NST December: Debt Destruction December

laurenh1

Hi all

Today was a spend day - booked the cake and venue for my sons christening. Tried to keep costs low- agreed Id clean up afterwards to avoid the 30 cleaning fee. Bought the cake from m&s as I can have it personalised and its only 35 instead of the 60 id been quoted by a bakers.

Kept to my "good habit" & put 14 pounds in savings meaning ive 620 in my emergency fund now. I had to pay 80 deposit for the christening after do so that will go to 700 once that's back. Need to prioritise getting more in my emergency fund. Hub agreed to do a bit of work for someone & get an extra 25 quid on thur so that will be saved too

Listened to a radio show on my way home about food banks and fuel poverty reminded me just how blessed I am. Martin Lewis once said something like "money isnt about money, its about quality of life" how true that is!!

Today I am greatful for- works Christmas lunch, hub bathing the kids before I got home & my wine from work saving me getting any in for xmas :cool:

mothernerd

A triumph of willpower today as most of my body parts were screaming to stay in bed. Strange breakfast finishing off the remnants of several bags in the freezer - they would have disappeared when the new food went in and then would keep appearing like a mirage and hiding when I wanted them.

Put away clean clothes and pots, more pots washed and machine loaded, did freezer audit, found tools for DS1 (sledgehammer, lump hammer, tree saw) and suitcase to be returned to it's owner (via mum). Food arrived, packed mine into the fridge and freezer and mum's into strong bags. Turkey, leg of lamb and 3 chicken breasts left to defrost (paperwork is back on my bed as I needed the waskhing up bowl for the turkey - at least I no longer have to make it cat proof).

Me, suitcase and 4 large bags for life to mum's. Played freezer tetris. Spent most of the afternoon on mum's bed. She had just had the suite and the dining chairs cleaned and they won't be dry until tomorrow so it was the bed or 2 old uncomfortable kitchen chairs (sat on those for our lunch).

Spent some time attaching loops to cards mum has received so far, with the most unco-operative thread ever, gold foil which twisted into the shape of the spool at every oportunity. Mum tried to explain how she wanted them done (she has spent 2 evenings trying to thread the needle, not easy with only one eye). I think she has forgotten that I spent most of my teenage years and a few either side, doing jobs like this for her.

Left the thread hanging over a wardrobe door, using the weight of the spool to straighten it a bit before the next batch of cards needs doing. Wrapped a pile of presents to go in a stocking to be handed over tomorrow (needed to rest my eyes as the lighting was poor) then re-started sewing up a heart shaped cushion.

Wasn't going to miss Pointless so spread bags across the couch (back is unpadded so that was dry). Lighting is much better in the front room too. Made tea for both of us, stuffed the cushion using an old pillow then appliqued a flower in shades of pink and purple onto the other side (one side has been signed by members of the craft group and I have chain stitched over the signatures) whilst watching mum's vet programme.

Budgets - need a decision apple. Yesterday's spend has taken me over budget £112.71/£100. I have therefore reduced my Christmas spend from £60 down to £50, travel down from £50 to £20 and taken the leftover £10 from my holiday budget and added £50 onto my food budget. Is this acceptable? If not I will use £50 of my Christmas money from mum to make up the shortfall, as I was unable to make myself buy the expensive material and the pattern I wanted. The food bought yesterday should take me part way through January but there are some things I still 'need' to buy.

I have bought 5 presents from the Oxfam unwrapped section - a pile of poo, a 'girl power' pack, honey bees and part shares in a toilet and a water well. There was a 10% off code so altered my order a bit (spent £55 reduced to the £50 I originally intended to spend).

Hoping that after tomorrow things are a bit less frantic.

Today I am grateful for getting things done when I felt yuck, for the cushion turning out well (getting rather good at just doing things from an idea in my head), for eating well from odds and ends and for feeling more in control.

bizzie

Yesterday was a NSD as the DC had a snow day so I didn't venture out as it had turned icy underfoot.
Today was a spend day including some YS items that were put into the freezer for later this month.
Some progress made in Christmas preparations - I've written a list!
Now to work through all the items in priority order.

Kerry_Woman

apple muncher - Some night's are better than others for sleeping. Am been positive that my sleeping will improve and look at good ways to improve it.

laurenh1

Hi all

Just checking in

Today is NSD # 9 so all budgets are the same as yesterday.

Had a bad night with the kids so only had a few hours sleep. Having a brew to wake myself up & watching the money show, this is helping my mental health in that I am taking it easy.

Not planning to explore but then off to Edinburgh this weekend

Greatful today for- only having 2 more days at work, my friend re doing ny hair for nothing on friday, the fire warming the living room

Fmess

Morning all,

Spendy day yesterday on chocolate. I went to get deicer after the trigger on my new bottle broke and I ended up using a whole bottle over a couple of days. They had ran out but I succumbed to chocolate.

Work is a little easier at the moment as the older students are in study leave but every class has sat tests so I’m constantly marking.

Today should be a SFD, I’ve given up on deicer!

apple_muncher

Mothernerd - your budgets do always seem tight. And complicated as you
buy for your mum too. Are you also buying extra for ds + beloved? Do they contribute at least to household stuff like loo roll, washing up liquid... Otherwise you are buying for more people than previously without upping your budget.

