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

Peggybabcot

I've just sat down and created a spreadsheet of our debt with an action plan to pay off as much above the expected payments as possible. You said something about looking at it as a percentage which kinda focused me. I'm finding your thread inspiring. So once again, thank you.
I suddenly realised I only have about 17 years until retirement *gulp* Where did life go?! *sigh*
Congratulations on the continued overpaying by the way. x

Treadingonplaymobil

Blimey, I'm tired out! I downloaded a habit tracker app today (I've realised that although I eat moderately healthily and do daily yoga, I'm actually missing some of the basics like getting 5 a day and walking 10,000 steps, plus I want to improve some of my housework habits), and it turns out that 10,000 steps is a long way! I can't believe how low my daily step count has been recently. It's called Productive, and so far I'm really impressed.

To do today:
1. Make bread. Done! Two loaves, one now in the freezer.
2. Bake for clients tomorrow. Done! Need to ice biscuits in the morning, can't be bothered now.
3. make pasties and put together a picnic dinner for DH and the children to eat in the car so they don't have to stop at a services. Done!
4. clean house for clients tomorrow. Mostly done! Will finish off in the morning.
5. Post on social media for work. A tiny bit done, but not enough really.
6. Work on smaller business for a couple of hours. Nope. Poor little business
7. Plan out weekend working for maximum efficiency while DH and children are away. Done! I've realised I won't have that much spare time by the time I've seen clients and caught up with one friend, but at least I won't have overly high expectations of achieving loads.
8. Knit socks. A bit of progress, not finished.
9. Mend fancy dress costumes so they can go away into the cupboard ready for the next dressing up day at school (so many of these at the kids' school, we have ended up with quite a costume collection!). Not done. Piled up in dining room to make me feel guilty over the weekend.
10. Order essential oils so I can make more candles. Not done. This afternoon has totally got away from me, most unlike me to fail on so many items!

To do this week:
1. Look into changing bank accounts and decide whether we want the hassle (I rather like having all our accounts available under one login, not sure I want to open up three new accounts).
2. Make the statement payment to the barclaycard (it will come out by DD if I don't pay it manually, but I like to get everything lined up as early as possible so it makes my YNAB look prettier). Done!
3. List old unloved handbag on eb@y.
4. Order birthday presents for child 2 and child 3.
5. Plan birthday parties so anything needed can be ordered in.
6. Declutter one room - I feel like the clutter in the house is bothering me again, it's been building up over the past few weeks.Done! Going to attempt to get the kids' room done too by the end of the week.
7. Take lots of photos for social media at an event I'm going to on Thursday. Done!

Cherryfudge

Treadingonplaymobil wrote: »

Blimey, I'm tired out

Me too... reading all the stuff you've got done. :rotfl:

That app sounds interesting, I might look into that. I use a habit tracker in a bullet journal but an app might be more thorough.

Don't get too guilty about the pile of costumes. Maybe you should put them in a neat stack with something pretty on top to let yourself know you can do wonders with your hands and brain?

Candles sound lovely too... now I want to try making candles even though most of the family get wheezy with scented ones!

Treadingonplaymobil

Cherryfudge wrote: »

That app sounds interesting, I might look into that. I use a habit tracker in a bullet journal but an app might be more thorough.

Don't get too guilty about the pile of costumes. Maybe you should put them in a neat stack with something pretty on top to let yourself know you can do wonders with your hands and brain?

Candles sound lovely too... now I want to try making candles even though most of the family get wheezy with scented ones!

I love the idea of a bullet journal or similar, and I do have a Filofax which I use for planning my week, but even though I adore notepads and pens, I have accepted that what I actually have with me and to hand all of the time is my phone. Much easier to plan and track most things on there really.

Re the candles, have you tried pure essential oil ones? I am allergic to most artificial scents, but not to 90% of essential oils (although I put ginger in one candle once, which I am not remotely allergic to as a cooking ingredient, but it definitely disagreed with me as a scent!)

Treadingonplaymobil

Week 4: Day 7

Gosh, the last day of my fourth week! In some ways it's flown, in others it's been painfully slow. I'm so proud of the amount we've paid off the debt (around £1,100), but hyper-aware of the enormous amount left, and wishing I could do something more proactive to clear it. I'm trying to remind myself that until I have more childcare, I am absolutely working at 100%, I just don't have more hours in which to achieve things. It's not like I ever sit and watch TV and could cut that time to work harder - I work evenings and weekends while DH has the children.

Busy weekend ahead, mostly working but am indulging in going for a coffee with a friend this afternoon. First time I will have spent any money in a cafe/bar/restaurant since LBM, and I feel very guilty. I do have £115 in my personal kitty which I have been saving for clothes, so the money is there, it just feels very wrong to actually spend it!

