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

ampersand

judi - ' I want to see my friends - we haven't seen much of each other since Christmas'.

You DO mean Christmas only just gone? i.e. only 5 weeks ago?

If so, sorry judi, but that just sounds silly and I'm aware there'll probably be negative responses to my writing this, posts about friends/what they mean /couldn't cope without etc.etc.
But the words indicate you've seen at least a bit of each other....

You are such a lovely person, yet when you seem to be losing focus a bit[as now], I note it coincides with this sort of sidetracking.

STAY FOCUSSED - STAY ON TRACK. DON'T WASTE ENERGY ON YET MORE PLANS OR 'WILL I? WON'T I?' CONUNDRUMS.

Next - didn't really count your nsd's for Jan... WHY NOT?

Why were you going out when your assignments weren't done?

Instead[and real friends will be on board for this approach. True friend says 'Right judi, I'll provide dinner, if you cook it:-) - I'll evenwash up, BUT NOT UNTIL YOU'VE DONE ASSIGNNMENT XYZ. Okay? Give me a ring as soon as...I'll open the bottle and wait:-)'

£89 is BIG MONEY on shopping, full-stop. On the basis of my Waitrose luck yesterday, that would have been well over 230 top-notch food rtc's. Sometimes you have to fiercely remind yourself that THAT bargain is NOT the last there'll ever be.
So many of our osp posts[on other Thread] relate great finds like this. They will ALWAYS happen. I'm guilty myself[like yesterday:-)]but emptying the freezer remains a current goal. Join me, so that there WILL be room for new finds:-)

Choc oranges, curry, 2 drinks, work caf. sandwich are the little extras on this page so far - min £12. Judi, just SET trends - YOUR OWN; don't follow them.
Sunday night, your green light is on and those choc oranges have certainly NOT helped you do your assignments.
'to get me through my assignment writing this weekend you understand!!!! '

Same thing goes for casino bolt-on. It's not your thing. You're wasting priority time, thought, energy, sending yourself down a pointless, harmful spiral on this non-issue.

We've all urged you to simply SAY NO - please try. You'll feel so much better and much of your angst now is because you know it's the right thing!

Just pretend one of us is coming to you, our real friend, and confiding same...
Answer hardly needs guesswork, does it?

'I cant bear the thought of throwing money away gambling and I will look a right party pooper if I just stand around!'

If you do, you'll be feeling a damned sight sillier, lower in your own esteem and downright miserable for having known you were going to loathe it and going against your own better judgment.

Another time, give daughter £2-3 and let her choose her own lunchbox, more fun for both parties and cheaper.

Did you check out dishwasher tabs price first?
http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk/.

It's exactly the sort of bulk buy you should be checking.
http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk/shopping/findproducts.aspx?query=dishwasher%20tablets

This is a tiny example of the discipline which needs to become second nature, so you don't even think about it. You're already fearful of big-spend Feb/half-term, thinking on to March for another 'better' stab at HABITUAL, PERMANENT change of m.o.

judi, you just start now.....again and again and again....and suddenly, no-spend alerts are your default mode.
Guess what? It then carries into action-planning; frees up judi me-time; work-Life dance stops dragging you along playing catch-up.
#
Now this post's been a bit of a hard-hitter, but it's written with super-strength caring, velcro, not teflon:-)

F!vrier, le plus court des mois,
Est de tous le pire à la fois

Big hugs. Hwb for me, black tea, excellent book...
Bonne nuit.

judi24

Ah Ampersand - wise wise words indeed and a good telling off!!! Just what I needed.

Assignments are going well so treat was to go for dinner - I get very few weekends with no kids so I used the time to have some me time. I have 2 days off this week to get assignments finished so not worried about getting them done.

the YS shopping is unusual for me as I don't shop in the big supermarkets often anymore as I find them too tempting ( I know I should have more self control!!! I'm working on it!) - DD3 was at her dads so I needed to get lunch box in her absence and it was £3 so not too bad. the £89 spend means the rest of the month will be top ups of fresh bits. Aiming for £200 grocery budget again this month which is down from last years £300 budget! So no more YS this month but a freezer full of good food!

I will track NSDs this month and be more focused. No more silly spending! :mad:

I was thinking about bulk buy items today when shopping - and going to make a list this month of things that I could bulk buy but don't. Today I was thinking about rice and pasta - I use quite a lot and don't bulk buy really so I'm sure I can get the grocery shopping down further by doing this - I do it with a few things (eg toilet roll, washing powder, kitchen roll) but could take this further I'm sure. Will definitely be using the site you linked to - thank you:T

Casino night - not going!! I've decided - will see if I can get a lift home after the film!

