Debt free before 35

MrsSave

Well we're a couple of days into our little holiday, and having an amazing time. Though, saying that, it is 3:30am and I'm writing my diary :rotfl: I don't sleep well at home, but even worse when I'm away.

So far this week, we are under our spend budget. If we stay 'on budget' for the rest of the time we will be bringing home around £150 :T

I had a chat with dh in the car on way, and I've decided to start looking at other jobs. I supply teach, and it doesn't work well for someone who likes to know where she stands and likes to plan ahead financially, etc. At the end of every half term I panic that the next half term will be far too quiet and I won't be bringing in enough money to cover essentials. Thankfully this hasn't been the case since the end of last year, but I still panic all the time. It doesn't help with the struggling to sleep!

I've agreed to help out at a school, working 4 days for around 7-8 weeks ish. Will finish that and then I'm going to start looking away from the classroom at a permanent (hopefully part time - 4 days would be ideal) job, where I know exactly where I stand each month and can plan ahead.

In other news.........I have managed to add a little to my emergency fund, bringing it to just over £755. :j Getiing closer and closer to the £1000 goal now, though I will keep adding to it after that. I have a loan, but I don't want to start making overpayments until I have a good amount stashed away in case of emergencies. I can't decide on the amount, though. Possibly £2000-£2,500.

Right, I'm now going to attempt a little more sleep (after attempting to use the toilet without waking anybody :cool:).

MrsSave

Home sweet home. My final BT bill came through when I was away, and I had completely over estimated it. With the left overs, I have managed to add £20 to my bills account buffer (I like to keep a just in case buffer there, as well as my separate emergency fund), I have added a little to one of my other bills at I had slightly underestimated it and the rest has gone into the emergency fund. My emergency fund is now at £770.20. I want to see if I can get it to £900 by the end of the month. Hubby then has a bonus at the start of September, so fingers crossed a nice little lump sum will be added to it, bringing it over the £1000 mark. :j The only issue will be that my end of August pay will be small, I'm hoping we can stretch it to last September instead of touching the emergency fund, but we'll see.

Another letter when I got home was for £75 love to shop vouchers for joining Talk Talk :j They last for 2 years, so I'm thinking that's some birthday/Christmas gifts sorted. We've also come home with some left over pennies, so I've been sorting through that and popping it back into the correct amounts. I'm getting a little confused with YNAB and figures now, only a few pounds out but can't work out where. Most of the spending was done on the Tesco credit card (some more points for Christmas!) so I'm checking to see that account update every day to check everything is correct. It's so nice to have been away, and just spent money we had. The credit card will be paid off in full when the statement comes through. In the past it has all been about using the credit card and worrying about it again! :T

The third letter that was waiting for me when I got in was to confirm the change in my current work contract to 0.8 starting at the beginning of next month, until the end of October. That means that my pay should be spot on for September and October! Yippee! I'm already worrying about November, though

Right, the second load is already in the machine but I don't plan on doing much more than laundry tonight (I'm also cheating, being very naughty and using the tumble drier :cool: ). I'm usually pretty good at not using it, but there's just so much to wash!!!

DFB35

Hi mrsSave!

Sounds like you have a great plan coming together and I'm very impressed how quickly you accumulating the emergency fund! Way to go :money:

Our aim is similar that I'm also hoping to be debt free by the time I'm 35. I'm subscribing to your diary to cheer you on!

MrsSave

DFB35 wrote: »

Hi mrsSave!

Sounds like you have a great plan coming together and I'm very impressed how quickly you accumulating the emergency fund! Way to go :money:

Our aim is similar that I'm also hoping to be debt free by the time I'm 35. I'm subscribing to your diary to cheer you on!

Hi :hello:
Every spare penny is going straight into the emergency fund at the moment, whereas before if I had a spare tenner, it'd be used for a 'treat'. Work is so uncertain after the end of October I need as much as I can behind us.

Do you have a diary that I can [STRIKE]stalk[/STRIKE] follow? I love reading other people's diaries on here, it amazes me how many ideas I can pick up, even when I think by now I'd know most of them! How long until your 35th? I've got 3 1/2 years to go.


Well I'm in bed about to read a couple of diaries before reading my book. Human Remains I think it's called, I've only just started it. I read The Lie while I was away, really enjoyed it! I'm not feeling too brilliant this evening, though. Ive eaten out way too much this week. My body isn't used to it and is now having a strop!! I'm eating out again tomorrow, Saturday and next Tuesday (my poor body and my poor bank balance!). I can't wait to get back eating proper home cooked food. I love cooking and make most things from scratch. We don't often eat processed food as a family so now my stomach is really cross with me.

I was browsing hotukdeals earlier and saw that Argos had a balance bike down to £14.99. My son is the perfect age for one, so I'm getting it tomorrow with some of the vouchers I got through the post, and once my In Laws get back from their holiday I'll ask if they want to give it to him for Christmas and then they can pay me back. They ask every year what they can get him, so perfect (and the money can then go into the emergency fund!!).

:money:

MrsSave

Good morning!

