Learning to budget to make future adventures happen

abba1772

I'm a list maker too.......not recently tho and I've found it getting on top of me and I'm getting so upset

Being a working mum is a huge responsibility as well as being a wife and housekeeper and banker so perhaps your mum is on to something.......my gran always says it's better to write something down so it's not filling your headspace xx

enthusiasticsaver

I don't bother with daily to do lists. I have a monthly one and pick the most important one thing off the list daily. Much easier to focus on and not get disheartened if half the things on the list are not ticked off. Also i went on a time management course for work years ago and they said you should never have more than 20 things on your to do list as it takes too much time deciding what to do first.:rotfl:

crunch_time

Evening all!

I'm back from holiday! We had a lovely time and now its back to reality. I can't believe we will be back to school soon. One more week left. For me summer is over now we are back and I have two days at school next week to get ready for the new term so I'm getting back into work mode.

The washing machines motor has gone (we had a man out to look costing £48) who quoted £300 to get a new one to which we declined of course - its just not worth it for something we would leave as its built in. We have to buy a new one for the new house so we will have to buy a new one sooner than expected. Husband should order one tonight and of course it will have to go on credit card for now.

For me being a teacher and all, September stands for fresh starts so I hereby draw a line under the period between April and now when I went a little crazy and turn over a new leaf starting from now. With fresh starts comes an honest account of the status quo so I have just gone through our accounts and statements and everything is ready for a five week month. I have looked at our 3 credit cards and fully itemised and then categorised them into the following.....


Fuel overspends £182.32
Clothes £193.00 (this has come down a lot over the last 2 months)
Spending Money £340.55 (from the 'crazy period'
House Move £500.00 (mortgage valuation)
Food overspends £324.56 (kicking myself about this.
Holidays £1,327.10 (includes overspends and bookings that I haven't paid off yet - grrr - again - kicking myself)
Stuff £446.00 (husbands ear phone and a magazine annual sub)
Furniture £650.00 (chairs and table and dresser)
Other Crap £1,582.00 - The hangover from last summer

Total £5,545.53

I need £800 cash to pay for the dog in November and £250 cash to pay for the mortgage consultant. My first challenge is to save this then I can start paying stuff off. I'm still paying things like clothes and furniture off with our monthly categories.

I have £300 saved for DD's nursery bill due to me on Friday. Hopefully it wont be any more than that. I also have to pay the deposit to the people this week who will move our office shed and put down a slab for it. Cost is £1k but deposit is £300.

I should say that a lot of these moving costs will come out of equity - we just don't obviously have it yet so things will get a bit expensive but then should get better.

My aim this week then is to try not to spend a single penny - apart from food budget.

Now to catch up with diaries with a cup of tea before bed.

Crunchy

crunch_time

crunch_time wrote: »

Afternoon all

Feeling pretty carp now as I've just blown up the washing machine. Husband is on his way from home to have a look but it blew a fuse as the electrics went off. We need to buy one for the new house anyway and can always take it off the list of what is excluded in the selling of this house.

I was very interested in my reaction. I immediately went to the shop and bought myself crisps and cake to eat to feel better and then mentally beat myself up for making such a foolish mistake (I've overloaded it) and that 'we will never get out of debt now' and 'people will realise how rubbish I really am with money and that I am such a fraud.'

Such catastrophic thinking for something that really is a small non-event.

I've been struggling recently will my self worth as it appears to be tied up with how much I can get done rather than who I am and what I like. My mum is a real list maker and really prides herself on what she has achieved each day and I fear I am taking after her. I don't want to be like this and mostly I am not - well to the outside world anyway. The reality is at home, I have lost my sense of fun and replaced it with a panicky sense of perfectionism which isn't doing my health any good as I am restless, stressed and not looking after myself. Every day I wake up and think 'today will be different - I will achieve stuff' and when I don't manage to meet my own unrealistic expectations I get frustrated with myself and take it out on my husband and my kids.

I live in fear of feeling lazy and not meeting my potential and it is having a detrimental effect on my happiness.

I'm going to try really hard to live in the moment and find the old fun me again and stop living by my to do list and how much of it gets done.

Crunchy xx

Evening all

I looked back at this post from before my holiday and can't believe how low I felt. Our holiday has done me so much good. I don't feel guilty about things that are out of my control as I did a few weeks ago. Considering we will be moving house, getting a puppy and starting a new business in the next 6 months i feel surprisingly calm. As long as I do my best everyday and don't over think things all we be fine. That will be my new mantra.

