The 'I'm less money-idiot more money-savvy' Diary

judi24 · 1 January 2015 at 11:41PM

Well Hello everyone - Imagine meeting you here!

After a few months (4 to be exact!) of posting on the following thread:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5047454

I thought is was appropriate to start a diary as my old thread appears to have morphed into one anyway!

I was told I needed to stop calling myself an idiot too hence the new title!

Anyway welcome to my bright new shiny diary - perfect for a new year and renewed determination to get debt free by the end of 2015!

So if you are interested in my story so far I will give you a quick whistle stop tour of my debt free journey thus far to save you wading through my old thread! Although if you are and insomniac - the old thread might be just perfect to help you nod off!

judi24 · 2 January 2015 at 12:15AM

So I joined this site a long time ago (feels like a different lifetime!) when I was still married and had a bit of an attempt to pay off our debt however I split from my ex husband and I ended up in more debt when I had to re mortgage my house to buy my ex out. I them met my ex partner who was extremely good with money (his money!) but we never really got to point where we shared finances at all and in fact he took advantage and lived in my house but didn't pay into it for a couple of years!

We split 2 years ago but then spent a year trying to work out our issues until he hurt my DS and that was the end of that!!! This time last year I was an absolute mess in many ways - I had another failed relationship, a job that I was not enjoying but needed to stay in as it had a good salary and an 11 year old son with worsening behavioural problems that I was struggling to get help with! so paying debt really wasn't top priority and I was spending money trying to prove that I could give my kids everything and be independent! I took the kids away on holiday just to prove I could and to make up for the fact that I hadn't been the best mum - but it was on a CC!

It was while I was on a residential course as part of my masters that I had a revelation! I wasn't enjoying my work and I wanted to be able to be in a position where I could go back to being a 'real nurse' and make a difference to people rather than the corporate manager that I was being forced into becoming! But my debt was holding me back as it meant even if I wanted to I would struggle on a lower pay - this was coupled with being turned down for a re mortgage to consolidate my debt! (stupid I know but I just felt like I needed to do something to dig myself out of the hole I was in!). Being turned down for the re mortgage I guess was my LBM - I needed to sort this mess out and stop burying my head in the sand!

So my goal is to get debt free, start overpaying my mortgage and enjoy some fun and adventure with my family whist giving myself options in relation to work so I could change my career path if I felt the need. (oh and retire to France at some point before I am too old to enjoy it!) However the work issue is not such a big deal at the moment as I have moved jobs and now work at a hospice which is the most amazing and humbling place to work and although I am still a manager I am also using my skills in a way that has real benefit to patients and their families and I love it!

So since September 2014 I have paid around 4.5k and aim to pay the remaining 14.5k in 2015 - It is a real challenge but I know I can do it! I am also trying to develop a lifestyle whereby my children appreciate life and simple pleasures not just things that cost lots of money so I want to do lots of free and cheap things and get them involved in making gifts and having fun in the process. I also am going to complete a masters this year just to add in a little more excitement!!!

baglady1 · 2 January 2015 at 12:17AM

Hi Judi, I read your old thread & am looking forward to your shiny new diary. Here's to a debt busting & fun 2015. Cheers Bl1

MrsSmith2013 · 2 January 2015 at 12:18AM

Hi Judi, just read your diary and wanted to say hi! We have a similar amount of debt and a similar target, so I will subscribe to your diary and hopefully we can encourage each other to get our debt paid off!

Looking forward to debt freedom in 2015 - it just has to be done!

Mrs S

judi24 · 2 January 2015 at 1:04AM

Welcome Baglady and MrsSmith - nice to have some company already!

I have spent this evening reconciling my YNAB and bank accounts (have overspent a bit but no where near what I would have done in the past!) so I'm all ready to attack this debt once and for all!

I have 2 CC's Nationwide with £4320 balance at 11% LOB and the Barclaycard with £5200 of which 1k is at 5.9% LOB and the rest at 0% until May - so ideally I need to pay the Nationwide off by May then attack the Barclaycard (or ideally get a balance transfer offer on my empty Tesco card) I can't get another CC as it appears my credit rating is dire - I had a couple of missed payments on a Simplybe card early last year when my head was firmly in the sand! and also a few searches when I was trying to re mortgage so I guess that's why!

But I need to be paying just over £1000 to the Nationwide plus the £120 minimum on the Barclaycard plus £246 a month to the Tesco loan - so things are going to be very tight for a few months!

Basically I have worked out that I need to live on my Rent from DD2, Child benefit, DLA for son and my CSA and use the whole of my salary to pay the standing order bills and the debt payments!

I don't particularly want to live on the CSA or my sons DLA but it is only short term and the kids won't go without! I have built some child related spends into my budget - but I also want to do lots of things that don't cost anything. After January (my cousins wedding) I will put the DLA away as an emergency fund I think as at the moment my only emergency fund is my Nationwide OD which I know is not ideal!