More money saving going on here today :money:

We've had Sky TV for over 2 years, and I've been reluctant to cancel it. I'm paying £21.50 a month just to watch basic TV. No extra packages, just the basic sky channels.

So........I decided that we need to be saving as much money as we can. I have been looking at alternatives this morning (I know - freeview is free) and have decided to give now TV a go. We won't use the movies most of the time, but I'm thinking possibly we can use it for a month over Christmas or something as a treat. I will get the now TV box from Argos, using the vouchers I got, which includes a 3 month entertainment pass (there is a 6 month one, but I figured that if we're not watching the channels, then it's a waste of money). Will decide after the 3 months whether we want the entertainment for £6.99 a month, or just stick with freeview and the basic now TV box.

I think that makes sense, anyway!

We bought the Tesco £6 eat in meal deal last night and there was loads! We had 2 massive pizzas, dough balls and chicken wings. There is loads left, so that's our (unhealthy) lunch today sorted. We have money put to one side for dinner tonight as we're eating out for a birthday, and then again for lunch tomorrow! Once we've eaten out the next few planned times, we definitely need an eating out detox! For money and health reasons!! :rotfl:

I'd better go an get showered (yes I'm still in my pj's! :cool: ) and then go and collect the Argos goodies

MrsSave

Well I am the sort of person that if I have something in my head, I need it to have been done yesterday :rotfl: After deciding this morning about NowTV, I have gone out and bought it using part of the vouchers I had. I'm going to keep from cancelling sky until Monday, and then this weekend we are only using freeview/NowTV. If we get it with it, then on Monday sky are being cancelled. If not the now TV box will move upstairs as we have a TV in our room which we can only watch DVDs on due to such poor freeview signal (aerial issues). If we do get on with it, I think we'll end up getting another one for upstairs anyway at some point.

Other than picking up the NowTV and my son's balance bike (for Christmas from his grandparents), today I have filled the car with petrol (£47 :eek: and that leaves £53 to last out the month!) and paid the left overs from our holiday back into the account. I've also paid my son's birthday money into his account.

We're currently waiting for our son To wake up as we're heading out tonight and staying with my dad. After his few days away, he is shattered so is having an extra long snooze! Over 3 hours later........

I won't manage to get much done tomorrow, but Sunday I aim to pop to Tesco to do the weekly shop (£20 budget) and cook a roast. I pulled the chicken out from the freezer earlier to defrost. Also pulled chicken breast pieces out for me and hubby to have a curry tomorrow night (Saturday night pretend takeaway!).

IWillBeFree

Love your diary MrsSave! Just read all of it and I feel inspired and motivated by your efforts. Keep it up

IWBF x

MrsSave

IWillBeFree wrote: »

Love your diary MrsSave! Just read all of it and I feel inspired and motivated by your efforts. Keep it up

IWBF x

Thank you

Well, was out last night and had a couple of drinks. Quite a few were bought for us, but at the moment I have no idea how much we've spent because dh was in charge!! I'm guessing we have money left from our budget, and hoping it's enough for lunch today which means our entertainment fund won't need to be touched.

There is a river and food festival today. Will have to pay to go in (£5 for the 2 of us and it says £1 for under 16's, but hoping as ds is still little they'll let him in for free!). Lunch will be a burger from one of the stands, so probably around £10. Won't be buying anything there (please don't be famous last words!!!).

Home after lunch, and then I need to print out our August meal plan. It's all typed and ready to go, but with being away I haven't got around to printing it out yet. From that I'll write our shopping list for the week (sticking to £20 budget). Then it's curry night tonight. Yum!!

MrsSave

Today's first job has been done. I have gone through my online banking and YNAB and they do (now!) :j All I need to do now is reconcile properly once I get home and onto the laptop.

MrsSave

All accounts have been reconciled and are correct (even the cash in my purse!). :j

It worked out that we had £12 left over from last night. Today, we have spent £5 on entry to the food festival, £10 on lunch, £2 on drinks and £5 on cakes to eat at home this afternoon with a bottle of bubbly we'd been given (our own homemade afternoon tea!!). That brings today's spends to £22, £12 from yesterday and then another £10 from our entertainment budget. I had budgeted £30 for going out on Tuesday for lunch, but if the weather's nice I've decided we can take a picnic instead, so it will cost next to nothing. The £10 has then come from that £30, so we have £20 left in our budgeted entertainment envelope, and a further £39 left in our other entertainment budget. That's loads, but I know my pay is low at the end of this month, so I'm thinking it will last next month as well.

I've checked over this month's meal planning. This week coming looks like this:
Sunday - chicken dinner
Monday - pasta with cheese sauce and chicken
Tuesday - homemade burgers with wedges and salad
Wednesday - mini turkey fillets coated with breadcrumbs, served with homemade chips and a salad.
Thursday - pizza night
Friday - Gammon, egg, pineapple and homemade chips
Saturday - Chicken fajitas

*Homemade chips are oven cooked, without fat. I usually add some spice or other to them.

I just need to sort out my shopping list for tomorrow now with this.