£67,031.92 is a frightening number indeed....

Eager_Elephant

Hypno06 is a MSE legend - she cleared a huge amount of debt - this is her first diary - https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/397139
although she was posting on various threads before she started her diary.

When you eventually get to the last diary PM me and I will give you her new name and link to her new diary as she left a few years ago and has returned but incognito for personal reasons.

Treadingonplaymobil

Week 42: Day 5

Just think, if I'd been growing a baby instead of debt busting, we'd be done by now! Almost 43 weeks in. Is it wrong to be pleased it's a debt rather than a baby? No more of those please!

I am back home and slowly beginning to catch up with everything, but I feel like I have a million and one things to do and no time to do them (what a TOTAL change from normal!). Although I have just realised I am about to invoice for £700 from the people I worked for this week (this week's work and some other bits done this month), which will cover all of December's remaining salary and January's business expenses, and maybe even a bit of January's salary. I can't work it out in my head. £700 feels like a proper big chunk of income (even though it's not all profit) and explains why I have been so busy - it's been lots of little bits of work rather than one big project, so I kind of hadn't noticed it accumulating over the month.

Thank you for the DFD recommendations. I am really enjoying PG's diary at the moment (2012! Remember the days when you could get properly good wine in Aldi for £2.99?! That's inflation, that is) but have bookmarked the other recommendations too.

Right, bare essentials that need doing today:
1. sort out November's budgeting disaster and plan December's budgeting disaster (nothing like a bit of optimism ).
2. clear emails, work enquiries etc - bare minimum work admin.
3. put together the DCs' advent calendar.
4. check whether my mum brought any fabric with her for the tree skirt before she goes.

To do this week
1. put advent calendar together.
2. DO SOME CHRISTMAS SHOPPING - still have no stockings, no presents from another relative who has asked me to buy for the DC, nothing for DH....
3. fabric for tree skirt - need to check if my mother brought any down with her.
4. keep on top of work admin so it isn't a nightmare on Thursday when I'm home. Yeah, that went well. Not.

To do this month
1. Keep the total spend at the budgeted level - it's high on YNAB this month (£3,842) as it includes the £470 paid off the MBNA card and all our savings pots are actually budgeted.!This is not going well.
2. Keep a tight record of Christmas spends so I can ensure it sticks to budget as far as possible.!Ongoing.
3. Keep beavering away at my business goals.!Ongoing.
4. Make some candles - we've run out! And I know one person really wants another one for Christmas, so will add it to her hyacinth.!Done! Although I'll probably use them up and need to make more before Christmas.

Treadingonplaymobil

Well the numbers for December are slightly horrifying :eek: . Thanks to overspending this month, the mortgage payment on the SVR at £780 (as opposed to just under £700), the enormous spend on the car and anything else (mainly our fault) that feels like its come together in a perfect storm of spending, thing are looking tighter than a tight thing.

I think I'm going to have to relinquish a couple of savings pots I had going for the business (new laptop, a bit of training I wanted to do) which will free up around £200. I am simultaneously regretting and pleased that I reduced my Partnership card limit recently, as the lack of credit there is really forcing me to stick to my Christmas budget.

Really hoping a couple of booking enquiries I have come to something quickly - I can't extract any more from my business account until I know I have January's salary covered and I need to turnover a few hundred pounds before that happens - I can't take the stress of not having enough in January either!

Treadingonplaymobil

Finished today with another almost-definitely-confirmed booking (client says a cheque will be in the post tomorrow, booking will be confirmed when cheque is received) which reduces stress levels a tiny fraction, although it's really only a small amount of work/money.

Had quite a nice day in the end today, didn't stress too much, and a friend bought a load of old product samples off me which was another unexpected £50 in; always nice .

to do today
1. sort out November's budgeting disaster and plan December's budgeting disaster (nothing like a bit of optimism ). Done. Nicely stressful :eek:
2. clear emails, work enquiries etc - bare minimum work admin. Done.
3. put together the DCs' advent calendar. Done.
4. check whether my mum brought any fabric with her for the tree skirt before she goes. Done. She hadn't, but she did pay for the fabric in town as she owed me a tenner for a product I ordered on my work account a little while ago.

