A new debt free journey

crazy_cat_lady

Hope you're feeling ok and that it passes quickly.

lcc86

Yesterday's spends:

£35 on horse riding (am aching all over today!)
£2.99 on Guinea pig food (cheapest I've ever found it, couldn't pass that opportunity up)
£2.40 in sainsbury's.
£21.64 on a fish filter :eek: that was naughty of me, and now I'm starting to think do I even want fish? I think my mood is changeable again because I'm coming off my antidepressants.

I was going to buy my season ticket for next week but didn't know that I needed a photo card to do so (it's been about ten years since I commuted by train). I didn't have a passport sized picture on me yesterday so will have to go back this morning and sort that out and then I can buy my ticket. I also did a lot of studying yesterday which lifts a load off my mind.

Today I'm dog walking, visiting a friend at her house during the day and then going to a cheap restaurant with my old colleagues this evening for my official leaving do. This week has gone so quickly! Dreading the early starts next week but excited about what work has to offer. :T

lcc86

The meal yesterday really wasn't worth it, the quality was shocking, and the service wasn't much better. It's a shame as I'm annoyed now that I wasted the money but at least I got to say goodbye to my old colleagues.

Today I had to pop back to the vet, and I'm not going to lie, I didn't have the funds to cover the cost so I had to use my card :mad: it was only £30 but my vet fund had £8 left in it and it's the end of the month and my accounts are all looking very empty. I plan to add this cost into December's budget now and repay it. It just underlines how little I have to fall back on. In January I really will start saving for these things in earnest I think.

In positive news I had my final bill from O2 and they owe me a grand total of 74p. I used to budget £45 a month for my phone bill, and my new bill should only be £20 so that leaves me with a £25 surplus in December, this will come in handy with the vet bill!

Today I've mostly been cleaning until I had an unexpected phone call a friend who was in the area. We met up for a coffee (she did propose coming round but the house was in a state), I spent £1.70. I felt guilty considering I just used my card to cover a vet bill but it wasn't like I spent loads. I guess I just feel annoyed about using my card full stop.

Tomorrow I'll be doing some dog walking/sitting which will be really nice, I'm enjoying the exercise I'm getting through dog walking and the companionship it provides too. I also need to buy a few bits for dinners and lunch. I've got some quinoa based snack pots, I'm not sure what to make of them but at £2 a pop I don't want to be buying them all the time. However if they're tasty and filling (most important!) I'll look at how I can make my own instead. I know I'll be earning more and part of me thinks I can relax a bit, equally I don't want to waste money unnecessarily.

I also need to buy my train ticket, I went to do it yesterday and apparently I couldn't buy so far in advance for Monday. I really have to get used to this commuting malarkey and how it all works!! Still, the train station is practically across the road so it's no hardship whatsoever to make that extra trip!!

I'll get paid on Thursday for the last time from my old job. I'll update on my November targets at some stage towards the end of the week (probably when I'm on the train) and set my December ones.

lcc86

So the first couple of days at the new job have been a little tedious as expected, reading policies and trying in vain to remember everyone's names! :rotfl: The team seem really nice though and the atmosphere is relaxed and I'm feeling very welcome already

The commute has been... Interesting thus far. It's quite nice to relax on the train, check my banking etc.

I've been told I should get paid on Monday for my first week here. I thought I'd have to wait until the end of December for my first pay so this is most unexpected and will leave me with some extra funds if I'm lucky. If that's the case I'll use the £300 I put aside to cover December's costs towards my course instead. Planning has paid off for once!! However getting paid on the last day of every month means I'll have to amend my budget a little as I can't split my month into exact weeks at times. But it shouldn't be any bother. I should get my final volunteering expenses payment any day now too. Unfortunately I can't volunteer here any more as I work here but I'd forgotten about it so it feels like a little bonus!

lcc86

Just another note to add, I went for a 30 minute walk around a local park at lunch time today, if I can do that most days combined with the walk to and from the train station I'll manage about an hour's exercise a day :j I've decided to wear my trainers tomorrow rather than wearing out my work shoes walking around!

I was also thinking I'd really like to treat my parents to a meal out once I get paid properly, probably in the early part of next year. They've always worked so hard for me and treat me every time I go to see them so it's about time I repaid them in some small capacity now I'm in a position to do so.

lcc86

Payday from my old job tomorrow, so time to reflect on the targets I set for November and also set December's:

1. Prioritise home life and downtime - definitely achieved this :beer:

2. Four NSD's per week. I think I stopped counting after two weeks, I managed 3 but 4 was a little unrealistic for me.

3. Go veggie for the month - achieved and am going to carry on with this one

4. Exercise twice a week - I've exceeded this most of the time so am very pleased. I'm going to go walking during some lunch times which will help bump up my exercise figures!

