A Frugal Maternity Leave

lilmissmup

I spent about £25 on mine I think. TBH I thought that was a lot!

crunch_time

Morning diary!!

Yes t2rry - they really don't need that much when they are first birn. My advice to any new parents would've to just buy and invest in the essential equipment. Once they are born then you can see what else you may need!

I think my changing bag was about £50. It's a bit like choosing a handbag really as you will have it with you all the time for about 2 years!!

More tips over the next few days I promise!!


After this week I only have 2 weeks left of Mat leave!!!! It's also. Early my one year mse anniversary. And also nearly 5 years since I finished uni second time round and had my first real lbm. What a lot has changed!!!

Yesterday I decided to stop beating myself up about our debt. Approx £4k of our debt is from this year from moving house, a new camera and a holiday. The loan is about £16k and half of that is our two cars. The other £8k is debt we got into when I was at uni and our car kept breaking and my husband and I didn't get a job straight away.

I have been thinking about the loan and it makes me feel down thinking our total debt is over £20k. I Felt so inadequate 5 years ago and it was only yesterdAy I realised I'm still feeling that way. If I gave myself a breakand relaxed a bit perhaps I wouldn't feel so anxious!!
Crunchy xx

crunch_time

With that in mind I'm going to change my strategy in terms of our debt and instead of working from the bottom up and not thinking about the long term until the £20k has been paid off I'm going to work from the top down....

- as soon as I am back at work on my new contract from September we are going to start overpaying our mortgage at £200 a month.

- from next month we are going to start saving our child benefit into an isa as our emergency fund and beyond.

- we are then going to stick to our current budgeted amounts for spending money, food, clothes etc. and anything extra will go in paying off the £4k of immediate debt balanced with buying needed stuff for the house.

When I'm back at work we will be earning £3700 a month so this is totally feasible. Others may not agree with this plan. For me we have been putting off the future to look after the present and I now have an overwhelming urge to out the future first. We have been frugal and careful for so long now and I know this will continue.
We will then keep paying down the loan and maybe refinance it to end earlier when I'm doing more days or some Things
I feel so happy and like a weight has been lifted!!

I'm going to finish off my tips and then move over to my mortgage diary at some point over the summer as we start the next chapter in our journey.

Agh. Massive. Weight. Lifted. From. Shoulders

Much love crunchy xx

OrangeFairy

Hi Crunchy

Sounds like you have a good plan- you have to do what feels right for you and the fact you feel like a weight has been lifted means it is the right decision!

Thanks for the changing bag feedback.

Ours range between 60 to 300!

Funny how your view changes when you work somewhere- I wouldn't have ever dreamt of more than £60 for a changing bag before hand!

OF x

crunch_time

Thanks Orange fairy and no worries re the feedback!!

Well it's been swings and roundabouts the last few days!! Husbands expenses finally got paid and the mileage claim has paid off the holiday!! And then some!! However I got his statement and I didn't pay enough for his suit last month so I need to pay off £85 for that and £55 for a new shirt as well as his new contentious watch so it now stands at £300.

On the flip side, my car broke down yesterday. Boo. Didn't have any breakdown cover so had to pay for that for the year and a call out fee. £150 on the credit card (thankfully I had it with me!!!!) had to drive straight to garage to get problem properly fixed - £200 on the credit card. So my credit card now stands at £1517.

We have about £270 in our car maintenance fund so I'm going to use that to pay sone of it off and then the rest with Julia £200 contribution to the pot.

So glad we put that money in that pot. This whole experience has made me even more determined to start some more savings pots again!!

Ynab has slipped a bit these last few days. I just need to get it back on track.

Onwards and upwards!!
Crunchy xx

crunch_time

Morning diary!! Its my 1 year anniversary today!!! I started a diary a year ago today and my my my what a lot has happened in that time!!


Initially we wanted to knuckle down and pay off our immediate debt so we could chuck as much money at the mortgage to build equity allowing us to move.


Since then we have moved house and paid off that immediate debt and now we have more debt from moving ha ha ha! But we are in a much better place than we were!!!


I have learned a lot in the last year too. I think I have massive feelings on inadequacy caused by this debt. 5 years ago whilst my friends were getting married and thinking about babies I decided to be a full time student again for greater and longer term employment prospects. Its paid off and looking at all of them now we all have houses and families and careers and are happy. I have now realised that they are probably in debt too and I know a lot of them have lease cars and big mortgages too. I'm proud of the journey husband and I have been on to get here and I am no longer going to beat myself up about my debt as we have definitely turned it around. I think my downfall is rushing ahead with things rather than taking a balanced approach.