To do this week
1. put advent calendar together. Done.
2. DO SOME CHRISTMAS SHOPPING - still have no stockings, no presents from another relative who has asked me to buy for the DC, nothing for DH.... Should probably think about this at some stage
3. fabric for tree skirt - need to check if my mother brought any down with her. Done.
4. keep on top of work admin so it isn't a nightmare on Thursday when I'm home. Yeah, that went really well. Not.

To do this month
1. Keep the total spend at the budgeted level - it's high on YNAB this month (£3,842) as it includes the £470 paid off the MBNA card and all our savings pots are actually budgeted.!I think we can safely call this a total and utter, unequivocal fail.
2. Keep a tight record of Christmas spends so I can ensure it sticks to budget as far as possible.!Ongoing.
3. Keep beavering away at my business goals.!Ongoing.
4. Make some candles - we've run out! And I know one person really wants another one for Christmas, so will add it to her hyacinth.!Done! Although I'll probably use them up and need to make more before Christmas.

armchairexpert

How dire is the laptop? I'm super impressed that you have (had) money in savings accounts for things like training! I never quite get that far.

Treadingonplaymobil

Week 42: Day 6

Woop, a new month! I do love a clean YNAB slate to budget with. Obviously it would be nice if I was budgeting with rather more money, but you can't have everything, right?

I currently have £140 in my Christmas budget pot, despite having something closer to £800 left to spend. I have also included DH and my birthdays in the Christmas budget (they both fall within a couple of weeks either side of Christmas, so we tend to agree a budget for birthday + Christmas each, and divide it as we please). And if anybody wants to suggest not doing birthday presents this year, that ain't happening. I am about four years old on the inside and will not be missing out on my birthday presents :rotfl: . I love it when my birthday falls on a weekend, as it does this year - it's at the right time to put up the tree, drink mulled wine and eat mince pies, which is my absolute favourite thing, so it's the perfect birthday activity for me.

Hoping to be paid some invoices today - I am waiting for about £1,200!

Armchairexpert - the laptop is not remotely dire, but I know it's going to take me a long time to save, so I was trying to get ahead (that was a resounding success). I had only just started the training pot, so that wasn't terribly impressive either. I should probably focus on getting a few more months ahead in my business account, but that proved such a disaster last time I did - when I spent it all - that I'm nervous about having it all in one 'pot' and feeling too rich.

I absolutely must phone up Partnership today - my new CC never did arrive, and the old one has now expired, so I can't do more than spend £140 on Christmas until it does!

Really hope our mortgage happens in the next week or two, in time for January's mortgage payment, and to get rid of the Tesco loan.

DH has strung up the activities advent calendar with fairy lights and it looks really pretty. The children also have a chocolate one and a picture one each, sent by relatives, so our house is advent-tastic. My lovely step mother also sent me a tea advent calendar, which I'm rather excited about, as I haven't had an advent calendar for years. Feeling quite festive now! I'm really pleased I've managed a full advent calendar's worth of activities, without having to resort to any little gifts - I usually end up bulking it out with a few lego minifigs or similar. I won't say the calendar is exactly budget friendly, as the Christmas eve lego set is fairly enormous and expensive, but it's nice not to have added any tat to it.

We are off to friends' this weekend, which will be lovely, although we probably all could have done with a weekend at home. They are very good friends though, and will be happy for us to have a quiet weekend, as we're all a bit exhausted!

Hyacinth experts, should mine be coming in from the dark/cool room yet?

to do today
1. pack for weekend away
2. pack orders for smaller business.
3. buy gingerbread to eat in the car on the way to friends' house (that's today's advent activity, and I can't face making it!)
4. do some more Christmas knitting - I am working on a hat for DH, it's a much trickier pattern than I expected, but I'm enjoying learning some new techniques for the first time in a few years (provisional cast on and german short rows, fellow knitters).
5. ask around for recommendations for goose/turkey legs - haven't ordered yet, would really like a local free range one. We do have four butchers within one mile, so I'm assuming one of them will be able to provide!
6. check advent activities for the next few days and make sure we have any crafty/baking supplies needed.
7. order some Christmas presents - Friday normally involves sitting on the sofa with DC3 while she watches TV, exhausted after four days at preschool, so can be quite good for knitting and online shopping .
8. plan month out in my bullet journal, including business goals.
9. check on the hyacinths.

To do this week
1. put advent calendar together. Done.
2. DO SOME CHRISTMAS SHOPPING - still have no stockings, no presents from another relative who has asked me to buy for the DC, nothing for DH.... Should probably think about this at some stage
3. fabric for tree skirt - need to check if my mother brought any down with her. Done.
4. keep on top of work admin so it isn't a nightmare on Thursday when I'm home. Yeah, that went really well. Not.

