Let's try again.
zelt0504
Posts: 38 Forumite
Started a diary or 2 at the end of last year full of good intentions. I haven't necessarily been bad at it but I haven't entirely been on track either. Being back on the forum has made me realise I have to stay accountable.
As it stands.... Total debt £13,269. According to my calculations, if I carry on plodding along it should all be gone by Christmas 2018 but I want to be a bit more in control of that date.
I have started PAD'ing for the 100 day challenge. I have squares and everything! I am tackling my smallest credit card of £401.59. £4 a day has been easy enough so far and have managed to pay off £40 in just over a week with a few extra payments. It feels good to see the figure come down so quick and with my regular payment at the end of the month I am hoping it will continue to plummet.
October is a hard month with 7 birthdays including mine and my daughters' (possibly more) so I'm really having to juggle the numbers. Plus we get invited to a Halloween party every year which means alcohol and costume related expenses. I think DH and I are actually thinking of missing this year out. It won't hurt for one year I'm sure.
Lots of things to think of and track so I'll start on some plans to survive October. Lets start as I mean to go on.
As it stands.... Total debt £13,269. According to my calculations, if I carry on plodding along it should all be gone by Christmas 2018 but I want to be a bit more in control of that date.
I have started PAD'ing for the 100 day challenge. I have squares and everything! I am tackling my smallest credit card of £401.59. £4 a day has been easy enough so far and have managed to pay off £40 in just over a week with a few extra payments. It feels good to see the figure come down so quick and with my regular payment at the end of the month I am hoping it will continue to plummet.
October is a hard month with 7 birthdays including mine and my daughters' (possibly more) so I'm really having to juggle the numbers. Plus we get invited to a Halloween party every year which means alcohol and costume related expenses. I think DH and I are actually thinking of missing this year out. It won't hurt for one year I'm sure.
Lots of things to think of and track so I'll start on some plans to survive October. Lets start as I mean to go on.
O/D £4200/£4200 . Loan 10/36. VCard £2928.47/£3407.78 . COne £401.59/£266.29. Bike £1905.85/£1825.85. PRA £261/£261 £379/£379. PH £1322/£391.26. Lowell - *CLOSED* MH *CLOSED*
Personal £500/£100
Personal £500/£100
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Comments
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Hola and welcome. Looks like your starting figure is pretty close to mine so I will keep my eyes peeled for your progress.
Good luck.Starting point Aug 2016 - £13,853.38
Current total May 2018 - £0.00 - 100.00% paid off
Debt free date (worst case) - December 20190 -
Birthdays.
FiL - over 60, retired..... not too sure what to get gift wise but it's usually something like a jumper. I'll think a bit on this one.
SiL - not long had a baby, don't know her too well, poss just get a gift voucher or give some money.
Neice - money in a card.
Daughter - She will be 3. I'm not showering her in gifts as I've done that in the past with DS's and it never ends up worth it. A few token pieces and a nice day out is all she needs I think. I've already purchased a few bits for her, wish I was a bit more on top of things like I was with her brothers but never mind. Her birthday is on a Thursday so I think on the weekend we will go to the local air museum - she loves airplanes (and it's free entry), then bowling with some free vouchers.
Me - I don't want anything but I've reserved a babysitter so myself and DH can go for a curry.
Brother - Milestone birthday - £40 outlay for his present plus expenses to go and see him (he lives 150 miles away). That will be more expensive than my birthday! But, he's worth it!
I'll make all the cards I think as I've just sorted out all my crafty bits and bobs and have a hell of a lot of card supplies, it will give me something constructive to do with my evenings too.
One plan down - several to go.O/D £4200/£4200 . Loan 10/36. VCard £2928.47/£3407.78 . COne £401.59/£266.29. Bike £1905.85/£1825.85. PRA £261/£261 £379/£379. PH £1322/£391.26. Lowell - *CLOSED* MH *CLOSED*
Personal £500/£1000 -
Hi there fourthtimelucky. My figure at the start of the year was £15,799 so it can come down. Just not as quick as i'd like! Time to be a bit more proactive I think.
Good luck with your journey too.O/D £4200/£4200 . Loan 10/36. VCard £2928.47/£3407.78 . COne £401.59/£266.29. Bike £1905.85/£1825.85. PRA £261/£261 £379/£379. PH £1322/£391.26. Lowell - *CLOSED* MH *CLOSED*
Personal £500/£1000 -
I made a start on the birthday cards last night, 2 down, 4 to go. Also sorted out a lot of Christmas paraphernalia so I'll aim to make a few for Christmas too. PAD's going well, consistently making £4 a day payments on the card. I haven't looked at the balance yet, I'm waiting for the month to be up before I allow myself. I want to hopefully see a major dent once my normal payment has been taken also.
Working half a day today, aiming to get a bit of baking done once I'm home to fill up the packed lunches for the week without depleting the cash flow too much. Flapjacks and bread rolls are on the menu, maybe some cookies too.
Only one spend planned, a few pound from the pharmacy but that's it.
