Where to begin?.......

3wisemonks

clearmydebts wrote: »

Yay. Delighted to hear you got the job!!!

Thanks clearmydebts

3wisemonks

Thursday and Friday were NSDs

I've sent dh shopping fingers crossed he doesn't break the bank

I've been give an outline of the plan for my training in preparation for my new job. I will receive my new contract soon.

Really need to get back into meal planning, feel like I've been really slacking on this

School holidays are going to mean some spends but nothing to extravagant for this one.

Scottishmummy

Yay to the job, boo to the parking ticket. Yay to the NSD's. How did the DH do on the shopping front? I blame my DH for quite a lot of my waistline. He can never just buy what is needed. Always buys an extra packet of biscuits or pudding and once it's in the house...

SM

3wisemonks

OK so it's been a while! OK a loong while

So in the last year and a bit.......

Change of job went OK, never got my training but it looks like there will be another change before Christmas which I'm dreading to be honest as I may be TUPE over but I may not be in which case I will be working in a role I know I'm not capable of but I'm sitting tight, keeping an eye out for something. I've applied for a few jobs but nothing.

We booked a holiday to Florida (extravagant yes) but with every hard saved penny and I'm so glad we did it. No debt incurred :j

A family member was diagnosed with cancer, treated and given the all clear big thanks to the NHS.

Another family member recently passed away. A most special, wonderful, dearly loved person who had been for want of a better word was poorly and so in the end it was a release for them but it doesn't mean we miss them any less

So onto debt/saving situation. The debt is right down now and the end is near :T while we could now pay it off its not costing us interest and so we've chosen to save.

We are overpaying the mortgage by £200 a month. Not much but we planned on remortgaging and continuing to pay the same amount which would mean paying more off the balance however we will receive a very generous inheritance in the next 12months and will pay a large chunk off the mortgage. Hopefully 90,000-100,000 if we are very lucky. We will then need to work out how to arrange the remainder and pay it off as quickly as possible. I truly recognise how fortunate we are to be able to do and enternally grateful that my relative that has given me this gift of freedom.

In the meantime our emergency/diy savings stand at £3550 we are doing some work on the house so I expect this to go down.
I have money in the car pot, celebrations pot and a bit for ententrainment as well.

Food wise packed lunches everyday for everyone made my lovely DH.
Each week I slow cooker a joint for £6-8 and this does 4 meals for the five of us bulked out with lots of veggies. Roast, bolognese, nodules, chilli, pulled pork wraps etc.

And I'm learning to drive this is not cheap though :eek::eek:

3wisemonks

So I started a new diary, couldn't find this one and guessed some of the dates and amounts but woah was i a few years off! But the debt total in my signature was off by a lot! And oddly the mortgage amount is wrong im not sure why. 

I can't figure out how to update my signature:

I'm starting this diary because I need to get on top on my spending and some small debts.

Background:
DH was in charge of finances for the first few years, only he was dreadful but I wasn't much better and together we built up debts over 50k. In 2007 he had 6 CCJs and we were on the brink of losing our home. So I joined MSE and used the information and tips on here to pay it all off by 2014. I then promised myself we would never get into debt again.......I got a new job which increased our monthly income by £500 a month and so we kept living frugally and saved for holidays having not been anywhere for 10 yrs. So we saved and went to florida, I then changed jobs again and increased my pay by £300 and so then we saved and went again and again. In between holidays my nan sadly passed away but she generously left me a chunk on money that we paid off some of the mortgage and had a new kitchen (the kitchen was the same one that when we bought with the house 15yrs ago the agent said it was unuseable). As my income increased we have become a little less frugal each time but in the last 2 years I think I've developed a shopping addiction.....yesterday I was going to have a NSD and then spent £700 😨 - 0% for 36 month. I spend hundreds for pounds a month on stuff and 'bargains' I don't need. Its been particularly bad since lockdown. We need to buy bits for repairs on the house in first lockdown and I would have to spend hours trying to get onto DIY websites to order these things and I think it freaked me out so now I'm buying everything in sight apparently!