I can't help thinking that this time next year I will be debt free - I just need to keep that thought in my head when the going get tough!

judi24 · 2 January 2015 at 12:20PM

Some one needs to send me some motivation!!!! I need to get moving but just enjoying chilling with a coffee!

Maybe a list will help:

1.Sort out clean washing that's lying around and get it in everyone's rooms (what they do with it after that is anyone guess!)
2. Get last bits of Christmas bits all tidied away
3. Take down Christmas tree and decorations
4. Hang out next load of washing (one done already - its blowing a gale and dry so hopefully get it all dried!)
5. Get DD3 to clean out bunnies
6. Vacuum and clean kitchen, lounge and bathroom
7. nip to shop to get pastry for turkey and ham pie requested by DD1 (only need that and bread I think - house is still full of Christmas food!) oh also need bunny food!
8. Do a meal plan to use up the above!
9. Have a family dinner once DD1 and 2 are back from their travels (they went to Scotland for New Year)

That's will be enough to keep me out of trouble today!!!!

Just need to get a move on!!!!

Ratison · 2 January 2015 at 12:36PM

Love reading your posts Judi. Glad you've found a job that lets you do what you enjoy about your work too.

Good luck with the debt-busting into 2015! You will do it!

Busy_Mee · 2 January 2015 at 1:35PM

Great to see your shiny new diary with a positive name - I really enjoyed your previous thread and think you have done brilliantly well

I am trying to get back on the straight and narrow myself after an indulgent Christmas and New Year.

We had turkey and ham pie yesterday to use up leftovers and it was yummy - I have still got Turkey stock left in the freezer and think I will make turkey and sweetcorn chowder with that. I am just doing my meal plan and shopping list for next week - it is hard though because I never know who is going to be in for tea grrrr

judi24 · 2 January 2015 at 3:17PM

Thanks Ratison - I am determined to crack this debt once and for all! and yes I love my job - it is the most amazing place for reminding me of what is important in life. It feels like it is the job I have trained and worked for my whole career - and it won't take me to the top of the career ladder but to be honest I am not sure that that is important anymore - It pays the bills and once I debt free will provide me with a pretty healthy income with which to have some fun and adventures with my family and also pay down my mortgage so I can retire with a nice little nest egg!

Busy-me - a positive name was definitely needed for the New Year! I made a turkey and ham pie the day after boxing day and DD1 has requested it again before she goes back tomorrow. I still have more turkey and ham in the freezer too!

So, so far I have done 3 loads of washing, tidied kitchen and got dishwasher on, sorted out all the clean washing and its already to go upstairs, taken down the Christmas decs and put them back in the attic, made lunch for DD3, DS and 2 of his mates! put away all the last bits of Christmas presents, cleared out the fridge and emptied the bins!!! Just having a quick cuppa before cleaning and cooking!!!

So in the fridge I have a slab of pate, a tub of pate and a jar of home made pate! (do you think we like pate?), lots of cheese of many varies (brie, red Leicester, 2 types cheddar, mozzarella, white stilton, fresh parmesan, feta, gorgonzola and a tub of soft cheese!!!), mushrooms, cream that went out of date yesterday but smells fine, some onions, carrots, shallots, garlic, red cabbage, past their best leeks, 2 melons, some strawberries and a bag of parsnips!

Today's challenge is to work out how to use up all the above before it goes off!!!

I will use some of the cream in the pie along with some garlic and shallots (DD2 doesn't like veg of any kind so I cant put leek or mushrooms in the pie!!!) We will have it with some red cabbage and mash. I will have the home made pate for lunch tomorrow when kids are at their Dad's if I can persuade them to go!!( they are not keen!). I am not a big parsnip fan (except roasted to within an inch of their life and covered in maple syrup!) but I am going to investigate curried parsnip soup recipes as that might be ok and I'm determined to use them up!

Haven't even begun to do a freezer inventory!!!

Right back to it!

judi24 · 2 January 2015 at 7:40PM

well made the pie and red cabbage and apple (Delia recipe) but I think I have overdone the cloves and it tastes a bit dentisty! Ah well I will eat it even if no one else does!

Also made some curried parsnip soup but added a bit of paprika to give it a little more kick - it tastes really good considering I am not a parsnip fan - so it will be portioned up and put in the freezer for work lunches!

House clean ish - didn't quite get round to doing the bathroom though so that's still a job to be done tomorrow! DS and DD3 also didn't go to their Dad's as planned so my plan for a long hike with the dog might have to be postponed as kids will not be keen to do much more than a quick walk round the woods if I can get them out of the door tomorrow morning!

Spent £5 at the local shop on pastry, apples, bread and eggs and shouldn't need anything else this week - but do still need to do a menu plan!

My aim is to spend less than £200 on everything until my next payday as I need to try to keep some money back for the wedding - I get paid on the wedding day but I need to have the money upfront as my plan is only to use my wages for standing order bills and debt - so the challenge is to spend as little as possible on food!