3rd Time Lucky?!- Attempting to clear £6645.93 of debt in 105days (3months+13days)!!

Shelbi

Afternoon guys,

Its been a little bit of a while...Ive been enjoying some time off work which has been lovely! I really needed it...not going away but a nice stay-cation of spa days, catching up with friends, lunches, cinema trips and spending time with family. Although I saved money by not going away as Ive done most years, Ive over spent on the social/fun money fund...by alot!! I also spent some money on the flat and shopping. Because of this I took £166.67 out of my emergency fund to cover trips out with friends. Ill adjust my figures. Thinking on it, I prob should have took it form the Christmas fund that the emergency fund.

I feel much better and more relaxed, ive spent more money than I should've done. Ive not gone into debt or anything like that but ive soaked up the money i put aside towards the quarterly bill payments, and then some. It tells me that not only was my will not as strong as I need it to be yet - I need to reign in spends, not buy so many rounds of drinks when im out, try to drink more non- alcohol drinks when out.
I spend way way to much on meals out on average about £20-£30 a day (thats just for me:o) so Im coming back to frugaldom...A MSE in training.

I did have a wonderful time with my friends though, I had missed that and (please dont judge) but it was nice to splurge a little.

Today is a tidy up day- washing ironing etc. OH has gone to see his pals so some me time, I probably wont see him till late tonight, my im home catching up on netflix documentaries in a bid to secure my first nsd of the month.

update of my budget so far-
[STRIKE]Share of rent £260.25 (week free due to easter)[/STRIKE] Paid
New telephone for flat- £19.50 & washing basket £4 (plus kettle, tea towels, spice rack, dishwasher tabs, wicker baskets :eek:HB is a dangerous place! )
[STRIKE]Car Tax £11.87
Council Tax £93
Mobile 1 -£12.50
Mobile 2 £14.99[/STRIKE]- paid
Electric (save for quarterly bill)- £70- spent in fun/dining out:(
Gas (saving for quarterly bill) - £65- spent in fun/dining out:(
[STRIKE]Amazon Prime £79[/STRIKE]- Paid
[STRIKE]Groceries- £103.70[/STRIKE] (bit low but have done 2 shops already so OH will pick up the slack/ contribute more to this.- spent
Emergency Fund- [STRIKE]£1666.67[/STRIKE] £166.67 moved to grocery/slush fund so new balance £1500
[STRIKE]Gifts- £30[/STRIKE]- £40 paid
[STRIKE]Socialising/Fun fund- £116.64[/STRIKE]-spent
[STRIKE]Xmas Saving- £102[/STRIKE]- saved in sep acc
[STRIKE]MOT- £60[/STRIKE]- paid
Oyster Top Up - (£5) - for out of zones
[STRIKE]Beauty- £10[/STRIKE]/£8 spent...

I need to get back to work- I don't spend money there :rotfl:...off to get a cuppa and catch up on some diaries...happy Saturday guys x

PositiveBalance

Hi Shelbi, :wave:

Congratulations on being debt free! :beer: :j

Your diary reminds me of me, somewhat, Gawds help you!

I have also discovered Dave Ramsey. I don't know if you are aware but he has an app you can download onto your phone from which you can listen to/watch all his radio shows. I find it keeps me on track while listening to it on my phone while I'm making dinner. He does three hours worth every weekday so there will be plenty to listen to! :rotfl:

I've realised that going hard and fast, while very satisfying in the initial stages, is completely unsustainable on any sort of long-term basis. You appear to have reached the same conclusion.

For what it's worth, I think it's totally reasonable to have a blow out for a month once you have become debt-free as a reward for all your hard work. The only problem is if that continues every month following that as you will probably end up blasting through any savings and potentially getting yourself back to where you started.

As Dave says, if you have a big enough 'why' it will motivate you. What is yours? Buying a house? Wanting to be able to afford to have kids? Perhaps this is worth thinking about as now your initial goal (to become debt free) has elapsed, you may find yourself struggling if you do not have another one to replace it with.

Best of luck. I'm a part-time diary keeper as well. I don't know how some people find the time to update every day, but I'm envious of them!

Shelbi

Hi PositiveBalance ..(love your name):hello::hello::hello:

Awww Thank you so very much!!!:j, sorry I didn't reply sooner I had meant too!! Its been a busy few weeks!

