The best thing about memories is making them!

Matilda80

Have been a long time lurker on the site! I finally have some clear goals and want to track my own progress so here goes..

I have a 3 (ish) year plan. Ultimately I want to move to a bigger house. Before I can do this I need to

• Shift my credit card debt
• Save 5k
• Reduce mortgage to <80k

So the plan is..

• 2014/2015 - pay off £3700 to clear cc :eek: (0% for 22 months)
• 2016 - Save 5k
• 2017 - Attack the mortgage currently 96k (with 23 years remaining)

A bit about me .. I'm in my [STRIKE]early[/STRIKE] (mid) thirties. I have 2 amazing children who are 3 and 6 and am happily married. I work part time and my hubby works full time.

We are quite frugal now. Like most people I wish we had statred earlier. We have a good budget and have got very good at food shopping and batch cooking. I intend to Eb4y do surveys and sell bits and bobs along the way on Gumtr4e and FB.

I also want to have lots of fun along the way!

Eek! :T:T

Matilda80

£1 valued op1nions survey completed up to £6 now.

Slightly cheaper (longer) bus to work saving me 40p.

Daughters spare money box nabbed to start saving £5 a week towards Xmas.

It's nearly payday

Matilda x

Muser1

Good luck x

Matilda80

Weekly money drawn out. £120 which is split as follows.

• £60 food shop
• £30 petrol
• £10 holiday spend savings
• £5 Christmas pot
• £15 for bus fares/toddler groups etc

Still had £3.10 in my purse from last week so £1·60 put in the holiday spending pot and £1·50 for toddler group today. We are off camping in August won't need loads of spends.

Payday tomorrow. £100 will be sent to cc. I have a dotty p account card and will finally get this paid off tomorrow as the balance is down to £27·08 :T. I also have a next account currently at £300 :eek: I will pay £30 off this too.

Looking forward to updating my signature.

Matilda x

Matilda80

Not done a shop yet so philly on toast, breakfast biscuits and a k1nder egg for lunch:money:

Payday payments made so debts now stand at

• Dotty ps - £0 yippee
• Barclaycard £3600
• next £270

I've been halfheartedly cleaning this morning and I'm still in my pjs

Best shake a leg.

Matilda80

Had a payday brain f4rt. Went wild! Chinese takeaway, wine, toy each for kids (charity shop but still) totally over shopping budget and forgot I needed two children's birthday presents. Not ideal :eek:

Will have to recoup throughout the month.

Not the best start eh?

Matilda80

Got things back on track! Withdrawn £90 out for the week.

£20 holiday club for dd
£40 food shopping
£5 camping
£5 Xmas
£20 busfare and extras

£8 spent in an amazing charity shop today. 2 skirts and a cardi for me a toy each for the kids.

Picnic out after school. Love sunny days.

Matilda x

Matilda80

2 surveys completed on VO. Bit annoyed that you now need £10.50 to claim a £10 voucher but hey ho. I'm up to £8.00 so shouldn't take too long to claim.

Picnic out last night was lovely. Glad we made the best of the sunshine as it's chucking it down today.

Away at rellys this weekend. Just petrol and a bunch of flowers to pay for so cheap weekend.

OHs basic wage has changed by £39.00 so we have decided to put this in a seperate account to be used for family fun. We do lots at the minute for free, walking in the woods and in the country, visiting EH properties, parks etc. However I would like to be able to go swimming or to the cinema so this will cover those trips.

Hope everyone has a good weekend. x

t2rry

Welcome! You seem to be pretty spend aware already. Good luck...I may pop in for advice re: free activities you speak of! Had a week off recently. Stayed at home to 'save money' and couldn't think of anything to do!!

Matilda80

Hi I do try but I have a habit of being good for months and the going wild and spending loads! Hence the cc bill and I'm terrible for ordering through N4xt.

A lot of our free days out are to English Heritage properties so not totally free it's £84 for a 15 month family pass. Well worth it. :money:

I've just phoned V1rgin up and they have reduced our bill by £17.24 a month. Its now £48.99 a month but thats tv, broadband and phone (unlimited calls to landlines). I'm going to set up a standing order to my house move savings for £18 so it doesn't get eaten up.

I need to phone First Direct later to switch. Spurred on by Martin on GMB this morning.

I really need to do a SOA but have no idea how?

Matilda x

t2rry

http://www.stoozing.com/calculator/soa.php