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

crunch_time

Afternoon diary!

Spent the morning helping out at a local jumble sale. I managed to get about 25 items of children's clothing for £5!!! All next or h and m barley worn stuff!! Some for this summer and some for next summer!! Bargains!!!

After my last post I feel like I can fashion an outfit together for the party out of clothes I already have. I have a christening and 2 weddings to go to this year (no wedding invites yet though) so will buy one dress and then change the accessories. Will have a little look on ASos later and set myself a budget.

I filled up the new car yesterday. Hoping that £50 of diesel will last 3 weeks until husband gets paid. If so that means I've got £50 left from the fuel budget to chuck at the debt!! It's one more week until half term so as long as I keep things local at half term or within reason I should be ok. According to my car I have about 550 miles until I need to fill up again. Fingers crossed!! Will of course keep you posted!!

I've been thinking recently how tired I am to still have credit card debt. I really want to be over paying the loan and then the mortgage. I've just got to carry on being measured and patient. It's teaching me lots about what I really value in life!!

Oh and I have decided to give up alcohol for lent! I think yeast irritates my system so going to see if it's true - will of course keep ya'll posted!!!

Crunchy xx

crunch_time

Quick update..... Just put 22 items on bay if e!! Finally!!

Have a separate pile of summer clothes ready to put on in March/April.

Husbands battery for his car cost £90!!! But he put it in himself and it runs ok. Quite impressed with the DIY effort!!

Workout, swing friends and school work planned for tomorrow. Must also get the meal plan which is in my head on paper.

Starting to feel organised and committed to keeping my money in my purse/bank as the way I want to live my life!

Crunchy xx

crunch_time

Afternoon diary!!

Sneaked off into the office to do some work this afternoon. And I am sooooo boooooorrrrrrred. Usually love my few hours of planning but today I just feel so fed up with it all. As I think I have mentioned before, I love my job just falling out of love with where I do it. I find doing 2 days a week hard as I don't feel like I do enough as I am just not there enough to take on extra bits and do the job the justice it deserves. I have so many bad memories of that place, I need to start a fresh elsewhere. I've told my boss that I will only be there until the end of the academic year and look for something closer to home. However, a quick scout on the jobs website for my area and part time jobs are few and far between. Its the wrong time of year to be looking and there is still a long way to go but it makes me nervous. I think for the sake of my sanity I've got to assume I wont get a job for September and that is ok so then I can plan our finances accordingly. If I assume I will, I might overspend now on non essentials and not be able to cope in the Autumn when I have no income. It will make me desperate to pay off my credit card!!!!

The absolute priority is to pay off the rest of the car deposit and then my credit card by April. Then I can jiggle the other goals around accordingly. Just wish pay days would hurry up!!!

I'm hoping to put husband off getting a dog for another year both for expense and because I feel like its having a 3rd baby - and I'm not ready. Spring next year seems like a better plan as DD will be 2.5 then, (hopefully) will understand the word no and I will be ready for another 'baby.' Ha ha!! I haven't mention my thoughts to him yet as he would be upset as he wants one so badly. However I have mentioned the 'not having a job in September' possibility and he agrees with my strategy as mentioned so I have if anything bought myself some time....

I'm getting so restless now. I really want to make another payment on my debt but I cant really - not until half term week.

Boo...

Crunchy xx

crunch_time

Sorry! I'm full of it today! Procrastinating whilst not looking after little ones means lots of day dreaming and actually actioning thoughts!!

I keep a wish list on Ama zon for books etc I want - particularly non-fiction as I like finding out about the world and contemplating stuff!!

Anyways, since I am giving up wine and beer and all things nice for lent I thought my reward could be a book or too from my wish list as an Easter present. One or two of the titles are relevant in my life now almost leading to a f it moment and it being mine at the touch of a button. However, I swiftly headed over to the library catalogue and found it, reserved it and hopefully it shall be winging its way to my local library very soon for the grand fee of 60p!!! Saved myself some money there!!! Better crack on with my current read then so I am ready!!

This feels like a new me! Definitely feel like my ducks are getting in a row now or whatever...

Crunchy xx

crunch_time

Oh, and I have also started a list on the notes section of my phone for stocking fillers and Christmas presents for this year to spread the cost. Don't want a last minute panic spend like last year. I'm going to be one of those people that shop all year round.

Crikey... never thought that would happen!!

Crunchy xx

DebtFree2012

Hiya - found your diary and will be coming along for the ride I am doing the buying through the year thing too! x

crunch_time

Hi DebtFree2012 - thanks for subscribing!!!

So working week done again for me. And its half term now too. Not having a brilliant day so far so hoping this afternoon will be better.

Just been to Sains a day earlier than normal as we had NO food in the house!! I'm slowly starting to realise that £400 actually is what we spend on food a month (and toiletries and cleaning stuff) so I should just get over trying to get some change out of it and concentrate on actually sticking to it!!

I've got to make a list tonight on exactly what I am going to achieve home wise and work wise this half term - and make it realistic for once!!

Cannot wait until pay day next Friday so I can get rid of the car deposit off my credit card!!

Oooh in other news. I couldn't find one of my 3 pairs of trousers today so had to squeeze myself back into my pre-pregnancy number 2 jeans. They are snug and there is definitely a muffin top but I wore them!! Nobody could see the muffin top due to a baggy jumper and nobody saw me undo the flies and button when I was in the car! Ha ha!

I also resisted a doughnut today - probably for the first time in my life!! Friday nights without wine are going to be hard. I bought some red fruity teas today to have instead....and will drink them out of a wine glass!!

I guess I must unpack my shopping now!

Crunchy xx

crunch_time

Evening diary!!

Just a quick update! Just checking my bank balance and my minimum amount for my credit card has gone out so my credit card total has gone down £65 to £1335. Feels good to chip off a bit. That has satisfied my impatience in getting things moving.

Also check the bay of e and my 5 of my 22 items have bids on them. They will finish at the weekend so a little while to wait yet!

Crunchy xx

brizzledfw

Excellent the stuff is moving. Well done on getting some sales

crunch_time

Morning diary!!

A couple more bits have had bids on overnight which is brilliant!! It's mostly kids clothes and my plan is to use that money to buy the next lot of clothes for my kids (mostly secondhand). But I think I will use all of this money to pay off debt. The kids will be fine for clothes up until say April when both will need some new summer clothes. So long as I budget for them it will be fine.

The £1335 of my credit card is basically £935 for the shed deposit and then £400 for clothes for me last summer when I had post natal depression and hadn't lost my baby weight as quickly as I had liked. The shed deposit will be paid off with the £500 a month I'm earmarking for debt from my money each month and the clothes will be slushed away with e bay money and spare petrol money/spending money.

It will be gone in no time. April in fact.

Just got ds swimming today and then hopefully lots of cleaning and organising. Or as much as two toddlers will allow me!!

Hope everyone is ok!!

Crunchy xx