Crunchy's Final Debt Free Diary!

crunch_time

enthusiasticsaver wrote: »

Can you not build some personal spends into your budget for both of you? Money to cover clothes, haircuts,hobbies, personal entertainment and gifts for each other etc. My husband would be the same as yours if he felt he had no personal spends and I like having some money just for me too. It certainly stopped the arguments between us about what I saw as his wasteful spending. Now I don't mind how he spends his allowance and he knows when it's gone he has to wait until the next payday.

Funnily enough, that’s what we agreed to do last night!

We both get £100 a month that’s ours (and not an amount determined by how much money we bring in.

My precious spreadsheet is now on the one drive so husband can see it.

We will be earmarking £600 for holidays and adventures as this is a priority of ours. Out of this money will come day trips and fun for the children - we are hoping this will encourage us to be frugal at the weekends as the more money we spend, the less we will have for holidays.

Husband has agreed to start an isa and, like me, save £200 a mont into it.

We also agreed an order to pay back the debts.

All the above leaves £800 a month to overpay debt and pay for home improvements. Again this will encourage us to do the house in a diy and cost effective way where we pace ourselves. This money also needs to cover birthdays and Christmas.

All this starts when we get paid in August.

So yesterday was a no spend day apart from the weekly sho which husband spent £75 on. We cleaned out the children’s bedrooms and rearranged them. Today will be another no spend day. We are having friends over for lunch but they are bringing food with them. The children are then spending the night at grandparents and will be with them all day Monday as well so Monday should be a no spend day too!

I’m aiming for a no spend week but will probably have to pick up some bits for the holiday at some point. We have just over a week to go - very exciting!!!!!

Crunchy x

crunch_time

Morning all!

We are off on hols today! Still can’t believe that this is actually happening. I feel a bit of imposter syndrome.

We have managed quite a cheap week for the first full week of the holidays. I think the anticipation of the holiday has quelled any desires from the children to want to go out anywhere.

As a result, money is all looking good at the moment for where we are at.

When we get back we will get back on the debt slaying for real!

Oh lastly! I paid off £100 of husbands cc yesterday bringing it down to sub £7900. Better than in the £8k. That always made me feel uneasy.

Off to the Caribbean I go! See you when I get back!

Crunch x

Willowtree222

Enjoy your holiday. xx

enthusiasticsaver

Enjoy your holiday and good luck with the plan from August.

Seasidegal58

Just caught up with your diary. Was pleased to read that you and hubby had agreed on a plan and that you will both utilising personal spend budgets.

Have a great holiday!
X

crunch_time

Morning all

I'm back!! We had an absolutely AMAZING time in the Caribbean. I feel it has changed my life in many ways. It was absolutely worth the big spend.

We had a full-on few days of traveling including a night flight so we are all pretty tired but glad to be back home safe. We spent a little bit of extra money on a few things. I know its about a couple of hundred pounds but im yet to check husbands bank account to assess.

It was my pay today so I have paid off £600 off the holiday costs. That's a great start

Two loads of washing done and third one in the machine - 3 more to go ha ha!!

Plan for today is tutoring, food shopping, dentist, washing and sorting and rest.

Husband is back at work tomorrow so I thought that should be that I settle back into work too and tackle the mountain before we are back to school in 2 weeks time argghhhh!

Hope everyone is good!

Crunchy x

enthusiasticsaver

Glad you had a great time. Sounds like you didn't go too mad spending wise.

We have booked a fly cruise around the Caribbean next February for my 60th birthday and the first of our big retirement holidays. Did you stay in one place or tour around? We have done Barbados before and I did Dominican Republic with my sister before but the cruise visits five different islands.

crunch_time

enthusiasticsaver wrote: »

Glad you had a great time. Sounds like you didn't go too mad spending wise.

We have booked a fly cruise around the Caribbean next February for my 60th birthday and the first of our big retirement holidays. Did you stay in one place or tour around? We have done Barbados before and I did Dominican Republic with my sister before but the cruise visits five different islands.

That sounds exciting!! We actually went to Mexico - the Carribean side. It was awesome. We stayed in one hotel and did a few day trips. The children loved the pool!

I've actually just done my totals and its a little more than I hoped....

crunch_time

So I've just spent some time doing my totals and its a little more than I thought.

We now owe the following.

£1215 - Holiday debt
£17,233 - credit card debt
£1600 - overdraft

I've adjusted my signature, we are raring to go on this challenge. We have a plan and we are ready to go on it starting from now.

Holiday debt will reduce by £500 - £600 a month so will be gone in 2 months time.

Credit card - we will aim to pay off £500- £1000 a month off this depending on DIY, Christmas etc etc.

First credit card to smash is my sains one - the one with the smallest balance - £245 but £325 is holiday costs. My aim is to have rid of this by 19th September.

Here we go!!!

Crunchy xx

Homegrown0

The positivity is oozing out of you -exciting times! Your holiday sounds amazing

You're going to knock this debt into touch before you know it. You've got a great monthly payment capability so you'll be knocking loads off it every month.

We're still in between paying off debt and house doing-up, some we have control over when and others were essential (recent new bathroom due to a massive leak). We will all get there, but the positive vibes are what will keep us going.