2014 - keep crunching away

DebtFree2012

So tonight was the start of taking my life back. I finished work on time and made a lovely tea for us all, healthy and cheap. Then went to the yard with DD. As I can't afford a new pony I've decided to go back to basics and educate my daughter to enjoy having a pony, learn the old fashioned basics and the same with the riding, go back to basic schooling. There is no rush, we're not training for anything and it's all about the fun and being safe so I feel stacks better.

DebtFree2012

Morning world

It's Friday yipee!

Tonight's tea will involve fish. We have hoards of the stuff I've found out. It hides in the freezer. So I shall find a nice recipe for DH and I to have once the small people are in bed. I will feed them soup and bread for Friday tea.

Work today until 3 (I'm popping home at lunch time to hand the washing out if it stays dry and give the washing machine a clean cos that's how I roll), then collect kids and home. We'll have tea then go to the yard 4:30 ish for a couple of hours then bath for them.

Hopefully this weekend should be a spend free weekend (when I say that I mean non planned spends). So I will have fuel and Ald1 to pay for buy money there for that (just). We're going to the school fair Saturday which is an expensive ordeal if you let it be, however I'm going to tell the kids they can take £5 of their own money each which will make them think about what they want to spend it on instead of wanting everything as it's Mam or Dad's money.

After the school fair we will probably take the dog out somewhere and have a nice few hours out then back to do hoss' and maybe have bbq for tea. I quite fancy chilling round the bbq with a glass of vino. No plans Sunday (except horses) so we can do something fun then and I'll make a Sunday lunch too. Might even do a rice pudding for afterwards like the good old days or make fairy cakes with the kids.

Yesterday I cleaned downstairs and it made such a difference to my mood. I felt happy, really happy opposed to stressed and short tempered. This weekend I need to do upstairs and change the beds and air them off and get the clothes all ironed and put away.

I think that's it for home. Work is going fine, this week's flown past. Although I don't feel very motivated today lol, I do feel motivated in general with work and keep reminding myself it's paying the debts off so the better I do here, the more chance I have of a merit related pay rise and the sooner I can pay off debt.

DebtFree2012

Found a paella (sp?) dish for tonight so will use the fish in that and hope it tastes ok. Will also make HM fish fingers with DD and DS, maybe tomorrow to use some more.

After looking at recipes I now have a craving for rhubarb crumble.

pennywisepoundstupid

Hi Debtfree2012, just finished reading through your diary, I'm in awe at how you stay so motivated.

I am also paying off a huge debt, whilst trying to have a life, we also have a mixture of animals, which I wouldn't be without and If we didn't have them would mean we were out of debt quicker but I love my animals and if it takes a bit longer then so be it.

Hope you had fun at the school fair, I also give my children a set amount of money for those kind of events and when its gone tough.

Take care and I hope youdon't mind but I've subscribed and wil keep popping in.

DebtFree2012

Hi pwps - thanks for dropping by and welcome I'll be here a while!!!

Well good news - the loan's in my bank, well it was It's now on it's way to CCV to clear that balance meaning no £100 interest this month! The first payment to the new loan is due 28th (at my request) and I've update my spreadsheet to show it.

I'm sure now the CCV will be clear, they will offer me a 0% BT.

So this weekend, I continued to try and "take my life back" and get back to basics. I realised that I spend too much time dreaming about being DF and forgetting about what will happen in the mean time. So now, instead of planning my DF life I am planning today and tomorrow and the 6 weeks holidays and Christmas (yes I said it). 2018 is the year for dreaming about being DF as it will be happening then.

For now, I have a budget to stick to and a life to have. That started with a lovely Friday night inlcuding a walk with the dog, bike ride with the kids and 2 hours at the farm with the horses.
Saturday saw more horse time and I went to the school fair as planned, just myself and DD as DH disappeared funnily enough. DD enjoyed it and came home with 50p spare, winnings from hook a duck, 2 cakes and a bag of sweets which she shared out.
Sat afty we all went to town, DH & DS had a haircut (DH pays), had an ice cream (DH again), home and got the washer on, did a few jobs then chilled on the deck chair watching the chooks and the kids play with DH. Ended up having a snooze then went to feed the horses. Nice and relaxing.
Sat night DH and I sat in the garden with a fire going (chimnea, not bonfire!) and shared a bottle of red - it was lovely. We just chatted and I didn't feel rushed or like I had forgotten something. I didn't steer the conversation to moving house (as I normally do) and I felt like I was achieving something (personal, small things and all that).

Sunday we had a bit of a lie in, horses (raining, not as enjoyable), shopping, fuel, home, park with DH, kids and dog for nice walk and bike ride then home to bake. Made some lovely cookies and cakes then sat together just relaxing. Made a Sunday lunch for tea then ate cake!

I did still have that awful sickening feeling last night which I can only put down to coming back to work on a Monday. I wish it'd go away.

Anyway - in today and got lots done this morning so feeling smug, on lunch now then done at 3 to collect kids.

Baldybear

Good morning Wow what a great weekend.

So glad the loan has gone through and fingers and hooves crossed you get that balance transfer offer!

Sounds like you have a new mindset and hope you get those dreams

DebtFree2012

Thanks BB Indeed I have and I am really enjoying it!

Quick update as I'm on a course and need to concentrate but had to check accounts in case any problems. Loan has now cleared the CCV so that stands at zero I know I still have the debt but it's still nice to see.
No fuel costs for 2 days as have hire car and also get 2 nights to myself as lovely friend doing hoss' and I have no evening work whilst on course Lots of family time, even if I'm shattered by the time I get in.

Will post properly tomorrow.

DebtFree2012

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 (£85.33 left)
Wed 07th July (Ald1) £27.96 (£57.37 left)
Sun 13th July (Ald1) £43.66 (£13.71 left)

Diesel
Thur 26th June £50.12 (£119.88 left)
Tue 01st July £50.03 (69.85 left)
Wed 07th July £30 (£39.85 left)
Sun 13th July £50 (£10.15 over budget)

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

DebtFree2012

So I think I have found out why I was overdrawn each month! I am being frugal (but not ridiculous) with food plus not using the car for unnecessary things. At least I can see what I need to really budget opposed to what I'd like to budget for the future. Will have a think.

DebtFree2012

Well lunch time is here already. Had a busy morning at work (had to do my figures above tho). It's good when it's steadily busy as the days don't drag - I hate having nothing to do.

I do feel that the next 12 months are going to be crazy here. There's a HUGE project going on and no one seems to know who is in charge and what's happening. People are pointing in all directions and there's alot of stress going around. I'm keeping out of it as much as my job allows me to and focussing on what I can do to improve on the first 6 months (which we repeat the cycle in the last 6 months). My aim is to remain organised and calm. I refuse to get as stressed as I was in June.

Home wise I'm staying afloat with jobs tho haven't done great with teas for a few days but no great deal. The cakes we baked at the weekend went down fabulously - can't do every week as we'll be like house ends, but deffo a rainy day task which we all enjoyed.

I'm going to see my son in nursery today as we're invited to watch them work which will be nice, then collecting DD and off to Ald1 again haha! We've not butter or milk - bad mother that I am!

Tea will be something quick for the kids and maybe an omlette for DH courtesy of the chooks. I'll eat when I can as need to go to the farm and work 8-10 tonight.

Tomorrow, after work, both kids will come with me to the farm straight after school (if I leave it later DS is tired and argumentative, esp as end of the week!) then home for some family time, walk dog, garden play weather permitting and then bed for them.

I must check the weather as I do believe we need an ark for Saturday by all accounts.