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

beanielou

The good thing is you only have 9 months to go.

judi24

Yes I just need to keep telling myself its only 9 months!!!! It will soon fly! Just need to keep my purse strings closed tight!

Fizzy11

The time will fly but sadly so will your kids. My kids in their early thirties & they don't remember us being hard up but they remember the camping trips & mobile homes even though we couldn't afford treats. Why not ask your kids if the holiday is worth one less Christmas present. It's still self catering so savings can still be made.

Go deserve a treat you've done so well.

judi24

I agree Fizzy - my DD1 was talking about that the other day - how much she remembers from her childhood and it often related to holidays and it was always cheap caravans or camping. Canal boats are so expensive so it is a really good find to get one at £800 in the place we want (want to travel to Oxford and meet up with my brother for 1 day) and for the week I need so I think now I have done my sums I will go for it!

judi24

So update after debt payments my debt total will look like this:


Tesco Loan - £3698
MBNA CC - £7137
Barclaycard - £1000


Total = £11835


Total Paid = £7179 (38%) - not too bad in 7 months I guess - but I do need to keep up this pace for another 9 months to get debt free by the end of the year which means I need to pay off £1315 a month! Scary!!!

ampersand

You won't falter, judi.
Just congratulate yourself on another month of success. including family life, each child having some special time and a treat or two, amidst the ups and downs - ds's lost'n'found of PE gear, all by himself, his later apologies for explosion, some dd cuddles and snuggles with respective reading/films, some help given unasked, good work feedback, new PA[use regularly to keep in gwo], mse nights out and meals shared =ing REAL friendships, pleasantly drinky-poo'd with added girlie catch-ups, lovely cake-making and reception of same, the Rev Mummy...

It's been another good enriched month Judi - bask in it and do no more thinking ahead than being ready to roll[just like your Easter Eggs and HC buns] with whatever April springs:D.

You really are doing so well.

:A- OK?

judi24

Thank you Ampersand - so happy to see you posting again! It truly brightens my day and you always give me food for thought!


I am happy with my progress - my debt is almost all on 0% and my spending in relation to frivolous not needed stuff has dropped considerably - I am literally scraping the foundation out of the bottle as I am determined not to buy any until next month as I have no spends left in my spendy budget so it will have to wait! Don't get me wrong I am still tempted - the trip to the home ware store at the weekend reminded of how easy it would be to throw caution to the wind and spend, spend, spend - but I didn't!!!!:T


I have just been reading back in my previous diary - I wanted to check when I started paying the debt down properly and I can really see how far I have come - I have to say that the support I get from this site really helps and I have no doubt I would have fallen off the wagon along time ago - but I am determined this time!!!! 2 more months and I will be over half way!


Another cause to celebrate - I got a refund from the train company - £77 back for my delayed journey to London! So I am going to use that to go down to London to meet DD1 in a few weeks and we are going to book a room via Airbandb - I have found 1 for £88 for 2 nights for the 2 of us in Camden - which I think is pretty amazing! I appreciate my kids more and more every day and want to make sure I get to spend time with them while they are young - before long DD1 will be all grown up and not want to spend time in the British library and people watching in Camden with her old mum - but it won't break the bank! We will buy a few bits for breakfast in the room, take a picnic for lunches and buy street food for Dinner and just potter around free places ( we might have to sit in a bar and people watch so a little wine might be consumed I think! But it won't be in any fancy £10 a glass wine bar!:rotfl:)! A few years ago I wouldn't have thought twice about booking in to a reasonable hotel and sticking it on a credit card!!! The amazing thing about DD1 is she is not remotely materialistic and is happy to spend little and experience a lot!


I am feeling very happy and content at the moment - long may it continue!

ampersand

All good judi - pm.

judi24

Day off today - well sort of! I had to nip into work first thing for a meeting but was home and in the study by 10am. Got quite a lot done and now have a question and focus for my dissertation. Had a telephone tutorial and tutor seems happy too so just need to get on with it now!


Paid my Barclaycard today so just waiting for the loan payment and I can change my signature - I'm getting there!


Not a NSD as I went into co-op to get bread and ended up with a few YS bits including a huge pork joint to £3.50 - will do a good few meals. Total came to £12


I also got my new energy bill and my payment has gone from £141 a month to £126 - so since last September is has gone down by £55 in total (it was £181) which is £660 a year saving! I hope I can get it down further with the new boiler - it too soon to see the full effect on the gas bill.
My next step is get the water meter in and see of I can get that down from £67 a month. I also want to investigate the cost effectiveness of getting energy saving bulbs - I have lots of these spotlight type bulbs and have to replace them fairly frequently - the cost of the energy efficient one is £2.99 if bought in packs of 10 - I think I have around 40 bulbs around the house with all the spots and triple light fittings! just done a calculation on energy light bulb site which says I could save £191 in electricity a year changing to energy efficient ones - so basically they would pay for themselves within a year and they are meant to last for about 5 years and save me just under £1000 over their 5 year life span!!!!!! Wow - I think I need to do this!!!

ampersand

They do last judi, so I'd say definitely change over, but be prepared for their slower full light beam - takes a few seconds. Think of a dimmer switch.
Also, when they're turned off, you'll see a tiny residual dimming for a few seconds.
Some people aren't prepared to become used to this.

There was a point at least 6-7 years ago when Mr T reduced them to 28p, because of some arcane wording error on packaging that wasn't in line with legislation.

It was a great opportunity [thread on mse] and I was not the only one to buy many many many:-)

The first one I've replaced was a fortnight or so back, bedside light, because a tube came off in my hand, separating from the fitment. The light hadn't failed though.

It really is amazing to see how dramatically that debt total is falling. If you think of it, that 2nd figure i.e. 13143 is dropping a digit every month, while the 'paid' figure rises! It's a win-win countdown/totting up rebalancing.

There's a beautiful visual analogy to hold on to, of the scales tilting in your favour, month by month...... :-)))))))))))))))) - and your absolute knowledge that this is a cast-iron certainty now, as much part of you as breathing.

The day that those scales finally PING! down the other way...it's going to be one B-I-G mse party.

Those 3 '0's sitting there now[Smile, NW, Tesco] will each have a partner to run away with, for good.
#
That pork joint is a good buy. Any crackling fights in judi's household? There would be if & broomed in:-)

It's good that your approved Diss. topic is bedding into your consciousness. You'll find your mind works at it regardless, and this is healthy. Your new determination and evident progress with indebtedness is going to be a much bigger help to you in your academic path than you may realise.

Think of Poirot freeing up those little grey cells, untramelled, running and working at somewhat fuller, 'cleaner' strength than pre-lightbulb moment. Endurance-with-pleasure training for a judi-Life future, and a family who have seen it as The ONLY Way to go:-) What an inheritance for them! What a joy for the Rev. maman, as she sits out in the sun as judi brings out their verres de vin or pastis in some petit hameau quelque part.....
The community there have truly accepted you, esp. with your life experience being sometimes called upon. You are content. You have earned this, worked for it, learnt some hard lessons. You work in your potager, pop into the village, know that you have choices, know other ways of life - flit to England sometimes.

That goal is not so long-term, judi - and to think you have your dream job to achieve it!...that's more than many can say.

You know it's another gleaming Well Done! this month.