Shrinking is the name of the game

ragstoricheswannabe

My 2019 plan is to shrink my debt and my waistline!

I have been here before, but this time I actually have something to show for the debts. My house was property developed by bodget and scarper (;)) before we bought the house so is needing a lot of work doing to it. We have done well as saved up all needed to pay the workmen in cash and put materials on 0% credit cards.

I also want to lose 2.5 stone, although I am not sure I can do this in a year as my body seems to be reluctant to part with the weight. :mad:

I have done the budget for Jan, cancelled things that have crept in like the lottery and part of a tv package that is not used and the hubby has reduced his weekly spend to a tenner. I have my many accounts still in action so have money stored for clothes, Xmas, cars etc and now have £1.3k in an emergency fund.
My plan is to pay the cards monthly but save £500 allocated into the debt fund and pay chunks off without leaving myself short.
We do have an overdraft so any extras earned/saved will go towards that to pay that back as we go.

Food and misc spends is our problem area so will be working on that.........there is 4 of us in the house yet seem to buy food to feed the masses! And that’s with a food plan and shopping list.............will be doing an inventory of the freezer and cupboards as a start.

doingitanyway

Good luck with your goals.
Do you have a plan to get the 2.5 stones off?

ragstoricheswannabe

Hi doingitanyway, I am following a "lifestyle not diet plan" but wasn't particularly following it to a tee last year so knuckling down as really want this weight gone now.


Good news on that front, managed to lose 1/2lb over xmas!! Not sure how but taking it and not complaining.


Shopping done for the week and was over the budget i set for the week - I have bulk ordered cat food off the interweb (i have a very fussy cat that will only eat certain food but have found it cheaper than the shops) and did top up the hubbies diet fizz stash.


Fuel wise i will have saved this week as both cars running on fuel left over from before xmas, we both have a 3 day working week this week which helps.


House insurance was due this month, managed to knock around £150 off and got a much better deal with another provider. Just shows loyalty gets you no where now a days.


I have been naughty and bought a new kitchen bin and laundry basket but they are very much a need and warranted to save my sanity. That is all the extra bits so far this week. Hubby nipping out later as need milk but that should hopefully be it till we go shopping at the weekend.


I have checked the bank accounts so know what has come out bill wise, will go back to doing this more often to keep an eye on it. My mortgage shows on my interweb banking and is so close to being in double figures not triple...........its silly but its like a big milestone.


Kids going back to school next week so will be getting my bake on to reduce the bought bits to go in - maybe a false economy if you look at the price of ingredients but it makes me feel motherly ha ha ha!

ragstoricheswannabe

My name is rags and I appear to be a food-a-holic! Over my food budget again this week! Kids are back to school this week so there was more on the list and i had run a few cupboard ingredients down that needed topping up. But need to get the spends on budget...........


I lost 1lb this week which I'm taking as a huge win given new years eve was in the mix. Need to get my butt in gear and do some exercise too....................................


Have got extra hours planned at work for this week, as I am salaried it goes on as lieu and I can either take the time back or have it paid out. I like to have a good bit banked so I can take days off when needed for the boys without using my holidays.


2 card payments have come out so far this month so need to update my totals. I have got £1800 saved in the debt free savings so hoping with this months additions i may be able to pay a card off and still leave money in the account as a buffer. I have learnt from past experiences that chucking all money at the cards and having no spare usually equals disaster as something always crops up and we then have to put debt back onto cards. I have got an emergency fund building up nicely too so card usage is not needed.


Right, off for a brew and to get ready for work.........................

natsplatnat

" RAAAAAGGGGGGSSS!! "


Didn't think you could sneak back in without me noticing did you?

natsplatnat

> Peaks head round corner slowly and quietly... slightly worried I have scared Rags off again!?

ragstoricheswannabe

NNNaaaaaattttttt!!!!!! How are you doing?!


I have been a bit missing in action, feeling like i live at work at the moment............. things we do to try and get extra pennies.


There was no weigh in to record as was at work..........overspent on the food by £20 again last week.............Doing great on the minimal spending in the week, only had to top up the car with fuel this week. But..........