I'd prefer you to spend that cmas money from your mum on yourself. If you have decided that the expensive fabric is just tooooo much now that you have enough to buy it, then please buy yourself some other thing(s) instead.

So, you budget jiggling is fine - just don't leave yourself without.

mothernerd

Thanks a lot apple. Budgets may seem tight but they are wonderful compared to some previous times. When the children were small (lost my job at the same time I divorced my husband, as we were running our own company and he never paid maintainance) I would only have a few pounds left after the standing orders had gone out, to buy food.

Buying food and knowing there is enough in the bank (emergency fund is not in a separate account) to cover what I spend is a 'luxury'.

DS3 contributes to the household budget. Beloved did at first but she was using her savings and that money has all gone now. She has been looking for a job and sending out her CV - her mental health wasn't great when she first came but she's getting her confidence back now. They do buy takeaways, extra shopping and everything for the chinchillas themselves. I paid for their trainers but that was their Christmas present. I was so glad that Beloved has managed to alter DS3's diet and is now planning to drag him to the gym, I've been trying for years.

If the money/ information from the WTC people is correct then my budget is fine but I don't trust them to get it right so it's going to be piled up in the emergency fund for now. I understood that I was not allowed both WTC and Carer's Allowance but they seem to be counting the CA as income and I am still well under the threshold for getting the WTC.

I have always been bad at spending money on myself. My Christmas money from mum always used to be spent on supplementing the food budget (after I had bought a handbag/ knickers/ whatever had died during the year). I can spend money sometimes eg the Christmas decorations I bought on the way home from our holiday. I also know the danger of letting myself loose in craft/ fabric/ stationery shops (hence doing it online). Doesn't always help that some of it can legitimately be purchased as 'business supplies'.

I will spend some money on myself - maybe go out with a specific amount of cash in my purse. However I have bought quite a lot of clothes recently and a much needed new printer.

I do need to budget properly. Shopping for mum nearly every day is complicating things but I will get on top of it. I am more relaxed about putting food for me on mum's bills, as I am there most days.

I don't want to get too relaxed. I checked because I sometimes think I am 'fudging' the rules and in the end I am just lying to myself.

OOps, turned into a mega post and I was just going to say thanks.

misstara

Still on 5/15 NSDs as have spent the last two days. It will be a spend day today as I'm travelling back to see my parents before Christmas and was not organised enough to pack lunch/snacks and will definitely need a coffee along the way as it's a 7 hour journey.

Budgets - £70.25/£200 food (did a shop yesterday to keep OH fed while I'm away), £57/£100 social (lunch out with a friend on Monday) and £38.20/£100 fuel (still got quarter of a tank left).

Did Christmas shopping Monday and yesterday and I'm pretty much done. The only things left to do are buy my gran a present (usually get a plant/flowers so will buy on the day I see her), chase up OH's main present as I ordered it over 3 weeks ago and it's still not arrived and also get a few more stocking fillers for OH.

I've been having a good think about my five things for 2018 and have decided on 1. pay off all debt other than the car, 2. finally get my stomach issues/diet sorted out (currently keeping a food diary in preparation for seeing the dietitian, seeing everything written down makes me realise just how atrocious my diet is), 3. do more stuff (not entirely sure what yet but I'm really bad for spending my days off and evenings lounging in front of the TV not even really wanting to watch whatever is on so either getting out and about with OH and friends or doing more hobbies at home), 4. spend more time with my family (other than my gran who lives in the same city and OH obviously, my family are scattered in different parts of Scotland so going to make more of an effort to visit) and 5. explore our local area (this kinda ties in with 3. Within 30-60 minutes drive of where I live is a national park, various castles, lots of little villages, nice beaches, etc and we generally never leave the city. Now that we've got the car, we really have no excuse).

Being away should hopefully boost my NSDs as I don't usually spend much while I'm away. Once I get back, me and OH are going to have a wee clear out to get the flat ready for Christmas so should hopefully be able to get rid of 31 items.

I've still not been playing the game on my phone, however, eating more fruit/veg has been a total fail.

BadBookkeeper

Day 13 #19 Checking in:
Debt Plan - Still 4/15 not one todays as bought some chocolates on offer for my DS to gift to my parents. Also bought DS party food, some Christmas crackers and 2 [EMAIL="am@zon"]am@zon[/EMAIL] firesticks on offer for Christmas presents.
Exterminate - Slowly getting dragged back into FB world!! Need something to replace it with I think.
Clear up - Nothing here today
Explore - Or here
Mental Health - Slowly ticking things off so feeling organised. Nothing on at DS school today to remember which makes me feel I've forgotten something!! Just need DH to choose something for Christmas then I can say I'm done
Budget - Really hard as money coming in and going out all over the place! Friend owes me for stuff I ordered for her but I owe her for something shes making for me etc etc!!
Evaluate - List done and looking forward to starting it. Junior ISA opened for DS which was on the January list.
Remember - Nothing here again today will make up for it at the weekend.