Paying the car tax via EBay, and other shenanigans.

PurpleFairy26

Ooh exciting news on house. Hope it was quickly for you. Glad DS is enjoying nursery, my two loved it too (well youngest still does) boo to big expenses.

in_need_of_direction

Things have changed so much for you since you started. Who thought you'd have nursery fees to factor in. Well done for handling all the changes so brilliantly.

mfmaybe

Have spent a lot of time today updating my finance spreadsheets which had been ignored whilst off on mat leave. Luckily I managed to curb the spending quite a lot so the finances were ok, I just didn't know what I had spent. I have spent at least £2k this year so far on stuff for house sale - between some new curtains and lampshades (that will move), home reports, marketing fees, septic tank emptying, etc. Some of which we'd have had to spend anyway. Also more than I realised on clothes etc for DS. Oops. Will have a good look at it again later in the week.

The new higher mortgage is coming out, it's annoying me when I know I could be paying less. However, house is on the market and I have a note in one month to remortgage if its not shifted. We had a very positive viewing but they aren't taking it forward, and otherwise it has been quiet so far. I must remember that we aren't in any real hurry to sell as such. I did pay the annoying parking fine though as didn't want to risk any controversy if we are going to be remortgaging.

Nursery vouchers should start to come off this month which will save me a tiny bit in tax.

I have a good bit in savings so I have re-badged some of it for potential big bills, and the rest (£4k) is unallocated to go towards house sale costs/new home stuff.

Also worked out will have about £2.5k left on 0% card when it runs out. I am dwelling on what to do about that. My credit is in good shape and actually I don't think having this balance is doing me any harm so I may transfer it; but I have the savings to pay it if needs be.

I am quietly wondering if I could revitalise fleabay, as the enormous car tax is sitting on my credit card. It needs cleared by 18th October. I have the funds but would rather use them for something else. How many days is that, 41? I would need to find an extra £10/day - a tall order!

Better go, battery about to die and it's bedtime and beyond.

mfmaybe

Things just ticking along quietly in finance land. Payday in a couple of days. I have got my budget up to date and identified a few areas to focus on - getting my monthly credit card account back ahead of itself; keep taking lunches in to the office where possible; watch the fuel spends. And just squirrel as much away into savings as I can.

The house is on the market but not very busy at all. It's early days so trying not to panic. We don't have to sell by any given date, but we do have to sell eventually!

Beyond that, I'm now back at work full time but managing to work early hours and from home a couple of days. I'm just off to do pick-up soon actually. I am trying to keep a read of diaries but struggling to find time to post.

mfmaybe

Ugh. The power of the spreadsheet.

I've just seen my payslip for this month. Childcare vouchers are coming off to the tune of £250 but I am being paid £300 less than last month. On doing some tax calcs I am correct YTD but it seems that last month I was under-taxed as I'd been over-taxed the month before. All tweaks related to being on maternity. So that got me looking into next month's budget which is scary.

First off, I show a £300 deficit. Now on the face that sounds horrendous, but it does include me putting £700 into the annual bills account. So I can obviously do less if needs be. It is also budgeted as a 3-tank month. Usually a tank lasts 3 weeks so I tend to put fuel in twice every calendar month. But sometimes I have other fuel costs. I don't think this one will be bad so I might manage to cut out £70 there. £40 hopefully over-budgeted for farrier, mild weather hopefully means I don't need hay quite yet so probably £100 saving there. Take £50 off the food shop and a few other bits and bobs, and I should be back in line without reducing savings.

BUT. I've still to fund the credit card as I haven't got this account ahead of itself yet. And the big worry is my flat. The tenant moves out in 3 weeks. I haven't yet re-advertised it as I'm holding off for a family member who may need it, but I'm worried I might end up with a big drop in income on it. So I need to make that decision pretty quickly if I'm going to look for a new tenant.

Anyway the diary and the spreadsheet have done their duty into scaring me. Excellent. Now I must sleep.

mfmaybe

OK I managed to not post at all last month. Whoops.

