Aligning the Stars

Starmummy

Well what a grey day it is...but at least it's FRIYAY!

Payday is on Mondays, don't Monday paydays make the month feel so long?

No real plans this weekend as we are at the end of our budget. But I'm trying out a new Yoga class, Star child has youth group and Mr Star has Circuit training so a busy evening for us all.

Weekend mornings will be taken up with Star Child's swimming as normal and the rain will put play to most out door activities. I am hoping the rain holds off just long enough for me to get a run or two done...and for me to plant my Dahlia tubers. Shall try and blitz the house and do some indoor DIY and get some studying done instead.

Have a lovely weekend all.

Take care
SM

onedaysomeday

Monday paydays are rubbish - at my old job if we were due to get paid on a Monday it'd be in the bank the Saturday before. I do miss that!

Starmummy

oh Boo!

i just received my payslip for April...the total effect of the increase in personal allowance along with the increase in pension contribution (my work only does the govt recommended minimum split Employee 3%/Employer 2%) means that my take home pay has reduced by £39 from last month! I knew it would go down but I hadn't thought it would go down quite so much.

Shall have to rejig the budgets...AGAIN!

Oh well at least i'll see that extra money again...eventually (and it will have accrued some healthy compound interest by retirement in 39 years (hopefully))

onedaysomeday

My contribution goes from 3% upto 5% (although not until October according to my paperwork) and I'll lose about the same each month too. I say 'lose' as it's hard to always think long term/ big picture

Starmummy

In other news the new element for the oven has arrived. :j

I tell you having the oven and Mr Star's car die in the space of a month has been annoying. The oven was off Gumtr33 anyway (no point buying new when the kitchen is being extended soon). So Mr Star can fix that and I don't have to be quite so imaginative with how to cook dinner without an oven (especially given that I couldn't deviate from the food plans i'd already made because the joint account is depleted)
Mr Star hasn't replaced his car yet either. He can take my car to work as i walk to work anyway.

So pleased with myself for not self-sabotaging and spending money I don't have to cheer myself up.

Can not wait for the 1st May! my minimum payments on the debts going out will mean that i'll have paid off 4k! in under 5 months. gone forever!

Right! i promise that's the last post for today.

Take care
SM

Starmummy

Happy 1st May Lovelies :j

A brand new month can only mean one thing....time for the scores on the doors

Loan 1 [STRIKE]£7,719.81[/STRIKE] / £6,249.37
Loan 2 [STRIKE]£2,362.27[/STRIKE] /
£1,864.95
C Card 1[STRIKE] £2,905.66[/STRIKE] / £0 (paid off with balance transfer
C Card 2 [STRIKE]£3,681.65[/STRIKE] / £1,682.88 (£1500 of this was a balance transfer)
C Card 3 [STRIKE]£0[/STRIKE] / £4,534.00 (this is the )% card that BT were done to
Overdraft [STRIKE]£1,000[/STRIKE] / £0

DEBT AT 1ST JAN 2018 = £17,937.19 (incl interest accrued before BT and BT fees)
DEBT AT 1st MAY 2018 = £14,331.20

That's £3605.99 or 20.1% payed off and gone forever in 4 months!

Starmummy

So progress is good and I'm feeling optimistic.

Minimum debt repayments for MAY total £716.94 which should bring total debt down to £13,614.26 (24.1 % paid...almost 1/4 of the way through)

I am holding out for some overdue child maintenance from Star Child's Dad which I have been promised next week. I'm hoping to split this between Debt payments and spending money for a weekend away I have coming up. This could bring Debt payments up to over £900 but I shan't bank on it.

Must sit down with Mr Star at some point this week and try and make him understand that this boring debt repaying is pretty short term (projected DFD Sep 2019) and he just needs to bear with me. I think he feels like I am spoiling all the fun and becoming a bit of a bore at the moment. However , the joint account budget does allow for weekends away and meals out I just need to be careful with my money a bit. He did overspend in the Joint account this weekend because he doesn't monitor it ( we shall ignore the fact that I told him we only had £14.30 in there until our standing orders went out today). However, I am taking it as a massive MSE win...because I could transfer £50 out of my EF to cover it. That's right folks! Star Mummy has savings :money: old me would have just had to suck up the penalty.

No real expected spends this month, I'm going to hunker down a little bit as next month we have, school holidays, my friends UK hen do, My friends wedding and MR Star and Star Mummy's 3rd anniversary! expensive times :eek:

I really enjoyed my new Yoga class last Friday so i'm going to make it a weekly thing £6 a week for the class which is stupidly cheap for yoga and £24 a month for a bit of fitness and social life is good value.

Joint account spends this month:
*replace kitchen radio (use last of 4m4zon vouchers means cost £20ish)
*planned date night this Sunday (Star Child was desperate for a weekend with her grandparents so we thought we would make the most of it)
*food/fuel as usual
*summer school dresses for Starchild (may use clubcard vouchers)
*potentially purchase curtains for dining room.
*Starchilds annual membership fees/ insurance for swimming club
*campsite fees for little camping trip to see friends in August

Here's to another debt busting month :beer:
Take care
SM

Starmummy

Woo Hoo! Summer School dresses cost us £0!!! thank you vouchers

Starmummy

Little bit annoyed with myself today.

I have a confession...I caved to a work lunch invite in a nice cafe. It cost £14.40 which is pretty much my entire weeks personal spend budget. It was enjoyed but not enough given the cost.

redofromstart

Quick, get the hairy shirt on and chastise yourself. I know what you mean, I took the boys for a burger after school as OH is away. They are now asking what is for dinner so £14 spent and they are still hungry so I am a little annoyed with myself for giving in.