DFB35 Diary

DFB35

Aaleigha wrote: »

Fantastic day out I love london but hubby doesnt - so I usually go with a gay friend of mine and we take in a show meeting several of his friends - I have a great time
Used to go up quite often to take the kids to science museum and natural history - my son used to count the animals on the pillars - they both loved it we also went and took in the Tutankhamen exhibition

as for the rest of the week I dont know how old they are but why not take them on a walk in the country (I go along the cycle track with friends children) and get them looking under stones and things for bugs - you can always photo them then you can spend time on another day for them to try to findout what they are called
when offered a day out with anything they wanted to do as a treat that is what my friends children wanted to do - so we took a picnic and water to wash hands with - they held the food in a serviette so they could keep the germs off

Thank you for your message Aaleigha A country walk is an excellent idea, and i never thought of taking pictures of the bugs to research later - my boy would love it hehe... He is 6 and my daughter is 13. A big gap due to us having our daughter when we were really young, I was 18 and hubby 20. So we took some time before having another!

After such high spirits yesterday, we woke up to find that our boiler broke! Again! This is about 6th time it happened and the last time was in January (very cold brrrr).. The pressure keeps dropping and hubby learned how to put it back up, well this time it's completely knackered.. I have a boiler cover but it does come with 99 excess, will let you know how much it will be to get it working again.

Thing is it's not even that old! Arghhh..

DFB35

Boiler has been fixed, I had to pay £99 for the call out and the work. We used to be on a £26 a month contact with unlimited call outs and all work included, but last August I moved it to 13 a month but with 99 excess... I reconed that nine months of not calling them out we'd make the excess back.. Now I'm wondering if it was worth it... Arghh..

How many times would it break anyways? Now the boiler has new thermostat and been repressurised and checked over, hopefully won't have to deal with it again for awhile!

Ring update - I had a call from the jeweller that it's back ready to be picked up. I didn't get it fixed in the end as it was quoted over £300. I really wanted to pawn it but hubby talked me out of it. One of the reasons being its yellow gold and I now prefer white and another that it's been quite unlucky breaking twice in 3-4 years I had it. But I will keep it for now, I suppose.

I bought a £24.99 silver cz eternity ring to wear for now, it looks surprisingly good! And it has the white gold effect I was after, although hubby hates it, I think it's because he knows it's fake. But I honestly quite like it.. Will keep it as an MSE reminder and maybe get a "proper" one when we debt free

Anyway onwards and upwards and the boiler fee went on the credit card to be paid off straight after next pay day so won't interfere with this months budget x

Aaleigha

that was quick on the boiler call out - hopefully there will not be a problem for ages now so will soon be cost effective for you
as for the ring save it its something that was important to you - if you really really need to it is there to sell or pawn - but take some pictures of it before you do = at least then if you regret it at all it wont be quite so bad

as for the walk you can get your daughter to take a full part by planning the picnic doing a menu and preparing it - she can then be in charge of the research - when they get back
if you take a little jar and your son can coax bugs onto a leaf you can pop them in a jar just make sure he understands the importance of being really gentle and popping them back where they came from

also when I was little you used to get ispy books - dont know if you still can but when out on a walk they might be a cheap fun way - or better still get your daughter to reseach things take photos in your local area but pan in so they are difficult like a letter box on an old house - a car number plate (ask the neighbour first) just little things then when you go for a walk the same place again your son can be looking for the things and your daughter can write down the answers and tell him if he is right - with such an age difference its to important she is included so make the activities suitable for him but give her the job of compiling them means you have less to do

DFB35

DFB35 wrote: »

Another thing.. When ringing up to check on my loan 1, they gave me a settlement figure of 4800 compared to my loan total of 5,595 as my interest rate is quite high at almost 9% apr...

Thinking now of getting a 0% deal and moving the loan to credit card.. Something I read about on this forum, feels like robbing Peter to pay Paul but I can trust myself to do it now and saving all this interest!!