Thank you Ive downloaded the app now so I can have Daves wisdom on tap! helps me keep on the straight and narrow- well ish!

"I've definitely taken some time out to celebrate being debt free- a month off was really needed, really needed!:) A blow out month, I like that! Ive stopped just shy of dwinddling my emergency fund from £1667 to 1194 so was a bit naughty but ill build it up again in no time.

Ive been thinking about my why for a while- im so far behind everyone rightnow I think i have a multiple of why's- I want to buy a house afford to have kids, get married, be financially secure.. the list could go on for. Baby steps for me though I think an emergency fund so I dont have to go back in debt, then owning our own home...Im 35 now so I guess if im ever going to have children it would need to be soonish (next couple of years tops) so maybe even a babyfund to cover me if I had maternity leave. Honestly wouldnt even know where to start..so for me i feel Like filling my emergency fund up asap is my next goal so I can move onto house deposit.

Mortgage would be a problem as theres no way id be able to get a mortgage 1/3 of my take home salary in London unless I get a shed. Still Ill cross that bridge if I ever get there. my goal is £5k in emergency fund asap! Thank you for helping me refocus and for popping by, ill be sure to have a read of your diary (hope you dont mind) to get some pearls of wisdom and cheer you on on your journey:T

Shelbi x

Shelbi

So Ive been paid and have worked out my YNAB budget for the month and have sent £1000 to my emergency fund and paid my share of the rent.
Ive budgeted £50per week for shopping, did a stock check before I went shopping today with our weeks meals in mind. Spent a total of £21.76 and learnt that im never shopping in A1d1 on a Sunday morning again, it was bedlam! OH and I have started Juicing and trying to eat more fruit and veg in our diets. today we had a carrot, apple and giger juice for breakfast, I made a butternut squash soup for us for lunch with bread rolls (will take leftovers for lunch tomorrow) OH was hungry still so cooked up some ribs:rotfl: I made some banana ice cream with the left over creme fraiche and bananas that were on the turn.

Have some fish and mince in the freezer so at some point this week ill make a fish pie and some spagbol, figure ill batch cook the sauce halve it and add some kidney beans and chillies to make a chiili concarne. We also have a gammon joint and some frozen chicken breasts. will do something with them I don't know what yet though. Had a mini frugal bolt moment OH wanted coconut water but at £2, I figured they can stay on the shelf I hate the stuff lol...Instead I told him i couldn't find it and bought him 2 coconuts instead 39p each thank you very much- told him he can crack them open and grab the juice, ill put the flesh through the juicer to get a bit extra and use the pulp for dessicated coconut for recipes- its win win.

Over the last couple of weeks I've been working on my cooking, I don't think its I cant cook but have just been a spoilt lazy moo most of my life- its actually fun and you know what i'm not even too bad!;) and I can control the food budget a bit more if I'm doing more of the cooking.

Last night we were supposed to go out for a meal then decided we couldn't be arsed and opted for cooking together, a movie and cuddle on the sofa- with a cheeky couple of bottles and some chocs- suited me perfectly as Id only budgeted £50 this month for date nights for the month. OH picked up the dinner ingredients as he went to the farmers market and I got the drinks & treats. win win.

trying to keep nights out low have cinema trip and night out with the girls, 1 work do (colleague leaving) and will do lunch with my yummy mummy besties:)- have budgeted £100 to cover all that.

Have set up a dd- £50 to share Isa, £50 to nsi bonds, £1000 to emergency fund (done). Opened a nationwide as they give 5% interest on balances up to £2.5k for the year once done will also open a direct saver 5% and TSB are lifting their rate back to 5% silver lining up to £1500 so will keep some EF there basically I'm going to try max out interest on EF which is fine as I can still get to it. think with this plan I should get about £350 (gross) in interest if nothing changes next year (if all helps) *fingers crossed*

I think that's the root I'm taking, if anyone has a better game plan please share. I cant believe the weekend has flown so quickly- Already chomping at the bit for the next one to arrive :rotfl: One good thing about work though its great for racking up NSD's so long as I bring lunch and stay at my desk and off the online shopping. Ok enough of my wittering on...have a fab Sunday MSE'ers.

