Working Hard Debt Diary - Here goes

WorkingHardDFW

I got mine on ebay when I first started on here it was my system for tracking what we spend in the Spending diary so it was easy/simple for OH. I've just checked if you search ebay for receipt spike they are there! OH referred to me as the chancellor tonight which I was quite chuffed with - this was after him commenting on the amount of personal debt in the UK etc and me chipping in £27k of that reduction was ours Love it.

Go for the spike girls !!

Compingirl

Yay! good times cgx

beanielou

The chanceller ~ Love it

WorkingHardDFW

Nothing too exciting to report apart from feeling like I am shelling out shed loads of money at the start of term. Most of it has been planned for but the odd item was unplanned. Generally its the kids start of term stuff but DD got a Guide Camp thing through today which she really wants to go on next year (PGL £200 !) and DS1 had a Cub camp (much more reasonable) so the cash need to be found. I have to remind myself that this is why we work to give them the opportunities etc etc but it feels like a constant drain of cash.....I'm over it.

Sold another couple of bits on ebay but I really must have a another listing effort next week. I can't expect the cash to arrive in the debt busting account if I don't do anything to earn it can I!

Picked up a couple of MS's in the next few weeks. MBing is moving along slowly but surely. Got a £30 payout from TCB on its way to the debt fund and about £130 tracking in Quidco but with a query on one item I'll be lucky if I get back before Xmas. Tax rebate due this month at work, it won't be much but it will help since we had a case of wine this month (guilty pleasure but necessary) and I want to pay it off from the debt fund rather than from the monthly debt payments. If worst comes to the worst it can come from the MBing account but I'd rather use my efforts there to pay off a nice big lump sum ( I know I'm getting greedy in the Debt busting front now).

My kids went back to school today amid the chaos which was me being organised: DD had no trousers (M&S order at PO waiting to be collected), DS1 had mouldy apple in his school rucksack (hence smell from room - LOL) and DS2 lost his PE kit (Could i remember him bringing hit home when school finished?). We got through and I've 3 very tired kids tonight plus we are back in the activities runs as well.

lucielle

Oh deep joy. Mine are back next week.
L

Compingirl

Tee hee, sounds like fun - i'm going rucksack shopping in about 10 mins! they don't last long especially not at comp with all those books. Been ironing the uniform this morning, think ive got everything but sure something will be overlooked. Mine go back next Tuesday can't wait!

~Your right, your debt busting account (or mine either!) won't fill itself - oh imagine the joy if it did! - i've got 5 MS booked and keep looking at the e-bay stuff, I will get it all photo'd when they go bck to school have a nice weekend everyone cgx

WorkingHardDFW

We are definately back in the swing of school now - I've got one torn jumper (and it was quite new and fitted nicely :rolleyes:) and DS1's shoes will be lucky if they last the month!!

Checking my wonder spending diary one of my budget has been severely under budget. This is the spending on house/toiletries/garden. Now I don't think I spend excessively but a quick analysis of the spending diary shows that the £20 budget is severely under strain each and every month and of course the overpsending was picked up by the overdraft but now by the debt fund. So being totally reaslistic I need to up the budget to about £40 pm (still feels excessive but the receipts don't lie!!). MInd you I pay a window cleaner £7 pm so it doesn't leave a huge amount for consumables and household bits. Needs to be done I guess and as I've said several times my budgets need to be creeping up and the debt tumbles so we are living realistically rather than super uba frugal as we did when we had the LBM.

Just finished the note to Next chasing my £133 plus interest. The money left my account on the 28/7 and has disappeared into the ether :mad:. That is going straight off the debt fund when I eventually get it back plus interest.

Day off tomorrow so I've lots of plans to clear throught the paperwork, take the hound for a nice long walk, cook a nice healthy meal etc etc plus getting some sorting etc done. I don't think I'll get anything ebayed but I so need too since I' ve got to get the DF boosted up. I seem to have a lot of outstanding money at present £54 in the ether from paypal, £30 cashback which needs to turn off so I can pay off some bits.

Managed to change a few DD's to the 1st of the month so my account loses all its money fairly quickly - LOL - but it means that its static for the rest of the month.

Birthday crisis this month with 5 family birthdays. All have been sorted and organised however the budget has been strained in the process - guilty that DD's went over budget. It will all even out since the next few months are quite quiet for B/days but its a big hit this month.

All in all fairly quiet slowing topping up the DF and keeping positive :cool:

WorkingHardDFW

Progress so far today is:

• Received the £50 from paypal which went straight off the B/Card where the extra school uniform purchase went onto
• Moved various pots of money around to balance the books
• Closed (I can't quite believe I'm writing this) two cc accounts. I've never before had the nerve to close them but I've done it. One was the MBNA card and the other IF (now Halifax) neither of which we've used for the best part of this year. I've got one more I could close but I'm just fiddling about with the pennies of interest (they owe me!!) before I close it
• Sorted out our remaining annual leave to cover school holidays - yes I know that they've only just gone back but it needs to be sorted
• Taken the dog for a nice long walk and picked loads of blackberries on the way
• Sorted through a load of paperwork which has now moved from the action pile to the filing mountain - job for tonight is do the filing!!
• Re-organised a MS that I wasn't able to do Saturday am

Still left to do:

• Amend a few S/O's whilst I think about in pre for the start of next month
• Organise tea
• Dig out swimming gear and DS1's footie gear for after school
• Chill with a cuppa at some point!

I also think that I may have underspent or over estimated my childcare for the past year. Having paid out all the childcare for the Summer and looked at what I've spent I think that I've a fairly healthy surplus in the childcare account now!! The account currently has £300 in it with this months after school care taken out. I love to take this and whack it off the debt but I guess I want my new c/care finance bits to settle before i take it out. That makes sense since all the debt is a 0% it makes no odds if I use it now or next month.

Onwards with the list of jobs ................

lucielle

Wow you are certainly knocking the debt about. When does the siggy go down again?
L

Compingirl

well done, all looking rosey in the WH household! Mine went back today, both chuffed cos theyve passed there kung fu gradings (blue and white belts ) and DS1 has got a C for the 2nd part of his GCSE Maths so he's well chuffed with that and I am too, hes only 14. He takes 3rd part next year but thats the hardest one done and he was only 2 marks off a B so thats even better! So a celebratory tea coming their way, pesto chicken and pasta followed by a lovely choc cake

Ive got about 10lb blackberries in the freezer lol! I'm working my way through my recipes but pear and blackberry crumble is the fave so far yummy!

My debt is about to go up again - but it will still be less than it was Jan this year - My DF ways seem to have gone out of the window and its been spend spend spend! Just call me Viv Nicholson But I feel so guilty, i've not even fessed up on here but Im about to so... you know we bought a dining suite for £1800 which I had saved for but paid £750 onto the wrong card grrr, so ive that to pay, I overspent a bit on hol so £250 to find, I need a new washer mines kaput £350, OH speeding fine is due this month £?2500?max! and we've booked a ski holiday for Feb half term! I know I know, I don't know what came over me, one minute I was checking out washers the next minute my CC in hand and im booking flights!!! I feel a bit sick every time I look at the balances but its done and paid for now so, once it all comes through my figures are going sky high!

It was just a minute of weekness, and the OH and kids are so happy but I know it was wrong especially as we are still carrying £27k debt. Please get me back on the straight and narrow! cgx