No more credit.... no more debt

nomorecredit

Quick check in for accountability

NSD 6/15
Lunch to work 4/9
Water: 1.5 ltrs
Steps: 15,749
Bank Account £21.25
Cash £10.00

Pay day tomorrow so I am considering transferring the £30 which I have left to put aside for my youngest’s birthday in a couple of weeks, we will be going out for tea. Will go through things tomorrow when I am not so tired
and maybe able to think straight !

It’s going to be an expensive month ahead, lots of birthdays and my trip
To Dublin, this is my worst pay day month for birthdays. I get quite excited on payday so much so my OH calls me a “payday millionaire”! I need to plan and be focused.

Friday is nearly upon us ...
best wishes
NMC x

teafor2

Happy Pay Day :T Can totally relate to bad months for birthdays. June is our killer month. It starts with mine at the end of May and then there are 5 in June :eek:

Putting a bit to one side for the birthday tea is a good idea if you can. It'll definitely soften the blow

Have a good day. xx

nomorecredit

Morning Tea

I am just trying to sort out my money before I go to Pilates.

Yes I think I am going to do that although I have another birthday we are going to our close friends daughters 18th next week so had to added that to the budget too. So that's taken out some of the £30 but transferring £10 to my birthday tea pot.

Glad its not just me it settles down after February / Mid March but there is 8 birthdays during this pay period. I really should budget an amount over the year to balance it out.

Have a good day too
NMC xx

nomorecredit

Happy Friday

Pay Day woo hoo

Before I have just been sorting my budget out before I head off to pilates and made lists of what I need to organise this weekend for birthdays, paying N$xt and what cash I need.

Will check in later with the plans, spends and results of my weekly targets.

NMC x

nomorecredit

Well I have certainly had a spendy morning

Withdrew cash from the ATM for the following:

Food Budget - £200
Birthday gift - £20
Entertainment Budget - £30
Dog groomer - £30

To far I have spent

Euro's for trip - £330.00
Pilates - £5

So there is £25 left from my entertainment budget. No big plans for the weekend - I don't want to spend any more than £10. I am meeting some friends for coffee in the morning we were going for brunch but my friend has only an hour so that saves some money. WW first thing so I am going to prepare some overnight oats today to take with me and will take a coffee and water too.

This weekend will be sourcing birthday gifts and cards for :

1 - My sister
2 - Friend (gift and card)
3 - Friends son (gift and money to draw out)
4 - Friends daughter (card) my other half will pay for her gift
5 - Youngest present
6 - Friend - Money Wallet

My mum got me some fabric conditioner and fruit so owe her £5 for that so will take that out of the food shopping budget - leaving - £195

Payment to N$xt, tidy and clean around, sort washing, ironing, sort clothes and toiletries for Dublin, meal planning and food shopping list to do today.

I am not at home from Wednesday to Friday so will have to plan something quick for OH to cook as the girls will be at holiday club all day and be starving when they get home. They will take a packed lunch with them so need some extra bits and pieces as they have school dinners term time.

I have put my cash into envelopes and organised my euro's into 1) spends, 2) hotel, 3) money owed to a friend for Guinness tour and transport to/from airport.

I need some black jeggings for Dublin so will buy this out of my birthday money, seen some in A$da for £8.

Better get going, time is running away with me.

Best wishes
NMC x

nomorecredit

How has the weekend gone so quick .....

As suspected a very spendy Saturday but I did get all the birthday presents and cards needed for over next couple of weeks so pleased I am nearly organised with that. Had a lovely Saturday at friends for drinks and food and much needed walk home.

Food shop and birthday party today but overall it’s been very chilled and spends only as planned (food shop) I am also going to buy my train tickets for mon and Tues today so I can hopefully have a NSD Monday and Tuesday.

I also need to “balance the books” and sort out the individual
Items in the budget including what I have spent out of my birthday
Money and “entertainment budget”. I have wrote everything down so should be quite straightforward !! I also need to reflect on my weekly targets.

Tea in oven then will get calculating the figures for a new week x

Best wishes
NMC x

teafor2

You seem to have it all under control NMC. I don't know if you feel the same, but I always think that that being organised and ahead of the game feels helps me feel more in control of everything.