X

Shelbi

My Goals for 2018:- An Update:

[STRIKE]Clear my remaining debt £3999.26 by the 31st March 2018[/STRIKE] -Done
Save an emergency fund of £5000 by 31st December 2018- £2193 saved so far
Begin saving a deposit for a home of £15,000 by the 31st December 2018- not started yet
Be consistantly Positive and Grateful thoughout 2018- ongoing
Improve my money management skills- ongoing
Lose 2 stone and get back into shape- work in progress
Read at least 12 self development books in 2018- 4/12 completed
Xmas Savings- changed to set amount-£100/£600
[STRIKE]January'18- Dry January
[/STRIKE]- done:beer:

My smaller Targets for May'18 are:
Read 2 books: 1 finance & 1 self development
bring your lunch to work challenge- 20days
No Spend challenge- 20 SFD
Earn £5 per day through May'18- £155.
Eat Healthy- no junk for May'18.
keep regular checking with diary to stay on track.
Be more organised and punctual.
spend more time with family and friends- be more present with those I love.
Keep on track with YNAB.
lose 1 stone.
exercise 3 times a week.

Ok that's may mini goals sorted! The banana ice cream was delish, I also discovered I can get exercise classes on my prime account- so I'm going to exercise at home for free (not that I pay or do much anyway).

x

Shelbi

Happy Sunny Tuesday Afternoon guys, hope you all had a wonderful weekend! Slightly spendy wise but all within my budget- lunches, cinema, beer garden. Today I transferred £250 into savings EF now £2,443.13...didn't bring in lunch today but got it at a bargain £1.00 so happy with that at least, didn't food shop this weekend (too hot and figured it be manic) so will be grabbing a few bits tonight have £161.23 left in the budget thanks to OH doing some shopping and being on juice part juice diet (weyhey). nothing more to report...hope you're all having a wonderful day! Shelbi x

Shelbi

Evening All, Its been a while since my last update, Ive been here but in lurking mode, reading through diaries on different topics- saving for deposits, wedding threads and even children. Needless to say we are doing neither of these things:rotfl: but it makes for interesting reading and moneysaving tips (the old thift diaries are fab).

So another month has past and Ive managed to squirrel away another £1000(may pay day), hopefully ive budgeted carefully enough so I wont need to dip into it- have increased my pension contribution back up to 10%, no savings for xmas put aside as yet though but from reading lots of threads I think im going to go back to £365 £1 per day challenge rather than £600 so ill change that in my signature too.

Back to the scrimping, Overall ive been ok- i havent gone into debt just moved things around to create wriggle room, my YNAB still shows me that theres still plenty of room for improvement, Miles in fact. I'm looking at becoming less wasteful and when I do spend to try and get cashback or discounts where possible.

Bank holiday weekend was awesome a wellbeing festival with the girls £60, shopping and lunch with my mum and sis £20, carvery and lake with OH £25, I got the grub he got drinks and petrol (worked out around the same) and dinner at my best friends with her beautiful family at their beautiful home..I confess it got me thinking I need to get a better handle on my purse strings if im ever going to get anything like that...though I couldnt afford a home like that I can at least start saving for something..:j so onwards and upwards- time to get back to frugal Shelbi mode:j:j:j= meal planning (still yet to perfect this but need to) YNAB showed I spent £512.97 last month on food (alot of eating out and poor planning on foodshop) !!!!!! :eek: OH shops too so I have no excuse to spend that much, we don't even have kids thats two of us and a bit of socialising for me, I was stunned by that it does include cornershop runs which is more expensive. so first things first- no takeaways for June and no cornershop runs- everything is more there- including wine:rotfl: (dont judge me);) My aim this month s to get the food bill down (slash it back to a respectable figure)- I budget £200 food budget and £70 (dinning out/socialising). Thats where the holes seem to be in my budget so i'll start with that.

Shelbi x

Shelbi

Good afternoon guys,

Yetserday I did my weekly shop came to £49.69, Literally ran low on everything- so toiletries, cleaning goods was high- not expensive but we needed binliners, looroll, washing liquid etc so brought the bill up a bit...just under budget this week, next week should be a bit less. MS moves today was checking freepostcode lotto (no joy as yet), moving money from my low/no interest acounts to 5% interest accounts will work from those. Also I decided the £150 I get from not smoking rather than spending it I will do something with it each month (additional savings not EF)- so £50 to NSI premium bonds, £50 to 5% int account and £50pm in ISA stocks and shares (high risk/high reward account) I think thats a reasonable hedge for it (low/med/high)- first step to becoming wealthy:rotfl:..just take a few years is all, high risk is worrying but I wouldve smoked it away so what the hey! Im trying to refocus my attention from lack to prosperity. Other tasks sorted managed to bring in lunch, was yummy:) and reconcile my YNAB, increased my work season ticket loan payback rate so will have it finished quicker and then can I save more without owing anyone anything and no deductions from my salary.

