Oops, back again...

lcc86

Time for my normal weekend check in...

My biggest surprise was that I didn't spend a single penny at my work Xmas do :beer: I did drive in the end, I'm glad I didn't get the train as a. it was freezing and b. the trains were all up the creek because of a signalling failure so I would've had real difficulty getting home! A wise decision all round in the end. The meal itself was good, company and games were great fun, it was all pre-paid and I got a free glass of prosecco, which was my only drink for the evening given I was driving, and then I just had the water that was on the table for the rest of the night.

Today I've just been catching up on housework - it was in a bit of a state, especially with having bunnies now, I keep finding bits of hay everywhere :rotfl: I've also done a little bit of cooking in the slow cooker (am making great use of that at the moment) and some studying.

Tomorrow is horse riding day, then off to visit my parents for a couple of days. It's my mum's birthday next week so am going to take her out while I'm there for afternoon tea or something. I also booked to go horse riding there too as my parents had a dentist appointment and mum was panicking that I'd have nothing to do for the hour or two that they would be gone for, so I booked that only for her to cancel the dentist and not tell me! I'll still go and ride though, there's fab riding where they live so it'll be a nice treat. Plus I submitted my second essay today for my Masters, and I've promised myself a treat every time I complete an essay, so it falls at a convenient time really.

Totals for this month are:
5/16 healthy days (the last couple of days have been particularly bad I must confess)
5/15 NSD's
£15.40/£20 spent on household and toiletries (I think I'll go over this as I've realised I'm running low on a few essential bits but not the end of the world)

Time for a workout as I've been far too lazy the last few days, then I must clean the oven and get back to studying. No rest for the wicked!

lcc86

Having a lazy couple of days at my parents' house, although I must say it's absolutely freezing even with the heating on! Think I'm a bit of a wuss but I always find their house cold.

Afternoon tea yesterday came in under budget which was handy, but I somewhat blew that out of the water by winning a coat on ebay as well yesterday. Been after one for ages and always get outbid so wasn't expecting to win tbh. £26 including postage, just have to wait for it to arrive now. Certainly not going to beat myself up over buying a good quality coat, they're over £100 brand new and I didn't want to spend that much! :rotfl:

Been looking back at the goals I set for myself for this year, surprisingly I've more or less achieved them all:

1. Be debt free by Feb - well I managed this but obviously ended up back here. Will be debt free again later this month.
2. Get my horse riding to an acceptable standard
3. Book a dream holiday - my initial thoughts were Australia or South Africa but I spent too much money elsewhere so revised my dreams and found a voucher for a camper van holiday in an old retro VW. It's not quite Oz or SA but it's something I've always wanted to do.
4. Fix my tattoos
5. Decorate the house
6. Make 2017 the year of "doing" stuff

In hindsight I think I wanted to enjoy being debt free for the first time in 10 years a bit too much and spent more than I perhaps should've done, which might be why I'm back in debt. But on the other hand, I've had some fab experiences and am on the road to having savings again. With that in mind, I've been thinking ahead to 2018's goals:

1. Get the last of the housey jobs done - I have a list of awkward things which need doing, none of which should be prohibitively expensive.
2. Lose the last bit of weight I need to lose - this is more about toning up I suppose and getting rid of my paunch!
3. Get the emergency fund to £1,000 and keep it there - I might need to dip into it but I need to make topping it up a priority if that happens.
4. Change get my spending mentality and stop spending at the start of the month - I'm getting better at this but always spend more at the start of the month so need to be a bit smarter about how I spend.
5. Take up something new - maybe a sport, hobby or learning a language.
6. Make 2018 the year of saving - I guess this just encompasses everything I've said above!

Hopefully there's nothing unrealistic on that list, things might change but I think my attitude towards finances is getting healthier and I'm more sensible now (I hope!).

Right, off to have some breakfast then walk the dogs, then off for my horse ride before heading home this evening.

lcc86

Horse riding was cancelled in the end on Tuesday, it was too icy so not safe to go out. Bit disappointed but safety first, don't want any injuries to myself or any ponies! On the plus side I saved money. Mum, dad and I went for lunch instead, just a pasty and tea, nothing fancy but it was lovely.

Yesterday I had the day off work and went to Olympia horse show. Have never been before and had the best time, really enjoyed it. I only spent £9 as well, £5 on a headband to keep my ears warm while riding, something I've been after for months, and £4 on drinks.

Feeling a bit fluey today going to take it easy. Have a bit of studying to do, some jobs around the home and then off to a friend's house this evening for a party (although I'll be driving and it's more of a foody thing).

Today would've been a NSD but our coat rack fell off the wall and broke yesterday. It's on my list of things to do next year but I guess it didn't feel like hanging on, so will go and buy one today from a local shop that makes them, nothing fancy.

System

All sounds good lcc , you will be debt free again before you know it. I love your camper van trip idea . My place to visit next is South Africa , then I will have been to all five continents. However 2018 is all about holidaying in the uk .

Have a good Christmas.

lcc86

Cumbria_lass wrote: »

All sounds good lcc , you will be debt free again before you know it. I love your camper van trip idea . My place to visit next is South Africa , then I will have been to all five continents. However 2018 is all about holidaying in the uk .

Have a good Christmas.

Thanks cumbria lass, it's definitely still on my wish list, I'll get there eventually!

Weekend has been good, took it easy yesterday then went to our friend's house for a few hours. Today was more chores and then riding with a few friends. It was really pleasant even though it was raining for some of it! Plus we had hot chocolate and mulled wine, yum!

Totals for this month are:
11/16 healthy days
10/15 NSD's
£22.20 spent on toiletries and household stuff

lcc86

Well yesterday I finally got round to paying my credit card bill so can now officially say I'm debt free (again)! Glad I recognised that I was slipping back into old habits early on and got on top of it before it got out of hand. Still no word from our management company as to how much the roof is likely to cost or when they want to do the repairs. This is the main grey area as I've no idea if we'll have to borrow anything to pay for it, but in the meantime we're just going to save as much as we can. At least now I have an emergency fund, something I've never been able to say before in my adult life (quite ashamed to say that!).

Last time I cleared my debt I stopped checking in as much as I no longer had a diary. This time I'm on the emergency fund thread which helps and will also join some challenges and check in on other people's diaries to help keep me on the straight and narrow!

Plans for the next few months are to keep saving, adding little amounts to the emergency fund whenever I can plus a regular monthly sum. Am off work now until till new year, time to get some studying done, get the house cleaned from top to toe, and also time to relax!

I hope everyone has a restful and enjoyable Christmas and New Year period, and good luck on your respective debt free journeys. :money:

Florence_J

Well done Lcc86!

Best wishes for 2018.

lcc86

Thanks Florence, and the same to you!