Sunken's attempt to float...

Sunkencosts

So this morning I've had to drive for over an hour for an all day meeting and training session for a job I'm actually leaving at the end of this month. I've also had to take annual leave from my other job to be here. I'm not feeling well and was expecting there to be access to a kitchen like there has been before to make tea/coffee etc. Only a canteen here now so I've had to spend 70 pence on a bottle of water. Small change but it reminds me to never assume!

I have packed a lunch (a salad which is going to be minging by lunchtime as again I thought there'd be a fridge to store it in) but didn't pack a drink.

Can't wait for today to be over!

Sunkencosts

And now I'm sat in an AGM for an organisation I'm not even part of. What is happening today?!

Sunkencosts

OK, total planned spends today

20 childminder
15 petrol

Unplanned.

70 pence water
90 pence cup of tea.

Hardly last of the big spenders so I'll make do with that

Storm89

No I'd take that £1.60 over any huge unplanned payment lol. Happy Friday , bet you're glad it's all over now x

Sunkencosts

Carrying on through this long long month. My cat broke and took me 47 odd quid to get fixed. Still love him though.
Good news my OH has been promised a slight pay rise, which after tax should equate to around an extra 130 pounds a month, so really no reason not to pay that high amount off credit card now. I wider if we could stretch to a full 500? That would really see it fall apace.
Not sure if we can keep going til payday without using card, this month was always going to be ridiculous - but we're both on board with it still, and there has been no frivolous spending.

Holiday plans this year, we really are only looking at one or two weekends camping, and I think I'm fine with that. Time enough to splash out when things are a little easier.

Sunkencosts

Also, still not drinking and sticking to the low carb diet. I may not be doing much but still want to feel like I'm moving forward.

Sunkencosts

Well kept trying to post on my phone over last few days but after writing lengthy epistles they then wouldn’t post. Grrrr.

Still on it. Always knew January was going to be a difficult month, but there have been some real positives too.

OH has been promised a pay rise – which after tax I think will be around another £130 or so every month. Not to be sniffed at, and makes me hope we can pay down the credit card at around 500 a month. I’d love to be able to make big payments like that, as it would be so heartening to see the figure fall rapidly; particularly as the rest are loans which have set end dates.

As we haven’t made any savings for January, I’m planning to use the two council tax free months (Feb/Mar) to overpay the Emergency, Christmas, Car and Holiday fund.

I think our holidays this year will be a very modest 4 days camping in June and 2/3 nights camping in August. A low key year will really help us.

My youngest is joining the rest of the family in doing martial arts, which I’m really happy about. I don’t think I have to pay for her as we have a family membership (although I’m not yet sure about this!) but grading fees will increase another £30 a quarter so that needs to be budgeted for.

I have opened up a First Direct account for my OH and his bank switch over should be mid Feb. This makes sense not only for the cash joining bonus, but also as they have a £250 0% overdraft. OH currently has a £300 authorised overdraft which attracts interest, so this makes real sense as we’re usually a couple of hundred pounds into it by the end of the month.

I have considered doing the same on mine, but I currently have a reward account from TSB and get some money monthly.

It’s weird with our bank accounts. I read about husbands and wives having separate accounts and spends but, although we each have our own account and one joint one, it’s basically all one big pot for us and money gets shifted about as and when needed. OH’s account is the one most of the Direct Debits go out from so as soon as he gets paid I move any extra money out (recently there hasn’t been any as our debts have increased so much) and then it stays put. I can’t even remember where the debit card for that account is! I only have a couple of direct debits from my account (bank insists on this for reward), and they go out at beginning of month, so when all the shifting, paying and saving is done at the beginning of the month, what we have left is what we have left.

Currently we’re left with too much month at the end of the money. OH payday is I think next Friday, and we only have about £50 left available to us. What with petrol requirements etc I think the credit card will be employed, but it shouldn’t be for too much really. We’re being really careful at the moment.

I have got the habit of getting an advice slip when I take cash out, but I need to remember to write on that slip what the cash is for if I’m going to track our spends properly.

When the focus isn’t on spending I can turn it to health. I am sticking to my low carb high fat diet, which I think is going well. Also no drinking. We are also really making an effort to attend all martial art training (twice a week). It sounds so cheesy but we’ve realised that looking after our health is really the best investment we can ever make. Besides, it no hardship really, who doesn’t like to start the day with a big fry up?!

Sunkencosts

Also, just updated energy readings (something OH kept promising to do!) and we are 127 in credit. I'll have that back please, depending on how quickly they can get it into my account, might solve the cash flow crisis somewhat!

Sunkencosts

Still plodding on. OH’s payday should be this Friday. We actually do have a bit of cash left as have used cards for a couple of things, so when the the refund from Energy company plops into the account it will be paying that back.
Still need to sit down and do the credit card balance transfers onto the new card we have. I’m really hoping they will all go on there- it just makes it easier to have it all in one place.

Then trying to decide what is the best way to pay off. I think doing a standing order is the best way, as if I do a DD for the minimum amount and then aim to top that up I risk not topping it up. The most success we’ve had with clearing cards has been when a SO has been set up and they get treated as a non negotiable bill.

It’s so difficult to plan when I’m not sure what either of our wage slips will be. I should be paid overtime that I was due in December but my company is really quite rubbish at wage slips and seem to make errors regularly, and when you do point out an error they say they will correct it next month. Which is not helpful.

A few NSD for me though. Certainly haven’t bought anything frivolous or for myself. This may not seem a huge victory for someone only 3 weeks into a plan, but usually by this month my current account would be littered with receipts from amazon and my local charity shops as I bought little things here and there without really thinking about it.

Also feeling positive about only having a couple of camping trips away, and no main holiday this year. I’m wondering if the stress I felt about paying for it and spends while away actually undid the fun of the holiday for me.

Last night I was very tired, and very close to breaking my diet/dry January. Somehow stuck to it and still went out to my martial arts class – which of course made me feel pleased with myself afterwards. I’d like to look back on January as a month where bad habits were really broken – If I can finish this year thinner, healthier and wealthier that would be nice!

Watching a couple of Youtube Documentaries about debt to keep me on the straight and narrow. I’d like at this point to thank everyone on the DMP thread. At the moment, we are able to service and reduce our debts, but I now know - thanks to that thread - that if bad things happen to us, and we weren’t able to pay – there is a route down which we can go and it would be unlikely we would lose our house, as long as we keep communicating with creditors.

I read the DMP thread regularly, and know it would be an option, rather than bankruptcy, and that there are people out there that give good advice without judgment.

I’ve applied for a First Direct current account, but unlike my husband’s application they said they were checking a few things. Clearly I’m not as desirable a customer as my other half! Oh well, it was just a thought. The £125 would be nice though. Straight in the Emergency fund that would go!

Other things to think about, our mortgage is fixed til October this year, and I’m wondering if it would be worth getting a valuation done before asking our bank to switch the rate. We will have lived here over 4 years now, have done quite a bit of work to the house and I think property prices may have risen, so there might be more equity than we’re registered as having at present. Do you just ask an Estate Agent to come round and value? Is that a service they can provide?

I think I need RAC cover too, so off to topcashback to see what deals are about……

Sunkencosts

right, done through topcashback.
Weight off my mind really, bit stupid to be doing 150 miles a week of motorway driving in an old rustbucket without breakdown cover;