DaringToDream of a Debt Free Life!

DaringToDream_2

Morning all,

Been a bit lazy in updating my diary this weekend, think it's probably because i was a bit naughty and did a massive food shop (£60:eek:) on food that i didn't even need for this week. In my defence it was lots of fresh berries which are pricy and other healthy things because i was feeling really run down and i could feel my glands coming up. Haven't done a shop like that in weeks and i've only been eating my freezer batch cooking and cheap super noodles. Think in all fairness i've probably taken the not buying food a bit too far and this was the result, so perhaps next month i'll try and sneak nice fresh food in every now and again to try and prevent big splurges like that happening.

Have been doing a bit of finance admin this morning. I have a regular saver that is due to mature at the end of the month with £800 in it. It was all earmarked for my tuition fees which are payable in October, however i've looked into paying in instalments and found out i can pay half in october and half in January. I already have the October instalment saved in a separate account, so new plan is to put £700 of the £800 against my credit card (which also has crept up this month but should bring it down to around £700, and then keep saving £100 a month meaning i'll still have the full amount in time for the January payment. The plus side for this is that i'll also be accruing interest on the money i've got saved rather than paying it all to the uni in one go. Have also got £330 due in wages from job 2 so will put that against OD.

Really need to get a grip of the finances though and need to pay off the CC and OD ASAP. Aside from the holiday which i now think i am going to have to really lean on OH for, i also have 5 weeks unpaid off work coming up early next year to finish my part-time uni course (i've decided this is the last year i am paying tuition). I'm actually taking 2 months off in total, but 3 weeks will be leave and flexi so only 5 weeks will be unpaid. I've staggered the leave at either side of the 5 week unpaid chunk so i'll still have a little coming in each month, but i figure i need about £1500 in savings to cover living costs, and will have to lean on OH too, so once the CC and OD are gone a new line will appear in my sig block for leave savings, alongside the holiday fund. Hopefully will be able to overpay the loan a bit too but we shall see, that might be a bit ambitious.

Wow massive update post and brain dump of all my thoughts about my finances- seeing it all on paper brings it home how much work i have to do, so off to try and find some extra shifts with job 2!

Hope everyone is having a lovely (and very MSE!) weekend.

DTD xx

DaringToDream_2

Quick check in before bed. Really busy week- 2 long days working out of the office, plus 2 evening classes and trying to get the house sorted for OH coming home in 3 days!!

Good thing about working away is that I'm on expenses so is cheap, bad thing is that I'm shattered and feeling all overwhelmed again. Only 2 more days until I'm on leave for 2 weeks so just got to push Til then and then I can relax!! The low spend days have also been offset with a huge splurge shop of nice things for OH coming, and then family visiting too. Very naughty but I think justified. I'm going from a quiet empty house of just me to a very busy full house by Friday. Will be lovely, as great as the new house is I love having people in it with me, and coming from a big family for me that is what makes a house a home!

3 days Til OH is back and 2 more working days Til leave- always counting it down :rotfl:!!

DTD xx

DaringToDream_2

Quick update while i'm busy panic cleaning the house before OH gets back tomorrow. Bit worried i've fallen off the wagon a bit and overspent on food in my excitement to have OH home and get all the treats in. Will sit down on Monday (Payday) and work it out and hopefully the damage isn't too bad. 3 days til payday and no real plans to should be low spend until then. Proper update on Monday when things have calmed down and i know where things are money wise.

DTDx

DaringToDream_2

Another quick update, but promise a fuller one soon. Just loving having OH and step son at home so trying to make the most of every minute with them.

Bank changed my account meaning I lost my interest free overdraft, which is annoying but good in the sense that it forced the issue to pay it off quicker. So just waiting for the money to credit and then that is gone (only 10 years after graduating!! ). As a result of having to find the cash to do that I've had to put a few more things on the credit card, so just waiting for everything to credit, but I think that will have gone up to about £1400 (needed new glasses :mad:). So will update figures once the dust has settled but now will only have 2 debts- the credit card and the loan to focus on.

DTD xx

Hiddenidenity

Nothing wrong with enjoying the time with DH x

Have a lovely day x

DaringToDream_2

Ok so figures seem to have settled so update on figures.

CC1: £1356.27/£1021.82 (+334.448:mad:)
CC2: £0
OD: 0/876.13 (-£876.13)
Loan: £13614.46/£13848.31 (-£233.85)
Total debt £14970.73/£16062.60 (-£1091.87 in total)

So good progress this month although some of that has come through necessity and having to use some of my emergency fund to help clear the overdraft so i didn't get stung with massive fees when they changed my account over. Things like having to buy new glasses also didn't help so am trying to build up a little fund to help with unplanned expenses like these so it doesn't have to go on cc. Definitely could have done better though, went crazy buying food for OH coming home and definitely overspent there so can do better, and definitely a frugal month planned once OH goes back to work. Surveys going well, Onepoll up to 35.45 and Prolific at £14.55, and still £63 cash back waiting to become payable so hopefully will be able to get my hands on that soonish and be able to pay off a bit more cc this month, or at least stop it from going up! Also working 2 days this month in job 2, but won't get paid for that until 1st October payday, so won't see the benefits for a while.

Feeling better now the debt is only in 2 places, much easier to keep track of and really glad the student overdraft is gone after 10 years :eek:. Next goal is to pay off the credit card and then start saving for the remainder of my uni tuition which is due in january, holiday fund and time off work fund! No more overpayments on loan until my savings are back at a decent level so i don't get into debt when i have my 5 weeks unpaid off work next Easter. Once that is out the way i will then start tackling the loan and try and get it paid off a bit early (current end date is Dec 2020 :mad:).

Hope all is well out there in diary land.

DTD xx

mummytogirls

So glad you're enjoying some time with the OH DTD xx

DaringToDream_2

Thanks Hidden and Mummytogirls. Loving having him home so much, can't wait Until next year when this contract ends and he is home for good!! Xx

DaringToDream_2

So has been over a week since i posted (naughty DTD!).

OH went back to work yesterday, and DSS has gone back to his mums so i'm sitting in a very quiet and empty feeling house wondering what to do with myself! Did sit in the bath for an hour just because i could, but house is now tidy, laundry done and drying in the garden (although keeping an eye out for rain), and surveys caught up on so now i don't really know what to do with myself!

Wasn't too bad money-wise while OH was here, although i am going to have to be really good for the next 3 weeks until payday because 1) I've had to pay for yet another hen do and 2) WE'VE PUT DOWN A DEPOSIT FOR A HOLIDAY!!! :j:T. So excited i can't even explain. Not only will it be quality time away with OH after him working away for a year, but it'll also be our first holiday in 4 years so i just can't wait. Now i just need to get saving to pay off the balance in December, which means debt repayment will slow down (but not stop), but i don't really care because time together is more important. Deposit was paid in cash though, and the money we'd saved through cash back and surveys paid for almost half of it so definitely progress from putting it on a credit card! Now just need to start saving again for the rest!

DTD x

DaringToDream_2

Been catching up with admin this morning. Money is not looking great thanks to holiday deposit and hen do, so really need to be sensible this week. On course for a NSD today, and car is full of petrol so will try and work a few london days this week when I am back at work to save on fuel. Fridge and freezer are also looking good (albeit full of leftover kids food like babybels and kids yogurts) so food might be a bit interesting this week but will still be able to eat well and only spend minimal on a bit of fresh stuff.

Pottering around the house today finishing off catching up on the laundry before I'm back at work tomorrow. Dreading being back but like the routine so back to eating well and exercising after 2 weeks of over indulging!