Taking back control

Little--fish

Hello all :wave:

This is my first ever post despite having been reading these forums for many years, usually daily, for advice, inspiration, and motivation. When I first started reading I was over £10 000 in debt (CC's, loans, overdraft) and have almost completely cleared this now - apart from a final £690 on a CC which I need to be rid of before the 0% interest period ends in May.

I've been building towards plucking up the courage to start posting for a few months now, but having never posted on any online forum before, I've always felt a bit nervous - I'm not sure why! Anyway, I really feel that having a diary on here will help me with my money goals, to keep on track, and hopefully get some support too. I'm looking forward to contributing to other people's diaries too and to joining a few challenges as well!

A little bit about me - a single mum of two little ones, have been on my own for three years, since the youngest was a few months old, and it has been very hard at times. They are brilliant kids, but juggling both of them and their individual needs, along with working and looking after the house - and being a money saver! - has not always been easy. At times I've felt very overwhelmed but as they are getting older the 'finding it hard to cope' times are becoming fewer.

Since I started on the money saving path and reducing debt/saving I have taken it on board more and more as a way of life - being frugal, re-using/recycling when I can, budgeting, and generally thinking about what I really need, compared to what I might want. I'm also aware that as there is only my single income to take into account, that I need to be even more careful watching the pennies if i want to do anything 'big' like save for a house deposit (scarily big goal!) and keep on track with pension, etc.

So I hope to update this diary regularly, I have a few aims and goals for this year and I will write about them in more detail in the next couple of posts. If anyone has read this then thank you and I hope your money saving journey is going well!

EssexHebridean

welcome to diary land!

Honeysucklelou2

Hello! I'm also a single mum, juggling children, home and work. Well done for clearing your debts. It's encouraging to know it can be done. All the best with your aims and goals..

Little--fish

Thank you Essex Hebridean and Honeysucklelou2 for your welcome and kind words!

It has been a good NSD day here - it almost wasn't as I was really getting quite desperate for a piece of cake towards the end of the day, but thinking about this diary and that I could be recording a NSD made me hold back :j. It would only have been a couple of pounds but I am really trying to watch every pound this year and save as much as I possibly can. I figure that if I resist these little urges (as well as the big ones!) that over the course of the year it could add up to a couple of hundred pounds, maybe more - and that will do nicely in helping pay off the CC!

I might aim for 10 NSD's in January - I will count up how many I've done so far (have been keeping an expenditure spreadsheet) and update later!

Little--fish

Well, now the kids are fast asleep I've had a chance to look at my new 2017 expenditure spreadsheet (which I am already a teeny little bit obsessed with - thanks again Frugaldom for providing it ) to check on NSD's so far.

I was quite surprised to see that I've already had 6 in January! So I think, instead of my earlier goal of 10 in January, I'm going to set the target for 15 It will be tough but I want to really stretch myself this year.

I figure that while the kids are still young is a good time to do it - they are relatively financially undemanding at the moment, almost all clothing is passed on from older cousins, they have enough toys, are happy doing free/cheap activities, etc. - probably the single biggest thing is food! They have big appetites, and while I'm lucky that they will eat most healthy and fairly cheap stuff (I try to cook nearly everything from scratch) - so soups, stews, porridge, eggs, etc. - it is taking more and more to fill them up as they get older. Particularly noticeable at the moment with fruit - they can get through several pieces a day - each! I'm grateful they have good appetites for good food but it takes some planning to keep to a reasonable budget. I think it might be good, in the near future, if I start to meal plan more than a couple of days in advance...........but for now, tomorrow's meal plan is:

Breakfast Porridge for all, fruit, and a single-egg omelette each if they want one
Lunch Leftover HM soup, my fourth day of it (red lentil, tomato, carrot, etc), oat biscuits with soft cheese, beetroot and cucumber
Dinner HM Pizza - tomato, cheese and any veg hanging around in the fridge.

Fingers crossed for another NSD tomorrow!

LauraB89

Hi Little Fish - wow sounds like you have done an amazing job paying off so much!

I have found that meal planning has saved me loads - I always look online at what is on offer that week before I plan my meals, that can usually save me quite a few pennies!!!

Welcome to diaryland xxx

Little--fish

Hi Laura!

Thanks for your reply and yes, I'm pleased to have almost paid it all off - but it has taken a number of years and I could have done it much quicker if I was as frugal in the early years as I am now! I have definitely got better as the years have gone on - I think money saving can become a bit addictive - and for me, the motivation to be in a good financial position has increased massively since having children.

It looks from your signature like you are not far off having paid everything off too - well done! Are you also saving for a house deposit? That's my really big goal - to buy a house for us - but on a single wage I fear the deposit will need to be huge :eek: Hence the reason for saving, literally, every pound!

I'm definitely going to do a more formal meal plan - and your tip to check online first is great - thanks!

LauraB89

Hi Little Fish - we are saving into the ISA - but we have had an offer accepted and a mortgage approved and are hoping to move in March

I always do a full meal plan of 5 meals per week - and as this lot will tell you, LOADS OF SECRET LENTILS hahaha!! And lots of tasty leftovers

You are doing so well, it wont be long until you are buying your own home - you sound like you have the steely determination of a woman with a plan!
xxx

Little--fish

Wow - that's great Laura!!! How exciting to be buying your own home - you must be so excited for the move in March!

I think I am hoping to be able to buy somewhere before I reach 40 - so within about 4 years. That should give me the chance to save a decent deposit - I am thinking 30 000 or 40 000 will be necessary on my single wage :eek: which is absolutely frightening but perhaps possible if I literally concentrate on where every penny is going.

And on that note......another NSD chalked up for today :T Was quite a tough one as we are short of fruit, but the kids had an apple each at my mums and then a BIG tea of homemade pizza so they were ok. I've promised them a trip to Lidl to buy more fruit in the morning so it will not be a NSD tomorrow! HM pizzas were amazing btw - dough done in the breadmaker then topped with what we had in - if it weren't for this diary I would probably have just bought a cheapy Lidl pizza so the diary is doing its job!

Oh and DS and I made banana bread this afternoon with a couple of seriously black bananas so puddings for the next few days are sorted - yay!

Really feel on track for January. Will have a proper look at spends so far on Sunday when it is half way through the month, would love to be ahead of myself :cool:

Bobarella

Good luck Little Fish, you sound like you've had a heck of a time, but are doing so well.

Little--fish

Thanks so much Bobarella - yes, things haven't always been easy but I've got a lot to be thankful for - with the kids being top of that list!

Second on the list tonight would be having an open fire, I get so much pleasure from it and it is very MSE as well. I do buy some coal but forage/collect as much wood as I can. Living by the sea I am lucky that we can go down to the beach and collect driftwood - the kids love to do this and see who can drag the biggest bit back to the car. Then they like to give me a hand to saw/chop it up when we get home! So we lit the fire straight after school pick-up today and after the first coal burn we (well, I) loaded it up with foraged wood - so no heating on at all today, just hot water bottles once we got into bed.

Tomorrow I'm feeding my two plus their two little cousins for tea so have got a HM soup out of the freezer and will put a loaf in the breadmaker first thing to go with it - the cousins are bringing apple and blackberry crumble and cream with them for pudding - yum yum yum. So porridge for breakfast and something simple for lunch.......but I need to think what - yikes!