From debt to freedom...

Honeysucklelou2

:xmassmile. Hi CCL! Yes thank you I had a lovely day yesterday. I do enjoy cooking for us all, so getting the meal ready was fun. I love Christmas Day afternoon as we sit by the fire and one or two of the children are self- appointed as present-deliverers and we go through the afternoon slowly, so each present is savoured and appreciated. It does take some time with all of us but it is relaxing and good to have time altogether. I was able to speak to DD1 and my brother, so although they weren't with us, it was good to chat with them, as the next best thing.

I had been in a quandary as to what to do re the ex. Christmas fell on a Wednesday this year, which is his usual mid week night for seeing the children. In the end, I invited him round for Christmas Day tea and told him what time it would likely be ready. He chose not to come, which is fine, but I feel better for having tried to make it possible for the children to see him on Christmas Day.

Today has been wonderfully relaxing. My lovely parents are with us for Christmas and my dad showed me an article in a newspaper arguing that Boxing Day should be a day of rest after the hectic preparations of Christmas. The author said that if you had to move at all, let it be to make another cup of tea or put a log on the fire! I've put that excellent advice into practice and enjoyed a relaxing day by the fire, reading my favourite author, watching Downton on the DVD player and drinking tea. ( DD2 and I have only just discovered Downton, as we don't have mains TV or Netflix/sky). I feel very thankful for family, food and warmth.

Drawingaline

Sounds like my boxing day. Nice and relaxing.

Honeysucklelou2

Thank you Drawing a Line.

Today has been a step back to normality. My parents went home at lunchtime. My lovely dad came out for a drive with me to check the running of the car. It was reassuring to get a second opinion as I've not really had to drive anywhere since I got the car back, so had wanted to double check.

I have had a lovely afternoon pottering around in the garden. Spent some time pulling out nettle roots before finally getting round to planting some muscari bulbs. That job has been on my list for about 8 weeks, so am working on the principle better late than never! I also spotted a lime basil seed packet in the kitchen so have sown a large lunch of seeds into a 9cm pot and placed on the kitchen window-sill. It should be warm enough to get them growing indoors.

2 Camiellia flowers opened today with another 20 buds about to open . My mum spotted that 2 daffodils were also in bud, in the garden. It's so good to see very early signs of Spring .

Last night I couldn't sleep very well, so I got up and went through December's spending in order to update the tracker. Food spending is working out as less per month. This month is about £618 which includes all the festive food. That shows quite a reduction which is good.

Honeysucklelou2

I sat down last night and tried to work out financial goals for 2020. I know I need to fine tune the week by week budgeting of it but I wanted to get to a figure for the new paydbx20 challenge . The figure I've got to is £10,025.65. I know it's an ambitious challenge but want a goal to aim for. This figure is an amalgamation of window loans, credit card and money I owe my lovely parents when they have helped me.

The window loans are coming down, excruciating slowly, but coming down nonetheless. When the next payment is taken on the 31st December, one of the loans will be go below £1k which is progress. Both loans were at £1,950 originally. For a while the 2 loans were running at a similar balance but I made a few overpayments to one of the loans and they now have a £300 difference, so paying more off does make a difference. I got my pay slip early this month ( though not the pay!) which shows an increase of £30 a month. I though t that if I used £25 of that increase towards overpayments on the smallest window loan and saved £5, it would be a good use of that increase.

I know I also need to factor in saving a little every week towards visiting DD1. She has already said she'll not be home for Easter, which I totally understand as she'll be so close to her finals but it's her 21st birthday around that time, so I'd like to be able to at least visit and take her out for a birthday meal. I'm not sure when her graduation will be but I also want to put money aside for that so I'm not caught out nearer the time.

I didn't pay off as much as I'd hoped last year but I have spent £3k on legal fees and had to replace hob, oven and 4 tyres whilst absorbing a decrease in income. I do feel more upbeat about looking out for a day's work, to go alongside my current days, but perhaps in a different field. Last year I saw a job with the National Trust for 1 day a week, that I was really tempted to apply for but it would have meant trying to start that alongside the most stressful term of my career so I didn't apply, but it does remind me that all sorts of jobs are out there.

Cherryfudge

I don't know if it's feasible, but in our area they have been advertising for exam invigilators - might that be an option? Ditto becoming one of those people who helps at polling stations...

You've had some big bills to cover in 2019 so I think you deserve a pat on the back for making progress on repayments at all. It's a good idea to look ahead and plan for trips to DD1, too.

Honeysucklelou2

Thank you Cherryfudge, I will keep a look out and see if there are any opportunities for exam invigilators.

I've had quite a productive day today, although sadly not a NSD. I checked the tins and found that the baking from last week hadn't been eaten, so will probably need to be served with custard, as a pudding. There didn't seem much point to baking anymore with the tins still full, so I've been busy making soups today instead. My mum was about to throw away a couple of punnets of mushrooms, so I turned those into soup this morning and have frozen them to be used for lunches in January. I made Turkey & Cranberry soup this afternoon. A couple of years ago, a friend gave me the Covent Garden book of soups, which have quite a range of soup recipes and this was one of them. It certainly makes a huge amount so will be eating more tomorrow and freezing the rest.

I spent a couple of hours at the allotment this afternoon. The elderly lurcher and I walked there and he spent the afternoon watching what I was doing and keeping an eye on everything. I got lots of chopping done -brambles, hawthorn branches, nettles and bracken. Two beds look much more clearly defined and the pathway down the allotment is now clear of the hawthorn . I chopped back last years mint to clear another bed. Another couple of afternoons like that and it will put the allotment in good shape for Spring .

savingholmes

you always seem so productive. Glad Christmas was happy. Sorry you didn't get to see DD1. My DS is in Oz so can sympathise.

Honeysucklelou2

Thank you SH.

It's been a bizarre day today. I did have a lie in after a poor night's sleep. Not long after waking, I had a phone call from am ambulance man. DD1 had had a flare up of her medical condition and was being taken to the A and E department of the hospital. Ironically she had been on the way to catch a train to come home for New Year. I've ended up driving to her uni town, by which time she had been released from hospital but was very very tired. We'll drive back tomorrow. I wasn't able to set off until mid afternoon so didn't get here until later this evening. It has shown up that I need a "health EF" to cover these eventualities.

Cherryfudge

What a shock for you. It shows that your system must be working though as they were able to get hold of you and you've been able to go for her. (Remind her to see if she can get a refund on her ticket btw). Sending her 'get well' wishes.

Honeysucklelou2

Thank you Cherryfudge. I didn't know that about tickets so will let her know. I emptied every available account to fill the car with petrol. My lovely dad was one step ahead and had booked a travelodge room so DD3 & I could sleep here overnight.