Half term is sorted - no real spends planned there as DD3 is away in London the week before and DS is at Cadet camp at the end of the week. I have the trampoline place we were supposed to go to a few weeks ago booked (and paid for last month!) for the Tuesday and DD2's birthday is the Wed so will do something together then (maybe the zoo with a picnic if I can borrow friends zoo pass!!) - so not a very spendy week at all! - See I am learning!!!!:o


Your hard hitting post is very much needed and appreciated!

judi24

Oh dear - does anyone know anything about cat flu?:eek: My ex husband rang to say his cat has cat flu and I need to wash everything kids were wearing at his cos it can be transferred on clothes! (currently DD3 school uniform is in wash as he hadn't bothered to wash it anyway!:mad:) - need to find Lissycat's vaccination card and check if she is protected!


Any thing else I can do to stop her catching it?

enthusiasticsaver

judi24 wrote: »

- great news so now I can get all of my debt on 0% (paying interest was really really annoying me and maybe by doing this I chill out a little and be a little less obsessive!)- There is an £11200 credit limit for 14 months with a 2.9% fee - so need to do some number crunching around what to do to keep fees and interest as low as possible!


So at the moment I have:


Barclaycard = £6088 (added £1000 of boiler to this at a 6.9% LOB transfer - so £4088 on 0% until April and rest 6.9% LOB)
Nationwide = £3305 (Aim is pay this off by May) at 12.9%
Tesco loan = £4109 at 10.1% APR until July 2016 (but was planning to pay this early once CCs have gone! £246 monthly payment


I could move all but £2000 from the Barclaycard to the new card (MBNA) and clear the £2k by April. Then move all of the Nationwide balance to the new card so I would pay 2.9% fees on £7373 = £214


So by April I would have £7587 (- 2 months minimum payments) Plus the loan which would £3617


My next question would be - after April once the Barclaycard is cleared do I pay the minimum on the MBNA card for 3 months, put £1000 into savings and do an early settlement on the loan saving me loan interest or keep paying down the CC til its gone whilst paying the standard loan payment then pay the loan off. I am struggling to work out how much I will save paying loan early. (It would be around a year early) - but struggling to work out how much that would save in interest overall?


Can't work out how much I would save by doing all these moves compared with what I would be paying in interest over the same period!!!! Confused.com:mad:

If you are going to pay the loan off you should check first of all there are no early settlement penalties. If there are not it is easy to calculate how much you would be better off by.


Balance in April will be £4109 less 2 payments of £246 is £3617 as you said so that should be the amount you pay off with no penalties.


If you leave it to run its course until July 2016 this assumes 16 payments left, not sure of date of payment so you need to check if this is correct. 16 * £246 is £3936 so deduct the settlement figure of £3617 to make a total interest saving of £319.


Where will the money come from to pay off the loan though?

tellmeitsfriday

Ring your vet. They will offer advice over the phone. Do it. Now!

judi24

Working from home today so will ring vet!! (and finish assignments!!!:D)


My idea with the loan was to pay the minimum on the CC saving around £1100 a month for around 3 months then pay loan off (that would take to around July) then attack the CC - but it might be simpler just to keep paying the loan as it is and once CC is gone completely then attack the loan. I guess I just want as much on 0% as possible and have a few credit accounts on the go as I can so that I am more attractive to mortgage lenders - I am not in a fixed rate and I think I can get a better deal on my mortgage - which I wanted to sort out before rates start to rise so I was hoping to do that later this year.


I need to sort out my OD's too as I still have the smile one in use every month and the NW one has a balance on it cos if the boiler so need to sort those out as apparently mortgage lenders like to see no use of OD's for at least 3 months before application so thinking if I apply around September I need to get out of using ODs by July!


Going to reduce my mortgage term to 14 years - from 17 - the best deal on the comparison sites suggest my mortgage payment would be virtually the same and then I would be planning to overpay to get rid of the mortgage in 10 years. that's the plan - Love a good plan!


Right off to quickly do yesterdays 5 OS Pleasures than checking out until my assignments are done! (before & hits me with her broom!!!:eek:)

ampersand

Wouldn't do that judi:-)...more a brisk swoosh of a sweep! quidditch-style.

Yes, just concentrate on finishing those assignments today.
De-activate, if you have it, any Ping! for emails arriving, or things like this:-)
They'll still be there, virtual as ever.
#
'Right off to quickly do yesterdays 5 OS Pleasures than checking out until my assignments are done! ' = almost right, judi.

