A Ditherer's Diary (again)

Naomim

Scloud said:

That's great news! We are currently at the start of trying to get all our debt to 0% - it must be such a relief to know that all of your repayments are going to get the debt total down! 

ChasingSunshine said:

Oh that's great news. Will be lovely to have everything on 0% and know that all your payments are going towards knocking the balance down rather than into the banks pockets. 

Thanks both, it is a relief.  @scloud it looks like we had our LBM's around the same time although I am still paying down the overdraft and hope this will be gone at the end of this month but we took a mortgage payment to holiday to facilitate this.

Naomim

Onto regular diary news.  I've had a little trip to hospital.  Last Saturday week I had some stomach pains that worryingly moved to the right - appendix territory.  So  on the Monday, I went to A&E where they also suspected appendicitis and transferred to me another local hospital that does emergency surgery as my most local doesn't.   After scans, blood tests and being starved in-case I needed surgery, it turns out my appendix isn't grumbling and I have had a flare up of some rare thing  in my small intestine that could be cured with antibiotics and or go on it's own.  I was back home on the Tuesday and had the rest of the week off work to get better.

This Monday was my fist exam for my course.  This also turned into a nightmare.  This is the first time they have done them online. My internet is generally fine, I have good speeds and connection (unless I'm in the 15yo's bedroom) but the connection kept dropping out. Unfortunately I was 3/4 of the way through the exam, the online invigilator kept restarting me but by 6.30pm after bashing at it for 5 hours, I had a pounding headache and gave it up as a bad job.  So now I have no idea when I'll be able to retake it.  It's probably a good job though as I was drowning in a Statement of Financial Position and shares, premium share dividends etc 😕  so this may give me more time to practice it all.

Nothing financial to report at all apart from being able to move the final interest bearing debt onto 0%.  I earned £27 last month on Prolific so this was cashed out yesterday and paid against my Barclaycard. No earnings at all on Prolific this month as I haven't been on the computer for a week and there were lots yesterday but I was so busy catching up with work so couldn't really commit to doing any.

I'm keeping tabs on all the outgoings in my spreadsheet.  I have decided to change things up from next month.  At present our wages go into the main bank account and I only transfer out the money I need for my pots. Next month I'm transferring it all out bar the DD & credit card payments so I can keep my eye on where it's all going. It does mean MrM is going to have to ask me for money if he's not spending his personal spends ie; spending on the kids doesn't come from our personal monthly cash.  There seems to be a lot of "bits" on my bank statements that aren't accounted for (Amazon & Sainsbugs mainly) and I need to be really on this to make sure we don't go into the overdraft again and be able to pinpoint where it's going.   

Hope everyone is keeping safe and well also. I haven't been anywhere, no pubs, restaurants or coffee shops.  I'm just not sure I want to venture out at the moment. I've quite enjoyed becoming a hermit. If you asked me in February, the thought of spending just one day indoors would bring me out in a cold sweat, I'd have to go and get a coffee at least. Now, I have my tassimo latte's and Midsomer Murders to catch up on. I'm a happy bunny.

Naomim

moving_forward

Great news about the zero percent   I take it your studying accountancy by the exam description.  I'm FMAAT hence should know better on the debt lol.  I did a couple of CIMA exams but gave it up as work didn't allow study release and doing it online in my own time didn't work out.  Hope the tummy behaves itself!

Naomim

I'm a credit controller - so really should know better also. Currently studying CICM to improve my career prospects. My employer is sponsoring the qualification and study. This module is Accounting Principles. I'm fine on ledger cards, journals etc (my work colleagues call me the journal queen as I'm the go to person if stuff needs moving) but throw in shares, dividends etc and I'm out of my depth.  It's also remembering which bit goes where on Financial statements! lol.  I have the memory of a goldfish. 

My eldest and dearest friend is a PA to a HNWI and she always says money goes to money and I think this is true of debt. Once you start to make a dent to clear it then you are offered better percentage rates and it enables you to clear it quicker.  It puts your mental health in a better place - or I certainly found this true for me. I'm far less anxious about money now and feel much better having a plan and structure in place.  Now to get that into my housework part of my brain and I'll be flying! 

GeorgianaCavendish

Great news on getting everything on 0%! Sorry to hear about your exam troubles, that sounds like a nightmare. I’ve got online exams in September and I think it will be using a very similar set-up as we’ve been told that we’ll be sent a list of technical specs in the next few weeks. As though exams aren’t stressful enough!

Naomim

I've just completed the balance transfer request.  Total moved to 0% £5041.00  👌 I'm so happy that I should start seeing the debt reduce quicker now.  Once it's all gone through and I know the minimum payments, I'll re-adjust the direct debits and my snowball.  My first 0% deal ends in October 2021 so quite a way away but I already know I wont be able to clear the balance by then as it would take £623 a month to clear it and that's what I pay against my credit cards in total for now.   

In exam news, the examining body have been in touch and I can continue the exam from where I left off. Apparently lots of people had problems so I'm relieved it wasn't just me.  I only had a week to do it so I've chosen next Friday to give me a chance to get a weeks worth of studying in! Boy do I need it! 

