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

crunch_time

Just a quick update. For some reason this afternoon my thoughts have been about Christmas. Must be because I'm desperately trying to find reasons to stay at home for a short while this year. Ha ha!!
Anyway I'm sure I've mentioned it before so sorry if I have. I'm ashamed to admit I spent over £700 on Christmas last year. We couldn't afford it. Not sure exactly what happened but it was probably to do with panic buying.

Not going to happen this year.

Ine thing I've started doing now is getting stocking fillers when I can. I've challenged myself to find 10 things for £1 for each of us. That will be £40. I will then challenge myself make 5 things with fabric or things u already have so we each have 15 items in our stockings. They will all be useful things as well - no tat. I'm thinking hankies made from scarp material and embroidered and handmade experience tokens out of card - like 'pitch the tent in the garden and sleep under the stars at home' or 'have a movie night with popcorn etc.' Hopefully these sorts of things will inspire us to do different things with our time.

Not sure what to do about presents yet or decorations, cards etc but I'm sure I will figure something out.

I want out Christmases to be meaningful. I hope this sort of planning achieves this.

Crunchy xx

DebtFree2012

ooh I am with you re Christmas, it's never too soon when you have a lot to organise and plan. This will be our first Christmas in the new house and I can't wait to make it magical!! Pennies will be tight so plan, plan, plan is on the cards when I'm back from hols (mid June) so let's do it together!


Have you seen the boards on here for Christmas?

crunch_time

Yes let's debt free2012!! We are away for Christmas so will have to take everything with us. So things have got to be small at least.

So yesterday I sat down and properly worked out what I would have to pay for childcare if I did have a job. I worked out nursery fees for dd and then before school and after school clubs for Ds then added on union sub and fuel. I worked divided it out over the year and the amount I would have left per month was roughly £400.

At the moment I am very lucky that family look after both children on the days I work. Everyone has said they are happy to continue for the odd day as they enjoy looking after them so much. For a few of them, their circumstances will change in the new year which means they might be able to look after them a bit more.

This has made me think more about the possibility of doing supply in my line of work. A day's work is about £100 so in theory I would only need to work 4 maybe 5 days a month to earn what I would earn after childcare if I had a permanent job. With husband using holiday and family happy to cover the odd day this would definitely be a great short term option for me.

I think husband was assured but was worried about a new car. After the emergency fund is full, the plan is to start saving towards a new car for him. I think/hope it will last another year but it would be good to save as much as possible. I will work out a target when we are at that point.

Food shopping day today. I only have £60-70 to spend if I am to keep in budget so will do a list, stick to it and take my calculator round with me.

I still haven't done the banking so will have to do that today too.

Crunchy xx

DebtFree2012

All sounding very well thought through and manageable. Things are always easier than you plan for I find, as long as you plan for the worst I mean. You manage, we all manage because we make sure we do. We don't expect things to land on our lap and we know we have to cut our cloth, so you will be fine I am sure. xx

crunch_time

I've just finished the banking so one job done today.

Looking at my signature I have noticed I have paid off around £10k in 2 years. That is very good considering I have also had a baby, move house, spent money on furniture not to mention around £4000 on as shed office!!!

I wonder where I will be in 2 more years time!!

Crunchy xx

crunch_time

I think we cross posted there debtfree2012!

That's what I tell him. Husband on his own earns the same now a month as we did combined with me on maternity leave last year. So I know we will be fine as we will only have the loan monthly amount to pay off and I reckon we can shave another £100 off our monthly outgoings with me not working anyway.

When he worries, I worry and I also have this weird thing about making him happy.

Anyways, what will be will be.

Thanks for the wise words.
Crunchy xx

crunch_time

Morning all debt free wannabes!!

I've had a busy morning so far! 3 loads of washing on the line, stuff up into the loft, more stuff down to ebay later, washing up down, cleaned out cutlery door and got rid of all the weaning spoons and calpol syringes, put all paper I need to sort through onto the kitchen table, 4th load of washing nearly finished and some bits sorted and put into their correct place in the house.

Throughout all of this my mind has been occupied with savings. Husband and I have always been 'we will put it on credit card and then pay it off' sort of people - not at all helped by things breaking and needing a new one straight away. Now we are nearing the end of the 'immediate debt paying off' part of our lives, I've been thinking of our spending habits and how we can conquer them using savings target.

