* Even a small change...

stewby

Well, after a couple of months missing in action... I am back with a vengence.


Nothing has really changed to be honest. Still a workaholic, although trying to mix it up a bit.

* Destroy the debt:
Credit card is now down to £1650!!!! Aiming to clear this by the end of the year.
:j

* Banish The Bulges:
This one has gone nowhere fast. Attempted a gluten free diet which had some limited success (stomach problems stopped as did the itching) but price of food is crazy.
Need to find some ways of eating gluten free without the cost.


* Work/Life Balance:
Still trying to sort this one out to be honest. Work is becoming increasingly stressful due to colleagues (not their fault. I started doing too much stuff that wasn't my job and now am trying to pull back).
We have used our NTS card again recently but not really done much else.
OH took me out for a meal... ate non-gluten free food and made myself ill. Really need to learn better.
_pale_

* Step Up and Save:
Pots are still going strong. Still paying back OH for Rome and now our music festival. Going to try and pay it back a bit faster so we can start saving for our next holiday.



In stupid news... I bought our first xmas pressie this month. A piggy bank for my cousin's not-quite-yet step daughter (if that makes sense). Only cost a fiver but my cousin said that is exactly the sort of thing she loves.


Hope everyone is doing okay. Sorry again for my absence. August is going to be a much better and more positive month.
Hugs.

tootallulah

Not much has changed??????????? You have paid off £650 from your credit cards and added to your saving pots. Brilliant and well done you! Camping on Skye sounds lovely too.

apple_muncher

This sort of 'not much has changed' is totally awesome! You are kicking the debt, and improving your life in so many different areas. Go stewby!!

stewby

Good evening...

So... I have neglected my diary really badly and I came back to apologise for anyone who is waiting for the next installment. Hope you weren't holding your breath.


Here goes nothing... deep breath. Due to some freaky things that have been happening, I have decided (some will view this as a bad decision but I have made peace with it now) that I can't be all about the debt all the time. Work has been absolutely chaotic and I need something to focus on to make work seem worthwhile and as much as I love paying off debt, the whole waiting for payday then paying the credit card then waiting again has never really been my thing. Not enough patience for that game.

My wages were a bit low this month due to a mixture of no nightshifts and no weekends. Who would have thought that unsociable hours would make such a massive difference to wages, certainly not me. But oh well, new lesson learned.


Based on what someone told me, we had some discussion (read a lot of discussion) and decided to use our new credit card (our joint credit card for holidays and the wedding so everything is fair) to buy a holiday.
I don't want to sound evil but I think my OH maybe over-exaggerated how much he put on his credit card for Rome which is why my Dad and I decided a joint card would make most sense.
We had to pay for a night in a hotel near the airport and two flights... we had also put quite a lot of other stuff on to the credit card too.
His parents gave us the flights for OH's birthday and yet somehow we managed to spend £2000 in five nights. Plus the £600 worth of euros we had saved.
My partner claimed that I owed him £1000 for Rome. I calculated it all out and it doesn't add up properly. This is another lesson learned and why the best plan was for a joint credit card. It's hard to learn a lesson this way but if it wasn't hard then it wouldn't be a lesson learned well, I imagine.


Will put the new plan in another post. 2016 is going to be awesome. Hopefully.

stewby

So here we go... back into pretty colours and I hope this all makes sense. My finances are pretty muddled at the best of times.

Main Account:
* Incoming = £1700.
Although it can be more, I have only once had it less and it was £1689.

* Outgoings = £1400 + any "surprises".
Quite simple really for this account. £1000 to our joint account, £400 to my budget account. The "surprises" are for things like my registration membership. It comes out in October for £120. This month the NTS membership came out as well but it has been paid back from the joint account.

* Leftover = £300 a month which goes to credit card.

Budget Account:
* Incoming = £400.
Standard amount comes from my main account.

*Outgoings = £ 400.
yep am clearing this each month between food, fuel, savings pots and general misbehaving.

* Leftover = £10 maybe, if I am lucky.

New Plan starting January 2016:

* Main Account...
Credit card debt will be gone so £200 will now be overpaid to my mortgage to try and bring it down.
If I overpay this regularly then I could pay my mortgage off 4 years and 8 months early which gives me the chance to aim for five years.
The extra £100 will be left for surprises.

* Budget Account...
This is where the massive overhaul will be taking place (kinda).
£125 - Holiday spends then paying off the holiday.
£ 30 - Christmas pot.
£ 60 - food.
£ 40 - fuel.
£ 50 - holiday in December with the girls.
£ 45 - my new emergency fund.

* Leftover = £50.

By the end of 2016, I should have:
An emergency fund worth £540.
£500 to spend whilst on holiday then paid off the actual cost of the holiday.
£360 in our Christmas pot (OH should have matched it).
£600 saved up for our next girly holiday in December. Hopefully this will be all I need as my cousin is saving for a house and has already said that she wants to keep it simple and affordable.

According to the overpayment calculator, I will have paid off an extra £2417 off my mortgage.


Hopefully, this rambling mess of numbers made the slightest bit of sense.

Hugs to you all.

stewby

Feeling a bit excited... due to our holiday in New York and Reykjavik. I spoke to my OH and the decision was made to cash in our ten pence collection.
This is something that I have been saving for well over a decade (possibly even close to twenty years).


The plan was to keep saving until we reached the top of the giant bottle or until a nationwide shortage was announced. What can I say, I am not known for my maturity.


However, we have now cracked it open and counted it all up. It must have been fate as we have exactly £222 inside.
I love even numbers and round figures so this number is just amazing!!
:j

Away to the bank later to cash it all in then handing the £200 to my dad for safe-keeping. It sounds bad but if we were to keep it, it would get spent. If my Mum was to keep it, she would give it to us if we asked. However, I know my Dad will keep it and (hopefully) give it back in April.


Feeling surprisingly good right now. Feeling like I am in control.
Hugs to you all.