Goodbye debt hello mortgage

A_simple_life

I'm back yet again but this time I have a plan, I can now buy my house from the housing association but the one thing standing in my way is my debt.

How it looks at the moment:

Mum [STRIKE]£6150[/STRIKE] £650 paid £5500 left
Friend £1000
[STRIKE]SNC £230[/STRIKE] Paid
[STRIKE]Cap One £203.91[/STRIKE] Paid
DWP [STRIKE]£650[/STRIKE] £20 paid £630 left
Over draft £2000
Brother £310

Total [STRIKE]£10,543.91[/STRIKE] :eek: £1103.91 paid £9440 left

I have started to make a dent into the debt this month.

My plan is it will all be paid by March 2016 and then I can start saving for my house deposit and look at getting a mortgage because at 37 years old I really should grow up and start buying the house I'm in instead of throwing money down the drain on rent.

I have now managed to get a full time job and I am determined I will use the extra money I have coming in to good use.

I have finally kicked my gambling habit after many years GA have been amazing and I have been gamble free for 4 months which is huge for me and suddenly at the same time I moved to an E cig and budgeting better all at the same time. I will try and knock the E cig on the head one day but it isn't hurting my budget too much at £5 a week and I don't drink or go out as I have bi polar and the medication doesn't allow me to drink and I would rather stay in with my daughter and pets.

This time I will do my best to keep updating on here and watch the debt go down bit by bit

A_simple_life

Mum [STRIKE]£6150[/STRIKE] £750 paid £5400 left
Friend £1000
[STRIKE]SNC £230[/STRIKE] Paid
[STRIKE]Cap One £203.91[/STRIKE] Paid
DWP £650 £20 paid £630 left
Over draft £2000
Brother £310

Total [STRIKE]£10,543.91[/STRIKE] £1203.91 paid £9340 left

Another £100 been paid to my mum today and then another £300 to be paid on Monday. I should be able to pay my friend back in full by the end of the month so with the payment going to DWP I should have paid off £1420 off this month.

I am trying to use the food in my freezer for dinners as much as possible and I am taking packed lunch to work everyday so I'm not tempted to buy food at work. I have started to leave my purse at home so I can't be tempted to spend on things I don't need. I am determined like I have never been before as I really want to buy my house and get a mortgage in place. This time I have a future goal which I have never had before I have so many plans for the house too which is going to cost me a lot of money but I am determined I will do them all.

I have always lacked in the past of making plans beyond tomorrow but now I have a 5 year plan in place and I can't wait to start it.

I guess I should put it on here:

Debt paid - March 2016
Deposit saved for mortgage - September 2016
Kitchen remodel - November 2016
Back fencing - April 2017
New doors/conservatory - August 2017
Pay extra to mortgage - from August 2017

That's what I have so far it seems such a lot but if I can just remember that plan every time I go to buy something I don't need I will stay on track. I have now put a piece of paper in the photo part of my purse saying "you want to buy your house" I see it every time I open my purse and it has made me think a few times and walk away from things. I also bought all my new work wardrobe from a charity shop and I worked out I spent £50 on enough clothes to last me a long time, all the clothes are next, monsoon and decent brands without the huge price tag.

Well that's enough rambling for now

A_simple_life

I have just done next weeks meal plan and I should be able to save £10 on my budgeted amount so I will put that in the over draft. If I can keep planning every week the over draft will come down with the savings.

Everyone at work today had McDonald's but because I had a packed lunch and no purse I easily said no and saved myself about £5 on food that doesn't fill me up for five minutes, On Monday I will be 5 months gamble free and I can honestly say I don't miss it now but I can see the huge improvement in my finances. It has been a hard challenge but I finally did it, I had gambled since I was 16 so 21 years of throwing money down the drain along with smoking it's crazy how much I have just wasted on stupid addictions but now I will get a new healthy addiction of saving money

A_simple_life

Mum [STRIKE]£6150[/STRIKE] £750 paid £5400 left
Friend £1000
[STRIKE]SNC £230[/STRIKE] Paid
[STRIKE]Cap One £203.91[/STRIKE] Paid
DWP [STRIKE]£650[/STRIKE] £20 paid £630 left
Over draft [STRIKE]£2000[/STRIKE] £7.46 paid £1,992.54 left
Brother £310

Total[STRIKE] £10,543.91[/STRIKE] £1,211.37 paid £9,332.54 left

Made a small payment of £7.46 into my over draft today as that was the difference between what was in my bank and my budget, a small amount but a start.

