Second time lucky... debt free diary.

charlies_tribe

Good morning.
Was a long day yesterday. Was up early for the deliveries. My f!tbit was delivered, set it up and then did a quick sweep before mr T shop came. Put all that away and had a cup of tea and Amazon order arrived. Got ready for work and walked the 3k. Then did a full shift on Self serve, first time since I was poorly, my legs were like jelly last night and I finally dragged myself off the sofa about 1am.
DH was just coming up to bed this morning when he asked if i'd ordered from mr I (van had just pulled up as he looked out the window). Realised it was after 10 and jumped out of bed to answer the door in my pj's.
Both lots of shopping came to £98 we are halfway through the month so migh go through my posts just to get a round up of what we have spent this month so far.

Checked the banks and not a lot happening there.
Dh has been given his holidays! We were looking last night and now it's all the more expensive caravans left! Need to speak to my sister and get it booked.

Going to get DH up soon as he isn't working tonight, not sure what we are doing for the afternoon but I'm working from 6-midnight. So not sure if it will be a NSD yet but the sun is shining so at the minute I'm working on the washing pile.

charlies_tribe

Just going to post a round up here so I can find it easily at the end of the month. Added in the £4.10 I've remembered from last night for DH crisps and cans for work as the canteen has been taken over and now cheaper to buy it off the shop floor.
Groceries : £266.80 +DH spends the other day
Fuel : £73
Medical : £59.10
Pets : £68
School : £15
Christmas: £25.68
Misc : £88 DVD, Hoover bags, F!tbit.
Debt : £449

charlies_tribe

Morning.
Yesterday we booked our holiday! £479! There was only the more expensive caravans left and after everything this year we really could do with some time away. Did it through TCB and got £25 then my sister asked me to book hers and she will bring me the money today (I really hope she does as borrowed it from the children's account!) she has had a bit cheaper caravan as doesn't need the heating, we need it for DS. So another £420 paid and £21 cashback.
There is £121 left in the holiday fund for spending money at the minute.

Also bought a sandwich and some more throat stuff yesterday at work. Think I might have to go to the doctors as it's not clearing up.

Also need to do a major overhaul of the budget/soa, Logged in to the bank this morning and tax credits must have updated, I knew they were going to drop now DH working full time not part time, but wasn't expecting it dropping by 3/4 (175 a week less, we get the disability rate too). Will do it at the weekend when ive hopefully got some paperwork with figures to work from. So now I feel bad for booking the holiday!

I am now off for 17 days so want to do some things with the children as up to yet they have only played in the garden or walked to the park. Need to look at some free days out but also have a lot of mr T vouchers to use. Need to sort uniforms and shoes too.

charlies_tribe

Just logged into tax credits and today's payment says it's a 1 of while still sorting DD leaving education (she isn't but we can't update it until she gets her gcses next week)
So they may drop even further.

On what we Have had today and our basic wages, we need to find an extra £480 a month! Will go through everything later to see where we can save some more but I think it will be debt payments to minimums and cutting the savings accounts right back.

missymoo81

Hey Charlie's tribe, thought I'd come on over, sounds like you're doing really well with keeping track of everything. Although you need to find £480, it sounds like you have a way to manage it, you're doing amazingly. Keep your chin up x

Poor_Single_lady

Agree- you are doing amazingly. Hope you can balance the books. xxx

charlies_tribe

Thank you both. I will get it sorted tonight but think ive about sorted it.
School uniform shopping today. Normal Uniform £133! DS logo'd uniform, blazer and pe kit about £100, need to check sizes he has already an need at least 2 sizes bigger, cant believe he hadn't mentioned before how small it was. If I get them big enough they should last him the last 2 years. Still need shoes, trainers, lunch boxes/bottles, track suits and socks/tights. There is £66 left on the card to cover some of it.
Luckily the main uniform was paid on the gift card from the internet transfer so hasn't actually cost me anything.

Had letters from tax credits but only for the final of last year to say we were overpaid by £163, still no idea what payments will be for the rest of this year.

I've got £114 payable in TCB but think I might have a gift card ready for Christmas.
Dh gone to bed as at work tonight so will do the SOA while it's quiet.

charlies_tribe

Old SOA and in red where I am going to try to cut it. I am going from yesterdays CT payment giving us an income of £3002 a month. This may change.
Mortgage 581
Gas and elec 120 Going to work on bringing this down
Lessons and school 120
Hp ink 8 May be able to drop down a level saving £4
Netflix 9
Car tax 20
Fuel 100
Council tax 150
Pets 100
Food 650 Will work on this. I'm struggling to get it below the £150 a week for the 7 of us
Water 59
Home ins 24 Had renewal letter, going to do a comparison and pay in full from yearly bills acc saving £24
Tv 13
Life ins 14
Phone/internet 40 Should be £34, need to watch phone usage!
mobile1 7 DD hardly uses, might save a few pounds going to topup
mobile2 34 will drop to sim only in feb
Lottery 18 Convinced DH! Cancelling!! Saving £18
Park 55 May cancel this year and pay straight into Christmas acc
Yearly 10 xbox and prime, can come out of yearly saving £10
Yearly bills 200 Reducing to £100,just wont be building up for car replacement etc
Holiday £200 reducing to £100
Christmas/birthdays 200 reducing to £100
Debt payments 750 reducing to £600
Total £3482 £2980

Any extra will go to debt payments, clothing hair cuts etc. I know we should scrap holidays but they are only little once and it just covers a week away together x

Cherryfudge

Hope you're starting to feel better?

Lots of good stuff on the new SOA. Keep some form of holiday if you can: it makes all the difference even if it's a weekend away. Glad you convinced DH to cancel the lottery

charlies_tribe

Evening.
Cherryfudge, throats still sore but seems to be a bit better, thank you.

New savings amounts are sorted. Need to log into other account tomorrow to cancel lottery. Just done a quick comparison and home insurance is £102 compared to renewal of £290 and at minute has £120 cashback. Will check all the amounts and everything with DH in the morning in case I've missed something.

Can't believe the price of holidays in the school holidays, we always went June or September before they brought in the fines as DS struggles when it's busy and he also has a habit of wondering off (losing him on a packed beach was the worst feeling ever!). Seems to have caused holiday companies to put prices up but hopefully we might manage a may or October half term.

Looking at ordering fridge next week (finally!) But need to look if the doors are removable. Was just looking at the one we have and realised it won't go through the door! Can't for the life of me remember how it came in... it might be staying after all! It may have come through the French doors before the conservatory or we still had the old wooden doors that had wider frames.

Had 2 extremely lazy days so need to get on with the cleaning and tidying tomorrow. I've got a massive amount of washing to do too.