2014 - keep crunching away

DebtFree2012

August's pay: Grocery spends:

£30.19 T£sco


Diesel:


Christmas so far
£11.25 DS smaller gift
£2.99 * 2 DF stocking filler book
£26.97 DD/DS medium size - (hugg!£ buddy whilst on offer)
£12.74 (50/50 each) Stocking fillers for both children from amazon
£19.08 Personalised sweatshirt for DS from ebay (gorgeous)

DebtFree2012

A bitter sweet month then.

I've managed to make some big overpaymnets however with moving everything to 0% (which is fantastic long term) I've incurred the admin fees which mean although I've paid loads my new balance is only £386.01 less. Still it's less which is in the right direction.

However, now to the good news - the FANTASTIC NEWS - I'd updated my spreadsheet incorrectly and was still adding interest when I am at 0% so now I've removed that my CCV's DFD is July 2016 instead of Jan 2017!!!! Time for another update - hey, I've missed doing them for 2 weeks, I need to catch up.

DebtFree2012

July 2014 - open loan, pay off original CCV balance:T:T:T
August 2014 - move CCR to CCV if 0% offered:T:T:T
August 2014 - close CCR:T:T:T
December 2014 - move CCT to CCV and close CCT:T:T:TDone early
March 2015 - bonus due - make payment of c£750
April 2015 - company payrise, min 3% normally, payments up by £50 month
July 2015 CCV 0% (was CCR) runs out - ACTION NEEDED
September 2015 - CCF runs out so move CCF balance to CCV at 0% - All CC's in one place now
October 2015 - last payment to SLC
November 2015 - up CCV payment by SLC amount (£146)
March 2016 - bonus due - make payment of c£750
April 2016 - company payrise, min 3% normally, payments up by £50 month
December 2016 - Final payment to CCV - LAST PAYMENT TO CC EVER
March 2017 - bonus due - make payment of c£750
April 2017 - company payrise, min 3% normally, payments up by £50 month & [STRIKE]July 2017 - Final payment to CCV - LAST PAYMENT TO CC EVER [/STRIKE] now Dec 16

Loan not due to finish March 2018 so I can either save every month from [STRIKE]April[/STRIKE] Jan 2017 to have some savings OR save and pay the loan early. A decision I will make nearer the time

:beer:Update: Goodness me - I could be debt free in 2017!!!!! If I make extra payments to the loan once the CCV is paid off then I could clear it in September 2017 instead of March 2018!!!!!

PinkPoppies

What a great diary- subscribed!

I need to take a leaf out of your book and start recording all my grocery spends. Usually manage a frugal weekly shop but then never make a note of any little top up visits we make!

Nice to see some horsey people on here! I'm sort of ex-horsey, sadly sold my horses many years ago before our eldest was born- I miss it!

DebtFree2012

Hiya and welcome Thank you for your lovely comment - I don't know what I would do without this place and these diaries.

I'm finally managing to get on top of groceries since recording everything. It's meant I've tweaked my budget and now have a balance (hopefully) - winter food is nice and frugal, cheap SC stews as LAM said before - nice and easy

PinkPoppies

Absolutely- I love my slow cooker! Always feels as though someone else has cooked for me when I serve an evening meal that I have haphazardly chucked in it that morning!

DebtFree2012

Well today's not been too bad considering it was my first back in the office. I've got organised with everything I need to and starting to work my way through the mountain of emails I have.

I'm going to pop to Ald1 after I collect the kids and they can have fish finger tea and DH an omlette courtesy of the chickens. I'll have soup and naan bread (Thai soup and home made yum)

I have defrosted some diced beef and mince so that can go in the SC and get something made for tomorrow. I really fancy doing a chilli so might use the mince for that.

I'm going to have a night off surveys (eeey after 2 weeks off) as it's our wedding anniversary and will crack on with a few in the morning before work.

I have some serious targets to meet if I'm going to meet my forcecasts. Bring it on.

LAM2011

Hey DF - good to see you back and glad you managed a nice rest.

Works sounds like its going to be stressful but if it means more pennies for now then I suppose needs must eh?

I am trying to tackle our grocery budget as I want to help OH pay off his credit card and he has no idea of weekly menu / budget etc. its all left up to me. I am off to Ald* tonight to stock up. Its been a bit chilly here so going to get SC out . Nothing better than coming cold from the yard to a nice smelling stew. We are not fussy either so nothing fancy - as lot as its healthy and fills the gap. My OH is a builder so fills up extra with bread. Sadly I need to lose about a stone so I am going to resist the bread.

DebtFree2012

Morning world

Hiya LAM - I am in the same boat, have a stone to lose...then again winter's on the way and very MSE to use fat content to stay warm Good luck with the grocery challenge - I know you will manage it fine and dandy. I won't reap any rewards from work until April 2015 when they will review what I've done and look at bonus related pay etc - I don't get overtime but I will make sure I list everything out so they know what I've done over and above what I would have done without all this carry on. I have a plan!

It was a darker morning here following rain overnight. That's stopped now and it seems to be clearing up. I'm trying to adjust my morning's ready for the new school routine (I no longer have to rush around dropping DS off as he's starting school!) so this means I have more time. Initially I'd thought, "oooh a lie in" but now I'm thinking surveys!!
So as I'm back to work, I've been setting alarm for 6 and up by 6:10 (snooze!) then quick jobs around house and into 45 mins of surveys. If I can manage a few a morning and a couple after work or on a night depending on what day it is, then I might have a chance at making the monthly extra pennies to keep overpaying CCV. That combined with ebay and keeping groceries under budget will hopefully keep me ticking over and meeting any targets I will set.

I'm feeling very positive at the moment so long may it last.

The meat I thought I'd got out of the freezer turned out to be half right. One was mince which we're having tonight, the other was old, very old! Unfortunately it had to be binned. I recently merged 2 freezers and that was the last of the unlabelled so rest should be organised, she says.
Today I am at work until 3 and we're out for a farewell lunch which is costing me £6 however I've known the lady for years and will be sad to see her go.
After 3 I'll go home, get a tea on and take the dog for a walk, put some ironing away and then head off to the yard. Working tonight 8-10. Off to it then!

DebtFree2012

Love your new sig LAM!