2018 New year, new focus and new mission

System

Hey Choccy girl. All sounds good to me. Impressed your DH sat down and went through budgets - even if he's not fully onboard it's progress.

Choccygirl123

I really need to post more often to keep my moyvation. Hubby is on board, but doesn't grasp our costs. He doesn't realise how much the bills are but he's trying so can't knock that!

12 days to pay day and we are offically skint. I went and visited family with the kids for few days. Our spending was low on food etc, but heavy on the fuel. We have nothing planned for the rest of the month thankfully and it's bavk to freezer and store cupboard surprise!

I have been on a mission selling bits and bobs and I've sold £35 worth of bits on Facebook in last couple days. I've got two more items to be collected for £55 so that's all going into the food wallet for the bits we have to buy. I'd love to get to the end of the month and still have enough for a takeaway treat.

My plan for the rest of the month is not to spend anything on joint account. We have lurched back into the overdraft this month as expected with the kids scouting fees going out a month earlier than expecting £120 on two camps.

Next month's plan
- finish paying kids school trips £110
- Pay £2200 for house repair once completed 19th May - balance out of this next month's wages
- stick to food budget and use cash only

Choccygirl123

I can't believe i forgot to mention that our two combined loans will drop below £15000. Whoooo hooooo that's a great milestone for me. I've only manage to pay around £50 off since starting my new diary, due to life getting in the way.

Choccygirl123

Nearly a whole month without posting and I feel guilty! The great news is that we've finally hit the £2000 for the house project and builder booked. I still need to save £229 next month but i feel like a weight has been lifted. May is going to be a tight month and we're nearly in the dreaded overdraft. Needs must and both the kids needed new shorts, t-shirts and bits for summer which we bought on Saturday. Aiming to keep the OD under £300, which will be hard but I'll get imaginative with the meal planning! Both cars have fuel and we will swap them around so I use car with less fuel as have a lot shorter commute than hubby!

The kid's school trips have all been finally paid off in full, we've paid £125 for scouting subs and last instalment on a summer camp. It's a lovely feeling knowing that there's nothing child related due to be paid next month for school, scouting, music or sport. (Phew huge sigh of relief)

Bad news is that we have no money in the EF after coughing up £215 this month - for two front tyres for my car, that were only just legal. That's 5 brand new tyres in 2018...no wonder there's no EF!, but at least not on a credit card.

No credit card use in 13months :j but we dip in and out of OD.

Debts currently stand at Loan 1 - £10277.69 & Loan 2 - 4500.53 = TOTAL £14778.22
Feels so good to see it finally under 15k. We will continue just paying the planned repayments Having the 2 loans separately means we get a small milestone every other month either each of them dropping into next K or combined below next K. Although not planning to overpay at the minute, it's still encouraging to see.

The master plan JUN / JUL / AUG / SEPT
- save £229 balance for builder from June
- clear o/s OD from this month (hoping to limiting £300)
- limit our weekend away in caravan (sun holiday) spend to £100 inc food out and activities
- save like mad for our caravan holiday in summer. Booked and paid for before current LMB with small windfall
- Never fall back into OD
- Start saving for kid's music lessons normally due mid summer £250
- Keep meal planning and using cash wallet
- Declutter and keep selling, pluck up the courage to do a car boot sale
- Post at least Every other day to keep the focus on not spending
- Start counting NSD properly and stay out the local shop in-between weekly shops

There that sounds easy, lets see how it goes. I know we need an EF, but at the minute we have 20euros for a two week holiday in France. That won't even cover the tolls. I have spoken to the holiday company and we can't reduce to a week or cancel without losing a stack of money. Timing is rubbish and it'll put us back a few months before tackling the debt, but it'll be the first proper holiday in three years so we're going to embrace it!

A massive waffling post I'm afraid, but that's the downside to not posting regularly! Promise to keep it short and sweet and very regular from now on.

Enjoy the sunshine!

System

Hey Choccy. I always find we are 2 steps forward and 3 back so no difference here. I had to get 3 tyres this month too so wiped out my car fund and some of my EF. I guess the reality is tyres shouldn't need to come out of an EF, so the question is, are you saving enough each month to a car pot? I know I'm not!

Holiday sounds lovely. We have a big one planned too for 2 weeks to France and need to save loads for it (at the expense of saving for car pots and other things- oh well!) But no regrets here...the thought of going has sustained me the last few months. I'm planning to put by £500 a month for next 3 months. Next year our holiday will have to be cheaper as I'm going to only save £200 a month to the pot and throw the rest at debt busting.

Is there any topcashback or survey stuff you can do to bring anything in?
Or charity shop to get nice clothes? If you go often between now and hold you'll be able to find bits and pieces each time you go.

Where are you heading to? We're off to Provence to stay by a river. Xxx

Choccygirl123

Hi ramble, nice to see you popping by again. You're right we're not saving enough for car hassles. In all honesty I've stopped putting cash in lot the 'pot' as have been concentrating so much on the house savings.

I do shop in charity shops but live in a posh part of the south west and primary cheaper for my teenagers. I do use quidco which is fab. I've tried surveys, but not been very successful. I have picked up some causal hours at local
School for exam season.

We're staying on the France / Spain border on the coast, so hopefully will be able to enjoy the sunshine!

Once holiday out the way we'll be in stronger position. The children's trips have been a killer £600 each, music lessons £750 and scouts camps on top. The kids understand how expensive they are and it's a real treat and they've saved spending money and have been doing jobs around the house.

Realistic aim for rest of 2018 is to build an ef, car pot and Xmas savings. Once we get those pots upto a decent level, I'm going to start of the smaller of the Zopa loan.

Choccygirl123

Today's positive motivation - sunshine & cake with my bestie before work.

Spending - my turn to buy pastries (will keep it cheap as possible a mbd use shrapnel out my own wallet) no other cash out today planned!

OD currently £239.59 not great but did big shop yesterday abd we have plenty of fuel in both cars. Still feeling positive I can make the £60.41 last until my payday on 25th. Lazy weekend planned pottering to save fuel and cash!

Choccygirl123

Just when I thought we were all paid up on the school trips there's two day trips coming up £16 each! Have booked spaces and will pay on pay day. Phew still £60.41 left before we reach the our £300 target in the od.

Offically a non spend day for the family although I did spend £3.09 sharpnel out of my own spends on the pastries.

Choccygirl123

Was a spendy day, but not through choice!

Hospital car parking £4.70
Coffees x 2 (long wait for appointment) £3.70
Shopping for school cookery class & oddments to top up for weekend £18.30

Total spend £26.70 ouch - balance left £33.71

It's going to be tight but determined not to go over £300 overdrawn before paid day!

Choccygirl123

It's 5:30 and we're still offically a non spend day. I've just collect two lovely metal hanging baskets from freecycle and hubby asked if I wanted and chocolate. Silly question I always do, but I said no so we don't end up in the co-op blowing £10 in junk.

Tomorrow was going to be nsd, but I'm going to splash out on some plants for the free baskets £10 or less! That'll leave £23, but we have meat and most staples in. Will need more fruit and yougurts for next week but I know it can be done.