Fresh start

freshstart2015

Hello there,

I’m not sure if this is the right place but this diary will be a mix of money saving, debt busting and sorting a few personal issues.

I have been on this forum for nearly a decade but thought after uni, 11 years with my now husband, buying a house and two kids it's time to finally accept that my live has changed from my single student days and to act accordingly. Basically, it's time to grow up and not linger on the past hence the new user name and fresh thread. My old one didn't do my current life any justice as I wasn't that thrifty

I’m a 37 year old married (last Sept) FT working mum of two (4 and 1) and some times three (the other one is 42 )

There are a few things I want to achieve with this diary as a record for myself.

Deal with debt:

We still owe the kids about 1.5 grand. We thought we rather borrow from them (0% and they are only 4 and 1) rather than taking out a loan for the wedding (which was done on a good budget for what we got). Some might still feel it's wrong that's why I want to tackle this first.

I also have £300 on a CC from when we rented a car last month on holiday back home at my parents'.

Save:

I have £400 in the Christmas and MOT pot just now but the car needs a check up and probable repair soon, so I need to keep this and can’t use it to pay anything off.

The emergency fund is empty as hubby borrowed some and I ended up over spending the last few months (I’ll post an SOA soon too).

I would like to save at least £1000 into the holiday fund for our first since the kids and last big holiday before DS starts school.

Personal challenges:

Some of them have been bugging me for decades like the first.

Stop nail biting, finger skin picking (sorry I know it’s gross), been trying for 3 days now and gosh this is harder than thought. But even those three days made a difference to how my hands look. I don’t want to hide them anymore but need to find out why I do it.

Stop smoking, only a few rollies a day now, but they need to go too.

Do more exercise, got a year’s membership in the uni pool. Better get using it again as I can’t cycle anymore due to nursery run logistics.

Cut down on coffee (used to drink 4 cups a day, only had one cup of tea a day instead since Monday) and eat healthier. Drink less, although it’s usually only a couple of ciders on a Friday.

Relax more, stress less, accept that with two small children some things have to be left undone in the house. As long as they are washed, fed, loved and the house is habitable it doesn’t matter that the carpet is fluffy and there are crumbs on the kitchen floor etc.

I have to admit I often miss my pre kids and pre hubby life, being independent, having my own time, making my own choices rather than my whole day now being "dictated" by someone else. BUT I wanted a hubby and I wanted kids, I need to make mental adjustments to not just cope but cherish this time of my life. On a very rare occasion we can get a babysitter but usually it's 24/7 and there are times where I am at breaking point. So I need to find a way to involve hubby more and maybe generate some me time once a week.

All these changes that won’t happen overnight will hopefully help me feel healthier physically and mentally.


We don’t go out much (actually never, I anyway, hubby goes for the odd beer) but we treat us to some nicer food (still nothing extravagant) over the weekend. If I were on my own this would be so much easier but with little ones to be kept warm and fed the costs can rise up.

Although I think we don’t spend much unnecessary there is still never enough money. We don’t see friends much, can’t remember I treated myself to new clothes (the kids get hand me downs or Tesco). I just want to be more content with what we’ve got and make the most of the garden this year.

Oh and just to mention, I do the family saving. We split the bills like mortgage, insurances etc so that we both pay about the same percentage of our wages. Hubby pays more for days out, I save. he is better with fixed bills. I have the variable ones like gas/leccy and food that I try to get down to save/pay back more.

Sorry loooong post to start with and I could keep going because there are so many thoughts in y head but I better do a SOA.

Ta for now

freshstart2015

Statement of Affairs and Personal Balance Sheet

Household Information
Number of adults in household........... 1 I'm only counting me here as that's easier to start with and I have more flexibility in my spending, once I tackled me I'll include OH
Number of children in household......... 2
Number of cars owned.................... we have one but OH pays for that

Monthly Income Details[/b]
Monthly income after tax................ 1694
Partners monthly income after tax....... 0
Benefits................................ 132 child benefit
Other income............................ 0
Total monthly income.................... 1826

Monthly Expense Details
Mortgage................................ 0 most proper bills that I left blank are paid by OH as marked
Secured/HP loan repayments.............. 0
Rent.................................... 0
Management charge (leasehold property).. 0
Council tax............................. 0 OH
Electricity............................. 40 just changed to a new fixed cheaper tariff and reduced DD for dual fuel to 100, might come down lower over the summer
Gas..................................... 60
Telephone (land line)................... 0 OH
Mobile phone............................ 10
TV Licence.............................. 0 OH
Satellite/Cable TV...................... 0 OH
Internet Services....................... 0 OH
Groceries etc. ......................... 350 food about 250, 100 for cat and household items, nappies etc
Clothing................................ 0 as needed, kids in hand me downs and I use gift vouchers if needed
Petrol/diesel........................... 0 OH
Road tax................................ 0 OH
Car Insurance........................... 0 OH
Car maintenance (including MOT)......... 0 have some money in a pot for that
Car parking............................. 0
Other travel............................ 24 my bus
Childcare/nursery....................... 850 that's for two kids minus 3 year old funding and childcare vouchers, otherwise it would be more like 1400, hopefully DD will join DS in cheaper nursery next January
Other child related expenses............ 0
Medical (prescriptions, dentist etc).... 0
Pet insurance/vet bills................. 19.8
All sorts of insurance..................... 0 OH
Boiler insurance......................... 18
Presents (birthday, christmas etc)...... 0 usually taken out of emergency fund
Haircuts................................ 0 cut my own, OH pays his
Entertainment........................... 8.7 lotto
Holiday................................. 80
Emergency fund.......................... 70
Total monthly expenses.................. 1530.5


