Get a grip !

Skint_yet_Again

Plans for next few months just posting to feel less anxious as at the moment I have debt and only £100 in my emergency fund.

Balance 0% credit card £648 pay £50 nov, £50 dec, £50 jan = £498 still to pay. Should have £160 car loan plus £100 emergency fund plus £50 usual payment in feb 2020 to throw at this, leaving £188 to pay off in March.

0% Car Loan was £7500 balance to pay now 1/11/19 £160 1/12/19 £160 finishes 1/1/2020 £140.

Emergency fund £100 + £100 oct £100 nov £100 dec £100 jan = £500. I could use this £100 a month to pay off 0% credit card early but feel happier having a bigger emergency fund.

Once car loan is paid off in January I will throw everything spare at 0% credit card ,then top up emergency fund to £1000 then start long term savings.

Current balances

emergency fund = £100.14

Bills Account £640.58 =
Dog food £25 (£15 pm)
Annual bills £255 (£100 pm)
Car fund. £360 (£30 pm)

Xmas/birthday = £250.04 (£50 pm)

Long Term savings = £0

savingwannabe

OMG Skinty don't beat yourself up. I feel like this quite often but later after the panic is over I realise that we might not have much but we have our houses and jobs and we are saving what we can. We can only do our best and we do. We are miles ahead of other people and behind the millionaires. The people that should be worrying are the one's that have not saved at all.

Pay off the max you can when the cc payment is due (on time but not too early to avoid interest) but do keep £200 in an emergency fund and then work on increasing that. In America they need a £1000 emergency fund realistically we have a great NHS and £200-300 should cover most emergencies or call out fees unless the roof blows off which is highly unlikely in which case we will use our credit cards anyway.

Sorry about the delay in replying - I have been entertaining parents and moving bits around.

Skint_yet_Again

Thanks for your kind words SW. I will just feel better once my emergency fund is building up and my loan & credit card is paid off !

Had a lovely massage this morning £20 budgeted for, my neck & shoulders feel wonderful. Then walked the dog it was a lovely morning although very windy. Did one load of washing just my work clothes & hung out to blow about before the rain started. So it will finish on airers.

Have done nothing all afternoon apart from relax & nap & watch TV.
Just back from taking dog to the park between showers.

Have worked out my food plan till payday on Thursday

Breakfasts sat-thu,
Cheese on toast - sat
Egg on toast - sun
Porridge, banana, yoghurt (mon-thu)

Lunches. Sat-wed
Cheese sandwich
Curry noodles x 3 packs left
Home made Pumpkin soup
Jacket potato, cheese & beans

Dinners. Sat-wed
Breaded chicken fillets & chips
Pizza & garlic bread
Home made Curry & rice & popadoms
Shepherds pie x 2 (HM in freezer)

savingwannabe

Yum. It is so stormy outside. Hope it is ok by you.

pinknsparkly

Meal plan sounds yum, and the massage sounds WONDERFUL! Hope the wind has died down now. Going out in that weather is definitely good exercise, but not much fun!!

Skint_yet_Again

Thankfully the weather was dry today but wow it was cold brrrr!!

De-iced the car this morning. Towels mostly dried on the line, not much sun but a bit of a breeze blowing. Finished on airers. Heating definitely on tonight ! 3x 15 minutes kept the chill off.

I have withdrawn £10 from Xmas/birthday fund. Colleague who trained me 30 years ago is retiring at 56. Makes me feel old but wish it was me ! Need cash for his collection and want to buy a poppy. Most things I buy on contactless these days but need cash for these.

I will take shoes to post office tomorrow on way home from work. Postage is pre-paid & I have requested replacement.

savingwannabe

15 minutes. OMG no wonder my heating bill is so high. I have had it on for a month almost at least one hour in morning and at night. lol.

It is awful when good people leave work. Well done on contributing to something.

I am supposed to be washing towels but I don't know if its worth line drying. If you are I will I guess. It's blooming freezing. lol.

Skint_yet_Again

My house is a mid terrace with cavity wall insulation and holds its heat well. That's 15 minutes in the morning to take the chill off, then 3 x 15 minutes later at 5pm, 7pm & 9pm = total 1 hour. I don't have a thermostat just thermostatic valves on each radiator so 15 minutes on full blast warms the room then another 15 minutes later on keeps the temperature up enough at the moment. In the kitchen/dog room we have the oven on in the evening which helps and at night I sit in the living room with a furry throw. We will have the heating on more as it gets colder.

It's grey and cold here but windy so just put another load of towels out. At least it's dry today, forecast is rain for rest of the week.

I took shoe parcel to post office after work. It's inside the coop and they had 6 chicken portions reduced to £1.13 and braised beef in ale with mash half price £1.40. Couldn't resist, will freeze them and take the money out of next months food budget. Just off for a walk with the dog.

savingwannabe

Happy walking well done on bargains. :j

[Deleted User]

Well done on the bargains, Skint yet Again. I'm a little bit jealous of your colleague - he's younger than me and he's retiring. I'm definitely having my heating on too much, so that needs to change if I'm ever going to retire.

bln x