The single track road - life on a different path

Levi-

Haha I feel this! I was so tired today I had to take some pro-plus but then I just became a strange jibbering/giggling mess..one extreme to the next! PPI will be worth the wait.. I think I started the process in January xx

liltdiddylilt

Hey there

Sorry for the silence when called. I had a migraine hit after a surprise visit from friend who I thought was in Dubai (totally unrelated events!!) and was comatose after taking a tablet that knocked me out for 5 hours. Now an awake but hungover/dizzy odd sentences kind of evening so think tomorrow is going to have to be a non-working day.

So.. YNAB, if this doesn't make sense hit me again tomorrow because of aforementioned coma wake up.

I too had a deficit on the bills vs. income at first. It is a bit alarming and red...

Mainly the issue was due to the fact I had multiple amounts coming in during the month, with tax credits changing date each month (LEVI: Take note: as it comes in every 4 weeks so is just under a month and you get 13 payments a year.

So what I did at first (and this is me with no debt in last June when I got it) was to only apply certain DD's as they went out. So for instance my life insurance, mobile phone and phone/BB/TV all came out after the 20th of the month. That gave me some breathing space. Slowly but surely with the tax credits and child benefit moving around the board (and this is why it helps to add it to the scheduled payments under your bank account as a 4 weekly payment, so you know when it is due each month) I managed to build a buffer. I now currently get my tax credits that go towards June on the 14th May. I get my child benefit for June on the 11th May. This builds up in the following month so I end up with about £500 there before my wages go in to cover that month.

The reason that this may not work for you is you are throwing everything spare at the debt. Might be worth, just this month when the TC's come in, seeing what is left over and making it a split transaction for Income for May & Income for June with what is spare rather than paying it off the loan. Gives you a bit of a buffer which then stops the alarming red everywhere.

An alternative if you don't want to do that and would rather it was off the debt, is to click on the red figure under the 'Balance' column in your budget. This gives you two options. To take the debt off the following months money by adding it as an overspend at the top of the budget. Or... move it forward one month to the following months expenses. I did this with an overspend I could more than cover next month but couldn't really juggle in April.

The reason that the second way is good is that it doesn't automatically take £30.72 overspent in April from your overall May income, it just gives you an overspend in the category it relates to and you can allocate your money as necessary to it whilst having the full knowledge of what came in and how you have applied it.

Does that make sense? I can do pictures and things.

Hope you get a good nights sleep. If not, and I know this sounds bonkers, find some of the over the counter piriton allergy tablets that don't specifically say 'non-drowsy' and take one before bedtime. No hangover, no fogginess, they just gently help you to sleep and should mean you don't wake up because of a busy brain. And not so strong that you would not hear O if he made a noise in the night. It doesn't work forever but it would be enough to get you some much needed sleep until you can restore some balance.

Remember, no YNAB after 6pm. Try and turn off things that get your brain going (i.e. macbook after midnight Lilty) an hour or more before bed, and just try and chill yourself out a bit. A book, soft lighting, warm bed... I spent a long time sleeping for about an hour or 2 a night and I became a crazy lady. I was signed off work with stress for 2 weeks so manic and in pieces was I. It is important to get sleep. This is why they use it as a method of torture (turtle) all over the world.

Lots of love xxxx

apple_muncher

Well done on all the selling. And good luck with ynab.

Hope you got more sleep. Sending you some squishles for Wednesday xx

MeandO

You lot are just so good at making me smile in the morning - the squishies especially Apple, thank you.

Lilty, I think I understand... but will re-read it when I have YNAB open and in front of me either tonight or tomorrow as will make much more sense then. Thank you so much for your ongoing coaching, it is so much appreciated. :A

I hope the nasty migraine has eased now too. Are you feeling any benefit from the diet yet or does that all take a while to work?
Sending hugs and hope you have a better day today. xx

I did sleep a bit better last night, but was still awake at midnight, annoyingly, so got about 5 or 6 hours at a guess.

