Crunchy pays it down....£20k...the final chapter

crunch_time

hmmm sorry, me again!

I have been thinking all day how much this overdraft is hanging over our heads. I reckon if we drop the pots when we get paid in December and chuck it all at it we could be free of it by Christmas - which would be amazing.

Watch this space!

Crunch x

crunch_time

Morning diary!

Some signature adjusting today!!

Overdraft was £1300 not its £900!
Credit card was £2430 now its £2233!
Total debt was £20,248 now its £19,277
And I have paid off £747 of immediate debt so far!

One happy Crunchy!

I also have £221 in the slush pot and £575 in the Christmas present pot.

If we stick to the budget for food and Christmas presents and put off starting our savings pots until we get paid in January, we can definatley be rid of the overdraft before Christmas.

We are off to London tomorrow for the day - going to the Natural History Museum and Hamleys so no cost there. Going to look at how we can keep it cheap and cheerful so its just travel and lunch and dinner we have to buy!

I've got cleaning to do today, meal prepping and planning and a walk to the butchers/greengrocers.

If it cheers up a bit I may take DS to the park as we didn't go yesterday!

Crunchy has her groove back! I'm going to celebrate with a coffee!

Crunchy xx

12_month_challenge

Wohhooo Well done crunch

You are doing so well and now your debt total is in the teens :j

I will also be adjusting signature figures at some point as I am about to pay some off CCs and juggle them around I hope.

Keep going
x

12_month_challenge

PS Can you send us some of your groove please :dance:
x

crunch_time

I'll try 12mc!!!

I was looking at my spreadsheet this morning and for all of this year our total debt has been around the £20k mark so on paper it doesn't look like we have made progress but we have made loads....

- moved house!
- been on maternity leave
- bought an office with electrics etc cost nearly £4000
- spent at least £1000 on necessary new furniture.
- paid off
- husbands overdraft which he had had for 10 years!!!! (£2200)
- spent about £2000 servicing our cars.

The overdraft is the fees it cost us to move so if we can pay that off by the end of the year I will be soooo happy as that chapter will be gone and we can look forward to the future.

Some other news husband has an interview lined up up in a few weeks time for a new job. It's London/home based but will be about a £20k pay rise! That is massive massive massive!! He didn't look for it an agency contacted him and he has been given an interview without them seeing his cv! The thing is he has only been with his current company for 3 months so we will see. I can't/won't talk about it with friends/family due to the money side of things. I've realised from past mistakes that it's not good to talk about money with even parents.

Anyhow I will keep you posted!

Big Bang, wine and dinner are calling
Crunch x

crunch_time

Morning all!

Back from the big smoke! We had a lovely day and managed to catch up with 2 friends that live in London too. DS loved the Natural History Museum and DD loved running off every 2 seconds! We had a lovely pizza lunch with first friend and then met another friend for a drink in the Southbank centre then said goodbye to both set of friends and cruised along the river looking at the Christmas market before walking to our station. We grabbed an M&S dinner and sat in the station eating it haha! Then home. We didn't wake up till 7.30am this morning and DD is already having her nap. A great day had by all. I think we went over budget by about £20 but that was with Hubs buying 2 oyster cards for £20 each which he will use again when he goes to London for work and then claim it back.

Back to reality today! I am in the office about to start my work for this morning and then going to prep for the week ahead.

Its my birthday this week, DD has her next set of jabs, DS had his flu jab, I have my chiro apt, husband is off for his works Christmas do on Friday and not back until Saturday but then we have friends coming over for lunch on Sunday.

Just under 3 weeks until pay day on the 18th when I can hopefully pay off £600 of the overdraft!!

I'm going to start Christmas shopping this week too.

Happy Sunday everybody!

Crunch x

crunch_time

Afternoon diary

I haven't posted for a while, sorry! I have been really busy at home and at work. A really long story short, I have decided to quit my job after Christmas. It is all getting a bit too much, childcare by family isn't really going to work and the commute is becoming an issue. My husbands pay packet covers all our bills and essentials so we have decided I should be a stay at home mum for a while. I'm trying to decide whether I should leave at the end of February or at the end of March so have some thinking and number crunching to do. Its been such a big decision but I really think its for the best and we will thrive more without me working and still manage to pay back this debt.

I feel really empowered by my decision.

Otherwise, Christmas spending is going well and nearly complete. We have gone over a little but buying things we need rather than want.

We have gone on a bit of a 'spending diet' and hopefully will have enough money to pay off the £900 overdraft by the end of December.

Feeling very positive, grateful and motivated right now. Hope everyone is good.

Love to all of my dfw friends!

Crunch xx

crunch_time

Morning diary!

No work until the New Year now! I say that but I have tonnes I have to do at home! Spoke to the Head yesterday about my leaving he is very understanding. I love my job but its full on even with 2 days a week and then having to cart my kids across the county for an hour in the morning and then in the evening is a nightmare.

But then I look at my debt figure, and I think there must be away I can juggle it all? Perhaps I can have a serious think over the holidays and get super organised so I can still do this - at least until Easter.

Getting a job closer to home wouldn't work as all my money would go on childcare and petrol.

Lots of food for thought - any ideas welcome.

Anyway, Payday on Friday!! I was thinking of getting rid of the overdraft but now I am thinking about the credit card as it costs more a month - overdraft is now only £17 a month whereas credit card is £70!!!

All of this work stuff has made me seriously consider our spending habits and what is of value to me. I have to find a way to make it work..

Crunch xx

crunch_time

So I've been thinking a lot over the last 24 hours and come to the conclusion that I shall stay in my job. I do love it. I don't really want to be a stay at home mum and I have this fantastic opportunity. If we want to. Be debt free in the next few years I need to stay working. If we want to achieve our other dreams in the next few years I need to stay working.

I'm glad I have had this little blip though as it has made me appreciate what I have and I know I will find ways to make it work for me and my family.

Bad no spending yesterday other than petrol to get ds from pre school. He has his pre school Christmas party today and we have a few errands to run including posting Christmas cards and we need milk and cat food.
We have the opportunity to stay with some friends in London on Sunday so I will need to see if the chattery can take the cat for the night. Costs will be a bit of fuel and then we will probably grab a take away or something. Coming back on Monday.
Looking forward to smashing some of the overdraft tomorrow and finish it off next week when husband gets paid.

Hope everyone is good - I have been reading diaries but don't seem to have much time to respond at the moment!
Crunch x

crunch_time

Morning diary!

£600 off the overdraft this morning!!!

Just £300 left and its gone!

Husband may have broken his wrist at football the other night so we will be cancelling the trip to London as whatever he has done he cant drive. Besides, we had a little chat last night and agreed we want to do all things possible to pay off this overdraft.....and he has agreed to only get the essentials for Christmas food!!! I'm so pleased as I usually have to buy loads and then we end up eating it for the rest of the week and I feel guilty with all the calories.

So pleased the overdraft is nearly gone!

Busy day today with food shop, drs for both husband and DS and lots of over errands.

Will try and catch up with some diaries tonight.

Crunch xx