Had a good result from shopping last night. Always have fantastic service with Morrisons, only last night my eggs were broken. My son is allergic to egg so the fact they had leaked all over the fruit was not a good thing. Phoned up customer services straight away, they refunded the amount for the eggs and fruit (£3.89) but also gave me a £5 goodwill voucher too. Very impressed.
Not much planned for the weekend, I don't have to cook tomorrow as my mother has offered to have us round for tea. Looking forward to that, time out the house and I can meet her new furry kittens!O/D £4200/£4200 . Loan 10/36. VCard £2928.47/£3407.78 . COne £401.59/£266.29. Bike £1905.85/£1825.85. PRA £261/£261 £379/£379. PH £1322/£391.26. Lowell - *CLOSED* MH *CLOSED*
Personal £500/£1000 -
Weekend went too quick as usual and the week seems to be flying by also.
This week I have continued with my PAD's, really pleased with the progress this is making, figures are going down and as of yet I have no inclination of changing that. Checked my credit report and it has still not improved so I paid a little unsightly debt of £36 which was showing as default on my account. Little wins.
I will change my signature I think as even I'm a little confused by it sometimes.
Birthdays are creeping up, I have 3 more presents to get for my DD and that will be all. next weekend is planned so I will budget a small amount for that too. I don't want to spend silly money being as the dreaded C word is being thrown around and there's only 3 big paydays to go. I need to make a plan.
2 birthday cards are completed, I hope the recipients are pleased with them. I really enjoyed making them so I will continue to do this for the rest of the birthdays for this year and also make a start on some Christmas ones too. I'm sure the kids can help me with those. Nice bonding time and no spends needed.
Must crack on with some work, lots to do at home later too. I haven't been too well lately and so the house has slipped a little. Need to dust myself off and get back to it.O/D £4200/£4200 . Loan 10/36. VCard £2928.47/£3407.78 . COne £401.59/£266.29. Bike £1905.85/£1825.85. PRA £261/£261 £379/£379. PH £1322/£391.26. Lowell - *CLOSED* MH *CLOSED*
Personal £500/£1000 -
So it's been a week since I last posted.
I have continued with my payment a day, really pushing it down now. I want it cleared by Christmas and then I will continue to PAD on the next credit card. The balance is a lot higher on that one but it needs to go.
A few birthdays have been and gone, my daughters is today. I felt a little mean wrapping her presents last night as she only had about £50 spent on her compared to her brothers who had probably triple the amount. But, she's not complained this morning opening them, has thoroughly enjoyed what has been provided for her and doesn't care a stitch for how much it all costs. Something to think about for Christmas this year. Got to stop worrying about how much things cost.
I'm slipping with food spends, the top up shops are creeping back in. I must get a proper plan in place and organise myself better. I seem to do ok for a few days but one day of letting things slide and it all goes to pot. My DS2 is now at school so I have 2 packed lunches to sort all week, DH lunches and mine too, plus I only had to sort meals out 4x per week, now it's upped to 6 as childcare arrangements have changed. I didn't have to buy so much food before! DS2 also has allergies so I'm having to find something that is easily cooked after work that caters for everybody. I'll make a few lists and charts and see how that works.
Challenges for October.
I will aim for 10 NSD's. I was awful in September, buying bits here and there. I prefer to save it all and get everything I need on one day. I will have a few spendy days due to birthdays but as they are mainly weekend events the weeks should go by without too much in between. We shall see!
Home - We are decorating the living room at the minute, just painting and building some shelves. Not a lot has been spent on this as I have been buying bits here and there and working out the cheapest way to do it. It's looking very effective and exactly how I'd planned so I'm looking forward to having a lovely relaxing space once it's finished. Should only take another week at the most.
So that's the update for today. I'm going to do a few lists in terms of food planning and Christmas and see if I can clear my head a little with it. I feel like a crumpled mess!O/D £4200/£4200 . Loan 10/36. VCard £2928.47/£3407.78 . COne £401.59/£266.29. Bike £1905.85/£1825.85. PRA £261/£261 £379/£379. PH £1322/£391.26. Lowell - *CLOSED* MH *CLOSED*
Personal £500/£1000 -
October is such a busy month. Had my daughters birthday weekend, went to a lovely park, used our free bowling vouchers and then to pizza hut. Spent a good amount in there but it was all in the budget and we didn't overspend. Lovely weekend and the kids really enjoyed themselves.
This weekend is my birthday, having a child free night out with the DH for a change, plans are just for a curry at the moment but may go somewhere and have a few drinks depending on how we feel. Getting a bit old to be partying all night long but once in a while wouldn't hurt!
I have recalculated debt figures due to all the payments going out for the month including my PAD's (which are very addictive) and I'm now in the 12's! Such a good feeling. I track everything in my Filofax so to see the numbers consistently fall is great.
I think I shall give my mum my cards to hold on to, a savings one and 2 credit cards just so I haven't got the temptation with Christmas encroaching. I'm determined to cut back this year and not feel guilty about it. She won't give them back to me unless it's life or death.
