Hugglemonster's debt free diary

hugglemonster

Sneaks back in, in shame

I literally have no idea where the last few weeks have gone, just busy with family life and I did complete my first marathon!

Finances have taken a massive hammering and due to earning less over the summer and paying out for some extra things we are really stuggling, the thing is apart from some tickets to a major sporting event we are going to in London next year, there is nothing to show for the money we have spent.

So here's the bad things first :mad:
* Overdraft is currently £2199.99 the limit is £2200, so 1p lurking of a massively increased overdraft.
* Tax office have once again messed up hubbies tax and he owes them about £200, this will be taken out of future months pay. I do wonder who the HMRC are employing because they have never got it right!

Things to be mindful of over the next few months:
* Dd birthday in early November
* Xmas
* Dh is doing a running event in December which has extended from an overnight stay with his mate to all of us sharing a cottage for a couple of days.
* My brother is getting married in May in Germany, so we need money for flights, hotel and spending money. My brother bless reckons it's great telling us now as we can book early, yes great is you have the money! I think we can book the hotel but not pay until we arrive, but the flights obviously have to be paid upfront.
* I need to get rid of this debt, it's driving me mad and yet I know it's my fault.

Good things:
*Everyone is happy and healthy, dd is loving high school and ds is doing well in his new year.
*I have lots of work coming up for my second job which is good as I earn more per hour there than my main job now, main job is OK but not going as expected, not enough teaching time due to staff shortages.
I love Xmas, planning on making lots of food and telling the family not to buy presents, we will only buy for our two and my niece.
*Mortgage payment has gone down by £8!
* I'm back using YNAB to keep me under control.

So plans for now, I don't know - shall I start tackling one of the overdrafts of save every penny for dd birthday and Xmas?

Bah! H x

Bobarella

Huggle - well done on your marathon chuffed for you! Loads of things going on then by the sounds of it. Isnt it hard knowing where to focus first. Think the overdraft would do my head in. It must be annoying never clearing the red.

hugglemonster

Thanks Bob, very please r.e. marathon too, I have a longer event in February to train for so that was a training run :eek:

I think you're right about the overdraft, the large one is our current account so every time our wages go in it's still in the red. I don't know what's best, whether to save a lump sum up and put it on at a specific time each month, or to phone the bank each month and get them to reduce it by £100 or something so it is gradually reducing.

Need to plan for the next couple of weeks outgoings, I get paid tomorrow so we will eat!!

H x

Bobarella

Could you move your account altogether and just treat the OD as another debt to pay?

[Deleted User]

So good to see you Huggle. Welcome back Hun x

hugglemonster

Busy day today, I have been on-call for main job since yesterday afternoon and just handed it over to a colleague, not too busy but always good to get rid of it.

I have been cooking and washing most of the day, batch cooked chicken and chorizo, veggie lasagne, tomato soup and vegetable soup. DH has made rolls and bread, he needs to make a Chilli tomorrow to put in freezer but otherwise plenty of meals for the next few days. Ooh and dd made fairy cakes.

I got a bit frustrated with DH earlier as he came shopping and insisted on buying a large bottle of a branded laundry liquid :eek::rotfl: I still need to teach him that he might be on board with budgeting and saving money in most areas but he still needs to look at alternatives, he still got extra wine and beer so shop was £80 which is not good.

I've done a few surveys and I have also opened an extra account to transfer shopping money into and let the bills account run itself so hopefully the overdraft will gradually reduce.

Hotel in Germany has been booked via TCB, we don't need to pay until we get there so plenty of time to save, cottage for DH run will cost us £100 for 2 nights (4 of us) still a pain two weeks before Xmas but manageable. I just need to look at hotels in London for next August and save for flights to Germany.

Looking forward to getting this week done as I'm off with the kids for half term

H x

Bobarella

Sounds like hubby just needs a bit more fine tuning. I get niggled sometimes at little things but on the whole OH is very good.

hugglemonster

My DH is a good man too I don't mean to sound so bad about him, and he does get frustrated about the finances when I have have to say no to some things I feel like his mother!

A few surveys done this morning, I'm working mostly from home today so I can get some housework done at times.

I know I was saying about attacking the overdraft and I will put extra in when possible but my focus before was to pay off the kids computer as it's a in 3 figures and the interest saved is good. I will see when I get paid my mileage I will see if I can make an extra payment.

Payday from second job is next Tuesday, it will be a lost cost shop on my own on Saturday as DH is going camping with dd.

Need to keep saying to myself 'small steps add up'.

H x

hugglemonster

:wall::wall::wall::wall::wall::wall::wall:

This is how I'm feeling right now, on the way home this afternoon I noticed a crack in the windscreen it's about 4 inches long so the whole thing needs replacing. I have already arranged with insurance company for it to be replaced tomorrow and parted with £65 excess payment that I can't really afford at the minute.

It's always one step forward and two steps back in my house, and I know it's our fault we're in this position but it is so frustrating.

So instead of going on a course tomorrow that i have been waiting for for ages I will have to go into the office and nip back home when the repairer arrives.

Even more determined to get rid of this debt and build an emergency fund.

H x

Bobarella

Awwww so sorry to hear that what a huge pain.