Rebecca01

Good luck . Will follow your progress.

I have a similar plan to save for a mortgage but maybe in the next few years.

A_simple_life

Hi and welcome Rebecca I warn you now I will ramble a lot but welcome

A_simple_life

Mum [STRIKE]£6150[/STRIKE] £750 paid £5400 left
Friend £1000
[STRIKE]SNC £230[/STRIKE] Paid
[STRIKE]Cap One £203.91 [/STRIKE] Paid
DWP [STRIKE]£650[/STRIKE] £20 paid £630 left
Over draft [STRIKE]£2000[/STRIKE] £19.46 paid £1,980.54 left
Brother £310

Total [STRIKE]£10,543.91[/STRIKE] £1,223.37 paid £9,320.54 left

£12.00 gone into my over draft as I used my vouchers in Morrisons for my shop and under spent by that in my budget but I can't move the rest of the under spend (£15.70) in the over draft until Monday when I get my wages. I am so determined this time every penny that gets thrown at my debt is another one down.

A_simple_life

Menu starting Monday:

Monday - Bacon and Brie risotto
Tuesday - Left overs
Wednesday - Chicken in white wine sauce, mash and peas
Thursday - Left overs
Friday - Toad in the hole, mash and sweetcorn
Saturday - Left overs
Sunday - Breast of lamb, roast potatoes, cauliflower and carrots

I had a lot of ingredients already in including the wine as I was given a few bottles last Christmas and I don't drink so I have started using them for cooking with instead. My favourite Sunday dinner is Breast of lamb and very cheap, I can't afford the high price lamb cuts but I love it so it's a great compromise and the dog gets a treat too with the bone I always ask the butcher to cut out.

I have started buying my fruit and veg from a local wholesaler that anyone can buy from as it works out a lot cheaper, and a lot fresher too.

When I went food shopping I went on the web site and wrote my exact shopping list with the prices for everything too so I knew to the penny what my bill would be, I managed to get a few treats that were cheaper for my dog and cat too for their Christmas stockings, it's the dogs first Christmas with us and the cats 4th with us and I have always got the cat a stocking and filled it with treats.

A_simple_life

Mum [STRIKE]£6150[/STRIKE] £750 paid £5400 left
Friend £1000
[STRIKE]SNC £230[/STRIKE] Paid
[STRIKE]Cap One £203.91[/STRIKE] Paid
DWP [STRIKE]£650[/STRIKE] £20 paid £630 left
Over draft [STRIKE]£2000[/STRIKE] £31.34 paid £1,968.66 left
Brother £310

Total £10,543.91 £1,236.25 paid £9,307.66 left

Whilst tidying out my wardrobe I found my savings tin with £11.88 in it :j OK pre my LBM I would have not been as happy as I am right now, I'm going to take it off my over draft debt and get it banked on Monday. I know this time I will do it and get rid of my debt, I also bought three Christmas presents from next today as I had £30 in gift cards from my old job and never used them so I only have a little bit of shopping left to do :T.

A_simple_life

Today is a new habit for me, I work a part time job on Sundays and I have a nasty habit of buying lunch while I'm out spending £5-£6 a lunch as a meal dinner turns into a magazine and treats too. I am taking pasta with me left from last nights dinner and a drink. The amount I will be saving is the amount I need to pay DWP which thinking about it now is a silly amount. This is going to be the new me and I will not buy over priced lunches again.

A_simple_life

Ok big fail well sort of I forgot my lunch but I also didn't have my purse but luckily my mum lives part way round my route and I begged coffee and some biscuits off her she was showing me her mortgage spreadsheet where she works out how much quicker her mortgage is going down with the over payment she makes, I think once I get to that stage I will get her to send me it and use it myself.

I can't wait for pay day for the right reasons I want to see that debt go down :j I used to need pay day to come as my bank was empty and I was desperate to spend, well at the moment my bank has 16p left in it but I have gone back to calendar budget again and I'm 100% on track well slightly better than that as some of my over draft is gone and that was going to be paid in full in March. Mum is due £300 tomorrow, I can't believe its actually all going down so fast.:T