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

Hiddenidenity

The old style board is great for meal planning and cutting food budgets.

We are a family of 5 (2 adults, 8 6 and 3 year old) I budget £30 a week includes everything but nappies for the 3 year old.
To stick to this though I have to make everything from scratch. I bake 99% of all snacks and treats etc.

You're doing brilliant BTW I read but havent posted yet x

Shelbi

Hi Hidden Identity & Thank you so much!!
Wow That's Amazing budgeting on your shopping, I'm so inspired! That's incredible... Definitely means I've got room for improvement and savings here!! Thank you..I Will definitely check out the recipe's and meal planning board..I'll confess I'm not much of a cook or baker but am willing to try anything to reach my goal...May even surprise myself...Thank you for posting and sharing xX

Hiddenidenity

I'm okay with the basics, not much of a Master chef but the kids are young enough that they don't care :rotfl:

I've swapped from sainsbury to aldi and that's cut £10 a week of the shopping bill at least!

I dont have a car so don't go to several different shops. Plus I hate shopping so I'd rather go to one and get it done

We don't really meal plan for set days as it didn't work for us some day's we just didn't fancy what was planned. We do agree on 7 meals though and stick to a list x

Shelbi

I love that...trying to get meals sorted...have made little progress with debt busting. Did move my balance from cc2 to cc1 so it's all I one place...as don't have banking access to cc2...so new plan all debt sitting in one place so I have one beast to slay! Bit by bit!
Today was a nsd as have been off work...and house bound. OH has looked after me though bless him. On the money front I've been paid but actually only made small payments, decided that all larger payments will be made later in the month...sick of getting caught short...
This month is a spend one OH birthday, Hen do, nephews birthday, festival, 2 friends birthday...oh and car insurance. Though am thinking of selling my car...though doubt I'd get that much for it..classed cat d. Have made a budget but don't really feel like I have control...will be making daily payments (small ones) try for some nsd' s..ok dinners ready so I'll update more later...hope everyone's well..Sx

Shelbi

Hey Diaryland, So the debt has risen slightly following a bank holiday birthday trip booked with other half which went onto the card. I have moved balance to one card so I have it sitting in one place- and easier to make the daily payment on one banking app.


Havent paid anything yet this month bar £50 as I decided against selling my car after a chat with a colleague who advised that I could still get a few good years out of it. which was reinforced by driving up to Cambridge for hen do, id be stuck without it and would probably want to buy a new one if I didn't have one. so its staying and ill just pay down debt the good old fashioned way.


Paid my car insurance, renewal cost was cheaper than a new quote..which was weird but lovely so was for the first time nice and easy a steal at £420 for the year. Paid in full to keep cost down. Have £900 remaining in my account (ear marked for debt payment) but will hold fire in case anything pops up. Will make mini daily payments in the mean time to keep motivated.


Dropped mobile in the sink so it keeps crashing, but am resisting urge to buy a new handset..(its hard) lol.


Good news- checked free Experian (thanks MSE) and credit score has recovered nicely actually in the good zone- working to get it upto excellent...so happy about this!!!.


Quidco claim successful -£5.44 on route.- yippee!!
Amazon prime- £5 credit on account- will wait until prime day to make use of this- (double savings- hopefully)- yay!!
redoing budget to make better use of monies- (ongoing)
£3 interest sent to cc, weight- (12st 6lb)- ahhh!!! work in progress.
Brought in lunch so nsd so far, trying to keep it that was.
have £6 Tesco vouchers will boost them and trade in for a lunch at pizza express.


Events still to come- nephews birthday, cousins birthday night out, Festival, dinner/drinks with friends (x3)/ OH birthday lunch& day out- I need to work out how I can get round all this cheaply and protect my £900 remaining- damn hadn't realised I still had so much to do..


Cant think of anything else to mention....hope everyone has a blessed day Sx

Shelbi

OMG will payday ever come....so haven't been around much of an update Ive literally just been waiting until payday to arrive. 1 week to go.


MSE activities done today: Free lunch (paid with lotto scratchy winnings I found)
Played FPL.
downloaded QUIT Smoking app- sent £9.69 I would've spent this morning to CC. apparently I could save £1759 a year if I quit...may as well give it a go...we could make good use of that lol!


Going to be a busy weekend, with a little luck some of my IOU's will come in.- Fingers crossed!!! Sent a few items back of online shopping (needs must). Awaiting refunds...Agreed with OH to pull in belts (right after ive had a spend up for his birthday- Jammy git).


attempting a nsd today, so far so good! I'm gonna need a lot more of those to achieve my goals. Have perfected my budget to within an inch of its life- literally every penny is accounted for.


Hope all is well with everyone x

Shelbi

Ok so I've managed to spend my salary in a few days! Not too bad considering I paid my bills sent money to the cc. (Saving till the end doesn't work- I spend it). Positive money moves- paid £1200 towards debt & iou's(cc grew alot from last month) now have £300 left to last me till next payday.
Though all events covered- birthday gifts/wedding gifts etc)...so I should be ok! Got meerkats movies for £1.40 for the year...handy as the Mr had he's eye on watching Dunkirk (will save £12 odd in that visit alone) also want to watch girl trip next week(cheap cinema near work has for 5.00 so split with my friend will only be 2.50 (2.50) saving there! Well worth it! Just need to smuggle in some homebrought snacks!

DFW tasks- * lunch and breakfast for work- prepped (just gotta remember to take it.
*check FPL (why not it's free)
*continue to try not to smoke- honestly I keep having to restart this..but haven't brought a box for 2 days now!
*Chase up any outstanding refunds expected
*nsd if I can or maximum £10 spend tops.
Nothing else really to report, just happy to be back on task ...for the 100th time...feel like Dr Jekyll and Mrs hyde- one minute in frugal spendthrift Shelbi the next I'm swiping my card like its not mine and I don't have to pay the bills! ...I have issues lol! But let's keep it positive...im here, I'm admiring the problems, I'm working at it...

Anyway I best get some sleep I'm rabbling...sweetdreams diaryland X

Shelbi

Hi Diary so I haven't been gone for that long this time- However in that time Ive managed to increase my debt back up to a shocking- £9421.29!! Its like I'm addicted to debt or something. I've figured out a few things, Im far too generous, I am far too free when the drinks start flowing (money wise- not any other way lol).
Anyway my partner and I have been talking about the future, marriage, kids, financial stability- all the things I don't have yet at the ripe age of 35. It was a conversation I really didn't enjoy mostly because I have a sh#t load of debt still and as soon as I clear it I get more. So heres the thing I really want to sort myself out now its really screwing with my future. So Im back in MSE rehab to help fix my finances...and get motivated again. I have 1 credit card, 1 loan and £1500 in savings that I cant touch until March 2018 but once I can I will be transferring it to help pay off the loan (already offset against the debt total).
I really want to get rid of this and sort my life out once and for all- I want things like a wedding, kids general security for myself. It occurred to me the other night that if I lost my job today Id have no way to comfortably pay off my borrowing. Im far to old to be living like this I need to sort it out! I don't have a date to do it by but Id say As soon as humanly possible would be a grand idea. Its too serious not to be sorted, so join me if you will for the 100th attempt of getting out of the red and back into the black.


Sx

MagicMoneyTree

YNAB is a really good app for tracking spend and keeping yourself accountable. It takes some effort, but if you're serious about changing then I'd recommend it!

Shelbi

Thank you MagicMoneyTree, I had it but didn't resubscribe when they updated, used the free trial though, it was ace! Will definitely subscribe come pay day...Much appreciated!