5. Finish first draft of first essay - achieved in the first two weeks of the month :j I did more than I'd planned overall so am very happy with that.

December's targets will include:

1. Eat healthily - I'm feeling better now that I've gone veggie and that I'm benefiting from it, so I'd like to continue that. Might just be a placebo effect but who knows!

2. 3 NSD's per week - I think 4 was too unrealistic last month but I should be able to do 3.

3. Set next financial target - once I've paid my 25% off my debt I need to find the next target. It's likely to be savings related but I need to sit and think about it properly.

4. Outline my next 3 month's budget - I suppose this links with the above target, once I know what it is I need to work out how I'm going to achieve it!

If I think of any more I'll add them later. I paid £13 off my loan today as I had some spare cash in my account. Have updated my signature accordingly.

lcc86

Payday today, Barclaycard bill paid and Very bill paid (only £27 left to clear the microwave and slow cooker I bought). I was going to buy some things I needed off Amazon this morning, only a few Xmas bits and pet bits, but am not sure if they'll be discounted tomorrow as part of black Friday?? I doubt it but I decided to leave it until tomorrow to buy everything just in case.

I've been thinking about getting my front teeth straightened for years and have found a place that does it for £1300 and lets you pay 0% finance for 1, 2 or 3 years. I would rather save up the money if I can but it's something I'd really like to look into moving forwards as I've wanted to do for such a long time. If I'm not suitable for it I won't go down the whole braces route, I'm looking at a specific retainer type treatment. But no rush whatsoever!!! I feel bad as I think it's money I could put towards debt repayments, but I've wanted to do this for about 10 years (if only I'd started saving back then lol).

lcc86

I checked my payslip last night and my old employer hasn't paid me for any of the work I did in the last month as part of my zero hours job. They also took payment for an over-use of annual leave even though I worked extra to ensure that this didn't happen. Not impressed at all :mad: I chased it up straight away but I think it's going to be an uphill battle. Ironically I got paid from my new job today despite having only been in post for five days. Funny how one place can get it so wrong and the other so right! The fact that I put some money aside and got paid from the new job has saved me from my old employer's error financially so at least I don't have to panic about it while I resolve it.

I also ended up buying my bits and bobs from amazon today, there was about £2 off compared to yesterday so no amazing black Friday deal to be had but still a little saving! I bought a few other bits for Xmas too. I've almost finished my shopping, just need to get everything wrapped.

I decided to treat myself to a fitbit today too. I found one with 50% off and it was a decision to buy today or wait until the January sale. I've always been a little impatient so it had to be today! I'm not going to feel guilty about it, I've worked hard to reach this point, sometimes we all deserve a treat. I also found a great deal on Groupon for a horse riding hack and stable management, 3 hours all in for £39 instead of £100. It's up in London but as I now have a travel card I decided to go for it as I won't have to buy one especially.

Soooo essentially the last two days I have treated myself somewhat more than expected!! But that's it for the month, everything else is budgeted for and I will be sticking to it. This month is quite busy with social bits and bobs as December always is.

Work has felt really good, I'm going to be given a lot of free reign to do as I see fit with the role and I'm really excited about that, about being able to develop and maintain my project. I'm sure I'll become very protective over it in time. All my colleagues have said my predecessor left it in a bad shape, and I've discovered that is definitely the case. But a blank canvas is a good thing for me I think.

Tomorrow I'm dog walking in the morning. A pair of lovely dalmatians who should keep me busy for a couple of hours at least. In the evening I'm treating OH to a birthday meal in a local restaurant. It's pricey but it looks nice and I've wanted to go there for a LONG time. I saved up for this last month so I'm not worried about the bill. Although now I'm a veggie my menu options are a little limited.

Sunday I'm horse riding in the morning and dog walking in the afternoon. I'm finding dog walking is a great way to keep me active and motivated. I'm hoping the fitbit will help me keep track of this, as well as the walking I've been doing at work etc.

Right, time to catch up with some other diaries!

crazy_cat_lady

How rude for your employer to get your wages quite so wrong. I would be fuming. :mad:

lcc86

crazy_cat_lady wrote: »

How rude for your employer to get your wages quite so wrong. I would be fuming. :mad:

I am angry but not altogether surprised if I'm honest!! I prepared myself for some sort of error :rotfl: