A Frugal Maternity Leave

mum2one

thats brill xx

crunch_time

So today we are off to a 'local attraction' and planning a nsd. We already have a season ticket so no entry fees, we are taking a picnic and can walk there so no petrol!! Woohoo!! Just got to convince husband that we doesn't need a coffee.......

When we get back my plans for the evening are as follows:
- put the 2 small crates of CDs husband found at his mums on magpie music. This is the last of our CDs as everything has been uploaded onto tunes I. I'm a big fan of reducing clutter!
- package up the first lot of ebay parcels that finished on Friday to post tomorrow
- ironing
- rip out useful articles of the pile of magazines I have bought over the last 6 months when I 'treated myself' - they are just cluttering up the place!
- sort out the loft a bit more so we can bring the last of our stuff out of storage
Hope everyone has a lovely Sunday!
Crunchy x

PinkPoppies

Sounds like a busy day! Have a fun trip out! Thermos flask of coffee?

OrangeFairy

Hi Crunchy

How was your day out? Did you get on with your busy evening?

OF x

crunch_time

Morning diaryland!


I'm feeling frustrated as I have typed out and entry three times now only for the screen of my iPhone to freeze/laptop to die/time out etc.


Here is my week in a nutshell:


- had a lovely Sunday last week - spent money on coffee from husbands pocket PP....


- felt miserable about my lack of clothes for the summer due to being pregnant last summer/still cant fit back into trousers/shorts and do not have any skirts so spent money on a few bits. on credit card. now feel guilty. Credit card has to go!!


- I've been pre-occupied thinking about the situation a mentioned few posts above. It turns out I wasn't as 'over it' as I thought and it meant I didn't get organised with a meal plan this week so lots of dashes to sains


- Borrowed money fro pre school fees out of car maintenance pot as had a polite reminder letter. Will pay back next weekend after we get paid.


- haven't updated YNAB for a while. Really need to sort out the categories for June and get it on my phone so I can update as I go.


- been daydreaming about cars for next year as mine will be 10 years old and convinced I need a bigger one for the camping trips we are going to go on and the dog that we don't have yet. Ridiculous isn't it as the things that are holding us back from that is debt. I need to get my priorities in order.


- friend has been diagnosed with cancer. Has put a lot into perspective. I want to get fit and healthy, spend lots of time with my family, achieve my dreams and don't sweat the small stuff.


We are off on holiday tomorrow until Friday. I'm really looking forward to a change of scene and going to spend some time finishing Gone Girl and learning to use my camera.


We both get paid this week so can make some more inroads to the debt on Friday night when we get back.


Onwards and upwards! About to check the bank balance and hoping its not going to be as bad as it is in my head!!


Crunchy xx

abba1772

Hope you have a fab holiday xxxx

Sorry to hear about your friend xx

crunch_time

Thanks abba - I'm sure she will be fine they can do amazing things these days cant they.


Managed to make £11 on fleabay this week so that has paid off some of the credit card.


I have just worked out my overspending this week - £80 on food!!! Im going to start shopping at [EMAIL="l@dl"]l@dl[/EMAIL] again - I don't care about the nectar points - we have to make inroads on this debt!! It worked before so it will work again.


I also spent £140 on clothes. Mainly 3 necessary bras but still.... Need to make a proper clothes plan for the rest of the year.


There is also lots of extra stuff we will need to pay off out of our spending accounts. Again - really need to get a grip on this as we are as always going over budget.


Lots to think about this week. I'm going to try and only eat out once and stick to the £200 budget including cattery fees.


I'm going to spend some time now making a meal plan for the week.


Husband has also spent the morning putting up the shed and we are going to spend the afternoon FINALLY sorting out the loft.


Feeling very motivated and determined now!!!


crunchy xx

mum2one

Hope you have a great break, sounds like some good plans, it might sound daft but the clothing was necessary spends, its not as thou u wanted a 5in pr of designer heels... Take me for example took DD clothes shopping yesterday (she hates clothes shopping with a vengance), but we still managed to spend £146 in Primark but then I only do 2 big shops for her (summer and winter) inbetween shops are rare, so it balances out.

Sorry about your friend, hope everything goes ok xxx

crunch_time

Evening diaryland!!


We are back from our break and had a lovely time. As usual it went too quickly. We also spent nearly £400 when our budget was £200!! I've just had a play round with YNAB to try and make the numbers add up for June now that the extra £200 needs to be accounted for. We wont be able to pay back much debt up front but if I'm careful with our categories then I might be able to slush away some at the end of June.

We both got paid this week. I got paid about £30 less than I budgeted for but husbands pay rise is about an extra £165 a month! :T


That will go a long way in helping us pay things back this year!!


Husband and I have decided to snowball the debt again. I feel I am better when I focus on one thing and chuck everything extra at it than try and juggle lots of different things at once.


Gong to find a snowball calculator to get things rolling ha ha


:rotfl: .


I've only got 5 more weeks of maternity leave left!! Its gone so quickly! Baby will be 7 months old next week. Scary stuff!!


I'm off to [EMAIL="L@dl"]L@dl[/EMAIL] in the morning for the first time since January. Hopefully this will make a difference in our budget. We have £80 to last us until next Friday so it will be meal planning in the morning and using up stuff in the cupboards.


Anyway off to bed as shattered!


Night all!!


Crunchy xx

crunch_time

Evening diary!


Haven't made it to L@dl yet as had a busy day but husband popped to the shop to get some bits for lunch and dinner. Hoping it wont have cost too much!


I've been thinking about the snowballing and come up with the following plan...


Credit card 1 (mine) £1050 17% £12.35 a month
Credit card 2 (husbands) £360 (Holiday) + £180 (of overspending from last year) = £540
Overdraft £1800 17% £12.40 but think it will be a bit more than this from next month.
Parents £500 - interest free
Loan £16,464 £275 a month £3.75%


Total: £20,354 - eek I had better update my signature.:mad:


I'm not going to beat myself up. We have had a lot going on. Just going to get focussed.


THIS. SPENDING. ENDS. NOW.


First debt to tackle = Husband credit card. The £180 of it will be paid off by a years worth of broadband he can claim for from work - he just needs to do it! So then I need to chuck everything spare at the £360 left on it.


Things will be a bit tight for June but for July husband will have £400 left every month and from August I will have at least £200 left every month as I will be back at work. So we can pay off at least £3000 extra by the end of the year.


Right - meal plan and music magpie evening here we go!!


Crunchy xx