My Diary v3.0 4 July 2014 at 10:31AM edited 2 October 2015 at 9:28AM in Debt free diaries 872 replies 67.2K views

natsplatnat

Hi All!!

Well, here it is... "My Diary v3.0"

My previous diaries (don't panic, there are only 2!) can be found here....

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=1303349&highlight=

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=2961314


Today, my signature looks like this...

LBM :idea:,- Wed 19th Nov 2008 £19,225:mad:
JAN 11: ONLY 170 0X £100 PAYMENTS TO GO *bank of OH @ 0%*
*A WORK IN PROGRESS!*
*2014 cashback pending £78.98, PAID £138.35*
(2011=£137.30, 12=£66.39. 13=£102.61)
Iceland fund £458.12/ 1000 EBAY £205.50

And I should be jumping up and down with joy as it shows that I have made my last payment of 170 x £100 to my darling OH (he lent me the money interest free to clear my debts!!).

But.... actually, that should be But (coz its a big but) here I am starting a new diary on the DFW diary forum.

And that is because over the duration of my last diary (starting November 2011) I have re-borrowed £6862.26 from my darling OH! To be honest, he is sooo useless with money, that I could tell him tonight that I made my last payment to him today and he wouldn't have a clue whether that was right or not! (But he does know I have re-borrowed this amount.)

But that is not an option. Bless him, he even said a few months ago that I don't need to pay him back any more. But, this is my debt, I spent the money, and I will repay it... in full!

So, I am going to continue doing what I have been doing. Repaying £100 a week for the next 69 weeks. By my reckoning that puts my last (and I do mean last) payment as the 30th October 2015!!! GULP!

I do have a little plan though (from my previous diaries, you will note that I like a plan!). I am currently setting aside money for a trip to Iceland next year for OH's 50th birthday. £10 a week as a definite, an extra £10 a month from the reduction in my car insurance premium, all cashback earned and some account rounding-down. Target for this is £1000 by December. I am pretty much on track for this.

So, once this is done I am going to keep setting this money aside to bring my debt-free date forward. Minimum £10 a week, starting next year!

Oh, and I still running several spreadsheets! I honestly could not live without them!

So, there is my sin confessed - you have got me for a bit longer!

Feel free to pop in and keep me company! Nats x

natsplatnat

So, I have just received confirmation of £40 to be paid from Q.co!! YAY! Will update signature once I have received it (spreadsheet already tweaked in anticipation!)

This will wing its way to the Iceland fund, keeping me pretty much on track for my target for the year.

I am still more than gutted that I am still in debt - and I know that I am also very lucky to be in a position where I can a) afford £100 a week in repayments, and b) I have a wonderful OH who has been in a position to help me out!

I know a large majority of this last (and I mean last) amount of debt is down to us both living beyond our means! I am usually pretty good at saying no to things and balancing out the pennies, but that gets sooo draining and boring after a while and I do agree to do something that I know I really can't afford. It seems wrong to completely deprive OH of some fun things. I do try to do them cost effectively though wherever possible. Got to love a voucher or two!

It has been a long journey this debt-busting thing - and I know the next 69 weeks are going to seem like ever! But, these are the last 69 weeks that I will be in debt for! I took what seemed like forever to get to a point where I felt vaguely in control and had a fairly balanced grasp on my money. I would be lost without my spreadsheets, and even now I will bore anyone who dares ask about the usefulness!

OH, bless him and love him loads doesn't really help too much. His favourite phrase is "we need to do a budget and stick to it!" Erm, "hello" I have a budget (of sorts)!!! I do try from time to time to sit down and work through a joint budget, but he has no interest in figures and although he likes the idea of knowing everything is budgeted, cannot stick to one for toffee.

