2018 New year, new focus and new mission

Choccygirl123

It's finally here! Hubbies pay has arrived into our joint account and the balance looks healthy again. We scrapped through without touching the overdraft and carry forward the 49p!

EF is back up to £1000.11 and I've moved my spends into my account. Every penny we have coming into the house goes into the joint and we both have £220 each into our own accounts. This is for clothes, beer, shopping, all birthday and Christmas gifts and entertainment. A lot of friends think it's strange, but it works for us and keeps us equal and hubby earns x5ish times more than me.

Postcode lottery direct debit has been taken and available balance is £2221.33. Still have child benefit and the rental income to be paid in and a lot of direct debits will start flying out tomorrow. I need to sit down and work out the budget, but it's great to know Christmas presents are bought!

Choccygirl123

Budgets done for next 4 months on my spreadsheet. Need to keep tight rein on them as the hr mess up overpayments are being taken back J,F &M.

My house insurance due for renewal and it's shot up without any changes or claims. Called Churchill and they've applied a £65 discount so only £3 a year more than last year.

My phone bill wasn't right after a recent change so called EE and they've sorted it out and applied the agreed discount.

Feeling positive that making the right moves towards tackling the debt!

Choccygirl123

None of the direct debits have gone yet, so bank looks great - but it won't last for long.

Went to an Iceland's food warehouse and spent a whopping £149! We've filled the freezer with meat, stocked up on bargain curry sauces, bought few bits and bobs and Christmas presents and the trolley was stacked! Will definitely make a visit every 6-8weeks for freezer supplies.

Choccygirl123

Nothing to update on bank, DD pending. Should be low spending as hubby nipping to Tesco for some veg so £5 or under.

Looking forward to updating debt total as had my dairy nearly a year. After this month's DDS we should have £16250ish outstanding. Currently paying roughly £400 a month repaying debts so have approx 41 months until we clear it. That's far too long so planning on making a savings chart which is broken into £50 blocks. Hopefully once hubbies overpayment gone and I'm back to work we can get overpaying properly. Breaking it into £50 chunks makes it seem more achievable.

By overpaying £200 it'd drop the repayment time down to less than 28months! I'd love to smash this and clear it all by 31st December 2020. It's going to be hard as can't really start until April so leaving £15k to clear in 21months

Choccygirl123

Looking at our oustsvding debts and the finish date of the 0%.

Zopa 1 - £3889.45 (£99.80 / 15/1/2022)
Zopa 2 - £ 9079.44 (£197.50 / 22/8/2022)
0% Cc - £3607.03 0% finishes 1/12/19 (min £83.40)

My plan is to spend every spare £ to get rid of the CC to get it cleared before 0% finishes. I've rounded payment to £100 which started couple of months ago. I need to average £337.91 over next 11 months 😩 going to be struggling as can't start until April!

Choccygirl123

3rd December and the first wave of direct debits have gone and the school trip money, huge shop money and couple more DD's are pending. It always amazes me how quickly the money flies out. If only it came in as quickly! Balance £1421.85 - Available balance £871.01

Rent and child benefit due around 6th £788.80 & £137.60.

Choccygirl123

Spent today sorting out a stack of mail that's been collecting in the kitchen drawer for months. Caught up with few phone calls and found my game reward card which has £28 worth of points. Happy days.

More direct debits left today (2x EE, couple other bits and hubby withdrew£120 for house repair) balance £601.45 /available balance £570.44

Mortgage and insurance pending to go out £482.35 & £8.81) and still waiting for rent and Chikd benefit. Looking good for our budget this month, with the help of the mortgage payment being pushed from 1st to last day of month...giving a month's grace. Going to transfer £400 to put into EF so it doesn't get dowby

Choccygirl123

I hate this gap at the start of the month. Our wages have been paid and all our bills have been paid and there's not a lot left in the account. I know we're making progress as there is still cash in the joint, but we need to save and budget harder to this leaves more!


Balance today £77.52 / avaialble £45.78
EF £1000.11
My own account is looking healthly with £200ish and the rental income and child benefit is due tomorrow.

Choccygirl123

That's our income arrived until pay day. Have moved £250 into our EF rather than the £400. Need to be realistic with a budget over Christmas and figure best to have a bit more space than save nothing.

Rest of month spending
Fuel £70
Last Xmas presents £40
Food ? Good question
Trip to Xmas market lunch & treats £50
Cc repayment £79.50
Cinema trip meerkat day £15

We haven't much planned over Christmas, parents visiting for few days weather permitting. Hoping to visit a Christmas market as treat for kids do at least done something christnasy. I'm still not fully mobile so it'll be fun in a wheelchair, but looking forward to a family treat.

Have two Christmas drinks & nibbles nights at friends. I'll rustle something up and regift a bottle of wine each to keep cost down.

The Cc is a nuisance. I cancelled the DD on the app to try and amend the paymebt date from 25th. It said it'd go on 31st, which would have been perfect. With payment due 25th I sent a payment for £79.50 which has all cleared. I've since received an email to say payment not set up. I'm not sure but think I'll have to send the £79.50 again. I can't risk missing a payment. Worse case scenario is I've paid twice.

Choccygirl123

Balance £609.28 / available balance £589.28