NSK: MAY the Odds Be Ever In Your Favour!!!

Kenyakate

Hi Kat

Please count me in, long time stalker of the MSE forums and now finally have the guts to get involved and take up a challenge. This one sounds complete fun!

Thanks

MagicCat

Thanks everyone - very excited and looking forward to May!I had been a bit stuck in a self-pitying 'poor me' attitude to my debts, but that needs to change.


(Short version of the story is OH and I have been living v frugally and saving like crazy since 2007 to get together a deposit for a house and money to sort out said house. Bought house in April 2013 - work began, but there have been a series of disasters and discovering far more work was needed than we ever realised, so lots of borrowing. This combined with the ongoing stress of living on a building site with no real kitchen/bathroom etc for most of the past year has led to a lot of negative thinking and feeling entitled and sorry for myself, which I am ashamed of. I think I had the idea that we had worked and saved hard, and we 'deserved' things once we got the house - I'd been looking forward to decorating how we wanted after 12 years of renting, maybe having some spare cash to enjoy ourselves or go away on holiday and stuff, and when I didn't get that I felt, why bother? - actually, it's all been my own choice to prioritise having a house of our own, we are incredibly lucky to be able to have got our own place and the work that has been needed and the money we've borrowed - well, that is life, and we all know it isn't perfect.)


I came across Kat's challenges in February and it has really given me the motivation to focus and keep going. I'm so impressed by all the people who have become debt free! So far, I've sold pretty much everything that isn't nailed down, including my wedding dress, and cut our shopping budget, but more can be done and May is the month to do it!


Games on!

XSpender

Please count me in.

I am on holiday 12 days in May but will be sticking to the challenge for the rest:)

Right, best go finalise my budgets

ilovetea

Can I join in please?
Will try and post more often.

ilovetea xx

NinjaSavingKat

MagicCat wrote: »

Thanks everyone - very excited and looking forward to May!I had been a bit stuck in a self-pitying 'poor me' attitude to my debts, but that needs to change.

.........So far, I've sold pretty much everything that isn't nailed down, including my wedding dress, and cut our shopping budget, but more can be done and May is the month to do it!

Games on!

I like this post. I have rented for almost ten years myself and I can only imagine how amazing it would be to have my own house. However it's such a massive commitment and to be honest as you stated somewhat of a privilege despite the repairs needed.

It's hard work but it's your work - it is your home. How much debt do you have and how are you paying for the repairs - are you making gains or do you find that the constant repairs are undoing the good work you have completed.

I am glad these challenges have helped you - although as I am sure you realize there are many here who could wallow if they let themselves but we are all creators of our own demise and it takes US to pull US and each other out of despair...

Welcome aboard - I look forward to hearing more about this house of yours!

NSK.x

NinjaSavingKat

Kenyakate wrote: »

Hi Kat

Please count me in, long time stalker of the MSE forums and now finally have the guts to get involved and take up a challenge. This one sounds complete fun!

Thanks

Hello Kate - welcome aboard. Question - are you actually in Kenya...:p Tell us a little about yourself - your debt, your motivations, your dreams for when you are debt free etc.... NSKx

NinjaSavingKat

RIGHT!

For me my budgets this month are going to be very simple.

• Food = £90
• Miscellaneous = £40
• Travel = £290:mad::mad::mad:

That's it. I have still got my Cineworld card (£15.90) that is my entertainment but I have no plans for the month in regards outings, meet-ups or anything else exciting.

Apart from my flight home to Northern Ireland tonight....:T:T:T

I will be leaving work around 1500 - then heading to Gatwick to sit and relax until I fly at 2100. It's a long wait but it's pointless heading home and back in while the tube strikes are happening.

So I have my notebook to plan and write ideas, my carry-on luggage only because I refuse to give my hard earned cash to Sleasyjet and will be hitting Tesco's for cheap noms to avoid paying ridiculous airport food prices.

I LOVE BEING FRUGAL! It's all in the planning Tributes!

So getting home late tomorrow and spending the day with Granny, Pa and Brother before heading home with Brother to see Mumsy. The sole purpose of this trip apart from catching up with family is to see my Dad's epic garden in full bloom! :T:T:T

I will post pictures!

Mountaingirl

I bombed out of the challenge in April but I would like to join in again for May please.
I've downloaded the YNAB 34 day trial and am going to fill that in today - we have a really complicated set incomings and outgoings, many of which are fixed (mortgage, kids activities etc) but some of which I can play around with.

It is very likely that my DH will be moving jobs at some point in the future and he might want to set up on his own so the goal is to prepare as much as possible for that eventuality. The timing could be anything upto 2 years in the future, so there's a lot of uncertainty.

Will come back later with the budget!

MagicCat

Thanks Kat - have a fab time with family, you deserve a break!

ah, the house...I can go on for hours (and probably will) - but in keeping with my new attitude, I'm going to try to focus on the positives. We knew when we moved in work would be needed on the roof, and to put in a bathroom (there was a weird arrangement where there was a toilet and sink in one bedroom, and a shower in a small downstairs room), but it turned out that part of the house, which was an extension, had not been done to building regs - no foundations done properly, walls had to be rebuilt, total rewiring and plumbing work needed. Total cost likely to be around an eyewatering £38k, £25k of which we've borrowed on a mixture of a loan and various 0% credit cards - deals run out from November onwards. So while the loan will just tick over on monthly payments at the moment, I'm determined to have as much as possible to pay towards the credit cards when the 0% deals end.


Building/structural/plumbing/electrics should be done by June, and then we can start doing the stuff to make it look nice and homey - painting etc - but need to do this as cheaply as possible!


So budgets:
NSD 0/15
Groceries £0/£220
Birthdays £0/£60 (May is a bumper birthday month including my sister and my nan's 90th)
Petrol £0/80
Personal/toiletries etc £0/£10
Entertainment £0/£80 (includes going to nan's 90th party)
House - £50 (paint for bathroom)


Hmm...added up, this seems a lot. Still, I've found it's better not to set the budgets too low, or I go over by week 2-3, think 's*d it' and give up. What does everyone else find is the best way to set their budgets?

lotti379

Please let me in again Kat!

I promise to post every single day. Cross my heart and hope [STRIKE]to die[/STRIKE] for a horrible CC rate hike if I fail! If I post, I keep focus. Not exactly rocket science now is it?

I have got £250 of spending money, of which £150 is petrol (got two visits to family and possibly one to OH if he gets any time off, but have some rail vouchers so will try to use those instead if I can't combine visiting with work travels). £50 food (this could be tricky as also trying to reduce carp :eek:) and £50 for toiletries, entertainment, parking fees and all the rest. My purse is going to be a moth haven by the end of the month! :rotfl: