"Start wherever you are and start small"

NeverUnderestimate

I've moved all my money around and worked out what I shall need for the remainder of the month.

I have also made an extra payment of £44.63 to bring my loan balance down to £11800, ready for the start of November.

Happy days!

NeverUnderestimate

November Targets

- Aim for 12 NSD. I've aimed for a lower amount of NSD for November as with Christmas upcoming the month after I'll most likely do most of my shopping this month.
- Lose 7lb in weight.
- Bring my loan amount down to 11400. If I can get it to less than this amount then that's a bonus.
- Read a book each week.

There is more I want to do but at the moment I just can't think clearly.

Cailbhinn

You're doing smashing. Glad you enjoyed your wee day out!

NeverUnderestimate

So it's been a busy end of the week/weekend.

On Friday we had a funeral, hobby then party to attend. Saturday we had two parties to attend and did a load of homework. Today is finally my day of rest .

I've spent the day catching up on TV programmes I usually watch and then for some reason I've started watching extreme couponing. These people in the USA are really dedicated. Some of the items I can't even imagine stock piling or eating. If that were me I think I'd donate a load to food banks or shelters to help out.

Although I've sorted out my budget for this next month. I just want to finalise a few things and reconcile my bank accounts ready for the new month.

November is relatively a busy month. I've so much I need to do. In reality I need to write it all down and plan ahead.

I think I shall get on the laptop afterwards and print off some stuff so visually I can see where I am at. I go through random phases like this.

I'm going to also write a big to do list of things I need to get done over the next few weeks.

My diet has been poor the past two weeks so I've been off my diet. I hope you start this again from tomorrow. I aim to meal plan and stick to it.

My son also wants to go on packed lunches now for school. Although at the moment he gets free school meals until end of KS1, he isn't happy on them and has been asking to go on packed lunches for a while.

I need to plan ahead for them. He will most likely help me make them and plan them.

I have so much I want to do!

NeverUnderestimate

October Update
Final update for the end of the month

I've had a further 2 NSD bringing my total to 16/15 NSD. I've definitely achieved that target this month. Today should hopefully be a NSD which would bring my total to 17 hopefully.

October has been an up and down month. It began with me worrying how I would pay everything but ended on a positive and with surplus at the end. I've moved that into a separate account and will later decide how much to save/how much to put towards loan repayments.

So far up until now I've paid £578.36 off my loan amount since the end of September. My balance currently sits at £11800. The idea is to get this down to £11000 by the end of December 2016.

I think I am going to set myself a target this month of getting the loan balance down to £11300 by the end of November. In order to do that I need to find an extra £247.71 on top of my normal monthly payment. Challenge accepted.

--

So yesterday I had a nice relaxing day to myself. I watched rubbish TV and just generally chilled out.

I've been thinking about Christmas up and coming and wondering what budget is realistic. I only have my son, mum, brother and sister to buy for. So overall not too bad. I might also get myself a treat "from Santa".

I may also book some extra shifts to cover these expenses. My mind works weird. I work out a budget and work out how many shifts I need to do to fulfil this. It breaks it down easier in some ways and I can mentally/physically understand it better.

Although I don't want to do too much.

I'm off to grab a shower and get ready for my first day back at work after annual leave. I don't feel ready!

NeverUnderestimate

So I'm on my lunch break at the moment. The morning has been pretty stressful and I can see the afternoon heading the same way. Keep calm and carry on!

I'm going to make myself a sandwich in a minute. Days like today I often put off eating until I finish work and I end up grouchy.

NSD so far today as hoped. I can't see myself buying anything else to be honest. It could always change though.

I need to get back in the swing of things. I'm off track this morning and can't seem to keep myself organised.

Argh

Rant over

NeverUnderestimate

Yesterday was a NSD bringing my total for October to 17 NSD's. I'm happy with that.

I'm working a late shift today. I don't feel overly enthusiastic about it. I hate being alone at night in my car when visiting people. I don't always feel 100% but then I do worry alot.

