2014 - keep crunching away

DebtFree2012

Morning

DH didn't end up riding we had a day out together instead which was lovely so I can't complain.

However my account seems to have taken a beating - I spent £26.46 on take aways/fast food so I'm going to add it onto the groceries and see where it leaves me at the end of the month.

I did however get some stocking filler xmas presents which I'm pleased with as I have 4/5 things now. That will come out of the savings I've already got for xmas.

On the gas and electricity front I've been thinking about how we can keep costs down. We need more wood really - we're running out. DH is going to fit a blind into the kitchen and upstairs landing. Also need to consider how to stop the cold coming from the back door - we have a utility that's freezing so I may need to put a winter curtain up somehow. Also there's an outhouse type loo in there which is always freezing but I don't think I can warm that up - just avoid letting it bring the rest of the house down. Will keep thinking - might get one put up October/November time when the nights are dark and colder. We have one at the front. I also need some draught excluders. Maybe they'd be cheaper to buy now, or make.

I've tried to get organised this week as mentioned previously. I'll be putting the washer on every night so I can hang the clothes out or in the spare room weather dependant. I'll get components for tea out the freezer the night before and try to get housework done twice a week.

Oh I put my metre readings in on Thursday - I wonder if they've generated the bill yet and if it matches my calculations......

DebtFree2012

I was a penny out (in their favour of course!) so at least I know I can enter my readings into my spreadsheet and work out what I will be charged - I can keep tabs on it weekly - or daily knowing me!

Food wise I've brought lunch in and got some chicken defrosted for tonight. I'll put it with some veggies and we'll have that for tea. Tomorrow I'll put the SC on in the morning as it's my long day and it'll make things easier for me.

Also speaking of food, I've decided to go down to 1 freezer as we're not making the most of the 2 we currently have. Then I'll sell the big one and put any proceeds to the curtains I need.

DebtFree2012

Morning

Well I did the freezer and turns out the big one which I no longer have is not worth selling as it was rotten and probably dangerous therefore we took it to the council to dispose of properly. So no money made however that's less electrcity being used in the long run. The food that was in there is now happily stored in the freezer in my kitchen which probably makes that run more efficiently too. I did defrost some things just to see what they are They've been in there longer than I can remember so I may have to part with them once I find out what they are.

That means the utility room is now ready to decorate - we're making a bit of a boot room in there so I can come in the back way once I come in from the yard. Also for the kids garden shoes and walking coats as they take up far too much room in my other cupboard which is in the house.

Money wise I will update my previous post showing what I've spent in June and I will include the take away that I so regret having. Everything else is on track.

I've had a curveball thrown in tho. I think it's time for DD to move onto a new pony but I can't afford livery costs. Oh and selling is not an option. I'm sleeping on this hoping an answer will present itself.

I've started my xmas lists and other bits and pieces lists which makes me happy. Little things, bigger fools right.

Work is ok at the moment - I'm starting on making an evidence file of the year which shows why I deserve a pay rise next year - we get asked for evidence every January for last year (rise comes in April) and 9 times out of 10 people can't justify it as they've not kept a record. So I'm starting one along with a plan for the next 6 months which should help when it comes to appraisals.

DebtFree2012

DebtFree2012 wrote: »

Groceries
Wed 25th (Ald1) £23.90 (£176.10 left)
Thur 26th June (S@insbury's) £3.99 (£172.11 left)
Sun 29th June (Ald1) £11.21 (£160.90 left)
Tue 01st July (Ald1) £11.10 (£149.80 left)
Wed 02nd July (Ald1) £8.61 (£141.19 left) stuff I forgot the night before!
Sunday 06th July (Ald1) £29.40 (£111.79 left) minus £26.46 take away sh1te (£85.33 left)

Diesel
Thur 26th June £50.12 (£119.88 left)
Tue 01st July £50.03 (69.85 left)

So diesel probably isn't going to last until 25th.....

Christmas so far
£11.25 DS smaller gift
£2.99 * 2 DF stocking filler book

I'll reply to the original one to bring it forward to the latest.

cazmanian_minx

Loaner for current pony, to stay at current yard?