Crunchy xx

crunch_time

Morning diary,

Husbands min payment came out for his 0% card - £100 - so the table and chairs now stand at £250.

We have also bought a new washing machine which I used my credit card to pay for so that has gone up now. I'm waiting for a minimum payment to come out for my cc next week of £100 which will bring the dresser down to £200. Once that has been paid off in early November the £100 can start paying off the washing machine.

Husband and I are both back to work today. I'm going into school to sort out my new classroom and he is working from home. And hopefully we will see some movement on the house move this week.

I'm feeling very motivated and long my it continue.

Crunchy xx

crunch_time

Morning diary

1st of the month and September too! It felt very autumnal when we woke up this morning. I've just checked the bank accounts. We had £177 for fuel and spending money for the month and as husband and I are not planning any socialising this month I decided to pay off from my credit card a meal out we had way back in June costing £35. So the spending money section now stands at £305 and none of it on my CC anymore just husbands. I'm hoping to round it down to £300 but husbands 0% won't accept any additional payments at them moment for some reason. I must get him to ring up.

I've been in school two days this week sorting out my new classroom. The first day was fine but the second day wasn't as i had to spend a few more hours than normal with my job share who is very selfish and arrogant and can rub people up the wrong way. I cried when I got home as I wondered how I could cope with a whole year with them. Paying off the debt is my reward and hopefully we will be able to find some money in the new year for a holiday abroad next summer.

I should get my nursery bill later today. Finger's crossed its around the £300 mark! We are also going to see the new house today to discuss flooring and measure up for stuff. Additionally I will go to Aldi's for the weekly shop.

I've put beauty and the beast on for the kids so I can get some stuff done - finally - no chance yesterday. Really need to sort some paperwork out.

Happy Friday everyone!

Crunchy xx

crunch_time

Quick update:

Nice pleasant surprise for the childcare bill. We weren't charged anything thanks to childcare vouchers so I have put all the money towards paying back some of our holiday costs so that line on the budget is now nearer the £1k mark. Debt now back down under £6k.

The house was even better than I remembered it to be.... Hopefully be in by the end of the month.

Crunchy xx

crunch_time

Weekly food shop done yesterday for around £56. We just need a meat from the butchers which husband is going to get this am.

We started packing up books and shoes yesterday and I found a few pairs to put on eBay so must do that today. I'm going to relist a few other bits too. I'm up to date on my school work and have nothing left that urgently needs doing before inset day tomorrow so I'm going to have a nice day with the family and do some sewing tonight.

I'm going to pay a small amount off husbands cc today for food as we were under budget this week.

Hoping for a no spend week this week!!

Crunchy xx

Seasidegal58

Hi Crunchy. I've been off the boards for a while but have just caught up with your goings on! Great news on the debt, house move and pending career change. You've done brilliantly! :j
SSG x

crunch_time

Seasidegal58 wrote: »

Hi Crunchy. I've been off the boards for a while but have just caught up with your goings on! Great news on the debt, house move and pending career change. You've done brilliantly! :j
SSG x

Hey seasidegal! Nice to see you back on the boards! Will head over to the diaries later. I've been really slack recently commenting on people's - just don't seem to find the time but I definitely read them.

Thanks for your congrats. I'm feeling a bit pants about it tbh. We were about £2800 away from debtfreeness and then I stuffed it all up spending money making myself feel happier about work. And then the summer happened as well and I always seem to be really bad in the summer. Now we are £5700 approx in debt again and have lots of new expenses looming. I can't complain of course as there are lots of people in a worse situation. Just feeling very cross with myself.

AH well, school has started now so in theory that should keep us on the straight and narrow!!

My Direct debit for my credit card came out today so that's £100 off and only £200 left of the dresser now before I can start paying off the washing machine.

I was hoping to have a no spend week but just realised DS has a hair cut on Friday and I will need to get DD's feet measured and a new pair of shoes as her summer ones are too tight. I also need some black trousers for work so will take the op to shop around whilst in the city on Friday.

The children are at grandparents tonight so i'm going to take the opportunity to have a proper sort of my wardrobe before husband gets home and mix and match some outfits together so i don't feel like I have nothing to wear every morning. I have a ton of things I can adjust or make with my sewing machine but struggle to make time to do it. Maybe I can do a bit of that tonight too.

Get paid two weeks tomorrow and have some things on e of the bay which people are watching so got to look at the positives.

Crunchy xx