Spend Nowt, Buy Nowt, Owe Nowt

brizzlegirl

Oh and SL...nothing gets thrown away with us either. Even food scraps go to the chickens...unless it’s raw egg of course  

XSpender

Still skint and still battling the food budget.  Some sportswear for DS challenge and 2(!!!) new toilet seats required this month and I am frantically trying to hold on to the bit of spending money I have put aside and the house insurance sinking fund which I need for June.  Both DH and I have turned down nights/days out this month and I have ignored the early booking offer from the local theater.  I've also ignored the still on the blink cooker, noisy fridge freezer and saggy sofa which I would previously classed as needs not wants.  If I can mange to successfully cook a Sunday lunch for 7 I can hang on a bit longer for a new oven.  It was a close thing though.

In Jan we spent £247 on food excluding school lunches, booze, dog food, toiletries and laundry and anything DH spent on lunches at work.  In Feb it was £428 and March £244 so far.  That's for 3 of us.  I would be happy with  £350 for everything .

I have listed the freezer contents and have stocked up on an extra 4 pints of milk, cheese and bread to avoid going anywhere if I don't have too.  I am going to be using up what we have between now and our Easter holidays.

The virus has already impacted my work with 2 of my clients (with various branch visits booked) cancelling all contact for between 2 and 8 weeks!  I am half expecting DS school to close.  I can't believe how stupid people are about buying up loo paper, not a single packet in our big Mr A today, good job we hadn't run out.  Why the run on loo paper? It's utterly ridiculous! I could understand milk or bread but loo paper?

We will break the £2000 paid off barrier this month with a couple of cards dipping into the next thousand bracket, and one account into the next hundred bracket which is always nice to see.  We won't have used a CC for anything since Christmas Eve 2019.

I have one 0% carpet finance that I desperately want rid of as it would free up another £50/month and the balance will be under £290 by the end of the month but I just can't find the funds to do it.  I can't find any extra to put towards the EF either.  No opportunity for overtime, second jobs or of any items of value to sell.  

I'm expecting my take home pay to improve next month as my new tax code takes effect with my change of co car.

badmemory

loo paper = tissues.  Much cheaper when you are doing the blow nose once & throw away thing.  It avoids the temptation to reuse.

apple_muncher

You've done really well not to use the cc for so long, especially with all the potential spends vying for your attention. Well done you.

Suffolk_lass

You are doing really well resisting using your credit cards. I would concentrate on paying down and clearing the card with the shortest interest free period, or if you still have a loan on which you pay interest, looking to move that via a zero for cash advance option.

BTW thanks for your kind words on my thread x

XSpender

Suffolk_lass said:

You are doing really well resisting using your credit cards. I would concentrate on paying down and clearing the card with the shortest interest free period, or if you still have a loan on which you pay interest, looking to move that via a zero for cash advance option.

BTW thanks for your kind words on my thread x

I have one interest bearing balance left that will be BTd to 0% this weekend, everything else is on 0%.  £153.58 will end 5/20 but will be cleared in April and then I have £2575 due to end 6/20 which I have no hope in clearing before then as I am struggling to create a surplus each month to throw at it.  Any significant surplus would be put aside for our EF first as I have barely anything in this pot.  The next 0% expires in Nov 20 and is currently £5259.

I know focussing on the card with the shortest promotional period makes sense mathematically and would save us BT fees but I am working my debt snowball smallest balance to largest to gain some motivation and free up payments.  My 2 smallest are £335 and £775 and will free up £120/month if I can ever get them paid off early.

We are beginning to worry that our Easter holiday may be cancelled (H@ven).  We will be gutted if it is as this is our favourite family holiday each year and we are really looking forward to it.  I’m not sure what we will do if it is cancelled as rebooking for summer would be twice the price and just not the same.  We would receive a full refund if they close the site and at just under £1000 it would finish our EF or pay off those 2 smallest debts although I expect DH will want to spend some of it on something like a new oven and some treats in our week off but our spending money could cover this.

Verbatim

Or put the refund to the 0% ending in June....That might give you the motivation to pay off or at least massively bring down the rest of the balance so there's not much interest to worry about. 
Anyway sorry about the cancelled holiday. We've just had ours in April cancelled too. 

XSpender

Verbatim said:

Or put the refund to the 0% ending in June....That might give you the motivation to pay off or at least massively bring down the rest of the balance so there's not much interest to worry about. 
Anyway sorry about the cancelled holiday. We've just had ours in April cancelled too. 

That’s not a bad idea actually.  I couldn’t clear it all by June but I could get it under £500 I expect.

Holiday is still on as of today but expecting it will be cancelled if more restrictions are brought in.  I don’t want to go away and end up sitting in the caravan for a week    We don’t use the on site entertainment so that being shut isn’t a problem it’s if the local NT sites and local attractions and restaurants shut.

I’ve finally got around to doing the BT for the last interest bearing chunk and the tax bill, will pay the tax bill next and that will be a weight off my mind.

brizzlegirl

We are in the same boat re a holiday chalet trip in May. But am figuring we need something to look forward to so have paid up just today.

Crazy times. We have bought 3 tins tomatoes and some chickpeas. And some wet cat food. But that’s the extent of our stockpiling. We live in a city and are not high risk groups so figure we will leave the loo paper supplies and tins of beans for someone else...  

XSpender

We have been advised by H@ven we will receive an email tomorrow re our holiday, I’m expecting it to be a cancellation  . DS rugby has been cancelled for the foreseeable and his first ever tour has also been cancelled.  I have been expecting the cancellations, just hoping they don’t find some way to hang on to our money.  I don’t want a credit.  I am hoping I can cancel my annual leave too so I have more to cover childcare in the summer.

My DM is about 80 miles away from us so will try and get to see her this weekend before they go into isolation.  I am grateful that both she and my DSD have good health although the forced captivity will drive them bonkers as they are very active and do lots of clubs and activities.

I have felt quite anxious about the impact of the virus today which isn’t like me at all.  I’m a head down and get on with it kind of person.  I’m blaming it on the uncertainty about what is happening with our holiday, not having a few bits in DS would eat and TOTM!!

I am supposed to be travelling for 2 meetings this week but will Skype them instead since hearing the new rules this evening even though I dislike doing my meetings this way.  I am lucky in that I can quite easily work from home.

We used a massive pot of white paint we have had for ages to paint the down stairs loo and utility room yesterday and it is looking so much better.  We haven’t done a thing with either room since we moved in nearly 4 years ago.  I have also scrubbed ancient grout off the white tiles and used a grout pen to whiten the grout. I need sunglasses when I walk in there now  We will need to replace the under the sink cupboard door as the bottom is rotted and I am going to attempt to freshen up the work top with some sticky backed plastic and add a grey roller blind.  Ideally we need a new sink as the old white plastic one is damaged and stained and some Lino to replace the awful brown carpet tiles! We have agreed to challenge ourselves to complete the makeover for £100.  At least being stuck at home should mean some of the outstanding DIY jobs should get done.