There are lots of things we want/need. The first thing we will need is a new table and chairs for our kitchen. We currently have second hand chairs which are falling apart (I think I have mentioned this before) and a hand me down table which just isn't the right size or shape for us. We have always dreamed of a lovely pine table and matching chairs have our whole lives and create lots of memories on for our children with painting, lovely meals and chats etc. So we have decided to take the plunge and go for it. The one we like is £1115 (we have had a quote) so I have decided to add a line to my signature which includes this. I'm finding the concept of saving for a emergency fund very boring so I'm hoping that if I do a sort of matched savings thing it will encourage me to save up for both. For example, if I put £100 into my 'dream table and chairs fund' I have to put £100 into my Emergency fund. They will both grow together without me even realising and I will then have both - hopefully in a couple of months.

It will be interesting to see if it works!! If so I can then use the strategy for other savings goals e.g. something boring vs something exciting.

I'm desperate to start saving for family adventures but also need to be sensible about things like a new mattress for us next year, garden stuff etc.

In other news, husbands job interview went well apparently. He got the impression that they like him so we shall wait and see.

I may have mentioned I while ago that I had fallen out with the bay of e because an item I sold went missing in the post and I was face with lots of hoops to jump through all so I didn't have to refund about £4. Well, I checked my account yesterday and it looks like the case that has been opened has been settled. So, the few bits of summer stuff I have left will be going up tonight hoping to make a few pounds to start my savings goals off.

Right, better get this mound of paper next to me sorted.

Crunchy xx

crunch_time

Hello all,

Hope you are having a lovely Saturday! We went to the nearest town today to run a few errands. We nipped to sains to get a few bits. I was only intending to spend £10 next but walked out £30 lighter. The husband was with me and before I knew it we were buying stuff for a roast tonight with dessert and wine and everything. I have told him that means there is only £30-40 for next weeks shop so it will be beans on toast till he gets paid. He has somewhat accepted this. We shall see.

I've added a line to my signature for my stocking filler challenge. One item purchased so far for DD - a flannel that expands in water. I think it was a £1.

Husband has been offered the job!!! No contract as yet so its not set in stone. Same salary but bonus and other benefits are better. Although he will be working away more than he currently is I don't mind so long as he is happy. The best bit is that after 3 months he will get a company credit card so no more juggling expenses for me!!

We have an exciting day planned of doing odd jobs around the house whilst entertaining children, roast beef for dinner and then we are painting the kitchen tonight. It will be so nice to get that done as I have been staring at paint splodges for several weeks now.

Picnic at a local spot with friends tomorrow so just parking to pay for that then roll on next weeks pay day on Thursday. I've got to start thinking of the budget for June. I know I have to pay off husbands beard trimmer off my credit card but then that's it. The shoes that are on it will be paid off when husband gets paid the week after. I think I will pay off the hotel for the wedding weekend that's on husbands credit card - £400 then that's done. I know I have an eye test next week which is £30 and the dentist which is £20. That will leave £180 after all other budget considerations. I could put £90 in each savings pot or all of it on husbands credit card. I shall have to decide....

Lots of thinking out loud today - sorry.

Hope you have a lovely weekend!

Crunchy xx

crunch_time

Hey diary!

Working week done for me! Roll on Thursday for pay day! Although there are plenty of jobs out there, none suitable for me.

I re read the above post and think I am being silly to be looking ahead so much. Its likely in 4 pay days I wont have a job so I had better crack on with the following priorities...

1) Pay off last £804 of credit card debt.
2) Pay off the wedding weekend - £400 (I've decided to do this £100 a month)
3) Save £1000k into an emergency fund
4) Anything else can go into an 'I don't have a job fund' with a target of £1500.

So this is my plan for the middle part of the year May - August. Signature updated.

Sorry for so much waffle and indecision. I'm learning loads about my attitude towards money though!!

Crunch x

crunch_time

Morning diary!

Just checked the bank accounts. Everything has come out of the husbands account now. There was about £10 left so I have slushed that towards the credit card taking it from £804 to £795. A great start!!

Just drawn up a budget for my money for June. Here it is...

£100 savings
£100 wedding weekend
£20 childcare
£9.84 union sub
£6 Microsoft
£50 fuel
£45 massage
£30 opticians - haven't had the eyes checked for a while!
£50 presents for sons birthday
£20 dentists
£69 pay off beard trimmer off my credit card.
£30 paint for house.

This is £529 which leaves £360 to slush at husbands credit card which would bring it down to £435 and total debt to £13,577. That will be great! And then I can clear it next month as I wont have dentist, opticians etc as well! Awesome!! I will also have some money left over to start the emergency fund.

Just got to stick to the plan above.

I only have £30 of food money to last until next Friday when husband gets paid. Lots of eggs, beans on toast and making do. The £30 should cover the fresh stuff like milk and bread. I'm going to make a meal plan later.

I've got some things I need to out on gum tree so will need to sort these out this week. I also seem to have lots of mending to do so will probably get the sewing machine out tonight.

Feeling very focussed on the plan for the next few months.

Have a lovely day!
Crunchy xx