My new motto is 'slowly, slowly, catchy, monkey.' The monkey being debt freeness!


In other DFW news - a while ago I applied to a company to help me claim back tax on my union subs. Well I finally got a cheque in the post today for £62.48!!! Not bad for just sending a few things off in the post!! I think I will pay off some of the camera with that.


I have now updated YNAB and it is looking ok for the rest of the month (fingers crossed!!) Although I have £30 for food we might be ok if we can have some cheap meals. I get paid this Friday and husband the Friday after so our food month can start then. Looking forward to doing a budget for July with husband on Friday night once we know how much I shall be paid.


I've been a good girl and started looking for furniture on ebay rather than buying it new.


Just need to get milk today but tomorrow and Thursday should then be nsd s. Then dentist on Friday. I might go into town then and spend some gift cards I have and go to the library. If I can eek out a whole day then we only need to use one lot of petrol as wont need to take 2 cars so will save about £15. My friend is also selling some girls clothes so I can check them out for baby too if she is about!!


Lovely - I have a plan for the week now thanks for listening!!


Crunchy xx

OrangeFairy

Happy MSE diary anniversary - I have just looked back and it seems I first posted on your diary on the 21st June 2014 so not long after you started!

You have come a long way and should be very pleased.

I like the new motto :beer:

crunch_time

Thanks OF! Yes you did! Thanks for your support over the last year!!


Got my payslip today - £33 under what I budgeted for so that will need to be considered on Friday. Last bit of SMP so roll on 19th July when I will get paid my monthly salary again!!!!!


The mince I bought from the butchers last week for a massive chilli sat in the fridge over the weekend whilst I continuously forgot to cook it. Went to do so yesterday and it was off - shame but I have learned my lesson. Going to have to go food shopping today as not much in that is fresh. Going to have to scrape together some money for this one. Next months food budget is going to be separated from nappies and formula and from cleaning products and toiletries. I need to get a handle on exactly what we are spending!!


I bid on a piece of furniture on ebay but I got outbid. I'm now ok with it but thinking about Ikea stuff now. Will check out the second hand places in the city tomorrow before I decide.


I bought a baby backpack with some m@thercare vouchers I had from baby's birth. It was either this or save them for when we need the next size up car seat which I thought was a bit boring. Husband and I love to hike. We already have one backpack so now we will be able to take both kids out finally hurrah!! I was £15 over so am putting two bits of baby equipment on ebay tonight - that should definitely pay off the rest of it.


I'm aware that I haven't finished the tips yet - its on my mind! Just need to get on here in the evening but been so tired recently.


Hope everyone is having a lovely day!!


Crunchy xx

crunch_time

Morning diary!


Pay day today!! £517!! Been to dentist already so £50 spent on husbands treatment. I managed to avoid going into the city and going to try to buy myself something online with my giftcard and my friend wasn't around to buy clothes off so saved some money there!!


realised toddler is growing out of his clothes and will need some soon. Husband and I will put it off till next month though!!


£33.72 set aside for min credit card payment; £25.25 for overdraft charge and £30 for hair cut next week. £225 set aside to be taken out as cash later today for petrol and my spending money till the 19th July.


£150 paid off on my credit card taking the balance to £1182. Total debt is now £19,973 so I am pleased to report that it is back under £20k and I am determined for it to stay that way!!


Hopefully I will get some more taken off that next week when husband gets paid. we should have £220 spare that can hopefully go on debt but his car is going into the garage on Monday and we only have £100 for that in the car pot if I use the other £100 to pay off the last of the RAC on my card.


Another month with as minimum spend as possible. Should be doable as I am back to work so need to stick to no eating out plans and lunches to work.


Going to make a start on some DIY this weekend with a trip to the pub for husband planned on Sunday - just one drink and we shall walk there. Going to make a Fathers Day card for him and for my Dad with some card I bought.


Still haven't got those bits on ebay so that's another task for today!!


So pleased to be under £20k - next stop £19.5k!!

t2rry

Sounds well planned Crunchy! Must be strange going from SMP to normal pay again! Hope work is a good return for you!


Under £20k is a hell of a breakthrough! Just gotta keep going!!!


Also congrats on the MSE anniversary!! Over £3,500 off is fab progress, especially considering you've been on SMP for most of that!! I wish I had done so well! And will be able to do so well this coming year!


Can't wait to see you crack the £19k mark!