2018 New year, new focus and new mission

Choccygirl123

Happy Christmas.....whoooo hooo finally a non speed day after what seems weeks of money flying out the house!

Pip is a benefit tea, which I've applied for on the advice of my go to help with mobility costs. My gp a lovely doctor and he suggested applying to help supplement my sick pay. I feel lucky to have such a supportive doctor.

pidge04

Well done for not using your credit card and overdraft to fund Christmas! Fantastic achievement. You seem so well-organised and in control of this. Well done!

Choccygirl123

Thank you pidge04 it's the first one in years and I've got to admit I like the feeling this nor I've got this morning...there's no spender's regret.

I have finally checked out the DF challenge pages and plucked up joint the sealed pot challenge (12) and have £90+ save for Christmas 2019.

I started this diary and mentioned starting good habits. This year has been a rollercoaster, but we are getting there. I've just totalled up the amount cleared this year abd it was the grand sum of ........drum roll £67.79:rotfl:

Choccygirl123

What a rollercoaster of a year it's been financially with spending a small fortune on house repairs, car repairs and me going on basic sick pay after August.

I started the diary on 31/12/17 and our was £16271.56 and the balance today is.......drum roll £16203.77:rotfl:

I shouldn't laugh, but £67.79 is pathetic and I must really try harder! It has been difficult juggling the house and I was gutted to have to get the £4K on the 0% credit card. It was the right thing to do and now all we've left on the house to do list is decorate - but than will have to wait!

Outstanding balances as today

Zopa 1 - £8887.65
Zopa 2 - £3782.49
0% cc - £3523.63

There have been some positives even if the debt is pretty much the same! We've not used the credit cards since July and no overdrafts since then too! We've managed to build up an Emgerency fund from scratch £1000.23.

My meal planning and budgeting skills are pretty good and getting better. I've swapped internet providers and bartered, drop mobile bills, bartered in car insurance to a multi car policy and am conscious to review all bills regularly.

2019's plan
- watch every penny more than ever as hubby repays the over payment in expenses £1200 (jan - mar)
- keep fingers crossed I don't lose my job due to being long term sick (but planning that it will happen soon)
- keep potting in sealed pot challenge so next Xmas covered
- keep ploughing on with the surveys
- try and send at least a small overpayment to the cc every month
- keep planning meals and shops use store cupboard and stop the little shops that e d up costing £10+
- update diary regularly and celebrate even small achievements as every penny does count
- most importantly look after myself more mentally & physically. I have huge op due as soon as theatre slot available and it's going to be a difficult time with up to 12months recovery. I need to ask for help when needed, not cancel meeting friends and just be more social and stop being hard on myself.

[Deleted User]

Your positives are massive, and it's so easy to sweep them away, but you've done so well so far! Good luck with your goals and your upcoming surgery, wishing you all the best. Am subscribing for future updates

Aaleigha

Just found your diary going to read from the beginnig to pick up tips ad hopefully once I have caught up we can celebrate out successes

Choccygirl123

Thanks blackcoffee and Aaleigha.

Your right black coffee, we've made a start and without my diary we could have easily hit 20k of debt. I just feel ridiculous that we've only paid only £67.79 off in a whole year. At least 2019 we'll definitely smash that! :rotfl:

Not many tips about money saving Aaliegha, it's just my very long and boring ramblings and trying to keep myself focused. I find it very cathartic especially with being off work and housebound. Normally I'm a really busy mum working 29hours a week, running two kids everywhere. Now I'm on crutches upto 10m with no weight bearing or a stuck in a wheelchair. I miss the independence of driving. I'm lucky if I go to Aldi once a week abd a medical appointment. My life as I know it has just been suspended. I'm hoping the op will be a fresh start and a new me.

It was been a nightmare (and still is) but I do think having time to sort money, budget and track debts has changed our spending habits forever. Our scheduled repayments on loans are :

Zopa £197.50 x 12 = £2370
Zopa £99.80 x 12 = £1197.60
Cc £min rounded up to £100 = £1200
Total £4767.60.

The deal ends on credit card on 1/12/19 so that needs to be cleared in 11 months! £3523.63 or extra £220.33 every month :mad:

I'd love to clear the credit card as well as scheduled loan repayments. That'd be £7090.63, but everyone loves round figures so my 2019 target is to reduce our debt by £7500. Not sure how that's going to even be possible, but it's a target to aim for! Here's hoping the survey sites become busier :rotfl:

teafor2

Hi Choccygirl, hope your Christmas was a good one. Honestly, I fail to see anything ridiculous or pathetic about 'only' paying off £67.79. You've done loads this year, you've obviously gone through a lot physically and most probably mentally, you've not put anything on the CC, you have an emergency fund and you have a good plan for 2019.

Trust me, you should be feeling very very proud of yourself. :T xx

[Deleted User]

It's not just the actual figures - but the mindset, and by golly you've got that cracked! You definitely will crack that in 2019. Would you have been thinking those sorts of thoughts and terms as a year ago? No, I don't think so! You can do this, let's beat the **** out of 2019

Aaleigha

Phew just finished

You have come MILES in just a year - you need to be in the right place and develop good habits which you have done
you have paid off debit
you dont use your od (well just occasionally)
you worked on the house (costtly)
you have two teenagers (I know from experience how costly they are)
you are on SSP so a very reduced income and you still managed to sort christmas with no OD usuage

and your dh sounds like mine not anti but just wants me to do it for us however he does now stick to money from the categories set

as you know from my diary my financial position is so up in the air at the moment - for a few years we have saved for your retirement dream - rural wales and its going to happen

But I am on ESA so my income is about 440 a month and hubbies is unknown we know his state pension but not private and the first of the month is just a couple of days away

so I will budget for all our usual categories and move that amount into the bills account and as for our non fixed expenses that will all have to change for a month

going out tomorrow so will just do budget on friday ready for the first

its going to be YOUR year you have some wonderful habbits now for me to do the same

well done you really do deserve to celebrate so lets raise a virtual glass of wine