Tax credits have been paid in. :j So today I need to assess the budget and see if I will have any surplus to throw towards the debt.

I have some ebay sales ending this morning, nothing of great value, but should net around £20 or so hopefully.

Oh, and another 1.5lbs gone from the Bum/belly/flabby bits this week which I'm chuffed with... considering....:o

Have a great hump day all

xx

liltdiddylilt

Amazing news on the weight loss. These squishy cuddles you get are less and less squishy each week

Hooray for eBay sales. I really need to do that again. Barely list anything these days! And also for the tax credits. Comforting knowing something else is coming in beside your wages isn't it? Even though it is very necessary and I wouldn't quite make the bills without a portion of mine, I still feel like it is play money as I didn't *make it* per se.

Migraine meh. It is still there but the flashing stars and rainbow have gone so I feel better for that. Light is definite no-go so am in bed with my blackout curtains in and have called in sick for the first time in over 6 months going to sleep and relax and drink tonnes of water.

The diet will take 6 weeks to combat my migraines effectively the Doc said. I was hopeful after I had gone a week without one but that is just sods law isn't it. The tablet has left me feeling hungover, dry mouth, sick and very dizzy so I want to not have to take them more than ever now.

Hope your morning is going well? xxx

MeandO

You're right, it is comforting knowing something else is coming in, but it still feels a bit wrong - as I didn't 'earn it' like you said, I feel a bit naughty! It will help though, massively, so I'm not complaining.

Ebay - I rarely list on there these days either, but had to cull the pile of Ds's 'better' small clothes and a few bits and pieces that were too good to give away. I hate fleabay really, but at least it'll bring in a few extra pennies.

Oh, not good on the migraine front. Make sure you take it super-easy today and rest up, sounds like you need it.

xx

shyspender

Hey MeandO

Just to add to the excellent advice that Lilty gave on YNAB.

Another thing that you can do is to put the date and amount in the category title, so, Electric 29th - £45. That way you know what you need to pay when you have some money, and what can wait until the next inflow.

Also, remember, there is no right or wrong. You will get back into it. I have found it invaluable, especially this month with my OH staying, I can see how much extra it is costing, I don't begrudge it in any way, just see that feeding two is more expensive.

MeandO

Hi Shyspender and thanks for dropping by :wave:

That's a great idea actually, I might steal that one! Like I said, it's not that I won't have the money, but I don't think it would be very mentally beneficial for me to see lots of red amounts within the budget at the start of the month if you know what I mean - it would probably send me into a blind panic!

I know what you mean about OH's costing extra money too... they seem to eat sooo much!!!

x

MeandO

£21.41 made on ebay this morning, not a great amount, but a bit of extra money and some space cleared.

I took a look at my budget and, although I could throw quite a large chunk of the tax credits at the debt, I have decided to put it to another use instead. I am planning on making my back garden more Ds-friendly and this involves a pirate ship.

I was looking at buying a pre-made climbing frame type one online, but they seem to cost so much money and reviews aren't great, so I've decided to make one...:D:eek::T
My Dad is a master carpenter, surely I've inherited SOME of his skills, right???

I bought the proper climbing frame steering wheel and telescope from ebay last week for £12 delivered, they're pretty fab!

I've laid decking before and am pretty confident I can build one for DS, so I've found a simple plan, measure up last week and today, ordered some timber, deck boards and a huge bag of aggregate for that and some other parts of the garden (with a 5% off code thrown in for good MSE measure ). All I need to pick up now are some decking screws (cheaper in wickes) and some weed cover stuff (cheaper in HB!).

Total spent: £136.46.

The aggregate will cover quite a few other areas I need to do and will form the start of my 'dry river bed' path I'm planning.
I will need to spend some more money on the garden, but that can wait a month or two until I get this first part done and I'll develop it from there - I even have a design all scoped out.

A little bit excited about my new project, m' hearties!

xx

MeandO

Here it is, for those interested: