NST;September Squirrels

PheoniX

Morning gang :wave:

Checking in for yesterday with what I think was a SFD? T'was a red sticker from Waitrose.. Im having cravings for houmos these days and couldnt resist a bargain for the yummy stuff :T

Woke up feeling quite grotty yesterday morning but managed to blitz the bugs with a little help from healthy green juices/ manuka honey, lemon and ginger drinks/ spirulina and flaxseed. Feeling good today tho but will still take it easy. Will have a lovely hot shower in a bit

I still havent looked at budgets properly.. Checked my wages yesterday and it looks as though I have about £250 to last the month, which should, in theory, be enough since Ive only spent about £70 on food and £40 on fuel this month. I was hoping to go to a cancer charity 'do' mid month which will cost £45 but I have a couple of weeks to think about it so I will see closer to the time.

Hope you all have a lovely Sunday!

Bye gang :wave: xx

liltdiddylilt

Hi guys!!

Just cheering you on for the last few days of the month! Nobody should be on the naughty step! You're all doing excellently and working towards your goals! Just keep going, don't drop the balls for the last few days in order to gear up for October... Every day is towards your debt free date

Being without the challenge for a month has made me realise just how much I need to keep myself on track. I have lost a grand total of £4992 of income over the year. £384 per 4 weekly payment in exact terms. It is a lot to swallow and so I really need you guys to keep me on track please!! Off to meal plan now.. xx

P.S Stewby brilliant news on being under £3k. & Fmess I am so impressed with you learning the alphabet. Most of my sign language comes from Mr Tumble...

stewby

Thanks for all the congratulations.


It is amazing how that 0% deal thing has completely re-focussed me. My mind is so much on clearing that debt now that I am not having to pay interest along the way. (It's weird how my brain works sometimes).


Cazy_Lady... I do love a wee bit of competition. There is no winner or loser, it will just help me stay on track if I try compete with someone. I do it a lot with weight loss. It's not to see who wins, I just thrive on achieving stuff. Okay, willing to accept that I am definitely a bit weird.
:undecided

So... future plans are coming into my world now too.

Credit Card Debt gone:
April 2015 (Ideally by march so that we can start the wedding saving in April).

Wedding Savings:
Starting in April 2015 until April 2018. All £500 that normally goes into the debt pot will be going into the wedding pot. (OH is going to up his contribution to £250 from £200 so we are both paying equally).

Holiday Pot:
From May 2018, we will have £500 a month doing nothing. So we are going to continue saving.
We love holidays. As I have said before, I could never do what NSK and others have done and leave for a year and give up everything (too scared) but I love travelling and being a tourist.
So the plan is to embrace that. We will continue saving. We will use the holiday pot for trips away in the bongo, if the bongo needs repaired, holidays further afield like Australia, New Zealand, America, China, etc. But we would also love to take the bongo into Europe.


Long Story short as I could talk about travelling forever... we now have a continuous plan for that money and seeing as we don't have it just now, then we won't miss it later.


Hugs to everyone, sorry for the ramble.

[Deleted User]

Yay for the Bongo getting into Europe! I am 'well jel' to quote the kids. Your post explains why we are a good match really: £500 is the amount I've earmarked to debts per month. In the summer it's been easy to supplement it with income from the paying guests above that, but that will be much harder over the winter and I have some big bills coming, so even sticking to 500 might be hard. I am excited to have a debt pacer!
After my debt is gone, the same amount is set aside for building work sadly, but I am keen for Dd and I to continue to visit the world somehow too! Next year we will prob celebrate debt free Ness by taking up some invites to visit people who have stayed with us over the past year

PheoniX

Yo gang :wave:

Spend day today! £7 on 2 litres of Persil small n mighty on offer at $ainsbobs and £1 on mouthwash in £land.

Ive been looking at figures and am in a bit of a quandry about what to do for the best about my 0% cc debt. After January's moment of debt freedom, I opened 2 emergency savings accounts, one with 1D and t'other with H$Bc both of which will mature in February. Having decided I will probably go back to uni next September, that money is more or less used up already! I keep getting moments of wanting to settle the cc debt once and for all and start anew with an NSK style uni savings fund but dipping in at this point will mean I lose about £90 interest I know the most logical thing to do is chip away at the card and wait til February then I can maybe pay the remaining balance.. I just dont like the feeling of being in debt but know Im likely to go back into it again in order to fund the studying Think Im destined to live a life in debt! :eek:

Anyways Im going to have a cuppa tea and another doughnut.. The last of Morries 5 yellow stickered doughnuts for 19p

Nighty night gang :wave:

apple_muncher

PhoeniX - tempting as it is to use funds to pay off the cc, unless you will pay over £90 interest on the cc, then I think you should leave it all as it is. Any money you still owe on it when the 0% runs out should then be all paid off.

Maybe draw yourself a chart of how much you owe now and when you want it paid off by. Each time you make a payment, draw a line down to that new amount u til you reach 0.

Or do the old Blue Peter style of colouring in from the bottom until you reach the goal at the top.

NSK paid off her debt then set about the travelling fund. Maybe get the cc paid, and then start your uni fund?

And, feel free to ignore this!

apple_muncher

Today I am grateful for warm sunshine, for clearing the back garden, for dh cooking tea, for dd getting more confident on her bike, for cuddles with dd.

stewby

Aw pheonix. I really feel for you. I had the same sort of slump last month. Just wanted the debt to be gone.

I think the idea of keeping a next egg and paying your debt off in chunks might be the best plan. That way when you come to doing your college/uni course, you have a next egg to help you.


But, that's just my opinion. It's in no means a professional opinion and I am nowhere near an expert in this field.


Hope everyone has had a lovely sunday.
Hugs.

Calling14

Evening everyone Hope you all enjoyed the lovely weather today. Back and front gardens tidied up here plus long dog walk

Lodger arrived she was fine but wanted somewhere nearer to her work. To be honest not sure it would have worked out, used to students and she wanted company. I like my own company especially when I eventually collapse in evenings.

Phoenix agree with everyone chip away at debt don't loose out on any money.

Small spend went out and looked only at shoes but had a bowl of salad and a brew. Bit naughty but under a fiver I was just getting cabin fever.

Not going to end the month well tomorrow have dog booked in for injections missed last years as had too much going on so be extra £7 on top of normal charges. Not getting kennel cough one just yet but will do so soon so I can pop away somewhere for a weekend break.

Made butternut and sweet potato soup for work, should last good few days.
Right Downton Abbey time.

Fmess

Evening all

calling not sure if it's the same at all vets but our vet charges nearly £20 less if you have the kennel cough at the same time as the annual vaccination, instead of having the two separately. Also I was told the vaccinations last at least 16 months, so we now try to vaccinate our animals every 14 months instead of annually.

Today was a naughty spendy day, on junk food! Bought OH and I lunch from the golden arches. It's in my October spreadsheet and when I'm broke, I'm broke and will have to stop spending.

Had a lovely productive day and spent lots of time with family and OH

Off to bed now, night all