I'm going to see if I can go to the library tomorrow, I'm sure the local one's have opened and it's helpful to have the peace and quiet.  I'll have a look at the requirements for visiting.

Today I ordered my 10yo a reusable face mask. I have some of the disposable ones but they are so big for her, hopefully this will be a better fit.

Hope you all have a lovely weekend

Naomim

Naomim

Not much to report for the weekend.  I went out for a meal so spent £30 and had no chance to get to the library.  I had a terrible night sleep on Saturday night and then my dog had me up at 5.30am Sunday morning so I was shattered yesterday and did little more than tour round Midsomer from the sofa.

On Friday I took my meter readings for my utilities and my DD has shot up from £111 to £162 😕  I'm hoping if I continue to update meter readings monthly it will even itself out and the DD will reduce again.  I know our electricity usage has gone up due to all being home all the time but that's a fair old chunk. 

I've managed to lose a chunk of tooth 😮 so I'm going to need a trip to the dentist soon.  I'm also aware I need some new glasses as I'm starting to have to keep taking them off to look at small text - like on my phone.  With all my Monzo pots I don't have a dental/medical/optical one so I've set one up to start from next month, however, if I do need treatment I think I might try and get a 0% purchases card. It'll be a last resort but I think both teeth and eyes need sorting.   

Obviously this will make a difference to my debt busting.  We are almost out of the overdraft. Once this is done I need to contact the bank and drop it right down. I want to keep a buffer but thinking about £250 should be enough.  I've already discussed with MrM my plans going forward.  We should be left with £360 a month which will be going as overpayments on the credit cards. This is just under what our monthly travel costs are so if we have to go back to the office I'll need to adjust the SOA again.

Naomim

Naomim

Howdy all,

On Friday I took the rest of my exam that had gone so horribly wrong the week before. I felt much better, certainly like I've really given it my best shot and done my best. I just need to sit and wait for the results now.

MrM and I have booked a weekend away in Bath.  Did I say I was taking the scenic route on my debt busting? 😂  I've just found it very stressful being at home with the kids and working all the time. We've booked lovely hotel with it's own grounds and restaurant for a long weekend mid-August.  I did check on the pricing with Quidco & topcashback and via the hotel itself.  Booking on the hotel itself was the same price as booking using Booking.com via the cashback sites but if I went through Booking.com on it's own, not  through cashback, the price was cheaper.  

10yo had a bit of clear out of books in her room so I want to get them listed and I have a bag of bits I need to get listed on FB / ebay too.  

 I get paid at the end of this week, just as well as only £35 left in the grocery pot. I have a Gousto box for delivery this week as I have a month with 35% discount so in theory I should only need a few bits but managed to spend £106 in Tesco last week 😮 

No other money saving efforts to report. Weirdly MrM's pre-paid prescription DD hasn't come out of the account but I went online and checked and it says he's covered until the end of August.   I'll keep it logged and if it doesn't come out - pop it in a Monzo pot ready.

Better sign off and work! Hope you are all well.

Naomim

Naomim

Morning all,

Had a right old morning already!  10yo is going to school holiday club once a week and today is the first day.  Got her ready and MrM asked me to take his car as he needed petrol. Stopped for petrol and bought 10yo a hot chocolate.  I also needed to get her a banana for her packed lunch box so stopped again at the local shop. Whilst I was in there, she managed to drop the whole lot down her, all over the car seat. So we had to turn round and come home so she could wash and change clothes.  Couldn't go back out in MrM's car so had to take mine but I also needed petrol! 😒   I've just been googling about getting the carseat cleaned. Looks like I'll be out there with a bucket of laundry detergent and a scrubbing brush shortly.

I've had the notice from the mortgage company that our direct debits are to restart after the payment holiday.  Our payments are only increasing by £8 a month. I thought it was going to be more like £50 a month so this is a pleasant surprise.

I'm feeling a bit out of control at the moment financially. I feel like I'm creeping back into ordering more things and popping out more again.  I'm still checking the bank account daily and I can see the overdraft is reducing and the credit cards are coming down. Payday tomorrow and I plan to take all the spare cash out of the bank account into my Monzo account to try and control it a bit more and keep a hold on what MrM is spending.  

My phone contract runs out in August. O2 have messaged me to say my payment will remain the same so I need to look for some SIM only deals as the phone itself is fine but I don't want to be tied into an 18 month or two year deal as I can't guarantee the phone will last that long.   I need to start researching.

Plan for the weekend is to get the books 10yo doesn't want and some clothes I put by on FB and ebay.  I've only made £8.80 so far on Prolific this month.  I was off sick for a week so didn't do any surveys, then I've been busy catching up at work so not had much time except for short ones.  I have bought some re-usable masks on Etsy and gone via Topcashback so a few pennies earned there. I also bought replacement Nintendo Switch joycons as ours have broken. I've purchased via Topcashback direct to Nintendo so another small amount to come back.   I need to see if I can get the original joycons repaired.  We already had the switch repaired once after 15yo stood on it. 😕.  


Naomim

DancingInTheRain

With the pre paid prescription, do you pay this monthly? If so they only take 10 monthly payments across the year, so no payments on the last 2 months of the prescription, a bit like the council tax free months 🙂