From now on, t'other way round:-) and the EXTRA pleasure will be exactly that.

Working out best ways with new card and mortgage rate is another thing that comes AFTERWARDS, not before. You save this NICE playing as a reward for task done.

As with spending/£rittering, so with your time, judi.

This is a permanent road you are building, the lasting template for your Life and family life. Grown-up. Send a lovely extra card+note to casino birthday friend, in addition to any phone call or chat. Don't put it off. Check taxi fare online and book it.

I do believe you had a real, if mini-, epiphany with check-out lady in big green shop the other day. Don't over-spend time on other Threads either.
Learning to step back fits in very well with debt discipline. I know it's hard and if anything comes through consistently in your writing, it's your wonderful warmth, honesty and genuine generosity of spirit.

judi24

Thank you Ampersand for you kind and thought full words and your very appropriate telling off AGAIN!


Hurraahhh they are done :j (and I managed to dodge &'s swishing broom! JUST) - assignments completed, checked, boxed off and sent - winging their way to my poor unfortunate tutor who now has to decipher them and pass judgement!!!!:eek:


So now I can play with CC rates and mortgages! Well at least until the next one is due in April - only got one more assignment and the dissertation to do and that's it!!! in a few short months It will be over! (looking forward to being able to read for fun!!!)


Yes the checkout lady in the big green shop highlighted to me that although I have made some very poor financial and personal decisions I have also managed to ensure a reasonable pension (which she clearly hadn't) that will be available when I retire (as long as the government doesn't hack it to pieces completely!). My aim now is to get myself in a position where I can bring that date forward should I so wish, through saving and paying my mortgage off (although at the moment I am very happy in my job!) as well as having some fun and adventure with my family!

ampersand

Oh judi - I am so pleased!

And so are you, of course! :-) Your tutor can count her lucky stars that it's not &'s handwriting to be deciphered. Looks ummm 'distinctive'[polite], claret ink used for the last 147years, and letters to France remain not exactly read: a constant theme with oldest friend this side of world. Source of ribaldry from NZ>Yurp in fact:-)

I found Diss.Aware was a constant undercurrent and total 'YES!' when I read
' (looking forward to being able to read for fun!!!)'.
Spot on:-) That was so true! Think I read a Joanna Trollope, or chicklit-lite similar.
Any Diss thoughts as yet?

Feb NSDs? Update them with every post. They're bonuses, so of course they can't happen every day - and you have a family. But when they do, you'll prize that climbing total from one month to the next.

Have a look at Martin's Energy Club.[#177]
https://cheapenergyclub.moneysavingexpert.com/collectiveswitch
[I need to, too]
Check out the surface water drainage. Nothing lost if not applicable to your outfall.
#
judi - all that you consider your 'mistakes' a.k.a. life+learning with money and men, you have made while young enough to turn every poopsie scenario around:-) Mrs Asda is outside this exciting framework, packed full of possibility and promise and pension - all important.
This time, you are doing it. This time, there's no backsliding. You know this - and we won't let it happen.

re: casino birthday, compromise. Put a £5 in the card and let friend choose her luck for you?

judi24

Thank you I am pleased - this last assignment was a little tricky - but I think that was the fact it had such a small word count - just 1500 words for such a large and interesting topic! (compassion v efficiency and effectiveness and the leadership role - fascinating stuff!)


Lucky for my tutor these things happen by electronic magic now a days and no one has to endure my terrible writing and thank the lord for spell check (dyslexia plays havoc with assignment writing!) Claret ink? oh yes very you I can imagine!!!


Dissertation needs to be able to provide evidence of leadership in a case study format - got a few ideas but need to hone my thinking a bit - but the next assignment is to do just that and produce a research proposal so that kind of makes sense.


Energy club says I should switch but would incur and get out fee from old supplier - but still worth it I think. As for water charges definitely will look at this as I now have a good idea that I am paying over the odds at the moment.:mad:


No back sliding here!!! Not now! Not ever! with the support from friends on here and a new way of thinking - no more major money mistakes just onwards and upwards! :A(not promising not to have some minor indiscretions though!) and I find it slightly amusing that I am dreaming of pension pots and early retirement!!! - I guess knowing that I can stop work when I'm ready gives me the freedom to enjoy work and not see it as a ball and chain but a way forward - and I have so much to do there that I can't imagine going anywhere any time soon! - tomorrow is going to be tough day for lots of people as we take time to reflect on the care of someone who had a big impact on many (including me!) - my job tomorrow is to make sure my youngsters know it ok to be affected - and help them do it all over again!!!!


:jNSD:j 1st one in Feb!!!