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

Jonesy88

Keep going crunchy! You're doing brilliantly.

crunch_time

Thanks jonesy88.

I had a chat with husband last night. I'm going to resign after the Easter hols or summer half term and if I don't get a job for sept then so be it and we will have to put our frantic debt paying off plans on hold. I'll keep looking for a new one for sept but won't just take anything. I have 6 months of pay left which will bring me £5000 take home so as long as I use that wisely and get my cc and savings replenished I will feel ok about not having a job.

I actually feel really happy when I think about being a stay at home mum..... Maybe it's my new calling.

Crunchy xx

crunch_time

Morning diary

Working week done for me!! It wasn't too bad but I definitely don't want to work there anymore. I have six more pay packets to go and I have divided that by the number of working days I have left so I have a figure for my working day. I think that will help me keep focussed.

So husbands pay day is on Friday. He has checked his online payslip so I can work out our budget. With all things considered to pay for this month I don't think there will be much left over but we shall see as we go through March. March is a bit of a spendy month with lots going on. I'm hoping April will be calmer so I can chuck more at the credit card.

I should be able to pay down my credit card with another £113 of over budgeted council tax and I need to get some more stuff on ebay. A few more bits have sold which need to be posted today.

Other than that not much else to report other than husbands expenses have cleared on his credit card and the amount we owe is now £1412 so I can update my signature with that.

Loads of housework to do today as well as a teething grumpy 16 month old as well.....

wish me luck!!

Crunchy xx

DebtFree2012

Aww teething sucks. We have a spendy March too so we can muddle through together. Take care x

crunch_time

Morning diary!

Ds swimming lesson has been cancelled this morning. I'm contemplating taking them shopping instead. I really need some new jeans but weighing up whether I want them badly enough now vs two toddlers in a changing room.

In other news we have managed to acquire two good quality pine wardrobes - for free or for very low cost - yet to be decided. All we need to do is hire a van to pick them up. A bargain considering I was agonising over whether or not to buy the matching wardrobe for our chest of drawers currently retailing at £975!!!! They will look fab!!

All this reminded me how much I want to get started on the painting in our house. Magnolia everywhere with finger marks is our current state of affairs!! I think once busy March is over we can ear mark a weekend to start with one of the children's rooms.

Once we get these wardrobes, we will only need a bookcase for dds room and a new mirror for ours and that's it!!

The next big purchase furniture wise will be a table and chairs. The chairs on ours are falling apart and aren't very comfy. We also need lots of picture frames and some more soft furnishings. As for the garden we have some paving to do and need to make some flower beds and sort out the veg patch. I can't wait to get started.

I have also been thinking about breaking down my goals. I want to be debt free by the end of 2017 but that totally depends on whether I find a job from September or not. If I plan to get to under 10k by the end of this year then I can see where we are and if I need to break it down further I can.

Under £10k will be amazing!!!!

If I can get rid of my credit card by the end of April, then I can replenish my savings for the next 3 months whilst chucking extra bits here and there at the other cc and the holiday pot/dog pot. This will leave £1115 to find to pay down the loan to make it sub £10k by the end of the year.

Totally doable if we are sensible. And we can do all the decorating too.

Just got to keep plodding.

Crunchy xx

sugarcube84

That sounds like a plan!! It's really hard juggling debt busting with house jobs isn't it? So far while on our debt busting mission we have had a new garage put up, landscaped the back garden, paved the driveway, replaced all the fencing, installed new gates on the driveway, new windows/doors throughout, decorated the front room and re tiled the bathroom. It sounds a lot but it feels at times that we have done nothing!! All we have left to do (!!) is finish the driveway in front of the garage, finish the dog run, brick up the boiler flue, do the kitchen and paint 4 rooms then it's time for us to sell and move on, probably by the end of the year after we (hopefully) become df in June.


Good luck Crunchy

crunch_time

Morning diary,

Gosh that sounds like a lot sugarcube84!!

Husbands pay day today!! So....

£275 off the loan + £113 off my credit card from the joint account council tax fund.

This means credit card debt is now £2466 and total debt £16,187.

So very close to being in the £15,xxx. I get paid in 3 weeks so we definitely will be then. Yippee!!!

I have discovered late night cleaning (Ha ha ha). I got a bit stressed yesterday as the children were being demanding all day for some reason so I couldn't get a couple of jobs done and the place is a state! So after dinner last night I decided to have a 'power hour.' I swept, cleaned and polished my living room and hallway floors, polished the furniture and cleaned both the bathrooms!! In an hour!! I'm onto a winner here. I can have a clean house AND spend time with my children. Don't know why I haven't thought of this before hahahahaha!!

While I was hovering yesterday (the only job I did manage to get done), I noticed that the suction might be going as its not picking up the dirt like it used to. I'm having to go over the same place several times. A quick calculation in my head made me realise we have had it since 2008 so probably should be thinking about a new one. I had a look at the lewis of johns website and they had a trade in and discount offer on. I was very tempted as it runs out in March but decided to wait. It's still on my mind but it still does the job at the moment, just needs a little more effort that's all. While I save up for/budget for a new one!!

I think the current one was bought on credit and actually hasn't been paid off yet - its caught up in husbands loan now. That's food for thought!!!

Off to update my signature!! Happy Friday everyone!!

Crunchy xx

crunch_time

Me again!

DS at pre school and DD having a nap time so having some me time before I do my work out. No stress about cleaning!!! Going to clean the kitchen floor tonight before settling on the sofa so then its DONE!!!!

So budget for March all done - just got to stick to it now!!! I have left about £100 just in case so hopefully will be able to chuck that at it too if we are good.

I've been roughly drafting out April's budget this morning. After all bills have gone out and all budgeted amounts are considered AND I have made an already planned £500 towards my credit card I should have £555 left. I think I am going to try and spend it on the following....

- £90 - yurt weekend holiday (our summer holiday this year)
- £70 - steam cleaner
- £250 - another overpayment to the credit card
- £145 - home improvements - painting the children's bedrooms for starters and seeing how we go.

That would mean I only have £250 - £300 left to pay on my credit card so would definitely finish the credit card in April and can get on with replenishing the savings.

All I have got to do is stay focussed and not get distracted. My eye is most definitely on the prize.

Right better start getting ready for my workout.

Crunchy xx

DebtFree2012

It's lovely to know what your goals are and focussing on them isn't it? Well done you.


I find I clean and tidy best when I am pee'd off! LOL. There's no cleaner house than when someone's annoyed me!

t2rry

DebtFree2012 wrote: »

It's lovely to know what your goals are and focussing on them isn't it? Well done you.


I find I clean and tidy best when I am pee'd off! LOL. There's no cleaner house than when someone's annoyed me!

Haha I am totally the same! I find things to clean I never thought needed it!!