Little By Little...

redmel1621

BabyStepper wrote: »

So glad to hear things are looking up for you financially - excellent.

Brave woman attempting a forward flip - maybe it'll go better next time - you kust need a bit of practice. ;-)

There ABSOLUTELY, DEFINITELY, will NOT be a next time :rotfl:

redmel1621

I've updated the debts list on the first page... We're getting close to that 20k left mark. I'm looking forward to the day we get just under the 20k point as it will feel like a real achievement.

kindofagilr

You are doing so awesome hun xx

BabyStepper

Hi redmel

Thought I'd drop by and see how you are getting on. Hope all is well in your world.

redmel1621

>Sneaks in<

Well, what can I say? I have fallen well and truly off the debt busing wagon. I have good news, bad news and, well, just news.

Bad news - I have not overpaid a single thing. I have gone completely off the rails with spending and tracking income/expenditure etc... I am back now and am determined to get back on top of it all as we have a few hard weeks ahead. I could easily have made these next few weeks no different from any other but I lost the plot.

Good news - Dh has a permanent local job. OK money (not as much as working away but less outgoings, so sort of balances out... well not really, but it is still 'ok') I had plenty of supply work before the summer holidays so that was handy. Well it woud have been had we not blown every penny on various things.

News - We have had a bit of a whirlwind few months. We've been out loads, bought clothes, fixed Dh's bike, bought lots of supplies to decorate the whole of downstairs and booked too many holidays/events. We are off to Spain at the end of August, then Ibiza in October, and then Disneyland in March! We are also off to a comedy show in September and a concert (Pink Floyd tribute band) in November. So as you can see plenty happening, but all of it costly and not conducive to paying down the debt.

We have also become party animals the last few months and have been out every weekend (Fri & Sat) also some Sundays, and some Wednesdays!! It has gotten ridiculous and super expensive. I am trying to reign us back in now and coming up against some resistance from the husband.

We have kept up with minimum payments on everything, so nothing is behind (yet) and I will amend the figures on the first page at some point this week.

I've also just signed up to YNAB (again) for the month free trial. Once I get that set up I will get an extension and save for the yearly subscription. Since not using it, I have found it a lot harder to keep track of our money.

Here's hoping I can stay on the straight and narrow this time.

RM x

BabyStepper

I'm so jealous right now of all your plans/holidays/fun times. Don't think I can talk to you.

But...welcome back!!!

redmel1621

BabyStepper wrote: »

I'm so jealous right now of all your plans/holidays/fun times. Don't think I can talk to you.

But...welcome back!!!

Please talk to me
I am looking forward to it all too, but we could have paid off a massive chunk of debt with everything we have booked.

I suppose the important thing is, we haven't added to the debt, and we have still been paying the regular monthly payments. Thinking of it like that makes it feel a bit better.

However, we do desperately need to get the monthly payments down because we only have DHs income all over summer and every school holiday. Even term time, I don't have guaranteed income.

I do have a few side hustles, but again nothing that provides a steady income stream. I also have plans for another side hustle, but need to look into it and get the money together to start up.

Even though I am back, we won't get any overpayments made until we have been on holiday to Spain (we need to get spending money together) paid our Ibiza flights off and paid Disney off, as well as paid the son's school trip off. We need school uniforms too. I am feeling a little overwhelmed with it all, although I know we can kind of just about cover it all... it will be tight.

Once everything is done, I will be clearing debt again in earnest.:A

redmel1621

Being a little bit proactive, I have sorted my YNAB account out.

Back before Christmas I was granted a very generous extension to my month free trail, but instead of purchasing the annual subscription, I thought I knew better... I thought I was on top of my budgetting... I wasn't!

Without YNAB, I lost track of a lot of my budgetting strictness and things started to go awry.

So, I have emailed YNAB to ask if I can pay monthly for a couple of months, until I start getting work again in September, but they said they don't offer that at all. They have given me another 2mths free subscription, and I will DEFINITELY be purchasing the annual subscription when it runs out. I already feel more in control.

This is the second step of getting back on track (the first was logging back into my diary on here).

RM x

Chrystal

Well done you!
The longest journey starts with one single step and you've taken it. I'm sure that from now on you'll post here regularly and keep an eye on YNAB every day. It will be well worth it when you start to get on top of things. X

redmel1621

Well - we/I have fallen spectacularly off the wagon and got completely lost in the forest.

We have added to our debt, we have committed to expenditure that we shouldn't have done and now we are drowning - AGAIN.

To make matters worse, we had a lovely chat last night whereby the husband has FINALLY decided that maybe we should buy somewhere instead of renting. It hasn't bothered him for years and years, because we have always received varying amounts of housing benefit so it hasn't been our hard earned money lining someone elses pocket. Now we don't qualify for any financial assistance at all, we have to pay it out of our wages, he has realised that actually it is rubbish.

I have been trying to get this through to him for years and have been saying that we should be getting prepared, by saving a deposit etc.. clearly I was rubbish too and so haven't bothered to do it myself.

Anyway. I am sick and tired of renting. I am determined to find a full time job by next September and have gotten a load of this debt off our backs. I am going to really knuckle down and get this sorted once and for all.

So this is my proactive - get a house - list.

1. Secure a years of work - even if it the carpy wage job I am going to tomorrow for a trial, it will be better than nothing.
2. Work on the side hustles more intensely to try and get some extra income.
3. Pay off the commitments that are already in place for next year.
4. Clear as many of the debts with interest as possible - this may take a while!
5. Start to save for a deposit.

My eldest son is moving out on Saturday and we have already committed to throwing him a farewell bash on Friday, then we have to move him into halls on Saturday, so that will involve a lunch out...

Theoretically, my food spend will drop slightly and the electric usage will drop slightly. I also won't be spending big on him for Christmas and birthdays anymore... well I won't be spending big on anyone for Christmas and birthdays lol. But he will get £20 in a card, some chocs and a couple of items of clothing - that is it for Christmas... birthday, we will take him a cake and give him £40 in a card or something.

I feel so focused right now.