I left him at a supermarket checkout yesterday with a voucher for £5 free fruit / veg. When we got home, I asked if the voucher had gone through ok and the reply I got was a sheepish grin. He couldn't find it when he went to pay. Honestly in 5ft he had lost it. Stood in the kitchen he put his hands in his pockets to make his point.... and pulled out the voucher!! Can you see what I am up against???!! x

I run the house-hold account and, courtesy of my spreadsheet, I know exactly what is due and when. It is all covered by DD's and ticks over nicely. I do (still) need to sort out my V1g1n package as it is costing us a small fortune. I never seem to have the time to do it though! Poor excuse and I really should try better!

I am still plan making - I love a good plan.... the good news is that version 3 or even 4 is usually viable!

I am not going to revisit my SOA - I know where I am going wrong, and I am quite happy that my bills (apart from V1rg1n) are all as good as they can be - and I love a bit of Q.co!!

So, that is me.... ramble over. I am off home to sort out the credit card bill and get that paid (early, just to make sure it is there!) Oh, the life I lead! lol

natsplatnat

A whole 5p added to my Q.co Opinions balance. New total £9.30!!

Not exactly setting the world alight - but will be added to the Iceland fund when I finally reach cashout amount!

pickle_me

natsplatnat wrote: »

OH, bless him and love him loads doesn't really help too much. His favourite phrase is "we need to do a budget and stick to it!" Erm, "hello" I have a budget (of sorts)!!! I do try from time to time to sit down and work through a joint budget, but he has no interest in figures and although he likes the idea of knowing everything is budgeted, cannot stick to one for toffee.

We used to say that too We'd sit down and go through the figures - well, sort of, we'd write down the direct debits and have a vague guess at everything else, satisfy ourselves that we had enough to live on, then proceed to ignore the budget entirely. It's only since our LBM that we genuinely stick to the budget and with time even my husband (who sounds much like your OH ) has got the hang of it.

Good luck Nat!

natsplatnat

Thanks pickle me - it's nice to know I am not alone with the whole OH thing. He is getting better - just very, very slowly!!!

Another £5.23 winging its way to me from Q.co!

natsplatnat

Q.co money has arrived safely in my bank - despite a message from them saying that they had declined the £40 cashback as they could not be sure that I had followed the link from them to the supplier. Oh well, I have the money!!
Wanted to do a boot fair at the weekend, but the weather forecast was a bit hit n miss and it did drizzle in the morning and then thunderstormed in the afternoon (so they weren't wrong!) This weekend coming was looking better - until an hour ago when a severe weather warning came up for rain and storms. I am never going to clear my house out / make some money for holiday at this rate!
Had best stick some more stuff on ebay instead!!

natsplatnat

Morning All!

Well, it is definitely going to be a hot one - car read 24'c on the way into work at half seven this morning!

Weather for the weekend is looking a bit dodgy.... all depends what time these bloomin' storms roll in. We have a bit of a unique weather system where I am - we can either miss everything - or have the best/worst of it! Not usually much inbetween.

Weekly money has been paid to OH and I have transferred £10.68 to the Iceland fund.

Not a lot else to report. If we don't bootfair this weekend, I will definitely be listing some items on fleabay.

Have fun in the sun everyone!!

Nats x

natsplatnat

Weather looked unsettled for Sunday, and it did shower a little, so managed to get the grand total of 4 items on fleabay. Every little helps!

natsplatnat

Fleabay items all ready to be posted today... about £36.00 + postage.

Another £19.88 due from Q.co too!

Still no bootfair done - really need to get one in in the next couple of weeks!! :O(

Olderbutnotwiser

Ha you can't lose me, wev've been together years
Nice to find you honey, keep going I'll be back to chat soon x

natsplatnat

OBNW!! Helloooooo! Glad to see you've surfaced - was starting to feel a bit lonely on my new diary! How is my little neoprene clad goddess?

Ok, so.... this Sunday is "bootfair Sunday!" It is the only chance we are going to have before September (get us and our busy lives!! lol)... so fingers crossed for loads of lovely sunshine please! x