Single 20 something mum - time to kick myself up the bum!

wegle

I really enjoyed reading your diary. I'm a single mum too with pretty much the same income so it's nice to see someone managing so well and paying off debt! Go you! My budget feels so tight all the time, luckily I'm very nearly debt free though.

I'm so impressed by your eBay selling and studying. I have a shed full of baby stuff but just can't get the motivation to get it all listed and sold. I've also been wanting to get my BEng forever but always panic that I couldn't afford it and wouldn't have the time but here you are doing it all! Looks like I just need a swift kick up the backside.

I know you say you use a spreadsheet to do your budget but wondered if you'd ever tried the YNAB web app? I've been using it the last 3 months and it has revolutionised my budgeting and spending, plus it's so easy to use with the irregular pay cycles that come with salary, tax credits, child benefit and housing benefit. They do an initial 34 day free trial and if you email them proof that you're a student you get a year's free trial.

Keep up the good work and if you do need to get a new car on debt just remember that it's a sensible debt as it will allow you to keep working and paying off your debts.

timetobefrugal

Thank you wegle ! It's not easy managing on just one income sometimes as you have nobody to fall back on/save with! I could live month to month if there were no big spends i.e. car/electrical item breaking down but something always happens! With ebay I tend to bag up all her summer clothes and wait until the next summer to list them, the same with autumn/winter clothes! I'm terrible with toys though, I've had a bunch of toys sat on my dining room table for 2 months with every intention of getting them listed on ebay......it just hasn't happened yet! Well done on nearly being debt free, it can be so hard sometimes so definitely an achievement. I've seen so many people post about YNAB I will have to give it ago, thankyou!

I've had a productive morning so far, I made teeny payments to 2 credit cards so that they were down to the nearest £ which means an extra £3.89 has gone off the debt. I also transferred £1 to my 'emergency fund' which takes the balance to £1.13 :rotfl: got to start somewhere eh!?

I can't remember if I posted before but holiday for my best friend's wedding in Cyprus in September is BOOKED :T wasn't as cheap as I'd like but it's within what I had budgeted for. I had enough in my savings to pay the deposit and pay off the rest I owe for the hen do. The rest of the hol has to be paid either June or July (I'll have to check) but I've been saving £80 per month to pay that off. So the goal is to save £100 spending for the hen-do and £150 to take away with me (we're all inclusive anyway so hopefully I'll have some to bring back).

Last day at work and then I'm off to enjoy the nice 4 day weekend :beer: Have a great Easter!

timetobefrugal

Sooooo since I last posed my car died :A I have had to take out finance to get a new one but I'm not mentally prepared to update my signature yet! Please nobody come on and lecture me I'm delicate :rotfl:! I've decided to go back up to 5 days as of September to get the debt paid off ASAP, I could just about live but be pretty skint continuing doing just 30 hours but with taking on an extra debt I just feel I need to pull my finger out more. My lovely step gran actually gave me £500 towards my car and I'm so so grateful. I pick it up tomorrow so I am a little excited!

Today was my day off and I had to take my daughter for her pre-school and mmr boosters jabs which was not fun. This did result in a Mcdonalds as a treat (I'm a veggie so not a treat for me) but was well worth the money for the poor little sausage!

Had some personal issues going on and I've been feeling really down this week, I think the fact of having to increase my debt along with all of that has just made me feel meh. PLUS I have my last essay due next week then an exam in June (and I HATE exams) so I think my stress level is unusually high for me. I have a family holiday down south in June so I'm looking forward to a break then, hopefully it's nice and sunny! Need to do a food shop but skint until payday on Thursday so think I'll have to raid the cupboard and freezer stash and see how creative I can be until then hope everyone has a good week!

Bobarella

Sorry about the car. And you having a bad week. Hugs.

timetobefrugal

Thank yew bobarella picked up my new car today, good news is it is £0 road tax :j bad news is it cost me £38 to change over my insurance :mad: I had just paid for this months and only have 1 payment left as it's up next month. This wasn't budgeted for and went on my emergency credit card (it's a 0% purchase one which is the only upside) so still feeling meh. Next few months are going to be a frugal few that's for sure! I've got a few last bits to list on eBay so hopefully they will make it up.

Not much else to report, diet has been crap haven't had the time to exercise in over a week as been so busy. Probably won't get a workout in until Thursday either but I'm going to make sure it's a good one!

Bobarella

Hope you enjoy the new car!

timetobefrugal

Ooook let's get the negatives out of the way. Due to having to buy my car I've had to pay the remainder of my holiday on a CC :mad: it is 0% until next December but I've ended up having to purchase other things on there this month. My dd projectile vomited all over my bed soaking through my mattress topper and pillows, my mattress is already 10 years old and had it it's so uncomfortable without a topper. So I had to buy a new one and 2 new pillows today all went on the cc along with some bits for the garden and house old habits die hard hey!