Assets
Cash.................................... 0
House value (Gross)..................... 0
Shares and bonds........................ 0
Car(s).................................. 0
Other assets............................ 0
Total Assets............................ 0

No Secured nor Hire Purchase Debts

Unsecured Debts
Description....................Debt......Monthly...APR
CC.............................310.......35.......0
KIds...........................1500......190.......0
Total unsecured debts..........1810......225.......-


Monthly Budget Summary
Total monthly income.................... 1,826
Expenses (including HP & secured debts). 1,530.5
Available for debt repayments........... 295.5
Monthly UNsecured debt repayments....... 225
Amount left after debt repayments....... 70.5

Personal Balance Sheet Summary
Total assets (things you own)........... 0
Total HP & Secured debt................. -0
Total Unsecured debt.................... -1,800
Net Assets.............................. -1,800

Created using the SOA calculator at stoozing.com.
Reproduced on Moneysavingexpert with permission, using other browser.

freshstart2015

Well this day started well. Got a free cake in work, didn't take my wallet to work so can't spend a penny and had my lunch with me. Also cleaned my office window and opened the blinds (while my colleagues are away and don't complain) to let the glorious sunshine in.

Tonight OH's brother and FIL are coming over and I think I'll make a lamb left over sheperd's pie.

Been reading a few threads here especially about how to reduce our food bill. I don't think it's that bad but other people spend a lot less. We cook everything from scratch apart from the occasional treat supermarket pizza on a Friday. I use leftovers or make soup for my lunch or the kids dinner. DD gets free lunch in nursery and DS needs to take a lunch with him which is usually a sandwich, fruit, yogurt and a snack. I think the biggest part is meat (ALDI or LIDL) and fresh fruit and veg as the kids and I get through loads of that. I can't understand how people can live off £12 a week for food, that is at least our fruit bill alone :eek:. We don't waste much and freeze/reuse leftovers and I'm at wits end where I can make further savings. I don't really want to start eating chilli and bolognese every second day. I tried frozen fruit but we found they're only good for yogurt or on cereal but not so much in between. I think this area definitely needs working on.....

freshstart2015

Well the day didnt end as well as it started. Had a coffee, two rollies and picked my fingers. Willpower zilch. But starting realise why I do it.

On the positive side. I didn't spend a penny. The leftover roast lamb shepherds pie was delicious, tidied up the guest bedroom a bit and started to prepare the veg bed where the leeks and kohlrabi will go.

Tomorrow is a new day and I'll try again. Baby steps and focus on the positive.

freshstart2015

Good morning,

Feeling more positive today. No coffee yet although I could've killed for one this morning after DD was up loads and I ended up sleeping on the couch with here. Will need to spend a small amount of money today to get milk, but hope that's it.

freshstart2015

Hello,

I was wondering if this thread could please be moved to the debt-free diaries. Looking at the other topics in the moneysavingmums I think it might fit there better?

Thank you

freshstart2015

Lovely sunny day today again.

Ordered a mini greenhouse/cloche thing for the garden to cover two rows (both 5 feet long). Came yesterday and will put it in the garden tonight to warm the soil up and hopefully plant sth under it over the weekend. Will also drag OH to a place that sells sturdy sheds (still got money for that from my parents as a wedding gift) as I want the conservatory cleared before the summer. It's rather small and cluttered with bikes, a bbq and gardening stuff.

Had a few rollies again last night but will hopefully resist or at least cut down more tonight. Also I will resist a Friday night cider. I defrosted some meats for the bbq tonight so that should be an easy dinner.

At lunch I will need to pop to LIDLL to get some fruit, veg, cold cuts, rolls, yogurt and other bits and bobs. Planned my shop carefully as it needs to come under £27 which is what is left to my max overdraft of £100. CB will come on Monday and hopefully OH will pay me back some of the money he borrowed. Also went through the freezer etc and started to make a list of possible meals and how to stretch them.

Since OH's homebrew now needs to be cold for conditioning or sth like that, the heating went off completely (It's still a bit chilli up here but it stays off) rather than just having it on to warm his yeast. Silly I know. Need to find a better solution for the next batch.

As I started halfway through the month with being more sensible the damage to the budgets had already been done and this is now damage limitation.

freshstart2015

Just applied and got accepted for a new CC with my current account holding bank. My previous CC was with my old bank. Not only will make this things easier as I can see everything in one online banking system but also because it came with a 13 mo 0% on balance transfers and 20 mo 0% on purchases. I'm not planning on buying anything as I only use them anyway to book flights etc for the added security. As it is interest free for a year I changed my DD to pay only £35 a month and it should be paid off just after christmas like the debt to the kids. At the same time this frees up some cash to be put into the emergency fund and the holiday fund/ISA. I regigged my excell sheets and my SOA above.

KathyBerry

Hi, I'm new aswell, I am also a mother of two so can relate to your situation!

Will be following your journey

freshstart2015

Had a lovely sunny day here today. Finally went and bought a shed, a proper sturdy one that will last. Had £500 from my parents as a wedding gift for it but will have top that up by 93 quid. But so worth it. Proper thick wood etc. Will be delivered in about 5 weeks, can't wait to clear out the conservatory. Unfortunately they had a winery, cider shop adjacent and ended up buying 4 bottles of local cider. Well, It's batten down the hatches for the next two weeks. Kids had a great time too, playing in the elder orchard and the play area at the shed shop.

Homemade steak pie tonight.

Till later

freshstart2015

Hello kathyberry! How old are yours and what are your goals this year?