Will I ever get out of debt?....This time..Maybe :-/

StressedSteph · 9 January 2017 at 11:44AM

Morning all,

Thank you so much for the welcome back, nice to see you all again.

Yep definitely Big girls pants back on. Got to stop with all the "wants". I have learnt that no matter how many "Wants" I give in to, there are always new ones round the corner.

So I just need to put the brake on for a while and get caught up.

Hubby just got paid £550 for last weeks four days, and I immediately paid £500 to the mortgage company for January's mortgage payment. Still owe them £260, but I just do not have it.
£50 left to live off for the rest of this week. We have enough food to last in the cupboards apart from the odd bit like milk and some pasta that I need to buy. I might need another £20 for fuel in the car, but otherwise we do not really need anything.

With the end of this weeks wage I plan to pay the remainder of the mortgage and the next most demanding bill. Will choose who is the lucky one later in the week

Just got back from taking Ds to the fracture clinic as he broken his little finger on New Years eve, playing Monopoly!!!.

Got to be in work for 12pm for an hour or so then back home, so not a bad day all in all.

Got to push hubby into getting someone to look at the van, It is just parked on the drive atm and we desperately need to sorting out. I am still holding out hope that it doesn't end up being as expensive as we think. (Ever the optimist !)

Off to balance my YNAB, have a great day all.

Bobarella · 9 January 2017 at 1:42PM

Really sympathise. It's no fun playing the who gets paid game. Been there many times with my old business. Knowing it's never/rarely you is very trying. I hope you get the mortgage sorted ASAP and the van.

wantabetterlife · 9 January 2017 at 9:58PM

Great to see you back Steph...I have really missed your posts. Sending good luck vibes for the van!

Eager_Elephant · 10 January 2017 at 9:26PM

Welcome back Steph.

Sorry to read that DH's van is poorly - over 10 yrs ago we had a car on Hp and the cam belt went on that. It cost £2k to fix (2nd hand engine) and wasn't really worth it because the car was only worth £1500 but the outstanding Hp was £3k.
I know you don't have the money to fix it right now but I agree that DH should get it looked at, the sooner you know what it will cost the sooner you can get together a plan to get the money to get it fixed.

I feel a sense of parallel lives - I too have come to realise that I have just been 'playing' at this debt game for the last year and got no where.
I did pay off some last year but really not as much as I could have done.
I am trying to get a grip this month but even that is not going that well - my YNAB is not yet up to date for Jan and also I need to move some money about to cover Xmas costs which I put on the credit card.

My DH often has wants and he will just announce that he needs £x and I magic it out of the air and then he thinks we have loads of spare money when we don't. I need to reign him in a bit - it's not 100% his fault as I give in too easily and I need to get a grip for everyone's sake.

Good luck with 2017 Steph!!

tootallulah · 11 January 2017 at 5:25PM

Waving madly Steph.......sorry to hear of the stresses. Sounds like YNAB might help I have found it very useful. At least you now have a job so one regular wage is coming in.

tootallulah · 11 January 2017 at 5:28PM

OMG it was you who told me about YNAB it has really helped me!

mfmaybe · 11 January 2017 at 8:57PM

tootallulah wrote: »

Waving madly Steph.......sorry to hear of the stresses. Sounds like YNAB might help I have found it very useful. At least you now have a job so one regular wage is coming in.

Actually this is an interesting point. Your number one priority, debt wise, has to be the mortgage. Could you change your thinking on the way you arrange the finances, and put all your wage straight towards the mortgage? That way you'd know the roof over your head was taken care of. Then prioritise basic living costs, minimum debt repayments, and urgent business expenses. Lowest priority then is overpayments, luxuries, etc.

I've started trying to formalise this way of thinking. I guess I've been doing it informally for years (oh no, can't afford a haircut this month, better put it off) but I've officially categorised spends into priorities this year and I like the feeling of control I can see happening (eventually!)