Will look into tomorrow

Having originally been refused the balance transfer credit card when I looked into it in early March , I gave up on it.. But it's been niggling me.. We also made 800 in over payments since then so the total settlement figure for the loan should be 4,000 now! I have suggested hubby tries and he has been accepted for 0% over 31 months on balance and money transfer for 4000.

I feel happy but also a bit sick about it, it makes perfect financial sense saving on all the interest even with the 120 transfer fee. But I guess it's because its a "credit card" that it feels wrong! And it's scary to obtain this credit.. And another thing is the temptation to pay it off slower I guess..

However as hubby is involved he is very keen to stick to our original aim to have it paid off by Christmas. As soon as it hits the account, the loan will be paid off and the card cut up!

It's nice to update my total though 4,120 :money:

DFB35

To bring myself down to earth a little after my debt reshuffle, here is a reminder of the total debts outstanding as at April 2015:

Car finance - £1,224 (£204 a month ends October 2015)
CC - £4,120 (0% for 31 months)
Loan - £10,073 (£140 a month ends March 2021)

Total: £15,417

So a long way to go still and it's no time to get complacent, I'm seriously hoping that by January 2016 we would have paid off The car and CC and our total figure will be firmly below 10k

Aaleigha

You and hubby are doing so well

When you get the card freeze it in a big tub of water it will take time to thaw before you can use it
Hopefully you want NEED to spend as it will give thinking time but it will always be there if you need it
I am fighting to keep head above water and not get a cc but hubby thinks it will be good for emergencies but I think for us not
But for you with interest free it's fantastc

DFB35

Last day of my week off and easter holidays and its a NSD today

I'm really worried about the thoughts I've been having to only pay minimum on the CC now that's it on 0%.. I have fallen into this trap before! That and adding more than we needed to cover transfer of debt. This hasn't happened this time - I must stress that! But I still need to keep myself in check on these kind of thoughts.

To meet my target to pay this CC of before Christmas I need to pay 457.77 a month, which is do able and I must do it!

I might even be able to put away another 100ish from this salary, will do my budget for the rest of the month in a mo

DFB35

Money available 460 (figures slightly rounded up for ease)

Friday -NSD
Saturday - food shop coming (-44) otherwise NSD
12th Sunday -NSD
Monday -30 for hubby
Tuesday - 40.5 for childcare until 27th (breakfast club)
Wednesday- call up to book daughters horse riding 22
Thursday -NSD
Friday -NSD
Saturday -another food shop, under 60
19th Sunday - daughters horse riding 22 (always for week ahead)
Monday - 30 for hubby
Tue- NSD
Wed - hubby's bday!! I will put 100 in a card for him, the thing is he is planning a night out but I'm not sure how much for. It is his birthday after all and he's never been the major culprit in our spending.. So I cant get too controlling with him! So a ? Mark there for now..
Thursday - NSD (or if hubby goes out ?)
Friday - Possibly takeaway for his bday.. But not sure, let's see how the essentials spends look like atm.. And it's PAYDAY

Potentially left with 112, if hubby can hold of the night out until Friday that will come out of next months budget.. So could have 100 to throw at the debts!

Also next months pay, will have to cover the boiler and few bits on the everyday credit card before it will be worked out what to pay off the main 4k credit card.

Now I have a plan lets see how the next two weeks play out :money:

AND hubby might be getting a bonus in next pay, not sure how much for yet but yay :j

I must must MUST stick with our original plan though and pay off at least 450 of the main 4k credit card next month. I think this will be the test whether I'm truly serious about getting DFB35!!

Can't keep moving the debt around forever will need to pay it all off at some point!

stepuptothepl8

hi DFB35
Look at your sig!!!! You are doing brilliantly and beating me :P Not sure if mine will be clear by Christmas, but I'll still keep plugging away at it! x

Aaleigha

you are doing so well I have not thought of making a list of what spending is up and coming so thank you I think that is an idea that will really help me