AimeeMum's Debt-free challenge

aimeemum

Budget done for May - so we're ready for Tuesday when we get paid and lots of my bills come out too. 

Upcoming expenses:
Car needs all new tyres before we go away (about £280)
Middle child's birthday....already have his 'big' present but just need to get his other stuff. Have them in my Amazon basket - £50 
Holiday spends - would like £50 per day, plus £25 each 'travelling' day so we need £200 total. (not including money for fuel or extra's from food budget)

That's a lot for our first debt free month but I reckon I've got it sorted. From June onwards I'll be a bit more sure about what I need to save to where, but for now I'll literally be pooling our resources to cover these expenses......very excited to be going on holiday in a month!!  

abba1772

Congrats on clearing the credit card you must feel like a weights off your shoulders xx

aimeemum

abba1772 said:

Congrats on clearing the credit card you must feel like a weights off your shoulders xx

It really does. I've spent so long worrying about it, it doesn't feel quite real but hubby showed me his banking app (which has both balances on) and both say £0 so I am starting to believe it now! 

aimeemum

I did my fit test today - a couple of days early as I want them evenly spaced and I can do one the day before we go away then. 

Improved on all moves - some by massive margins of 15+ - and did my measurements and I'm down nearly 3 inches altogether (arms, thighs, waist and hips all down) I may only have lost 3lb since the beginning of the month but other things are definitely showing progress. I would dearly love to be back below 11st (aiming for 10st10lb which is 150lb) but my scales are stubbornly stuck at 11st8lb for the long haul I think.  

Anyway, the fit test counts as my workout so that's day 43 done  

Whatlifeis

It’s more important that you feel good, rather than losing weight (that’s my excuse anyway!) Besides, building muscle won’t make much difference on the scales, but a big difference to your measurements, as you’re finding.
congrats on clearing your cards too - very inspiring (one day in the distant future, that will be me!)

aimeemum

Been a hectic few days so lots of updates. 

So Monday afternoon hubby gets  a phone call to say FIL is coming over as his brother is in the hospital. He had no way of getting across so we hired him a car and hubby went down and collected him Tuesday morning. Monday evening we had had another phone call asking us if we could take Bracken a few days earlier (our friend's Lab whom we dog-sit for) as her owner was going into hospital.......double whammy! 

Anyway, after 48 hours of being debt free, hubby had not choice but to put the car onto the CC (thank goodness it was clear as we would have been stuck otherwise!) and FIL will be paying us back after the bank holiday weekend when he can get to the bank to do the transfer (he doesn't do online banking!!) We also had a couple of extra expenses with the upheavals (mainly a couple of bits of food and a tank of fuel for the hire car) plus our car......

Anyway, we ordered the brake parts last week and hubby went to fit them Wednesday. The whole brake caliper was totalled so we ordered a new one (again, thank goodness we had a CC to use for EF!) and hubby fitted it Thursday, so now the car is back on the road - although he did snap a wheel nut so had to go and buy a spare set of 5 yesterday! 

All in all it's been a very expensive couple of days. FIL had to have a covid test to enable him to go back to Ireland, and he needed a ticket home so we had to cover all of that as he couldn't do it himself (again - not tech savvy) but he's given us cash to cover those things which just needs paying in. 

In other news, disappointingly I've missed two workouts this week with everything going on but today is a new week so I've gotten straight on with a 30 minute workout this morning. I weighed myself and I've lost another 1lb so now 11st 7 so hopefully that's going to stay off. Got 3 weeks today until my next fit test and I'm determined that there will be significant progress. 

A payment for the debts came out this week too - £66 for hubby's amp, so that's now reduced to £428. 

aimeemum

Just got a phone call and my offer for F&F has been accepted. Able to pay it off over 3 months too so while I had hoped to get rid, last payment will be 19th July Saved £90 off the balance so definitely glad I did it. That reduces the remaining debt to £342 (had to put an extra £4 on as my elec bill was a tiny bit higher than I had anticipated - all this cold weather!!) 

aimeemum

Urgh I'm miserable!!! 

No workout done today as I spent most of last night in agony (teeth again) so this morning I've rung up and booked a 111 dentist appointment. Thankfully they're sending me to the next town along, some 10 minute's drive!! so at least we're not going to be traipsing across the county. I need this damned tooth taking out and I'm not waiting any longer! 

Had my smear test this morning so I'm all bruised and achey - the little brute made me bleed!!! I know it's normal but it's still sore. On top of lost sleep and a sore mouth I'm not a happy bunny. 

I've booked myself an eye test for the week before we go away - hoping to get a free pair of sunglasses as that's the offer that's being run at the moment. Not had prescription sunglasses in over a decade and I'm quite excited. I've been on and picked out some frames so hopefully all will go smoothly. 

Add in to that the fact that I'm starting to get gripey and nervous about my op next week.....I really do just want to cocoon myself away for a while  

In money news, all going well. Need to sort out the car insurance renewal today/tomorrow but that's mainly hubby's job. 

aimeemum

Big update - I had the tooth pulled yesterday!!!! I never in a million years thought I would be happy, and I have the mother of all sore mouths today, but I'm thrilled that the tooth is gone!! Only cost me an emergency appointment fee too, so bonus!! (I know that shouldn't be a consideration but a regular extraction costs £80, so that's a £50+ saving!) 

So today I'm laying up and resting, liquids only (thankfully I have a house full of protein/meal replacement shakes from recent weight loss endeavours so I'm working my way through those) and will remain on liquids for 3 days post-extraction. I am craving beans on toast already!  

In other news I had my letters through about my op yesterday and the nurse called for my booking in. It's all go provided my covid swab comes back negative on Tuesday. The kids are looking forward to a day at the seaside and I'm hopeful that we wont be waiting around for hours before they actually do my op......these times of covid *should* mean a little bit more urgency. 

Money wise, FIL paid us back for the hire car, and sent us a little bit of cash too. We now have enough to put new tyres on the car on Monday I also still have £30 left of the cash (after a few other expenses and giving the kids their pocket money out of it, so that's been put away as holiday spending money. Only 2 weeks until we go and I'm soooooo excited! 

Whatlifeis

Glad the dentist went well and good luck for your op. I’ll be keeping everything crossed for you