Close but no cigar

[Deleted User]

Hello

I lost my diary but found it again. I did follow some of this advice:)

I did manage to apply and get the married tax allowance and got a small pay rise. Husband not working but training in higher level skills for fingers crossed for future earnings.

Debts now

MBNA £4645 on 0% until November 2019
Nationwide £19990 7.6%
M & S £8710 5.6%

Total £33335.00 as of Nov 18.

Going to focus on paying off MBNA by the time my temp contract ends on August 30th 2019.

Hopefully they will extend and hubby be earning again.....

[Deleted User]

Things I have changed:

Sunday sit down and plan meals - only buy what I need for the week
No takeaways
Bake own bread
Loose leaf tea
Slow cooker - wonder bag
Budget planner in excel
Starling Bank for living budget

[Deleted User]

So joined the sealed pot challenge

Set up rounded up savings on my bank account

Set a budget and the date of May 25th to pay off my off my credit card MBNA.

Cut up barclaycard cut up virgin ��

Feeling good

a_silver_lining

Well done, you sound on a moneysaving high! I had time off for mental health issues, I couldn't work, but found small money making ways - receipt scanning, eBaying items we didn't need, surveys. They were great as I didn't need to be consistent with them, so no guilt if I had a bad day.

joeyjimbles

Good for you, you do seem to making some very sensible progress, and I think you were right to question your emergency pot/debt repayment ratios. That way you'll know you can weather an unexpected bill as well as seeing the overall totals come down. And once you are happy with your emergency savings, you can then 'just' maintain it and concentrate again on the debts.

[Deleted User]

Thanks everyone for your support. I need to get past the honeymoon period and really make it happen this year :j

[Deleted User]

Ok so planned all meals for next week. I have been using Miguel Barclays £1 meals and most are yummy. Got food and household down to £70 from about £120. V pleased.

Also saved £50 in 5% savings and still have £116 left till a Friday payday :j

[Deleted User]

Hello friends,

I have made some progress by doing a debt shuffle...Debt was £35,540

Debt now...£29000 - £6540 paid off ��

I also bought another car which I have converted for camping fun times and so we have had lots of cheap breaks to keep me sane.

Husbands work is picking back up. Anything he earns is going straight onto debt to reduce balance...

Onwards and upwards. You guys are keeping me going so thank you ��

kazwookie

Do you have anything you can sell?
Have you checked you are on the best deals for gas / elec / phone etc

Good luck

[Deleted User]

Yes Kaz. All good. We have no outgoings really. Giffgaff x2 cheapest car insurance, we do have premium nationwide account at £13 per month but have used all the services lol...they don’t like us. And pet insurance...expensive but again more than paid for itself.

No subscriptions to anything
Everything paid upfront
All ppl and tax rebates claimed for
Shop only from a list
Cheap holidays paid for with cash
Presents cut back.

When we finally are debt free we will invest all money into a pension.

My worst financial decision was to teach for 12 years without paying in....I am now 43 so too late to really gain ��