However there are some pluses! I've got some toys and clothes to list on ebay and my old car to put on for spares or repairs (had to send off for a new vc5 as lost mine so not been able to list this yet). This should cover spending money for my family holiday in June. I had today off work as my daughter was sick in the night so the house has had a good clean 😁 I also got the best mark so far this year on my last assignment so was really really pleased, just one exam to go in June and I'm done until the next module starts in October. I've also had it confirmed I can increase from 4 to 5 days at work from September. This will help me clear the 0% purchase cc as well as paying off the other debts while still being able to save around £50 a month for an emergency fund. I'll miss the time with my daughter but my holiday entitlement will increase so I'll just take a day off a month with her for some quality time. If my calculations are right I can knock a year off my debt free date!!

So in summary, naughty me for spending on another cc but I'm done beating myself up about it. I wish there was a support group like compulsive spenders anonymous because it's 100% my issue. Anyway if I ignore the new cc and car finance my debt is under 16k now :rotfl:n in denial much?!?

On another note, my daughter will be starting school next year, it's inevitable that she will need some sort of after school club or childcare for a few days a week just because of my home-work distance. If anyone could give me an idea of what they pay for such things it'd be really helpful! Thanks

SavingAtNumberTwo

Have you had your holiday yet? Hows the new car? Hope all is well! R x

timetobefrugal

Ahhh I've been completely MIA! Probably due to the fact my budgeting has been horrendous and I wasn't ready to hold myself accountable yet!

Holiday was lovely, was so nice to see a part of England I haven't seen before. Took my daughter to Paulton’s park for the day which she loved and we also visited Arundel castle which I absolutely fell in love with! So although lovely June wasn’t gentle on the budget nor has this month as it’s my best friend’s hen do this weekend. I had already paid for the accommodation and activities but being the person who has organised it and the chief bridesmaid I’ve had to buy all of the decorations etc. I’m hoping that everyone else will appreciate all of the effort I’ve put in and pay for my drinks on the night! A girl can wish eh! :rotfl:

Car is running lovely thankyou RebeccaAnney and is so good on petrol so that’s definitely been a save!

Ok so negatives are that my budgeting has been terrible for the past 2 months, I forgot to sorn my car so I’m pretty sure a DVLA fine is on its way and I’ve got to pay £85 to renew my tenancy so next month I’m going to be absolutely skint. Also gained weight during the holiday probably due to social drinking every evening, so my goal to lose 10lb by September has been significantly stalled, I really need to get focused with this now my uni work is done for the summer I have no excuse! Just seems so much harder to shift the weight as I get older 

Positives are there are no social events in July or August so should be able to stick to my extremely tight budget and save some spending money for Cyprus in September. I’m going back full time as opposed to 30 hours per week as of September so that increases my income, I’ve worked out what should be my new budget and after everything is paid I should have around £165 spare money per month – that’s after putting £50 aside for savings and budgeting to pay off the last CC before the 0% deal expires Dec 2018. My plan is to spend as little and save as much as possible as I’d like to take my daughter away before she starts school next September I’ve been looking at 3/4 night trips to Dubrovnik and I think I can get us flights and accommodation for under £500. She’s also desperate for a new bed as she still has a toddler bed and as she’s big for her age she’s completely outgrown it. I’ve said she can have a new one for her birthday in November, but I will need the frame, mattress and bedding! If anyone can recommend decent/cheapish bed places……..

Also made a vow to update my diary at least once a week to keep on track, start as I mean to go on and all that!

timetobefrugal

Well a little update from me! Hen party went really really well, everyone had a good night and I got really drunk and was in bed by 10.15pm so cheap night for me :rotfl:

I'm starting to get really anxious about doing an extra day at work, finance wise I know it's the only way I'm going to pay a good chunk of £££ off of the debt this year (I think I can knock 5k off in the 12 months if I'm really strict although my minimum goal is 4k) but I'm worried about there being enough hours in the day. I struggle as it is with getting in my workouts, tidying, cleaning, ironing etc especially the months when I have my uni work to do (which is October-June). I don't want to come home in the evenings and not have any time with my daughter because I'm stressing about the house being untidy or the size of my pile of ironing! Monday has been our little adventure day together :sad::sad: I'm extremely grateful I've been able to do it for nearly 4 years as I know plenty of people who are still together and both have to work full time to make ends meet so have missed that time with their children.

On a more positive note, I purchased some wallpaper and curtains for the spare bedroom in the theme of.....Flamingos!!! So our dressing room looks really girly! First time I've ever wallpapered by myself so I was so pleased with myself - I even drilled holes and put a curtain rail up too Ultimately I would like to move to somewhere a little cheaper however, I don't see this happening this year so I want to make it a little more homely. I had already decorated my bedroom and my daughter's so I just need a few bits for the bathroom i.e. a blind, wall art, and upstairs will be done! I also passed uni with flying colours this year so that's another year down, only 3 more to go :o

Personal life wise, I had the bright idea it might be a good time for me to go on a few dates (I've been single over 3 years and not been on a single date). I really don't meet new people in day to day life as my life literally consists of work and being home! So I had a look on a few dating apps......safe to say they got deleted the same night! Think I'll stay single a little while longer......:rotfl:

Jobs for this week are:
- Sort through more old clothes and toys and get listed on e@ay
- Meal plan and batch cook some meals
- Start clearing through the cupboard in the little bedroom and get rid of junk
- Get an updated figure on debt total and work out payments for the next 13 months to hit my 5k goal
- Choose outfit for girls night this Saturday and RESIST the urge of buying something new for the occasion!