So, tonight is usual running around after work, tea is sorted, chilli and rice. I'll just do a load of washing, cleaning and lunch boxes. That's all I can usually manage on a Thursday!
Total Debt Jan 2016 £15,799
Oct 2016 £12,920.
Now that doesn't look a lot to some people but I considering I have had to pay out childcare for 2 children while I work full time, (I have 3 altogether) we've moved house and had a few milestones such as weddings and babies this year, That is a fantastic amount to be down by. I'm aiming to get it closer to 10 by the end of the year. Let's see what I can do.O/D £4200/£4200 . Loan 10/36. VCard £2928.47/£3407.78 . COne £401.59/£266.29. Bike £1905.85/£1825.85. PRA £261/£261 £379/£379. PH £1322/£391.26. Lowell - *CLOSED* MH *CLOSED*
Personal £500/£1000 -
I am officially glad October is coming to an end. Always a stressful time as there are so many events and birthdays happening.
Husband had a threat of redundancy this month too which has shocked us both into taking more action to how we live and our finances. It was a little complicated but his job is safe, albeit at short time for a few weeks until the company gets back on it's feet. So we are losing a few hours pay per week. I shouldn't have to restructure the bills too much but Christmas will be tight. I'm planning to make a few handmade gifts to reduce the overall cost thanks to a lovely thread on here.
Looking to next year there are many things to plan for. We are planning to redo the garden and build a pub at the bottom to hold some fantastic parties in the coming years. I think this will bring us lots of happiness, while building and also when it is finished! It is my 30th next year so aiming to have it finished for then, we also want to make memories for the children and have birthday, Halloween and bonfire parties in the garden. We don't have places to go like when I was a child such as discos or family events, also the streets aren't quite as safe as they once were so I want to provide a safe place to be able to have some fun. It will all be handmade with recycled materials, I have been collecting wood and pieces to make a start after the new year. I shall keep the diary updated with progress and possibly also a financial upkeep. It will be interesting to see how much it will cost to build altogether.
Finance wise- debt is still coming down. I am now 100% committed to PAD, the debt is slowly but surely creeping downwards. I recalculate the figures in the middle of the month once all the statements come through but I am quite excited to see the figures at the end of the year. Once I have shifted the one card I will start on the other.
Now October is coming to a close I will maintain a presence on my diary, I have received my 1 year anniversary badge and feel quite pleased that going back through my Filofax and hand notes, the debt is doing what I wanted it to do. It is going DOWN!
I can do it, I will do it and I actually AM doing it.O/D £4200/£4200 . Loan 10/36. VCard £2928.47/£3407.78 . COne £401.59/£266.29. Bike £1905.85/£1825.85. PRA £261/£261 £379/£379. PH £1322/£391.26. Lowell - *CLOSED* MH *CLOSED*
Personal £500/£1000 -
Slow day today at work. I have been having to juggle finances around a bit to accommodate for the drop In hours my husband has for the time being until work picks back up again.
Wins - Logged back in to OnPoll and found they have been topping up my account! It stands at £28.65. I will persevere with this.
Bank account has finally changed over to a rewards account. I should make back the fees every month with this account without losing any privileges.
Signed up to a user testing website, waiting for my first 'Job' to come through. Good pay for 20 minutes work. I am hoping this will build up with the other surveys that I do.
PAD's are really paying off. Not long now until that debt is gone.
I worked out that by the end of November I should have cleared 3 more small debts. Is it bad that I don't want to buy any Christmas presents, I would rather pay debt instead! It's so gratifying to see it disappearing.
November is going to be really tight. I am going to have to get creative with Christmas gifts, I have a few things in the pipeline which are cheap and cheerful for family but I haven't even made a start on my children. The aim at the minute is to save as much as I can, make a list and then do it all on one day having sourced the best prices before hand. I just simply haven't got the time or means to be meandering about the shops like I used to. Changing work locations has severely hindered my shopping abilities!
November also brings 2 more birthdays and a christening. As I committed to doing last month, I will hand make the cards and also have a go at the christening gift. I have all the materials so why not. Better to make something a bit more personal than to buy something that's not. Especially for something like a christening. The birthdays will just be money in a card as the recipients live at the other end of the country.
Hmm... lots of thinking going on today. I feel like I need to make more money rather than move around what I already have. I don't feel like I can cut back much more than I already do and then things like redundancies or short time or unpaid work come about because of problems with childcare. It seems as if it is one step forward and 2 steps back constantly. We have always been so silly with our finances but as soon as the light at the end of the tunnel appears another curve is thrown in to make it further away.
I've been looking into the courses on wowcher for something like book-keeping or accountancy. If anybody is reading and has done something like this would you advise it? Bearing in mind I have no accountancy background but other skills which would mean I am confident I would understand/complete it.
Well, that is a long post. Sorry to anybody who is reading.O/D £4200/£4200 . Loan 10/36. VCard £2928.47/£3407.78 . COne £401.59/£266.29. Bike £1905.85/£1825.85. PRA £261/£261 £379/£379. PH £1322/£391.26. Lowell - *CLOSED* MH *CLOSED*
Personal £500/£1000
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