To do today:
1. Feed sourdough starter.
2. ice biscuits for clients
3. finish cleaning house for clients.
4. Post on social media for work.
5. Knit socks (I'd like to get past the heel on the second sock).
6. Order essential oils so I can make more candles.
7. Don't get tempted into browsing shops after coffee with friend - I'll end up blowing the budget!

To do this week:
1. Look into changing bank accounts and decide whether we want the hassle (I rather like having all our accounts available under one login, not sure I want to open up three new accounts).
2. Make the statement payment to the barclaycard (it will come out by DD if I don't pay it manually, but I like to get everything lined up as early as possible so it makes my YNAB look prettier). Done!
3. List old unloved handbag on eb@y.
4. Order birthday presents for child 2 and child 3.
5. Plan birthday parties so anything needed can be ordered in.
6. Declutter one room - I feel like the clutter in the house is bothering me again, it's been building up over the past few weeks.Done! Going to attempt to get the kids' room done too by the end of the week.
7. Take lots of photos for social media at an event I'm going to on Thursday. Done!

Lots still left on my 'to do this week' list: I'll sit down and concentrate on it for a couple of hours this evening.

ada-or-ardor

TOPM, may i ask where you order your oils from? I love burning them and would like some quality ones, but haven't yet found anywhere with a good range?

You are doing so well just 4 weeks in, go you! Enjoy your coffee today - it's coming out of personal spends and well worth it, so try not to feel too guilty. You're being responsible for your debt and paying back every single penny - you're allowed a treat every now and again too!!

Ada

Moneywhizz

I have been following your diary and think you are doing a great job, sticking to your budget and beginning to make a good progress with paying off the debt. You do seem to be managing a very busy life and working a lot of hours round about looking after your family. I just wonder if you would make more money working these hours in a regular job? Have you counted up what your hourly rate actually is from your self employed work? Your initial soa said £250 monthly. Considering the hours you put in, it doesn't seem to be paying you that well. Of course if you enjoy what you are doing and will be able to increase that income when your children are all at school, it is probably worth the sacrifice just now.

Anyway as you say, you can't work any harder than you are already doing and you have made a great start. Well done.

Treadingonplaymobil

ada-or-ardor wrote: »

TOPM, may i ask where you order your oils from? I love burning them and would like some quality ones, but haven't yet found anywhere with a good range?

You are doing so well just 4 weeks in, go you! Enjoy your coffee today - it's coming out of personal spends and well worth it, so try not to feel too guilty. You're being responsible for your debt and paying back every single penny - you're allowed a treat every now and again too!!

Ada

I order from https://www.enaissance.co.uk and https://www.abbeyessentials.co.uk. I don't know how good their ranges are if you're an expert, but I've never failed to find what I'm looking for at one or other place. The both offer a range of sizes for most oils too. There are probably cheaper places, but I'm always worried about the quality when it's somewhere really cheap, as you're basically relying on the honesty of the company to put in 100% the oil that they say they are.

Moneywhizz wrote: »

I have been following your diary and think you are doing a great job, sticking to your budget and beginning to make a good progress with paying off the debt. You do seem to be managing a very busy life and working a lot of hours round about looking after your family. I just wonder if you would make more money working these hours in a regular job? Have you counted up what your hourly rate actually is from your self employed work? Your initial soa said £250 monthly. Considering the hours you put in, it doesn't seem to be paying you that well. Of course if you enjoy what you are doing and will be able to increase that income when your children are all at school, it is probably worth the sacrifice just now.

Anyway as you say, you can't work any harder than you are already doing and you have made a great start. Well done.

Possibly I could earn as much in a 'normal' job, but the flexibility that my businesses give me is worth a huge amount to us as a family - if I have a quiet month (where I only earn that £250-ish), then I'm around lots and we do things more as a family, but in a busy month (like January was), I might bring in more like £2,500, and be rushed off my feet (let's not discuss how much money i was throwing away in months where I earned that much pre-LBM!). My hourly rate usually works out at something like £10-12 per hour by the time all my admin time etc is counted in. It's not amazing, but for the flexibility etc it provides, the sum makes sense for now. Obviously I hope to be earning more like £2,000 every month once the youngest starts at school too, and be working more normal hours, and with a higher average hourly rate, which will make these leaner years worthwhile, I hope! And yes, I absolutely love love love what I do, which is worth a lot. I HATED having a 9-5 job, even though I worked in a creative industry with lots of variety.

kindofagilr

Well done TOPM you are doing so so well xx

Moneywhizz

That is great that you will be able to earn so much more when your little starts school. What a difference that will make to your debt free date. In the meantime every little helps!