Debts:

I learnt to drive and we bought a car on finance which I felt was something we needed and the payment was easily manageable and will be paid off in June/July.
We also bought a sofa on 0% credit though we had the cash to buy it - awfully i have no idea how much for or for how long....I think around 3000k for 2.5 yrs. 
CC 1 - £1500 - 0%
CC2 - was zero but I have somehow added £1012 to it since Christmas. I have no idea how.
Mortgage - £45,888 - although we are in the process of moving and this will increase to £150,000


Heres ironic part.....we have £14,000 in savings. If I don't spend like a loonatic we can save a minimum of £1000 a month. Last month I saved this and spent less than I have been but with the shops opening soon and my complete inability to keep myself in check I have decide to try keeping this diary. MSE really helped last time and I really did change the way I thought about money but these last 12 months what had started as a minor blip every once in a while has turned in to an all out addiction.

My goal is small to start with:
*2 NSDs a week.
*Pay half off CC2 off at the end of this month.
*Save £500 (this seems mad with debts I know but I cannot bring myself not to save).
*Do not add to debt 0% or not!
*Max shopping bill £70
*Sell some junk - the loft is bursting but I haven't had much luck selling - I will try though!

Need to get this under control.

3wisemonks

Posts on the other diary:

Yesterday

Today I have spent:

£9.99 on a screen protector.
£8 a face mask brush - using a gift card though.

Tomorrow won't be a NSD. I had planned on shopping tonight after dinner but I have a poorly tooth and so took a short nap then had a bath. So I will be shopping tomorrow instead. Just a few bits from our favourite cheap supermarket and some free treats from the VIP club for the pet shop. 

I'm hoping Friday will be my NSD, although Monday was a NSD.

I have £58.71 in my daily account but I'm pretty sure my £40 fuel isn't showing so that leaves £18 for shopping which is going to be very tight 🙃 I need milk, coffee (not essential), hotdogs, jacket potatoes, beans, rolls, sugar and deodorant. The food is to feed 11 for a garden picnic with another household so that's definitely go to make it tighter perhaps no coffee 😆


Today

Supermarket trip didn't go great..... I spent £20.28 and still forgot a couple of items I need for dinner tomorrow and haven't been to the pet shop yet so may pick those up, a few more pounds will be needed there. The fuel hasn't come out of my account yet so means I haven't had to dip into another pot. 
I have also had to buy a new wing mirror for my car £11.99 out of the car fund pot though. A lovely 4 x4 came round a blind corner on my side of the road so I had to get too close to the wheelie bins someone decided to leave halfway in the road.... frustrating but could have been worse!
Had a bad nights sleep with DHs snoring I'm torn between napping and going in the loft but I think napping is going to win!😴🤤 at least I can't be shopping if I'm asleep!


I will try and remove stop the splurge but this is still my goal.

I'm not debt free although the old debts are all paid and 2017-2019 we were other than the mortgage debt free....I considered the 0% debts as a manageable move and they are, we have no issues with repayments what concerns me is my almost uncontrollable spending! I am not adding to debt with day to day spending but its still frivolous and I need it to stop so we can save for our future.

3wisemonks

Oh dear lord today has not been a good day, spent £130, ended up needing some diy bits for the house to try and make it more appealing and I have no will power buying tons of wool because it was new colours....

3wisemonks

Well I still haven't had any NSDs yet.

Saturday we had some viewings and so went to look at the area we are hoping to move to and bought food for the children and some bits from the pet shop.
Sunday was our normal shopping day but only spent £48 so not too bad. 
Monday the shops opened.... £176 lighter 🙈 

So onto today, we are going for a bike ride this afternoon but I still need some bits a lettuce, cucumber, birthday cards so still not a NSD.

Tomorrow is unlikely as we are hoping to go out for dinner but Thursday and Friday are looking promising. I will get the picnic bits I need for Thursday today.

I think once I'm back to work that will help just need to stay off the online shopping! 

Last month I spent £2453 on my debit card. This does include a few bills but that is still obscene. This month I'm at £896 already. I know before the week is out it'll be higher bit I my goal is to keep it under £1500 for the month and then in May under £1000.

3WM

3wisemonks

NSD today finally! I didn't get the cards and swapped the menu around so won't need the lettuce until Friday but I will have to get these things tomorrow. 
Had a good day. Took DS for a bike ride and organised some clothes to take to the cash for clothes place which I will do tomorrow. A surprisingly productive day which feels good, not trying to buy my way to happy feelings.