Spend Nowt, Buy Nowt, Owe Nowt

lindez

Congratulations for your OH really pleased things are working for you x

Suffolk_lass

Yes congratulations to your DH. I suppose now is a good time for you to look around as I'm sure you will look to remortgage once DH has three months with this employer too!

XSpender

First thing I looked for on his contract was how long his probationary
period is! It’s 6 months so we will have to wait until the end of the year to remortgage.

Moneyfordreams

Just read this diary... I did read you previous over on MFW . fab new on your husbands new job :T:T:T

XSpender

Moneyfordreams wrote: »

Just read this diary... I did read you previous over on MFW . fab new on your husbands new job :T:T:T

Thank you. He started on Monday and is loving it.


I feel that my light bulb turned off over the last couple of months but has come back on a bit if still a bit dim as DH has gone back to work. I don't know what our budget will look like until we know what DH average wage will be. His basic is 2/3rds his last job but we will be saving £150/mnth on fuel and his car tax should be significantly lower. He will also be earning bonuses, something that was never going to materialise at the level he was promised in his last job.

Things are going to be tight until we can remortgage on to a better rate. I had planned to part consolidate in June then when DH lost his job I was adamant I wouldn't consolidate when we remortgaged but if things continue to look really tight I might need to reconsider.

One of the biggest perks of DH new job is that he is in the house for 6pm! We can actually eat together as a family, not just at weekends, work on the house, spend time together or exercise on an evening

Today I rang 5ky to swap to the broadband deal on the MSE email. It wouldn't go through broadband genie so I rang them and they honoured the reward by crediting my bill with £100, much more useful than the M&S voucher and I get a £50 m/card too I also claimed the 20% discount the boiler cover people were offering. I've saved £350 in total today

I did look to change my gas and electricity tariff but no savings to be had. Best deal was £8/mnth cheaper with my existing supplier so I will ring them direct and check I am on the best tariff.

Every little bit is a help at the moment.

WannabeFree

So glad things are looking up for you

x

lindez

great savings well done, so happy things are looking up for you xspender x

XSpender

DH is still enjoying his new job

I am unhappy with the way my company has gone about my, and colleagues, request for a pay review. Suffice to say we won't be getting one. :mad: It is a toughie because I enjoy the work I do for my client and feel very appreciated by that business but not by the one that actually pays my wages. I will make it a goal when I am on holiday shortly to get my CV updated and out there.

We are absolutely brassic this month and no amount of cutting back is going to make the books balance This is because DH will not get paid until the end of August and my salary and the bit I had put aside to cover the mortgage are not enough to cover a month's outgoings. We will have to use a credit card to cover some basics. DH has been advised he will get a guaranteed bonus of some sort for the next 3 months so that will help us get back on an even keel. I expect our debt level to back where it was at the start of the year by the time DH is paid again.

The interest rate rise will cost us another £30/month on the mortgage until we can remortgage in January. The consol is looking more and more likely but we will look to clear almost all the cards, knock 6 months off the term but keep the 2 loans running as one has less than half the term left. I am going to close all but 1 card as I need a back up for work.

I have started the 6 week fitness programme and am feeling great I've been sleeping like a log, feel slimmer and my skin looks brighter. My scales say I've lost 2lb but it feels like more. The food plan looks really bland and strict on paper but I have been enjoying the food. The exercise is tough and I went for my first run in a long time yesterday and did a 2 hour bike ride with DH and DS. They are both keen cyclists, DS has been able to ride really well since he was just 4, and are going to have a boys adventure on the bikes next Sunday while I will go swim a mile I think the food plan will have a positive impact on our food spending as I have not bought much and no beer or snacks for me and only a small amount for DH and DS (no beer for DS obviously )

XSpender

Lost 3.4lbs this week but don't expect to have done as well this week as have been away with work and have either eaten off plan or not at all as no decent choices. Also have a class to catch up with as couldn't face 3 in a row so didn't go this morning. Will get weighed Wednesday so hope to have lost a total of 7lbs by then.

Our food bill has decreased and as DH will be doing it with me from next week he will stop spending a fortune on lunch at work and drink less beer it should stay low until early September.

We have to pay for the last bit of work that we booked before DH lost his job to pay for today. Our debt balance will be back over £50k by the end of the month.:( DH has been told he will get guaranteed bonuses for 3 months which will be about £3k after tax This will help reduce the debt, fill a small emergency fund, buy paint for 2 rooms and a blind for 1 room and cover a scaled back Christmas. Oh and a new doormat

DH has been approached about 1 job that has a larger salary and is closer to home and has seen a job today that again has a larger salary and is very close to home. He is going to apply for both as his days of feeling loyal to an employer held him back at the place before last and did him no good at his last job.

DH and I were talking about Christmas this morning and DH would like some nice food and drink, I would like a couple of family events (already have panto tickets paid for) but we agreed that there will be a lot less spent on presents. DH has already had a 2nd hand piece of sports equipment for his. I expect we could do Christmas for £500 if I can reign DH in a bit as he always wants to buy last minute extras for DS. On my list for DS so far are a Tom Gates book, a box of craft supplies put together by me from B&M etc., an outfit and a pair of headphones. I have requested the £50 I got from 5ky for moving my broadband and will have this and about £40 amazon vouchers shortly to go in the Christmas pot. There is also about £60 in my £2 tin and half a pot pig full of change.

By the end of the year we are planning to decorate the bedroom that had to be plastered and possibly paint the dining room. It only needs a tin of paint and a blind for the bedroom and a tin of paint for the dining room, we have everything else. These are the only job we are going to do this year and next year as we are going to save up for a 2 week holiday and pay down the debt. We will put any more jobs on hold until at least the year after. We said we would take 5 years to do this house and we will have decorated (and plastered), furnished and bought soft furnishings for every room but the living room, a bedroom and the utility room! Actually we have bought 1 piece of furniture, a picture, light fittings and curtains for the living room over the last 2 years!

Best go guzzle some water so I get through my 2.5 litres today:eek:

Suffolk_lass

This all sounds very positive and I'm loving the low-key Christmas. For years we went mad. I honestly think we could have paid off our mortgage by now if we had reined it in a bit. I have given away so many Christmas add-ons that are so unnecessary. It is large white paper napkins for me in future too. It sounds pathetic, but laundering damask napkins and ironing and folding them - just one example of the OTT load I placed on myself. As for bronze-feathered organic turkeys? lovely when wee win the lottery. I am fast approaching retirement with a debt well over £50k. Take heed XSpender and don't be diverted from your plan!