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Why Walk When You Can Fly
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Afternoon,
My head is all in a tizz today, between wanting to pay off the debt quickly to looking at holidays for next year. My aim is still to get rid of the debts in 3 years, but secretly hoping for 2 year minimum.
The debt will be reduced come hell or high water next year, this has been hanging around for far too long now, as for the holiday, we as a family need a break...nothing fancy like abroad but just some time away from home away from the usual routine...may be a short break somewhere during the summer holidays.
The overdraft, although this isn't included in the general 'debt' total, this has been reduced and will continue to be reduced once the relevant 'pot' has built up. Although if I can, I will try to make an odd reduction or two between now and Christmas. Then once it hits £1000, I will do a money transfer to clear it totally....SHHHH though, don't tell hubby!:rotfl:
I had forgotten about unexpected expenses creeping up and this month has proved to be a trying one, despite my best efforts.
July should be kinder as we won't have as much going on, I still need to plan things out so I don't get lost.
Pots wise...the only pot to benefit this month officially will be the cars fund as DH's car is due a service. I can then restart properly from July pay day. Any 'extras' I get from surveys or selling will be allocated to pots during July.
My overall aim with the pots is that I will increase what I am saving in there, so it will benefit us in the long run.
Turning back to the debts briefly, the MBNA deal runs out on the 12th Dec, I am hoping that by then there will be a decent offer through in November, so I can transfer what remains on it without incurring any unnecessary increase on the debt.
I realise that I may have repeated a lot of my musings from other posts of mine, so apologies for the repetitions.0 -
There is a discussion thread on DFW about what do people in debt think about taking holidays as Dave Ramsay says definitely no they should not but the consensus seems to be people are ok with it so long as their debt is manageable, they have saved for it and not increased the debt. Don't do like the girl on panorama and take out a loan or a credit card for it. That means planning it into your budget really from about a year before depending on how much you are prepared to spend.I’m a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the Debt free Wannabe, Budgeting and Banking and Savings and Investment boards. If you need any help on these boards, do let me know. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com. All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.
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I think you are doing really well. A holiday which is budgeted and paid for will be well worth it"If you can dream it, you can do it". Walt Disney0
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You have done so well. Keep it up x0
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I think you are doing really well. A holiday which is budgeted and paid for will be well worth it
Totally agree
You've done amazing and if you can fit it in the budget you definitely deserve it
x“Once you hit rock bottom, that's where you perfectly stand; That's your chance of restarting, but restarting the way.”0 -
Deleted_User wrote: »Back with updated June's Goals.
Personal
Finish my tapestry - Erm
Read my book - Erm
Restart the gym - Not Done
Get more sleep - Getting there
Drink more water - Doing
Financial
Lunches to work - Aim 20 days - not including my weekly allowance - Not going to hit my target but I will be close
Groceries - need to stop the many top up shops - Needs to be improved
Meal plan - I haven't done this in May so need to get back into it. - Again needs improving
Keep logging in with money hub app - Lapsed on this one this month
Fuel in car - Need to have more Eco drives - Not been my month for this
Keep applying for jobs - Market seems to have gone quiet
Keep up with the surveys - Keeping up with this one
Watch what I spend - Aim for £10 per week - Erm
Reduce the pub visits - We don't go lots but more than we should do - looking good so far- This has slightly lapsed
Household
Keep up with the housework
Declutter more stuff - dump, charity shop, sell - FB marketplace
Things coming up in June:
My Jurassic Coast Trek - DONE
DS RAF Cosford with Cadets - DONE
DD balance for August camp due £40 - DONE
DS 15th birthday - Presents bought and wrapped ready for Saturday
My car booked for a service - DONE
Father's Day - DONE
DD Strategy Camp - DONE
June recap
So June has proved to be trying as much as the rest of them.
The one good thing that happened this month is I completed my trek/walk for Mind and I have a nice shiny medal for doing so.
This month, was the funeral of a lovely lady that will always be missed.
There are a lot of areas that I still need to improve on but a lot that I haven't posted on here that has improved.
I will be back with July's Goals shortly0 -
Back with July's Goals.
Personal
Finish my tapestry
Read my book
Restart the gym
Get more sleep
Drink more water
Financial
Lunches to work - Aim 22 days - not including my weekly allowance.
Alcohol free month - Aiming for the full 31 days.
No spend days - Aim for 5 but should try harder for more.
Groceries - need to stop the many top up shops.
Meal plan - I lapsed a bit in June for this one, need to try again.
Keep logging in with money hub app
Fuel in car - Need to have more Eco drives
Keep applying for jobs
Keep up with the surveys
Watch what I spend - Aim for £10 per week
Reduce the pub visits
Reduce overdraft by £100
Household
Keep up with the housework
Declutter more stuff - dump, charity shop, sell - FB marketplace
Things coming up in July:
DS work experience on my site
DS IOW Camp with Cadets
DH car service
DH glaucoma clinic appointment
I was naughty and bought a Woman/Mother Planner off Amazon last week so I can keep a better eye on things, it's not ideal in the sense of I will use everything in it (I won't) but it is sufficient in that I can use it, so not a total waste of money.0 -
NSD's what I don't include:
DH's Nicorette
DH's contact lenses
Prescriptions
Diesel
DH's travel
Kids pocket money
Kids lunches at school on Fridays
My £10 allowance per week - £2 allowed per day
Weekly food shop/top up shops
I forgot that I had written this down in my old diary, so I have transferred it over to here and modified it slightly.0 -
Good luck for July"If you can dream it, you can do it". Walt Disney0
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Good morning and Happy July.
So, things are not so good on the money front this end and we aren't even half way through the month already!!!
DH is going to have to put his train ticket on the CC, just so he a can get to work this month.
Basically everything that we have paid out for over the past few months has finally caught up.
Not happy about it and certainly not in the best place this morning.
But.....I am not going to let it get to me as much as I want it to, draw a line under an minimise that damage as much as I can so we keep going.
I am have a booze free month this month, more for my sake than the finances and I have signed up for 5 NSD's but aiming for more if possible.
Meal plan has been made for the next two weeks.
I have drawn money out for DS for camp and for their pocket money, these have been squirrelled away.0
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