To do in December
1. finish Christmas shopping!
2. buy DH's birthday present while I'm doing the Christmas shopping.
3. make some more candles.
4. don't try to do too much! I already have a few client bookings and lots of work I want to do, alongside the Christmas stuff. I need to make sure I don't get overwhelmed again.
5. update debt totals at the end of the month, to ensure we know where we are as we start 2018.

cocalls

regarding goose for xmas

my inlaws got goose one year for a change, this was years ago and whenever the subject of what meat to get for xmas comes up FIL always goes on about the year we had goose how expensive it was and how little meat there was-if i remember there was barely enough to cover 6 of us for the meal, he always says never again.

How about the free range chicken you get, you rarely have meat and with posh HM stuffing it'll still feel like a treat.

Verbatim

We are usually three at Christmas and buy the largest goose possible, still not very big, and it's delicious but very little meat is left. We do a hfw recipe and confit the legs first and make terrine with the innards, so at least we get another few meals. Much better taste than turkey imo but it is expensive and don't expect leftovers with five.
Can I suggest dropping candle making from your to do list? Hope the money rolls in quickly.

Suffolk_lass

I bought my little (medium) frozen turkey crown in Morries last week and the frozen geese were in the next freezer compartment. They were just £30. I am going to get one for the Sunday before Christmas. I have paid £70 before now for a large goose from the butcher. It was delicious. So was the supermarket one I bought last time for less than half the price. Morries have high animal welfare standards, were the only brand untainted by the horsemeat substitution scandal, source all their meat in Britain and from farms they know.

Your money, your choice.

I am loving the activities! I am making Granny's recipe fudge, shortbread and mince pies today, but all for the coffee and craft sale tomorrow. I have some Christmas cellophane bags for the "Made in nnnn" stall and just about to print my recipes for the jars with ingredients and recipes that make good stocking fillers. I must also do a social media alert to some of the things on my n-Bay stall (all buy it now or best offer).

Treadingonplaymobil

Yesterday's lists...

to do today
1. pack for weekend away. Done, at the nth hour.
2. pack orders for smaller business. Not done, but can wait till Monday.
3. buy gingerbread to eat in the car on the way to friends' house (that's today's advent activity, and I can't face making it!). Done - outsourced to DH.
4. do some more Christmas knitting - I am working on a hat for DH, it's a much trickier pattern than I expected, but I'm enjoying learning some new techniques for the first time in a few years (provisional cast on and german short rows, fellow knitters). Not done, but DH is out with his mate today so hoping for time to knit (while in charge of three children. That'll happen...).
5. ask around for recommendations for goose/turkey legs - haven't ordered yet, would really like a local free range one. We do have four butchers within one mile, so I'm assuming one of them will be able to provide! I had forgotten that the husband half of the friends we are staying with worked on an organic goose farm last year and is friends with the owner, so hoping for some mates rates, he's going to call today and see if he can get us one.
6. Check advent activities for the next few days and make sure we have any crafty/baking supplies needed. Not done, must add to today's list.
7. order some Christmas presents - Friday normally involves sitting on the sofa with DC3 while she watches TV, exhausted after four days at preschool, so can be quite good for knitting and online shopping . NOT DONE. :eek: :eek: :eek:
8. plan month out in my bullet journal, including business goals. Not done.
9. check on the hyacinths. Not done. Hope they survive the weekend, their hiding place is pretty darn cold.

To do this week
1. put advent calendar together. Done.
2. DO SOME CHRISTMAS SHOPPING - still have no stockings, no presents from another relative who has asked me to buy for the DC, nothing for DH.... Should probably think about this at some stage
3. fabric for tree skirt - need to check if my mother brought any down with her. Done.
4. keep on top of work admin so it isn't a nightmare on Thursday when I'm home. Yeah, that went really well. Not.

To do in December
1. finish Christmas shopping!
2. buy DH's birthday present while I'm doing the Christmas shopping.
3. make some more candles.
4. don't try to do too much! I already have a few client bookings and lots of work I want to do, alongside the Christmas stuff. I need to make sure I don't get overwhelmed again.
5. update debt totals at the end of the month, to ensure we know where we are as we start 2018.