easier said than done

Optimistic_Kate

As title says, I always have these grand ideas in my head on how I'm going to live my life and change it for the better but the once the initial gusto of cancelling d/d and having one weeks worth of food shopping for under £70 with a meal plan to match, I seem to fall back into my old spendy ways.

This needs to be a proper go of it now as my husband starts his new job in a couple of weeks and it's going to be a £500 a month pay drop :eek: but he will be home more (new job is 5 days a week as he's been working 7 days a week!) and will hopefully be less stressed and will get off his antidepression tablets.

I work part time Friday's and Sunday's and pick up shifts when I can and when is manageable with three children. DD who is 5 DS1 is nearly 4 and DS2 is 15months.

I am hoping this diary will help to keep my going. We have one loan of £7797.50 but I would like to try and pay this off quicker than the 3.7 years or so that is remaining. I also owe my mum £220 but I am hoping to pay that off today

I have done my usual meal plan for the week (including lunches for all) but I am hoping to stick to it and have told OH that he is not allowed to say "I don't fancy that tonight" and then us ending up getting a takeaway.

Can anyone tell me with regards to our loan, If I can pay off bits here and there or will i have to transfer any extra into a separate savings account until I have enough to pay it off in one go? I got the loan out during one of my lightbulb moments a couple years ago and consolidated 2 credit cards and another loan. Have managed to not use credit card since taking out the loan but husbands wages increased significantly. Should have paid it off in that time but easy to look back and say that.

Right, lunch, food shop then school pick up. DS2 is an awful shopper so I have to take his lunch with me and feed him as we go round. He's napping atm - bliss

Bobarella

Hi Kate
I would imagine your loan would allow part payments. Probably not £1 here and there like you can with CCS but certainly £100 extra for example. And each time they do they should reassess the interest you owe too.
Good luck with getting on the straight and narrow.
Bob

Optimistic_Kate

Hi and Thank you for your reply Bob :hello:

Have checked my limited paperwork (another change to make in my life - keep better records of important things!) and it says you can make part payments by ringing them in advance. I don't want to be constantly ringing them so i'l put Any extra money I have aside until I have about £500 then pay it to the loan account. Hopefully that won't take too long.

Food shop did not go to plan. Spent £90.96:eek: so annoyed with myself as I brought items that we already had in. Note to self, look properly before going. If it lasts us the week and I can get it down to £80 I will be happy with that.

on a happier note, mum rang and finally looked at how much I owe her and its £20 less than what I thought so I'm going to get the £200 out today and give that back. Bank account looking good, most bills come out on the 1st though so il check again after then.

I've been looking at other peoples diaries and lots of people are talking about swag bucks, going to google that now while ds1 is playing quietly and ds2 is napping

mumstheword***

Found your diary! Good luck - will be subscribing to thread!!
Food shopping is always my biggest downfall! I try not to shop on an empty stomach these days or take the kids or DH - they can easily add an extra £30 on a bill just by being there!!!!!

monz

Following x

Bobarella

Optimistic_Kate wrote: »

Hi and Thank you for your reply Bob :hello:

Have checked my limited paperwork (another change to make in my life - keep better records of important things!) and it says you can make part payments by ringing them in advance. I don't want to be constantly ringing them so i'l put Any extra money I have aside until I have about £500 then pay it to the loan account. Hopefully that won't take too long.

Food shop did not go to plan. Spent £90.96:eek: so annoyed with myself as I brought items that we already had in. Note to self, look properly before going. If it lasts us the week and I can get it down to £80 I will be happy with that.

on a happier note, mum rang and finally looked at how much I owe her and its £20 less than what I thought so I'm going to get the £200 out today and give that back. Bank account looking good, most bills come out on the 1st though so il check again after then.

I've been looking at other peoples diaries and lots of people are talking about swag bucks, going to google that now while ds1 is playing quietly and ds2 is napping

Brilliant progress!!

Optimistic_Kate

Hi guys. Eek! Now you have replied il have to keep this up!

Yes, if oh came it would have definitely been more! He is not really on board. Not tarring all with the same brush but he is a youngest child and only boy of four so I think he didn't hear the word 'no' very often. Sometimes I swear he is my fourth child! Hopefully when I start showing him the first extra payment and what that does to the balance, he will become more money savvy like I'm trying to do.

Thank you mumstheword, I shall check it out. Tried swag bucks today for an hr and got a mini total of 41 point thingys. Don't think it helped me get surveys when I said I worked in retail...

Mum has rung me today and said shall we bring an Indian round Thursday and catch up. Although this would be diverting off the meal plan, she will be providing the food and bringing it to my house so will cost me nothing - love my mum! Must remember to freeze what we were going to have. Il admit to losing the meal plan somewhere round morrisons so I'm not too sure what that was

Optimistic_Kate

So I'm thinking my username and diary title don't really match! Not really an optimistic title haha.

It's the first of the month so il check bank stuff when ds2 is sleeping. Window man coming to look at blown window. We rent so that won't be a spend for us. Still looking for a new home. I have hated this house since moving in. OH "loved" it when we viewed but I thought it was too big, run down and has a terrible extension. Won't be able to afford it with his new job anyway so I am looking for a cheaper smaller place that we can settle down in.

Must get dd sports day top. Going to look in charity shop as she only wears dresses so I don't want to buy a top for one day!

Had to buy cal pol and sudocrem yesterday so I've spent money everyday this week... Will try a NSD tomorrow.

Work this evening so that's an extra 3 hours worked.

Better do school run now. Lovely weather again

Optimistic_Kate

Just a quick update. Done the bank and if I stick to my budget of £100 a week for food and petrol ( oh has work van with a fuel card so we don't use much fuel for family car) I could save £200 towards loan account :j

Even if I have a few unexpected little spends I would be happy with £150.

Brightspark87

£100 isnt a bad amount to spend and £200 is loads off the loan account! Well Done xx

MuffinTops

Kate - regarding Swagbucks, have you downloaded the SBTV app? Well worth doing.