NST July - Bobs Bucket & Spade Boogie to the beach!

The_Only_Girl

The quidco cash back and Santander cash back plus other savings last week have gone to the credit card. Total of £150 paid getting us down to a total of £1150 plus any interest the bank will add before the next bill. We are £150 away from my monthly target, plus £200 more for the stretch target. A couple of items ending on eBay with bids on. I wish I could be motivated enough to put more on to keep the pennies coming. Ten days before pay day and I am excited to find out how much I will be earning on a more or less regular basis from this month on.

Three things I've picked up from the programme RIGHT ON THE MONEY: LIVE

1. A bargain is not a bargain just because it's cheap.

2. When shopping, it is a good idea to take time out from your items and ask yourself if your really need those items (we've tried this and it really works.)

3. The savings made by economising, switching energy providers, etc is almost like a pay rise. But just like any pay rise you've got to work for it. (We reckon we have saved at least £7000 this year by our spending modification, NSD's, switching insurances and energy providers and foregoing certain luxuries and brand dropping, etc.. It is more than the actual pay rise the NHS has given to their employees in at least 4 years.). Staggering isn't it?

Bed time.... Good night.

Fmess

Morning all,

So it turns out that I have more large expenses that I need to account for than first expected, so my targets at the start of the month are now unable to be achieved, so I will set new ones My target this month is to pay £500 off the debt and my stretch target will be £600. I have just paid an additional £75.50 off so I am currently at £450 paid off after the direct debits and a few small extra payments.

You lot have been really motivational with all your extra payments as this is the time of year when my expenses rocket and my payments usually decrease. However, I intend to buck this bad habit this year.

Bobarella

Interesting point The Only Girl. Isn't it one of the biggest points in personal finance to split the pack? Those who believe to be richer we should earn more and those who believe economising on what we already have will always give better results? Seem to remember Jeff Yeager preaches economy over income but the wealth creators like MMM go the other way? I may be wrong. Either way I was only thinking to myself the other day at our peak of earnings we had over £100,000 coming in between two of us, no kids, & nothing to show for it. Sure we paid for our wedding and a lot of house renovation stuff but we always had CC debt and from that time the only thing we managed was good pensions pots. In the last year with an income of around £60,000 which has been erratic to say the least we have saved £1,000 & paid off thousands (including what I pay to the business stuff every month) that has been achieved by budgeting, setting targets and sheer bloodymindedness. It's like they say if you earn £10 but spend £11 your going no where fast.

Bobarella

Fmess wrote: »

You lot have been really motivational with all your extra payments as this is the time of year when my expenses rocket and my parents usually decrease. However, I intend to buck this bad habit this year.

I think it's natural to want to enjoy yourself more in the summer. It's the ant vs the grasshopper thing isn't it. Gosh I'm full of crap this morning but we are all Ant Turtles here carrying on ferrying bit of our debt away in the sun and in the winter sitting back smugly to admire our empty debt cupboards. Don't be a grasshopper! !

apple_muncher

Love it bob! Personally I feel like a snail sometimes with my rucksack full of food on my back!

Fmess

Love the thought of being a worker ant!

Calling14

Well think I am the stupidest ant turtle ever. Note to self if I didn't use a credit card at all this debt would be cleared, tend to use for fuel, unexpected costs, gig tickets still. Strict talking to myself on the ant hill. Has to stop NOW. Been working out how much extra I could have cleared sickening.

Got up late, alarm went off went back to sleep for another hr, dog not happy no walkies, well she got a lie in as well. Now have come to a work in a bra miles too tight, bad aching and can hardly breathe. Can't wait for hometime, bet it was a guy who invented this instrument of torture I am wearing.

Felt ill all day yesterday, feel so much better today think I needed the extra sleep. Could join Mothernerd a rest day sounds heavenly


Today have to feed my dog, she's a cute border collie, so will lose a SFD on dog food, doggy biccies.

Thanks for tagging me Bob, tip your 'it now'. Another 10.00 off my debt today. Aim to reach 4500 by end of this month so the battle is on.

You can still enjoy the summer without a heap of cash, sat on my local beach on Saturday just people watching was lovely. Got funky wooden chairs so may take a book next time.

Welshkitty - hey keep the noise down next time with your graduation party could hear it from mine lol. Great relatives you have. Congratulations.

Happy Tuesday folks

academiablues

Afternoon all! Calling, don't beat yourself up too much, unexpected expenses come up sometimes and it's nice to go to a gig every once in a while - debt-busting is important, but so is living a little bit sometimes. You're doing really well, all the turtles are
Spendy day today - found some work shoes so £39.50 (I get them from Marks as they do half sizes and I'm a size 3-and-a-half in the shoe!). Not too upset as I managed to work out that I could buy them this month, and the last pair lasted me four-ish years so I'll get my money's worth! Mum paid for a coffee and for my lunch as well, bless her. Been doing the garden all afternoon - I have tomatoes growing!! I am very excited, not much of a gardener but I try my best. Been working out how much I can spend on a bed for the spare room as well (been living here a year and not got one yet) - aren't beds expensive?!
Also booked a very short break in Wales at the end of August - used TCB so got a fiver or so back from that, very pleased, and have paid for the whole thing with the spending money we brought back from Berlin in April. Paid an extra £20 into the savings account, and now, I'm off to enjoy the rest of the afternoon in the sun (my days off are always hectic!)

Westie983

SFD 12/10....

I didnt manage as predicted to get a SFD yesterday as I was at the hospital but I made up for it today, with a free voucher for a pint of milk that I got when I entered a code from a cereal box. not bad as I had already bought the cereal....

I am enjoying keeping from spending - it must be the key ....

abundant1972

Evening folks!

Busy day as ever today - but whizzed by and glad to be back home. I'm so grateful for where I live now after all the upheaval at the start of the year. It really feels like home.

Today I bagged another SFD = number 9.

Finally got one of my £2 Statutory Credit Reports back - and it looks really good. The only amber I had was on the Electoral Roll and that was because I have literally just moved 2 months ago... So - am a little confused as to why 2 banks have turned me down... Hmmmm.

I'll wait until I get my other one - and go from there - maybe asking the banks to do a manual search.

Have a good one everyone! x