Debt free by 40 -- 19 Months and counting

Jamdown1

Hi Steph i have read through your diary and is very interesting and you are doing well. Glad your husband's operation went well too. I think your stress and worries money and parent wise are normal and to paraphrase my hubby when I am in eternal guilt mode, just by being "bothered" and making plans and efforts means you are doing a good job.

In terms of YNAB which admittedy I have never used, you periodically mention that it does not really adjust for a five week month. Do you already convert monthly and periodic expenses to a 52 week weekly breakdown? So say mortgage is £500 pm, x £500 by 12 and divide by 52. Oil is say £350 per quarter £350 x 4 ÷ 52. Twice annual payments such as NI £NC4 x 2 ÷ 52.

Also in terms of a current account buffer possibly leading to ability to meet the mortgage on DD, do you round up all outgoings to multiples of £5. So for eg my broadband is £31 but I input £35. A trickle here stretching bill payments and there soon leads to a buffer slowly building. It also helps soften the blow with the brown/white envelopes in Feb/Mar advising how much life's blood essential bills are extracting out of you in the new tax year.

Also I have found a simple grocery shopping app is the best for when doing Aldi or in store shop if you still go there. Again I round up prices and I think for me just the process of walking round with my phone really checking the grocery supplies at home in an effort to get on budget works well. I usually do an initial list the day or days before and then go over it when I am ready to actually go to the shop and it works cause you have that 24 hour think as to one wine bottle or four .

Sorry post so long - I also abandoned swimming lessons for my second dd a few years ago as the stress racing home from work was too much. She learnt to swim in year four anyway a couple of years later and as someone says I will let her do intensive one week booster sessions in holidays.

kelpie35

I am so pleased that your hubby is home safe and well.

I am sure you will nurse him back to full health in the very near future.

I think you have some really excellent ideas about raising money for your family. I am sure that you will find your niche very soon. You are such a determined person, you will get your rewards very soon.

Take care.

Puzzcat

Hi Steph,

Glad hubby is home and wish him a speedy recovery..!!

FEET... yuk... don't like mine, let alone anyone else's...!!!!

Hope the sun shines again soon and you can enjoy the last few weeks of the holidays with your little people...

Take care of you.
Love Puzz. x

wantabetterlife

Great news that the OP went ahead....hopefully he has a speedy recovery. I personally find the kids really hard to entertain over the summer and they are constantly "bored". Really looking forward to them being back at school so I can have some time to myself

dawnybabes

Glad he's ok.

I'd have the massage and don't tell them that's what you do and probe them about how they get work :-)

sweetpea26

Delighted to hear the op went ahead and all went well. He sounds in good form and hopefully will heal well and very quickly. That is that sorted Steph.

I think you should do the initial course and see if Podiatry is really for you. My daughters friend has just graduated and has had no problem in finding a job which is wonderful.

Its hard to believe that we are half way through August before you know the kids will be back at school. Where does time go.

take good care of yourself and I hope the bay of E works out well for you. God bless

mummytogirls

Glad to hear DH is back home following his op xx

StressedSteph

Jamdown1 wrote: »

Hi Steph i have read through your diary and is very interesting and you are doing well. Glad your husband's operation went well too. I think your stress and worries money and parent wise are normal and to paraphrase my hubby when I am in eternal guilt mode, just by being "bothered" and making plans and efforts means you are doing a good job.

In terms of YNAB which admittedy I have never used, you periodically mention that it does not really adjust for a five week month. Do you already convert monthly and periodic expenses to a 52 week weekly breakdown? So say mortgage is £500 pm, x £500 by 12 and divide by 52. Oil is say £350 per quarter £350 x 4 ÷ 52. Twice annual payments such as NI £NC4 x 2 ÷ 52.

Also in terms of a current account buffer possibly leading to ability to meet the mortgage on DD, do you round up all outgoings to multiples of £5. So for eg my broadband is £31 but I input £35. A trickle here stretching bill payments and there soon leads to a buffer slowly building. It also helps soften the blow with the brown/white envelopes in Feb/Mar advising how much life's blood essential bills are extracting out of you in the new tax year.

Also I have found a simple grocery shopping app is the best for when doing Aldi or in store shop if you still go there. Again I round up prices and I think for me just the process of walking round with my phone really checking the grocery supplies at home in an effort to get on budget works well. I usually do an initial list the day or days before and then go over it when I am ready to actually go to the shop and it works cause you have that 24 hour think as to one wine bottle or four .

Sorry post so long - I also abandoned swimming lessons for my second dd a few years ago as the stress racing home from work was too much. She learnt to swim in year four anyway a couple of years later and as someone says I will let her do intensive one week booster sessions in holidays.

Hi Jamdown,

Wow what a fab post, thank you so much for posting on my diary with some amazing ideas. You have given me lots of food for thought, especially the rounding up of bills to gradually build up a buffer. i will also look at the dividing into 52 weeks plan as I must admit to not having really looked at my budget that way, it might help make a difference as I am very often caught out by that 5th week.

Thank you so much for the kind words about just by me worrying about the children's proves I am in the least doing my best/ good job. I constantly feel worried about one thing or another and never truly feel at peace. I think that is why is is crucial that I get us in a good financial position as it will solve alot of my worries and hopefully make the inside of my head a nicer place to be

I am off to examine my YNAB account and see how I can make some changes :T

StressedSteph

Hi all

Thank you so much for all your lovely posts, hubby is doing well, I am not proving a very good nurse but just trying to save him having to get up for any reason.

The children have been abit bored yesterday and today as we need to stay at home to help hubby as much as possible. Ds has thankfully been invited to a friends for a sleep over tonight and went this morning, so that is him out of the house and entertained. Dd is abit bored but might try to get her to help me in the polytunnel for an hour or so this afternoon.

Good news on Fleabay, After being let down by the sale of an old motorbike last week, I have managed to sell it again for more money. I sold today for £107, if I take off the fees I should get £87 which cn go into my emergency pot in case we run low on funds during hubbys sick period.
FIL bought over 5 kitchen chairs that he put on our bonfire last week. I pulled them off and have sold them on Fleabay for £20. Not much but its better than nothing.

Fingers crossed both of these buyers turn up with the cash in their pockets.

I found out yesterday that the old friend that works on peoples feet at a local surgery is only a Foot Health Practitioner. This is good news as it encourages me that work can be gotten in surgeries and potentially residential homes without having to get a degree in Podiatry. I sent her a text saying hi and asking her how she is getting on as an FHP etc. Not had a reply yet, hopefully she does reply. Thinking now I probably should have called her but I guess I chickened out . I would be really lovely to hear that she has plenty of work and opportunities as the training course is around £1000-£1500 :eek:. Seriously do not want to commit to that kind of cost without speaking to a practicing FHP to know that the work is there.

Trying to think of something that we can do with the children over the last two weeks, I kind of feel like I have run out of steam as well as money.

Tempted to take the children to the Bournemouth Air festival this Saturday but not sure how easy it will to park and not knowing the area very well it might just be alot of very stressful driving.

Hope you are all having a good week xx

abba1772

Well done on the ebay sales fingers crossed they collect their items quickly xx