Learning to budget to make future adventures happen

crunch_time

Morning all

Happy 1st of April! I currently have 2 loads of washing on the line. Its a little chillier than yesterday but nice to be in a short sleeved top and bare feet.

I've drawn up a budget for April and whacked it on the fridge so husband and I can both keep an eye on it. And make sure we are sticking to it. I have included DD's nursery bill in it which i should get on Monday and im not expecting DS's bill to be given to me until we are back at school meaning I can pay it off with next months pay. Therefore I have used whats left in this account to pay off another £150 off the loan - just to keep momentum. Its now down to £1350 and on Monday will go down to £1050. It would be nice to find another £50 to round it down to £1k - that is my aim for the next few weeks.

I worked out I have £250 as 'spending money' until husband gets paid. But he needs new pants (£30 for a set of 3) I need more work trousers (£40 for 2), and DD needs some more shoes (£15 I think). Although I have some frugal plans for the holidays we will need SOME spending money and fuel money.

I was also shocked at my food bill yesterday. Spent over £100 just for the basics of what we get every week. Horns in I think.

Off to have my hair cut in a bit. I have updated the spreadsheet to reflect where we are right now with the changes to credit cards.

Happy Saturday everyone!

Crunchy xx

crunch_time

Morning all!

Just checked the bank accounts and updated my spreadsheet. Minimum payment for the loan has come out and then been topped up to £300 so loan now stands at £1050! Woohoo! Its the final countdown!!! I'll get my nursery bill today which I do over budget for so hoping for some more money to throw at it. Next big payment will be about £600 when I get paid in about 2 weeks time. Then I'm hoping to be rid of it when husband gets paid on the 28th April!! I'm certainly feeling the hangover lifting now!!

I've been feeling a bit better about my day job now. Done some reflection and think everything will feel differently once we are actually using the money earned for the things we want to do like travel. I'm going to change my practice somewhat so its more organised and i actually enjoy it and also keep my eye out for any other jobs that come up and think of this as a stop gap.

We went to the garden centre and spent £60 on compost and 4 shrubs for our front garden. They will look lovely when they start to grow. It was all budgeted for and carefully thought out.

Today's plan is large park with friends with a picnic via getting DD's feet measured in the city. She needs new shoes and these are budgeted for too.

Hope everyone has lovely days!!

Crunchy xx

crunch_time

Nursery bill in - much cheaper than i expected so £100 off the loan.

Loan currently stands at £950! Being sub £1k is a real milestone so better check in at the milestone inn for this one!!

Looking forward to getting sub £4k in 2 weeks time!!

Crunchy xx

reality_check

Wow what fantastic progress!! You've done amazingly well this year, and it's only the start of April!! Can't believe what happened in work, some people just don't have a clue how to speak to people - power has went to their head! Your new plan of using your work money on things that you want will make you happier being there i'm sure! xxx

crunch_time

reality_check wrote: »

Wow what fantastic progress!! You've done amazingly well this year, and it's only the start of April!! Can't believe what happened in work, some people just don't have a clue how to speak to people - power has went to their head! Your new plan of using your work money on things that you want will make you happier being there i'm sure! xxx

I keep saying to husband 'in January that loan was £10k and we will be rid of it in a matter of weeks.'

Re the work thing - changing my focus has definitely made me feel better. My April pay is the last one that will be going towards debt. We are then going to pretend it doesn't exist and just bank it. For adventures. Then at least it is for something.

crunch_time

Morning all

My thoughts are starting to turn to what to do after the loan has been paid off. Proper plans now rather than just dreams for once.

We NEED a proper emergency fund. 3 months of expenses to start with. A month of expenses for us is about £2k which includes mortgage, bills and food. So we will need £6k and I'd like to get that together in a year.

I'm going to start by saving the £300 that was going to the loan each month. It would take 20 months to get to £6k but it's a start. When the credit cards are paid off I can add more to it.

The two 0% credit cards that we then have will be slushed down with whatever is available each month so it will take longer than the summer date we saying to become debt free but I'm not fussed. By the end of the year is our focus. And I KNOW we can do it.

Just a trip to the library today and staying home with the kids sorting out stuff around the house. Husband is away tonight and I'm planning to finish my first 'crafty' piece for my new blog. I also need to sort out my camera and the photos on it and get a bit more organised with it ready for photographing items for the blog.

It feels very exciting doing something I've been dreaming of for a while!

Crunchy xx

abba1772

Wow under £1k with the loan you're a force to be reckoned with crunchy xx

crunch_time

Morning all

No blogging stuff happened last night. I was tired so I watched a film with my feet up and then went to bed. Amazingly dd slept straight through.! She usually wakes up crying for some reason then has a tantrum before finally going back to sleep. Nothing last night - but I was woken up at 6am in the dot.

Library yesterday cost £10 after fines and paying for a missing children's book which I can't find anywhere! I think it's cheaper to buy books - at least I would get something out of it!!

Plans for today include food shopping and going round to a local friends to play. Nice and frugal. Tomorrow's plans include seeing another friend locally and then some crafts I think. Again, nice and cheap. Saturdays plans involve budgeted for haircuts and then a take away with friends. Next week is quite open at the moment. I'm very pleased that I haven't resorted to expensive entrance fees for attractions yet!! Budgets are currently being stuck to which is awesome!!

Right better get on with some housework!

Crunchy x

crunch_time

Morning diary,

Well budgets haven't been stuck to these last few days!! Made the mistake of sending husband out to get a supermarket takeaway for Saturday to share with friends and he came back with £70 worth!!!!!

We also made the most of the summer weather yesterday and went to the beach (with the rest of the county) and there was nowhere to park so we ended having a nice pub lunch outside in the beer garden instead of our picnic which of course was more money.

This has eaten into my 'car excess' money which means that might need to go on the husbands credit card and then be swiftly paid off when I get paid next week. Which potentially will have a knock on effect as to when we can finally get rid of this loan.

I shall have to do my sums later and find out. Ahh well. At least we have frugal things planned for the rest of the Easter holidays.

On a positive note, I've brain dumped a list of everything that needs to be done over the next few months and part of that process was earmarking 2 big ticket items to sell on gumtree. My pram hasn't sold yet so I need to reduce it a bit I think.

Crunchy xx

mummytogirls

Morning Crunchy,

£70 on a takeaway :eek:, did he buy one of everything :rotfl:
Yesterday sounds nice for you guys and we have to do these things every now and again I reckon! xx