Changing habits, wanting freedom

SpekySquarehead

A lot on your plate but as I said before, you sound organised and I think that's half the battle.

Glad to hear the OH is on board. And even if he falls off, then at least you can go back to the conversation you had. You've done your bit.

jvr

Thanks Speky.


so something I forgot to mention is we are getting rid of the debit card with the overdraft! Scary but necessary as its always there as back up so as soon as pay day comes the app is going and the card will be chopped up!


Also I had planned to declutter and then do a car boot sale and nobody in the family seemed interested so in the end just took it all to the charity shop yesterday. Then my sis starts talking about going! Frustrating but honestly just wanted it out of my house and I can consider it my charity donation. Clearer house, clearer mind helps clear debts right?
Off to bank some cheques that will go off the cc's

jvr

Got panicked about 0% offers as getting joint mortgage and account has dragged my credit rating so far down!!! anyway not to worry aside from £600ish is all on 0% till dec 2018 phew....
Got my spreadsheet all set up ready for pay day and just seen pay slip come out with about £40 more than I thought I would with my pay rise and the standard yearly pay rise
Going to have another chat with OH as I'm not sure he quite understands what getting rid of the overdraft will mean as he keeps asking about food things and I have to point out Friday is pay day... there is no money till then!!!........... he may not survive this challenge so its a good job we have a large patio I can bury him under

jvr

Pay day!!!!


So first £400 off debt very tight till OH's pay day on the 1st now.... but will manage feeling determined.
Due to a M&S bank switch earlier in the year I get £10 a month of vouchers had £20 so had a friend for dinner last night and bought lots of lovely food which felt such a treat, was more expensive as she can't have dairy or egg an so is quite limited but means we still have half an apple pie and a pizza left. felt luxuries and cost me 96p out of my pocket.
Did something stupid the other day and transferred £80 to a closed account of mine instead of the active one, waiting for that back to be able to send my mother in law money. Not being harsh but she will just have to wait!


Otherwise think I am just about on track..... fingers crossed Monday cheques will have cleared and can make another payment and then more on OH's pay day


Happy Friday people!

jvr

Another £100 payed off today now that a cheque has cleared so £500 payed off so far since beginning of the challenge and that is with two weddings to pay for, speeding fine and OH new passport. Waiting for them to send the forms as you cannot download them, ridiculous you have to send them and envelope to send us the forms! Getting slightly nervous as in my head had about 6 months but actually if they don't get sent back asap we will miss the south Africa trip as takes 4 months for new passport...... trying not to think about it!
OH back to work this week which he seems okay about
Did Aldi shop at the weekend and have our first week meal plan so lets see how we do ...... it's a tight month but seeing that £500 so far is awesome I am doing 21st to 21st so still got another 300 hopefully on OH's pay day and we will have done £800 in first month just short of our goal amount. Then another tight month where we have car mot but getting there....... must try not to count all my chickens

SpekySquarehead

Well JVR, great start. It's a fantastic feeling to see that debt go down especially with so much going on so you deserve a pat on the back.

JWPopps

Hi JVR,

I've been MIA for a week while I worked on my 3 x 5,000 words assignments (um, they're not finished, but...) so I've just caught up.

Really pleased to hear the time off is helping your OH feel better, and I completely understand why SA is a must. It sounds like you have a really solid plan and I know exactly what you mean when you say how good it feels to see that £500 GONE - I just got my credit card to under £1,000 and it feels so much more doable now that I've achieved that!! Only problem is keeping it that way...

I know it's scary to get rid of that overdraft as well but I agree it's a good idea - I really need to think about doing the same with mine but I'm too chicken at the moment!! I've currently got a £600 overdraft which I don't *really* use, but sometimes I go into it a little so I'm trying to save up a £600 'buffer' that I can use instead.

Hope you mum is ok? I've just had a new placement (which I'm gearing up to write all about!!) and I'm finding this one really challenging so I can feel some of her pain. Glad the YOT are in touch, it's a shame that's the best support she's getting...

jvr

Helloooo


Thanks Speky


Thanks Popps! For the first time I am really looking at the amount I have and sticking to it rather than just knowing that if worst came could use overdraft
Other positive changes I had forgotten about is takeaway habit really got kicked... maybe once a month now? Looking back at what we used to eat and spend is a bit horrifying. Bringing food for lunch to work is just second nature can't remember the last time I had to go buy something.
So far the plan is going well and I'm feeling really motivated, I know this will dip at times and that will be when it's hard but I am enjoying the feeling for now. I was reading last night about all the warnings of how much household debt has risen and the dangers this is posing and it reinforced my determination to get us out of this cycle.
The boy has left my mums house and gone back home. Basically it was getting too much and my mum couldn't cope he needed constant supervision and we were getting really worried about her. I feel quite sad as he didn't leave on the best terms, social workers came to pick up the last bits of his stuff and managed to stick a bit of a knife in further. Youth Justice guy on the other hand sent her a lovely message saying he hoped she was okay and thanked her for all she had done.... feel very relieved he is working with this guy now and isn't just left to the mercy of this awful social worker!... will catch up on your placement news Popps hope all is okay!


Not really any other news at the moment just plodding on waiting for OH's pay day to pay more debt

Honey_Bear

Well done on Month 1 of the super-serious debt-busting regime. Did you manage to get that £80 back from the closed bank account? Goodness knows it's easy enough to do things like that, and following it up takes a bit off time but it is by doing all of the little things as well as the big things to debt-bust that makes the difference.

I, too, heard the press stories about consumer debt increasing. It's so, so easy to spend money, particularly now we all seem to have been issued with contactless cards, but it is so hard to pay it all back when we have our lightbulb moments. You're doing really, fantastically well, and the more you post, the more you'll reinforce your new thinking.

Meal planning and taking lunch to work, coupled with only having a takeaway as a rare treat will show you very quickly just how effective keeping to a budget makes huge inroads into the debts. It seems such a small thing when we're not spending that £3 here and £4 there, but do that three times in a week and that's £10. That's £520 a year. If I'm honest that was the lesson that I learned last and it was the hardest - that the small changes, in the end, make the biggest difference.

You're doing fantastically well!

jvr

Thanks Honey - not yet I need to chase again today, its the money I normally send to my MIL so maybe that's why I haven't been as obsessed with chasing it haha


OH back to work today so will have to get used to not having a stay at home husband and start cooking and walking the dogs after work!
Readjusted the budget a bit as possibly too strict but still on target for £700 this month if the car goes through MOT with no problems in September can make a really sizeable dent then!
Feel like stretching myself completely with this target is more motivating than just plodding along and having some spare money like my original plan was.... I really am an all or nothing person