Hope the figures look good for your coming week. Not long until your trip now xx

nomorecredit

Hi Tea

I am trying, it really does help tracking every spend and I feel better I got ahead with the birthdays. Although trying to keep a barbie jet away from prying eyes is proving difficult. These girls are so nosy!!

Looking forward it I have even packed just need to pack final things Wednesday morning. I even have me "travelling in outfit" ready! ha

Hope you had a lovely weekend - going to pop over to your diary soon x xx

nomorecredit

I am sat here surrounded by receipts balancing the budget, I knew it was going to be a spendy Saturday so here goes out of my weekly £30 "entertainment budget"

Parking - £1.00
Coffee/Toast - £3.40
Paracetamol/Face Wipes - £2.00
Birthday Card x 2 + Money Wallet - £2.97
Party Banner - £1.00
Travel Bottles - £1.00
Hair bobbles/clips - £4.00
Lunch meal deal and chocolate - £4.10

Total - £19.47 + £5.00 (pilates on Friday) - £24.47
£5.53 remaining
£0.
53 to 1p savings challenge

Remaining - £5.00

Planned budgeted spends

N$xt - Gift voucher, birthday card, necklace and gift box - £47.00
T$sco - loot bags and party bag fillers - £22.89
Ou!fit - Gift voucher - £20.00
Smy!hs - Birthday presents for youngest - £95.00
A£da- trainers and jeggings - £18.00 (birthday money)
Birthday Money (gift) - £20.00
Next Account - £53.00

So 5 of 8 birthdays presents bought.

Sunday

Food Shop - £101.16/£200.00
Travel - £9.20/£47.10

Weekly challenge (Monday to Friday) - RESULTS

1 - 15,000 steps per day - not everyday but did average 15,000 over the 5 days
2 - 2 ltr's water per day - most days
3 - Couch to 5k - start week 2 (again!) - FAIL FAIL FAIL
4 - Lunch to work - 2 - Done
5 - NSD - aim for 3 - Done
6 - Track food - Done 3 of 5
7 - Research spending app - downloaded, up and running
8 - NO chocolate, sweets or biscuits - 3 of 5 days - Need to do better

Weekly Targets w/c 18th February 2019

10,000 steps per day or average 15,000 per day
NSD - 2
Lunch to work - 2
2 ltrs water per day
No chocolate, sweets or biscuits - 4 out of 5 days

Saving Pots
Youngest Birthday tea £10/£40
Emergency Fund - £0/£500
Holiday in August - £0/£2000
Easter Break - £0/£200
Repair mobile phone screen - £0 / £need to get quote

Phew that's all accounted for and so glad I have taken the opportunity to use these forum to have some accountability, even though its my ramblings and not of interest to anyone else this really helps get things down.

Any remaining weekly spends after my youngest's birthday will be thrown at the N$xt to repay the remaining £100 and close the account. I also aim to pay my mum off by 15th April - so I will set myself a target to pay my last remaining debt before or on 15th April.

I still cringe about the amount of money I have wasted over the years (£,000's) and nothing to show for it, lots of regrets.

My late step dad who was so good with money, never had a credit card or loan, budgeted every week I will never forget his petty cash tin and small brown envelopes for each bill. Paid in cash for everything, so simple and it worked, they paid off their mortgage nearly 30 years ago my mum is still in the house.

My step dad offered to help me manage my money when I started work at 16 and save half my wage for me. If only I would have listened to him I would no doubt be in much better place, 28 years of a missed opportunity, this is my biggest regret.

Any hoo, going to catch up on diaries and head to bed. A busy week ahead.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend

Best wishes

NMC x

teafor2

Wow, that's a fantastic round up NMC. Well done for working through it all and getting it down. :T I do love a good list and I've read yours twice

I had a Saturday job in Woolworths when I was 17 and a girl I worked with had to give 1/3 of her wages to her Dad for him to save for her. I always thought it was a bit mean but it's not a bad theory tbh. There's a lot to be said for the old cash/envelopes/pots system that your step-dad had. I think it helped in years gone by that there was nothing much to be had and every family seemed to be in the same boat. These days we're surrounded by people/adverts/social media etc telling us what we can't possibly live without or trying to get us to keep up with everybody else xx