Things are a bit tight, cash wise. I don't want to give away too much info, so safe to say part of my income has temporarily disappeared as I'm helping someone out. On the plus side I did still manage to save about £400 last month but I'd hoped it would be double that. I'm trying to put as much away as possible for house move plans, but that's not happening.

To try to put a better spin on it, I am going to create some goals. Currently my monthly credit card has just under £300 on it. The statement cuts off in one week. I don't need fuel. We probably need a food shop. So I'm hoping to keep the bill below £350.

GOAL 1 - Credit card for this month below £350.
GOAL 2 - Earn at least £100 non salary to pay some of it.
GOAL 3 - Look at higher paying savings accounts.
GOAL 4 - Only spend £20 on Kid stuff - clothes, equipment etc.
GOAL 5 - Spend a maximum of £10/week in the office (Food, coffee). Use cash.
GOAL 6 - Set up reward account for cashback
GOAL 7 - make next month's card balance below £300. Food and fuel only. This will be 26/10-25/11.

I've a whopping £2.42 payable on TCB. £7.18 on Quidco. Both have been requested. That's nearly £10. I also have £7 in my credit card account and nearly £6 in my rewards account. So roughly £75 to make from fleabay or elsewhere.

Of course the plans never work out that way, as even as I type I remember we need to buy DS' next car seat, and he needs a halloween costume

mfmaybe

OK so I can't get the carseat for free, but I think I'm going to try to do Braveheart for his halloween costume. I found a tartan scarf that I can use as a sash. Some facepaint and a few scraps of brown material and I'm sure I will be fine :rotfl:

In Goal news. I received a small dividend I'd forgotten about so have put that to the CC acount.
GOAL 1 - Credit card for this month below £350. OK
GOAL 2 - Earn at least £100 non salary to pay some of it. £18.43
GOAL 3 - Look at higher paying savings accounts. Started
GOAL 4 - Only spend £20 on Kid stuff - clothes, equipment etc. £0
GOAL 5 - Spend a maximum of £10/week in the office (Food, coffee). Use cash. £4.50 so far
GOAL 6 - Set up reward account for cashback Appt on Monday
GOAL 7 - make next month's card balance below £300. Food and fuel only. This will be 26/10-25/11. Not yet started

There is a potential Life Goal solution on the horizon (house with land). Early days but it may change things significantly from a financial perspective. Short term pain for long term gain.

mfmaybe

Doing ok on the keeping it tight. Goals updated below.

GOAL 1 - Credit card for this month below £350. Still at £292 but DH paid for food. Bill cuts off tomorrow.
GOAL 2 - Earn at least £100 non salary to pay some of it. £28.13
GOAL 3 - Look at higher paying savings accounts. Started
GOAL 4 - Only spend £20 on Kid stuff - clothes, equipment etc. £0
GOAL 5 - Spend a maximum of £10/week in the office (Food, coffee). Use cash. £7.45 so far
GOAL 6 - Set up reward account for cashback Done
GOAL 7 - make next month's card balance below £300. Food and fuel only. This will be 26/10-25/11. Not yet started.

in_need_of_direction

Doing so much better than ok. Well done.

mfmaybe

in_need_of_direction wrote: »

Doing so much better than ok. Well done.

Ah thanks INOD you're very kind . I haven't been in diary land too much, must check on yours and see how things are.

[STRIKE]GOAL 1 - Credit card for this month below £350.[/STRIKE] DONE
GOAL 2 - Earn at least £100 non salary to pay some of it. £28.03
GOAL 3 - Look at higher paying savings accounts. Started
GOAL 4 - Only spend £20 on Kid stuff - clothes, equipment etc. £0
GOAL 5 - Spend a maximum of £10/week in the office (Food, coffee). Use cash.Oops one coffee over. Starting again tomorrow.
[STRIKE]GOAL 6 - Set up reward account for cashback [/STRIKE]Done
GOAL 7 - make next month's card balance below £300. Food and fuel only. This will be 26/10-25/11. £0