This morning I'm going to visit a friend for a catch up for a couple of hours then head back home before work.

I've not been sleeping well lately again. Alot of things have messed up my sleeping pattern. I must get back into it.

My son lost another tooth whilst at his grandparents so they got to play tooth fairy! It makes me laugh. I got a phone call during work hours and we had a good laugh about it. He told me he caught the tooth fairy last time... And that she was about 30cm tall.. He definitely didn't see me then haha. I literally crawled on the floor to do it when he was asleep. It was a right mission.

Yesterday I had a very busy day at work. I started to feel myself getting stressed. However after lunch I met a lady with whom I sat with for probably far too long but we put the world to rights together. That's one of the main things I enjoy about my job. The face to face contact with others from all walks of life. Sometimes I am their only contact all day so I can't help but feel a bit sorry for them and offer my time.

I'm not sure what my plans will be spend wise today.

I'll update further later. I better get a move on.

NeverUnderestimate

So it's the 1st of the month and most of my direct debits have come out. I have two left, the phone insurance and my loan repayment.

I've moved money around the accounts to cover this. So I'm all straight for the time being.

This morning I've had a small spend of £5.89. Not too bad!

I start work soon and I'm trying to keep my nerves together. I don't particularly enjoy these late shifts.

I've been thinking about the hours I do lately and wondering if I'm doing too much. I'm so determined to get this car loan payment paid off I think I'm over doing it sometimes. I could just sit back and allow it to run its course but in other ways I hate that I pay so much each month.

I could make a lump sum from savings to be honest.. However that's my safety net if things go wrong and what I'd been saving towards a house deposit? Although I'm in no rush to move out at the moment.

I don't really know what to do ha ha!

I'm only 24. Single. One child. Live at home still. I have a help to buy isa with over 2k. I then have another savings account with enough to cover 4 months outgoings if anything goes wrong...

My loan interest rate is 3.3% and has 46 months to go after this month's payment...

I don't know why I panic so much.

Bobarella

It's not nice feeling like you are panicking. You sound like you are doing very well.

NeverUnderestimate

It's not a nice feeling. I don't even understand how I have anxiety when I'm in an alright position.

The idea was to treat my car loan as I would have a PCP. I used to just accept that the payment would come out each month and wouldn't even pay attention to it properly.

However I think since I've swapped to finance over, it annoys me more as I am able to check it whenever I want. I guess at the moment my aim is just to get it into single figures (below 10000). Maybe then I will relax a bit more.

It's not as if I accumulated the debt through bad spending habits. I started a PCP deal when I first passed my test 4 years ago as I needed a reliable car for university. Then when the terms ended I decided to go for the car I wanted. I love my car. I just never looked at the APR/interest rates back then.

It was only this year I decided to check through them and found I'd be better off with the low interest loan. I'd saved myself interest and a big lump sum at the end of the 4 year term for the car.

I guess I was lucky to get such amount at a young age at that interest rate.

Sometimes I do wonder why I worry? My finances aren't in that direction estate. I just like having control. I'm in a luckier position than some. And I'm thankful for that.

I can't make another payment until my usual car payment comes out on the 6th. So I've a few days to decide what to do.

I think I'll just focus on getting it down to my initial target for now.

--

Yesterday was a busy shift at work. I didn't stop all night. I also didn't manage to get to sleep until the early hours so once again I am tired.

I'm about to make my son his packed lunch for school in a minute and get ready for work.

My good deed today is giving away my old stair gates to a friend. She needs them more than we. We no longer have use. I could have sold them I guess but I'd rather they be used by someone in need.

I have an old play kitchen I could sell. It's quite a big one but my son no longer uses it. I need to list it on the usual places. I just can't be bothered with time wasters. I also need to get decent pictures of it. I'm not sure what I'll get for it to be honest. Whatever I do will go towards Christmas presents.

I'm thinking of swapping my bank accounts. I have the 123 account but now the interest rate has halved I'm not sure my money would be best elsewhere? Interest wise.

There are lots of things to think about. I need a plan of action.