Goals update:
My Goals for 2018:- An Update:

Clear my remaining debt £3999.26 by the 31st March 2018 -Done
Save an emergency fund of £5000 by 31st December 2018- £2367.81 saved so far:)- 31/05/2018
Begin saving a deposit for a home of £15,000 by the 31st December 2018- Not started yet:(
Be consistantly Positive and Grateful thoughout 2018- ongoing:D
Improve my money management skills- ongoing:D
Lose 2.4 stone and get back into shape- work in progress:(
Read at least 12 self development books in 2018- 5/12 completed
Xmas Savings- changed to set amount-£10/£365:(
January'18- Dry January
- done:beer:

My smaller Targets for June'18 are:
Read 2 books: 1 finance & 1 self development- "The life lessons& rules for success" & "7 habits of highly effective people"
bring your lunch to work challenge- 20days
Read 10 pages of something positive- 0/30
No Spend challenge- 20 SFD
Earn £5 per day through June'18- £0.
Eat Healthy- no junk for Jun '18.- 0/30
keep regular checking with diary to stay on track.
Be more organised and punctual.
spend more time with family and friends- be more present with those I love.
Keep on track with YNAB.
lose 1 stone (14lb)/ 0/14lb
exercise 3 times a week. 0/12
Do at least 5 CPD units in June- 0/5

Ok I best get get back to work have a fab and fun day guys..

Shelbi x

Shelbi

Afternoon MSEers,

So its the 1st of June, im ready to let the battle commence, Yesterday spend was £20 whip on a night out with work gang, Karaoke, drinks and light bites, was super fun..followed by a severe hangover and a trip to Leon £3.75 this morning for breakfast (no way i couldve made breakfast this AM, I did by some miracle manage to pack yesterdays left over dinner than OH made into tupperware along with some yogurt and fruit beofre i went to bed at stupid oclock last night) which I brought in so all in all I think I get a bring your lunch to work tick! No FPL wins today, I did receieve £3.25 in interest in one account (almost paid for breakfast). Tonight I think will be a very lazy Friday night, I just want to curl up on the sofa..:happyhear:happyhear

Need to increase my income for my Emergency fund. I would Ideally like this completed by the end of June, so thats £2632.19 to save- £87.73 per day-I prefer to look at it 1%-£26.32 (100grid) Grid seems more achieveable...( I just like it cause its small- bite size).:D...right how am I going to make up this shortfall?:think::think::think:. Its a tough challenge, and i probably wont get to it but i wil do my best...OK enough ramblings from me I best go & do some work....Happy Friday X

Shelbi

Good morning diaryland!! Happy Saturday:j

So this morning I filled up the waterfilter, I will not be buying any bottled water, although water is rank (no other word for it, it chalky..our hard water according to OH) I've filled to glass bottles of filtered water and the water filer itself..I will try to keep ontop of it.:o

Paid the gas and electric bill this morning slightly over my budgeted £300 by £44.40 ...So I needed to wiggle my ynab Also have spoken to OH an=bout keeping plugs switched off on electronics when not in use- he seemed keen bar the playstation, apparently it takes forever to update:huh:

Last night I did pop to the corner shop I boiled pasta opened my pesto only to find it had turned to a science experiment, so I had emergency run:( was lovely though- trying to get some more meat free meals into my week- OH unconvinced being a carnivore! though I figure it will help and should keep costs down minimising waste too (here's hoping)..Saying that breakfast/lunch is a YS venison burger with pitta and salad. (so much for meatfree:rotfl:- if im honest I prefer a good old fashion beef burger;)- (you can take the girl outof the Eastend, but you cant take the Eastend out of the girl):rotfl::rotfl:

Received £4.44 and £3 interest straight to EF:dance:...Right onto chores (its boring but it keeps me busy) Ill make a butternut squash and sweet potato soup today which I can also frees for dinner/lunch in the week..best crack on..have a super day guys x