The single track road - life on a different path

apple_muncher

Lots of love to you to, poppet. Bold decision - well done. Milkshake double thumbs up to you girl! Take care xxx

MeandO

So, new-style update number one:

Finances/Debt
• Overpaid loan by £70.98
• Refund of £43 imminent, which will be used towards ex's birthday day out this week.
• Have merged household savings pot with ISA to form one 'emergency savings' fund in the ISA. Long term aim is to build this up to at least £1000.
• Money now very tight for the next 4 weeks!
• Business picking up for busy season with orders coming in almost daily. Not taking a wage from it though, all money made is being put back into business to pay for costs or saved to pay off debt.
• £2400 of business debt now on credit card to cover new supplies for busy season - worked out cheaper than buying supplies in normal method and will save a ridiculous amount of time and money. Hoping this will be paid off by September from business earnings.

Savings goals
• Car insurance/maintenance pot: £150/£1000
• Childcare/school hols/uniform pot: £75/£350
• Emergency Savings: £100/£1000
• Gifts: £0/£500 :eek: - just had big spends for two big birthdays this past month.
• Holidays: £0/£500 (Not a priority at the moment, but an aim )

Home/Family/Fun!
• Ds staying with my folks this week. They kindly sent me back a huge holdall full of new clothes, pj's, underwear and a new duvet cover for him and some tea towels and household bits for me, so won't need to buy any anytime soon.
• Gifted lots of DS's and my kondo's clothes to a friend last weekend and had a lovely long-overdue catch up with them.
• Filled another big bag for charity shop, need to drop it off this week.
• Sorted birthday & Christmas present cupboard. Have DS pretty much sorted for Christmas, also main presents for 3 (usually difficult to buy) for people and lots of smaller presents.
Have told family budget is tight this year and Christmas will be scaled down, have asked them to do the same for us. All very understanding - thankfully my family are not materialistic and gifts are not what it's all about.:A
Am also no longer sending gifts to two aunts in August (that we rarely see) for birthdays - a card will have to suffice!
Parents have 'donated' to present cupboard for children's birthday party gifts after spotting some toy bargains at a local shop.
• Gift for next door's little girl covered by 'present cupboard' this week.
• Just me to feed this week and next (with folks and Ds here at the weekend), so grocery bill will be next to nothing, thankfully. Using up supplies from the cupboards, fridge and freezer and buying fresh etc when needed. Sister gave me a tesco giftcard, so will be using that to cover most of it.
• Missing Ds terribly whilst he's staying with my parents, but keeping busy evenings with lists of things to achieve each evening. Also trying to relax more and devote more time to eating better. Epsom salt bath last night was lovely. Did not promote a good night's sleep though unfortunately.

Hope everyone is well,
much love
x

hummingbird

Love the new-style update MeandO!:j:j I might try one like that sometime, although I would have to actually have achieved things rather than just waffling on LOL!!

Well done on the gift decisions - mine have had to be scaled right down from what they used to be but as far as Christmas is concerned I think most of my friends & family feel the same!

MeandO

Thanks HB, this stylee is making me feel more positive. Try it - it might surprise you what you've achieved if you break it down into little 'wins'!
X

MeandO

Finances/Debt
• YNAB updated and tweaked. Finances looking dire for this month due to some extravagant spending pre-YNAB and too much debt overpayment early on in the month (feather duvet was essential for snugglyness though right?)
• Challenging myself to a next to nothing grocery budget for the next two weeks - pretty much just me to feed. Trying to cover it all with a Mr T giftcard I was given.
• Listed 5 items on ebay last night, should bring in a little money to help boost the bank account and give me some money to allocate to my categories which currently have a big fat zero in them.
• £50 transferred to ex for birthday day out budget. That way, he's in charge of the 'paying' and my card does not leave my purse.

Savings goals
• £3.19 in my 'buffer' category on YNAB only £1696.81 to go... it's a start! :rotfl:

Home/Family/Fun/Fitness
• Achieved all my fitbit targets yesterday. Over 11K steps, 2600 calories burnt and an hour of activity. Lilty, I'm coming to get ya! :rotfl:

x

hummingbird

Wonderwoman is still very much in evidence methinks!!:T:T

MeandO

Do I get the spangly pants HB? :rotfl:

apple_muncher

And the bullet-repelling bracelets!

MeandO

OOOH, I didn't know about those Apple!

Not such a good night. Mood is low and strayed off my diet plan through lack of motivation, general loneliness coming home to an empty house every night, but feeling a bit better after spending some time tidying the garden. Epsom salt bath then bed for me shortly.


Quick round up:

Finances
* Him has sent me £110 to help out this month. £10 that he owed me and the £100 gifted/to cover some bits I paid for on hols (which was nowhere near £100!). Usually don't like accepting money, but will take it this month as it's much needed! It has been distributed between the car savings pot, small groceries budget for the last two weeks of the month and some in the general spends category, although planning not to spend it all.

* £2.85 spent in Tesco tonight on squash and some reduced salad for tonight. £17.15 left on giftcard.


* YNAB updated, reconciled and it matched my bank account!!!

hummingbird

MeandO wrote: »

Do I get the spangly pants HB? :rotfl:

If YNAB says yes, otherwise you'll have to wait!:rotfl: