2018 New year, new focus and new mission

Choccygirl123

Yesterday was an unexpected nsd! Hubby took youngest to hospital check up and for the first time ever was in and out without parking charges....that's a win!

Rent arrived today, child benefit yesterday so there's money in there again! Have paid £125 music lesson and £30 school trip today. Rest of balance is spoken for including £100 payment of hubbies 0% CC, £55 for the animal's booster jabs at vet and hubbies professional fees of £29ish.

Choccygirl123

Haven't totalled up the debt for a while. We've been paying normal repayments and min of Cc. I've just increased the min to a round £100 so I at least feel like making a start. With Christmas looming I want to stay out of the OD and survive without adding to the debt and keeping EF at 1k.
From January we'll be in a better place and can start over paying properly.

Zopa1 £3900.46 :j pleased to see this under 4K
Zopa2 £9091.81
0% CC £3707.03
Total today 7/11/18 £16699.30
Highest debt 22/6/18 £18577.57
Paid off 10.1% :j:j

Choccygirl123

I feel like crying this morning - one step forward and three back.

Hubby's work notified him they've made a mistake with his pay and contributions to his travel and education from months and months ago. They've overpaid him around £1075. It's from around 18 small claims and their system to work it out so complicated we've not noticed. They'll be taking it back Dec £400, jan £400 Feb £275 approx

My salary has clicked onto ssp so it means we're really tight on budgets and thank god we have the £1000 EF.

I've called Barclays about our residential mortgage to ask for a payment holiday for 2 months. Unfortunately, they don't do them, but they have moved our DD from 1st to last day of month, which means next pay is due 31st Dec as paid it on 1st Nov.

It's not ideal but I hope we'll be able to move it back (and pay two instalments when pay all back to normal. ) It's not the end of the world, but gives me an extra £501.39 in December. This covers the £400 hubby is down and extra £100 more than we would have had because of my ssp.

Our belts are going to be so tight I think our legs may drop off. I have bought the kid's main Christmas presents but no real little bits, books or pjs etc. We've agreed we're not going to add to the debt but need to budget to make every penny count.

Need to catch my breath, get a cup of tea and chill out. I've not even checked my accounts yet, so will update in a bit.

Choccygirl123

After the overpayment bombshell, we realise that we need to watch every penny every minute! We have vowed to not add to the debt over Christmas, ensure the children don't know it's anything but a normal christmas, we will scrimp save and thrifty our festive period and we will stay focussed. Christmas cannot be paid for from the EF!

Yesterday I paid all the school trips, music lessons and usual niff-naff, hubby filled his car full and these payments are all pending on our account. This means our available cash is £473.59 which is nearly all accounted for and needs to last the 22 days until pay day!

I have set the food budget at £225, which works out as £10 a day for a family of 4 with two teenagers 3 meals a day. I'm hoping to get this down to £180 - 3 x Saturday shops £60 each.

The kids have £20ish on their school meal accounts, but I'm encouraging them not to use this. I've been making soup so having something warm. Have suggested hot chocolate and a sandwich from home, but good to know they've got it there just in case.

The budget - £473.59 available
Food - £225 - aiming for £180!
Vet visit - £55 (can't cancel as booster yearly jabs)
Cleaner - £56 (can't cancel as have to give month notice anyway and with my disc issue/health i can't do)
0% CC min £83ish & OP - £100
Hubs prof fee - £29.25
Total budgeted = £465.25 /£473.59 - hopefully squeeze food so extra £45 leftover

Choccygirl123

Well things aren't going to be as bad as we think. They're going to start taking the money on the 31st December, which is fab. We still have the 'spare' mortgage payment, but are going to try and save as much of that as we can because Jan, Feb & Mar could be tight if I'm not back to work.

Proactiv refund hit - This was remaining £19.99

Yay - postcode lottery £10 win arrived!

Decided not to just spend the win, so I've sent two payments to our zopa loads to round them down and the minimum is £10 - so £11.81 & £10.46. I know seems crazy when we've had thehubs overpayment stuff, but it's my little way of celebrating. With refund and win the account is slightly higher than it was yesterday.

Account balance available £481.31

Have been doing surveys like a mad woman and I've managed to get my total up to £16.12 in a space of a week in my spare time. Please use the link if you'd like to join https://www.prolific.ac/p?ref=SBHYAXXR

Having a lazy day today. Both kids off on school trip and not back until late, so we're off to catch up with good friends. Spends will come out of our personal accounts, as there's nothing spare.

Choccygirl123

Had to buy toiletries £14.25 so trip to Morrison's as don't like Aldi ones. Spent total £42.76....ouch! £17.94 on food on offer we prefer to Aldi things...like beans, clover spread & birds eye chicken pies. Also bought huge joint of brisket which asked butcher to cut in half one for tomorrow and one for fridge bargain at £10.57. will roast and leftovers will be blitzed for spag Bol. Budget was £60 but will allow £5 from next weeks for beef. Going to Aldi for rest tomorrow and will try and keep it as close to remaining budget £22.24 as possible. I'm expecting it to be £40 ��

Hubby had to order couple of books for his studies from amazon £20.08.

Balance left available in account £418.47 after all spending
EF £1000
SPC £27.75
My joint £257.40

Choccygirl123

Post has only just arrived but it brings a £10 refund and apology letter from the Royal Mail. I paid for a guaranteed next day delivery parcel to my friend and it arrived the day after. Will add it to the joint account when I finally get to the bank!

That's remind me still waiting for £25 from bio-oil and need to change £15 old notes - both of which need to go into my own account.

Choccygirl123

Quick check of bank accounts and available balance is £418.47.

Not a lot going, but needing to Aldi this afternoon for rest of food shop. Need to keep it low spend! Should be £22 ish to keep to budget, but happy if under £40.

Choccygirl123

We shall remember them[/COLOR]

Choccygirl123

Well Aldi shop did £51.54 which was r a surprise! I'd been aiming for u