DebtFree2012

Thanks for the thought Caz - I'm going to sleep on it as I've been doing some thinking and shuffling - money wise.

OK I got in a right panic yesterday about money and being in debt. It came from nowhere but it really knocked me sideways. Anyway, later on the same day, my current loan company offered me a deal. I'd been thinking of options all day as to how to help myself. So today I've applied for a loan with them maxing out what they offered me. It's now with their people to approve - I hope it goes through, I've worked out the new figures if it does.

Talking in round figures, I have 10.5k on a card which the 0% has just ran out on half of it and the remainder runs out staggered from now until Nov - right before Xmas! I can do without a hike to 16.9% in December thank you. So the requested loan which will clear this card - it's at 9.9% which I know is alot compared to what you can get on cards but as we know - I can get no more.

So that will clear that card and a small amount from another card. That then leaves me with "small" amount on card just mentioned (£2100) and larger amount on T£sco card (£5100). T£sco is at 0% until January. My plan is to move the £2100 over to 0% if and when I get offered it, with T£sco following suit. There's no rush for T£sco but I would feel better to close out 2 cards and have the one balance on that CC. That would leave me with the following

2 loans totalling circa 20k (feel sick)
1 card with £7200 ish (still feel sick)
1 card with £2000 ish (that's shed loads of money but I actually look at it and think it's nothing due to the extent of the others!)

So although I feel worse at the amount of debt, it's no different to what I owe today but the main thing is I know the loan is structured and has a definite end date where as the CC's sometimes feel like there's no end in sight. The remaining 2CC I will pay the 0% off at minimum each month and overpay as much or little as I can without getting shouted at by CC company.

DebtFree2012

OK so budget wise I need to be super savvy as have no overdraft to use now and IF the loan is approved it's going to be tight. I've kept the loan to finish in March 2018 which is the original DFD of my other one. I could have taken another 5 years but that's just too depressing!

So monthly I put £10 each away for the kids which covers shoes & coats for the winter and school uniform plus any other bits and pieces.
£50 month away for farrier/feed/extras that crop up (like £50 for dog last night unexpectedly - he's ok tho!)
£20 to lottery - worth it if we win!
£250 my share of mortgage
£40 school expenses (non uniform related)
£200 groceries
£170 fuel (this is under I think tho consumption will go down from Sept)
£......too much for livery (circa £400 a month, more in winter, less in summer)
£100 gas and electric (this is an issue as previously said....work in progress)
all other are DD bills opposed to anything I have control over.
£15 to xmas - again this needs to be more....the months my livery is less, this will be more - so for examply july's pay has £68 extra in it so that will go to xmas/heating!

LAM2011

My OH took up riding and we got him a horse - one fall and cracked vertebrae and the novelty wore off! we still have the horse and now I have a bossy horsey OH. Tells me off when I slouch - moans if my dressage circles are not round enough!! But he does tow me to all the competitions - can call a dressage test, put studs in so I suppose I shouldn't complain but there are days when I wished it was just 'my space'.

I was also going to suggest a loan on the pony

I transferred my loan to a better paying loan beginning of last year with the option of overpaying and what should have taken 3 years will now be paid off in October. Just be strict about not using or get rid of cards when they are paid off. I hope it works out for you.

DebtFree2012

Great advice there thank you. Today is one of those days I would be quite happy having my own space only!

DebtFree2012

Tonight will be a meal from the chooks for DH - Wednesday is rapidly becoming omlette day - nice and cheap. Kids can have a borderline unhealthy tea given they've done a good few days of healthy so they can have oven chips with ham and baked beans and I will have scrambelled egg on toast or something. A frugal, cheap tea.

I need to think of something for tomorrow. I've lost a bit of will when it comes to meal planning so will try harder. We're cutting back (diet wise) at the mo so I might just do variations of chicken and veg with rice or pasta for tomorrow and Friday then steak on Saturday with jacket potato and sunday lunch on Sunday. We have the meat in the freezer so only beg to be bought from Ald1.