Finally found the strength to get debt free 💪

Angela84

Well I bought it. I hate spending money but I really don't wanna risk my chickens lives jnan unsafe second hand coop. It's an investment as it's free eggs for life!
I also then went and bought some skin cream I've seen recommended on my support group on fb, I have melasma and other sufferers have been seeing great results.
So that's all put me back a month in my debt repayment plans but I'm hoping to start working from septmeber so hopefully I can even it all out again and keep it for June

Angela84

Got a nice cheap day today planned, Aldi to do mini week shop plus get picnic things for today, tomorrow and Saturday.
Buying a brand new chocolate fountain from a friend for my sons birthday present for £5! He'll love that.
Picking up 2 coffee tables my auntie said I can sell and keep the money, very kind!
Got friends coming for dinner tonight and saving the pennies by not ordering a takeaway for £40+ but instead cooking Mexican for everyone.

Angela84

Yesterday was lovely, a long park visit with friends and a picnic, then home for dinner with more friends.
Bought lots of picnic stuff bought ready for tomorrow too.
Today just need to buy birthday cake and his last 2 presents, I've tried to keep the tradition in our family that you get one gift for your birthday, from each person, but my mum and nan ask me to buy his gifts and I then give them to them to wrap up, as they never know what to get him.

Also collecting a bundle of girls clothes today as I knew my 2yr old will be coming into the next size, and we've got some friendly Facebook groups that people give things away for free so I put a post on there and had lots of responses. Everyone is so kind.

Just paid £100 to virgin so only £100 to go next week. The login website is so rubbish, can't wait to clear that one. In fact everything I've had to do with virgin is rubbish, their TiVo box I own is the slowest thing ever. Still haven't called to cancel that, I need to sort a new broadband provider.

Had a nice surprise when I received the money saving email today about logging in to view my credit score this month, its gone up to 962/999!

Cherryfudge

Aw, frizzles are so cute! And they will be all safely tucked up in their new home when the weather gets tough. Mine will have to have a secure run (already got that - just no chickens to put in it) as there's a murderous sparrowhawk who is devastatingly handsome and makes dinner of big fat pigeons, kindly leaving the remains for us to dispose of.

Well done for the freebie clothes and the credit score. I used to love getting clothes passed on when the kids were that size. We had some lovely things given.

Angela84

Good luck getting your bantams! My lot seem to like their new place!

What a busy and fun weekend, it was the local carnival and my sons birthday so yesterday was so much fun, lots of friends came over and we were celebrating all day and well into the night!
Didn't spend any money luckily as we took all the food and drinks we needed and the children were treated by nanny to a few fairgrounds rides.

Now for the tidy up.

hannahroberts1985

Evening Angela,

Thanks for checking out my diary I thought I'd return the favour and read yours.

Pleaseeee tell me how you get your food shops so low....what meals do you serve? I'm a vegi too but try and feed the kids meat as don't want to force my believes on them.

Also I love the park idea I joined the national trust but haven't made as much use of the pass as I should have and all the places are a good 20-30 mile drive away. I may chance and try local parks instead. X

hannahroberts1985

Oh p.s your going fab xxx

Angela84

Well bank holiday weekend well and truly tired is all out! Was a nice cheap one though!
Yesterday we went to the beach with a big picnic, the only money spent was £1 each for the arcades which turned into tickets and they swapped them at the kiosk thing for sweets so the children we all happy, and on the way home I'd run out of picnic so had to grab some crisps and drinks.
Am pleased with myselfnas at the beginning if the day I'd borrowednsome money as was worried I'd end up spending loads but I kept my sensible hat on and so I've given the money straight back.


Now we've got a couple of quiet days so I can get on with house stuff and have a couple of phone calls to make.

My food shop budget lowering has been an ongoing project Hannah, haha!
Monday I do a chilli in the slow cooker which covers Tuesdays as well. It's simply tins of all different beans, passage and a spic mix packet. Serves with rice and grated cheese. Total cost about £2 for 2 nights dinner. My children all love it (and ask for it most nights). Another night might be all day breakfast for example, bacon, eggs, tomatoes, beans, toast. Another meal that costs £4ish for all of us. Spaghetti, jar of sauce, tuna, sweetcorn, total cost under £2.50.
As it's summer and so warm I'm quite happy with salads and cheese and crackers for dinner some nights, that's another cheap one.
The key to all of this is Aldi. It's so much cheaper than Tesco where I used to shop. There's less choice which at first I didn't enjoy but now I live it. No faffing about choosing which brand of spaghetti you want, there's just one packet of spaghetti, pick it up, move on! Cheap fruit and veg which I personally find great quality, and no distractions or offers to make you spend more money.

And yes, the park idea was a brilliant one this year for us, I once looked at national trust but all are so far away too!

Angela84

Just checked banking and have been paid today instead of Friday unexpectedly, so that's the virgin credit card gone! Forever!
In my mind that quite a momentous one, as I only took that credit card out in April to pay off a £1600 NatWest student overdraft I have had since I opened the account in 2002. I've dragged that around with me for 15 years. God knows how much I've spent on charges over the years.
I'm so glad I finally had my lbm. Of course I wish I'd done it years ago. And I've not exactly been ignoring everything and not paying it, I've just been coasting along, watching everything slowly rising and just kept thinking, one day I'll get round to clearing it, I guess I was assuming I'd win the lottery or get rich somehow and clear it all in one go.
But I'm glad I'm doing it this way, along with reading a lot about minimalism it has well and truly rewired my thinkings on spending and what we actually need to have in our lives.

glass_half_full

Fantastic, must be a great feeling!!:beer: