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

crunch_time

So its lunchtime and all I have managed is the ironing so far! To be fair it was a big pile and it took me nearly an hour. Ha ha!

DD took ages to go off to sleep and has been asleep for ages so I'm making the most of the peace and quiet to be honest. I've been making a list of things that need to be done next year - small to big, 5 min jobs to whole day and longer projects - and the list is very long. Now it needs to be categorised and then put into months and then weeks for the year - at least the first 6 months.

Off to the gym later today and then working tonight/categorising above list.

Lots of slog ahead of me but I'm in control, focussed and feeling very determined to meet my goals.

crunch xx

crunch_time

I didn't make it to the gym yesterday. I started getting ready and then checked the website which said it was closed until January!! So I worked out at home instead.

I think I might stick with this to be honest and only go to the gym if I haven't managed to do it at home. I haven't paid for a gym membership yet I've just paid £10 for an induction so I can use the machines. If I pay as I go its £5 a time if I do a monthly direct debit its £27 a month.

The programme I've been following off and on this last year is from a personal trainer from oz called kayla itsines. It's a 12 week programme where you work out 3 times a week high intensity interval training and I love it. There is a community on Instagram that I follow to keep me motivated.

Sobi think I'll park the gym plan at the moment and only go if I need to if I haven't fitted in my workouts that week.

We are off for a walk today in a local forest with friends. We last went in the summer and I remember parking being expensive. We are taking a picnic with food from the cupboards so my challenge as always will be stopping husband from buying coffee and cake.

We also need to go to the butchers for meat and eggs.

Got myself a bit more organised last night so more of the same tonight. And will complete our budget for January tonight as I'm not planning to spend anything tomorrow. We will be staying in possibly opening wine we have already bought and New Year's Day will be a local walk hopefully with no parking.

I'm looking forward to starting the new year and making leaps financially!

Crunch xx

crunch_time

So budget is done and it is very tight to say the least!! I get paid on the 19th January but I want all that money to go on my credit card ... All £889 of it so got to hold out until husband gets paid in the 28th.

That's £300 to spend on groceries or £75 a week. I'm used to £100 a week so this is going to be a challenge for me! I've joined the grocery challenge for January to get inspired.

There is also very little money for entertainment or spending which is fine - great in fact! I'm very up for the challenge!!

Husband and I are going to get organised tomorrow sorting paper work and bills and a few more bits of DIY - it will be a challenge with a 3 year old and a 1 year old but we can do it!!

Oh and we have started our frugalness off to a great start today for our walk - only spent money on parking so managed to keep husband away from coffee and snacks - the parking was £9 though for 3.5 hours! If my blue shocked face was working I would use out right now. Suppose it's for a good cause - the forestry commission.

The friends we saw today are off to centre parks in a few weeks and have offered us a day pass. We don't live far from it so going to go just waiting to hear how much. It's in the budget though and will be a nice treat particularly for ds.

I think I might go to bed and read for a bit. Feeling very tired today.

Night all

Crunch x

mummytogirls

Evening Crunch,

Sounds like you've been very busy today! Parking was very steep indeed :eek:!

Oohhh I do enjoy a little trip to CParc's. You can have a cheapish do if you keep DH away from St@rbucks and enjoy the walks and swimming!!!

Where are the grocery challenges on here? Ive never managed to find them! xx

barnsleylass83

Hiya,
Sounds like you are doing well, I love center parcs, make the most of the swimming and the surroundings. We are also setting our priorities with regard to the house so exciting times, I cant wait to be done!! Looking forward to following your journey xx

crunch_time

Thanks guys! Centre parcs is great - we went last year and had a fab time! Husband needs to stop treating himself to snacks and coffees whenever we go out. Ive told him if he wants a bigger house he needs to rein it in A LOT next year. He is onboard more than ever and helped with the YNAB last night so can see where everything adds up.

Mummytogirls - Grocery challenge is on the OS money saving board, keep scrolling down past the debt free wannabe one.

I've updated my signature today with the loan payment coming out. It would usually come out tomorrow and ill be busy being back at work on Monday so I thought I would get a head start. It feels good knowing we are now sub £18k and hopefully will be sub £17k by the end of January.

Lots to do today..
- meter reading, cancelling old life insurance policy, changing direct debit details of a few things so everything comes out of the joint account, shelf in bathroom to go up, washing, vacuuming and dusting, meal planning - its going to be busy.

Happy new year everyone! Thanks for all your support this year! I'm really looking forward to nailing this debt once and for all next year and setting us on the road to financial freedom - and I couldn't do it with out your support! I'm looking forward to following your progress too!

Crunch xx

mummytogirls

Thanks for the info Crunch, will have a nosey as I need to take some control over my grocery spending.

Yay to you being sub £18k thats great news, well done :T

Happy New Year to you and your family xx

crunch_time

No worries mummytogirls! I'm so determined to rein it in this year! Good luck to to you with yours and happy new year!!

So we started the new year off on a good footing! Not a penny spent! We did a local walk, I did a bit of work and generally just hung out with each other all day. I love hanging out with my little family. I nearly popped out to get some risotto rice so we could use up the Stilton and a butternut squash but stopped myself and husband made it with pasta instead. It wasn't quite the same but it worked and we ate it!

In order to do keep my grocery spends down I have started food planning monthly rather than weekly - like an over view. So we can make sure we use ingredients properly. I'm sure I saw the idea on the grocery challenge thread and thought it was pretty genius!!

Tomorrows plan is a lidl shop and then a trip to the park whilst husband plays football.

A successful day 1 for the win!

Crunch xx

lilmissmup

Hope you get to Centre Parcs, I live 10 min drive from the latest one and am so tempted to book a holiday there and just come home for food/feed the cats ha ha

crunch_time

Hi Lilmissmup - They are fantastic! We live about 20 mins from one and seriously considering it as out holiday this year instead of cottage/camping. Both kids will get so much out of it and we do too! And no expensive fuel costs!!

So center parcs is all booked up (day trip) - Just got to pay our friends £40 on arrival. I ordered some new swmming costumes the other day which have now arrived. Its totally the wrong time of year to be trying on swimming costumes when I am about a stone overweight - never mind! Both costume and center parcs are budgeted for in YNAB leaving us £1.31 till 28th January when Husband gets paid.

L@dl shop today - £44.91 - including fresh salmon, nappies and wipes and enough food for us till Friday. I just need to go to the butchers to get mince and eggs so I have left £5 in the food account for that for this week but slushed the remaining £25.09 out of my £75 a week budget into my buffer account for any additional expenses which might come up this month. If my jumping up and down smilie was working there would be lots of those right now!!

Kicking myself that I haven't managed this amount of organisation so far in my life - I certainly wouldn't be in debt ill tell you now! And why did I let YNAB slip! sigh....

Anyway it feels very back to reality today. Husband is playing football, DS is watching a film, DD is napping and I am waiting for my job share to ring so we can talk about work. booooooo.

I just need to sort out husbands credit card this weekend. I currently cant get online to view it so need to dig out the access information. He has been paid some expenses which have immediately been transferred onto it so just want to see what effect that has had.

Last piece of news is I checked my credit card balance and it is actually £1431.25 so have amended my signature!!!

Day 2 so far so good...

Crunchy xx