck it in the washing machine for an extra spin to get it back to it's former level of sogginess.

Anywho, enough wittering....

IT'S NEARLY FRIDAAAAY!! :T