Lily's diary...here's hoping all in the garden is rosy!!

Lily_rose_2

OK so I've not posted for nearly 3 months!!! Amazed how quickly the last few months have sped by. Needkess to say, I'm in a bit more debt than I was when I last posted....as always happens when you take your eye off the ball. However, I have a plan!

As of next month, I've increased my working hours....whilst this is great financially, it'll mean a lot of adjustment for me:( - I'm losing my day off, and DD will have to go to after school club 3 days a week...which incurs further costs....however, the increased pay makes it TOTALLY worthwhile....not quite sure how much I'll pick up yet....but I'm guessing an extra £350-400 per month! I'm not one of those DFW that can throw everything at the debt....what this money will mean is that I can have a little extra in my budget for those things that normally have me reaching for the credit card - kids clothes/shoes etc (why do teenagers grow so much & so quickly??). Naturally my debt payments will increase...but it's all at 0% and I will pay it slowly & steadily, whilst still having some kind of a life!!

So I'm hoping to post more regularly and will update my debt totals in the next couple of days.

Have just returned from our holiday - had an absolutely fantastic time, and all within budget!!!:T. Tomorrow is back to reality - work:eek:

Lily_rose_2

Have had a busy time at work....holidays are wonderful but no one does your work whilst you're away:(. Have a bit more annual leave next week, which means I'm not back at work until the kids go back to school:j

Things are looking good this month. It's a week until payday and we have some money still left in our accounts:T - by this stage I've normally started to go overdrawn! This feels like a huge achievement for me....I was thinking I was going to have to dip into my child benefit that will hit the account on Saturday....but now I can hopefully use that to pay some of my M&S card off, as this was used to buy school uniform.

The uniform spending has been a killer for me this year....DS2 starts senior school so needed new blazer, trousers, shirts, PE kit...the works!! I thought DS1 wouldn't need much....ha....how wrong was I!! He's grown out of everything....so cost me a fortune:(. DD has also had a whole new uniform, but hers doesn't cost as much...she doesn't like the school logo cardigans so has plain ones from Tesco:T

So with shoes, bags, uniform, PE trainers etc.....I think I've spent around £400-500!!! Next year - I will budget for this!! I only bought both DS' one jumper each....so they're going to need another one once it gets that bit colder:eek:

So that takes me to the debt totals....

NEXT account £43.75 - am hoping to pay this off on payday

M&S card (school uniform) £277.99 - will pay £190 off when my child benefit arrives, hopefully pay the rest off when I get paid....this is the only card I currently pay interest on.

Lloyds card (0%) - £1708.64

Tesco card (0%) - £830.98 - this includes some uniform shopping!

Car loan (from parents - no interest!) £2195 - paying back £100 p/m

This brings the grand total to: £5056.36:eek::eek::eek:

Am not going to let this get me down & have no intention of adding to the debt further!! Am hoping to clear around £320 of this by the end of the month...at least that takes it into the £4000s...;)

giblet1979

Hey

Nice to see you back and glad you had a good holiday.

Great news about the extra income - hope it all works out really well x

Lily_rose_2

Thanks giblet.....hope you're doing ok!

Next account paid off this morning as child benefit has hit my account, and this payment is due before my M&S card....£43.75 paid off! Plan to ring up today to stop the paper Directory..... £3.75 a time is a bit much!

Lily_rose_2

Ha....just realised I forgot to call NEXT...will do that shortly.

Have, however, set up a couple so standing orders that I needed to and started work on next month's budget....although can't finalise it yet until I know what I get paid! I've worked it on a basic month, but I am due quite a lot of mileage expenses back....so am hoping I may have an extra £100 or so to play with! Without the extra £100...I won't be able to afford to pay off the M&S card completely as I had to dip into the child benefit for some grocery shopping yesterday.

Also, we have to pay for my son's football subs next month....which is 2 lots of £75....one in January & one due 1st September! Really riles me as we also have to pay a varying monthly charge for winter pitch training...really wish they'd just work it out over the whole year & do a monthly payment! It's lots of messing about, changing standing order amounts in the summer.....:mad:

Not so good news yesterday as my son had his bike pinched when he went to the gym.....:(

Today should be a NSD though:T - not planning on going anywhere & have food in!

Lily_rose_2

NEXT directory cancelled:j

Also forgot that I used Clubcard Boost yesterday to order my DD a new swimming costume & some hair bobbles for school....£10 worth of stuff for nothing!!:money:

Lily_rose_2

Well what a miserable bank holiday it was weather-wise...we ended up going out for lunch with the kids & then picked up some bits of shopping we needed. It does mean I've dipped into my child benefit again:mad: but I'm not going to get down about it. I know that my DF journey will be slow & steady, whilst still having some fun & enjoying life! I know if I restrict everything & throw everything at the debt, I'll soon get fed up & spend further.

On a positive note....I haven't added to my debt this month, even though the kids have been off school & we've been away on holiday, so am pleased about that!

DH is back to work today. It's still raining....so it'll be a mostly home based day. I do need to run a few errands.....but then intend to start sorting out my DS' wardrobe.....at the moment there's no space for their uniforms.....so I need to blitz it! They've both grown so much, I'm sure there's tonnes we can get rid of!

DH gets paid tomorrow, I get paid on Thursday.....it's the first month we've not gone overdrawn in months!:T

giblet1979

It is difficult and a long journey Lily but how fantastic that you've not gone overdrawn, especially in the summer and with a holiday. Great achievement! x