It has been close to the bone in the bills account this week and i did have to transfer an emergency £300 to stop it going over the overdraft...............feeling angry at this but it is what it is and knew it would happen as hubbies wage has not been up to normal with new year etc.. Only 2 weeks to go till my payday. The plan was to let an extra pennies go towards the overdraft but may have to rethink this now banks are putting up the cost of overdrafts this month


The weather here has turned so cold, sat in my jumper and blanket to trying not to turn the heating up...............

natsplatnat

Thank goodness you have posted! I must be more restrained in my greetings in the future! Good to see you posting! January is always a bit of nightmare isn't it? I get the Dec CC bill (which this year was much better than previous) but forget the statement cut off is the 21st of the month, so it doesn't include the bulk of the food shopping or those sneaky last minute presents.... Add this to a few bits in the sales and before I know it Jans CC bill is higher than thought. Oh well. We'll all get through Jan and can look forward to Feb, when it will be pay day again before we know it!


I am good! Still battling (a bit) with OH on the budgetting front... but things are on a pretty even keel; this is good news for day to day life, but makes my spreadsheet really boring! lol


Don't burn yourself out working Rags! xxx

ragstoricheswannabe

Well it has been a while since i last posted - forgot my bleeding password ha ha ha!


Jan was pants budget wise. Calculated actual spends vs budget and was def over budget.


Feb looking better though, have increased the food budget as no matter what i just couldn't get it down to £100 per week - doesn't help that I have a growing teenager eating me out of house and home.


I have a bit of a wage increase for the next few months as have taken on looking after another department at work whilst their lead is off having an op. Has been a bit stressful at first as its more processes and knowledge I have had to learn quickly but think I am getting there now. Not sure if the amount they have increased my wage will make much difference after tax so just waiting for payday to see.


I have managed to pay off the small credit card bill today, only 3 more to go!!!!! The amounts do jump up a bit but its still good for morale to see one go. I may have an issue coming up as I have £9k on 0% that runs out in May. The mortgage is up for renewal in March so don't really want to apply for another card so may have to do some juggling with my current cards. The one just paid off very rarely gives 0% on transfers but keeping it as they may well give us something if its empty for a month or two...................................fingers crossed.


Spring cleaning is the name of the game today - weather here is cold but sunny and bright. My dryer has died so planning on getting what washing I can out on the line and the rest is being shipped up to my dads to use his dryer. Don't know about you but I hate towels dried outside as they go like cardboard! Hoping its as nice tomorrow as can get my bedding dried outside too.


Right, off to update my sig before i roll my sleeves up and get down with cleaning.

natsplatnat

ragstoricheswannabe wrote: »

. Don't know about you but I hate towels dried outside as they go like cardboard!

Hi rags, just drifting by whilst at work - glad to see you have remembered your password. Can't do anything nowadays without one!
I have to admit that I prefer my towels dried on the line and crispy!!
Well done on clearing on card - and re-jigging your budgets to make them workable.
Happy spring cleaning!! Catch you later xxx

ragstoricheswannabe

The weather here is glorious! And I am stuck indoors getting all my stuff together to revalidate my nursing registration. I promised myself I wouldn't leave it to the last minute, and although I have tried to keep up with it all over the last 3 years I have lapsed into it being rough drafts. I will be more organised now and have got all the forms saved in their own file on my computer so no excuses.


Washing drying outside, my dryer can be fixed at the cost of £100 - just waiting for parts to arrive. My washing machine however is now dying and cannot be fixed. It sounds like an aeroplane setting off when its spinning but that will have to carry on for a little while to save up for a new one. Blumming white goods, I'm sure they make a pact to go at the same time?!?!?


Budget is looking good this month and we have not been near the overdraft limit which is great.
Mortgage has now been sorted as ours was up for renewal at the end of next month - fixed it now at a decent rate as who knows what will happen with brexit............. The monthly payment has gone up by £30 and the interest rate is more than our previous fix but its fixed for 3 years so hopefully the market will have settled down when its next up for renewal.


Ok, must stop procrastinating and get on with my nursing file..........................coffee needs to be made first...........................