Venturing Out of the Vault (of Debt)

Sanctioned_Parts_List

Pip_Boy_111 wrote: »

Did you get that beer in the end? :beer:

The very moment the wheels left the tarmac :rotfl:

Pip_Boy_111

Sanctioned_Parts_List wrote: »

The very moment the wheels left the tarmac :rotfl:

Excellent :beer:

Not much going on debt wise today. Up and about off last night shift and physically done in, so it's a day of pottering, telly and computer based things for me. All the accounts tally with the spreadsheet so job done there! It's still strange not having some sort of crisis or urgent financial matter to attend to. It's great but I'm that used to fighting financial fires, it's almost like something is missing now :rotfl:

Have been SERIOUSLY researching my pension fund (nice to spend time looking at future plans and saving, rather than debts) and spending some time on the pensions board. After much research, reading and advice over on the pension board I have taken some decisions to (hopefully) get us towards the FIRE part of our lives earlier (he says touching wood, fingers crossed and praying to all the gods, jedi knights and anyone else who might be there :rotfl:)
The figures on paper, the advice and the logic all make sense, but there's something mystical about pensions that make even small decisions seem like world changing events :eek:
Anyhow, decision made, fund changes submitted, now to try not to check it every 5 minutes

DFW wise, it's a day of the basics. Meals from stores (must use up some sorry looking veg in the fridge). Speaking of the fridge, our new list based shopping strategy seems to be working. Everything is starting to look decidedly empty now. This is good. We're using what we buy instead of throwing away that "special" thing we bought that looked good but didn't get eaten. Less waste, less spent. WIN :T

Rubbish weather today. hard to believe only a week ago it was sunburn in the garden weather. Ah well. Chilled out day, not moving far from the sofa and trying to NOT think about money in it's various forms (owed or saved).

Have a good day all :beer:

Pip_Boy_111

Shopping day

Absolutely smashed it! Had a budget of £60 and a list. Braved the weekend masses (working shifts allows me to shop at quieter times most of the time) and the grand total came in at £57.40p :T very pleased. I'm getting good at this. Even managed a couple of craft beers as a treat for later when watching the F1 :beer:

Cleaned the kitchen, the windows AND a stained shirt with white vinegar. Seriously, this stuff is amazing and, weirdly, i like the smell of vinegar

Weather is back to being acceptable so the munchkins are outside playing and happy.

The happy vibes are everywhere in Pip Land today :j

Have a great Sunday all

Pip_Boy_111

Slight surprise today.

My bills current account switch to FD is happening as we speak. It's a surprise because, although this is the date i asked for, i was told it would be May :huh: No big deal, and if anything, it's better for me. I can get my switching bonus sooner :j

Had a quick tot up of the spreadsheet and it comes in within a couple of quid to reality. One day i will get it bang on :mad: But a great month again, budgeting wise. We've had fun too, with half term and what not, so we're not living like paupers and we're still making massive holes in the debts. Very pleased with my new found organisation :T

I have been spending time on the pensions board recently and picking up some good advice re: my company pension and other strategies for an early retirement. This is excellent, but it really rams home how debt doesn't just cost money. It also costs you opportunity and time.
For example, if I wasn't overpaying debts by a large amount, I would have all that cash spare to pump into retirement savings (ISAs, pension, investments etc). Plus we would still have a little more left over to live for the now. I have played with calcs and figures and the debt i'm paying now, put into a pension or S+S ISA would have dropped retirement age by a significant amount of years. This is now what is making me more angry at younger me. Don't get me wrong. This isn't a woe is me post, just a reminder to myself that I have cost myself (us) the opportunity to get started earlier and be able to leave the rat race sooner, whilst still being able to afford a comfortable lifestyle. Still, lesson learned, albeit later than is sensible. Pretty much demolishes any thought of EVER building up silly debts again though, so every cloud.

Other than that, it's a lovely day here. Washing is out drying (because it's cheaper than the drier :money:), batch cooking will commence later, windows cleaned with white vinegar (and a window vac, bought on sale many moons ago, well worth the money :money:), banking all up to date, spreadsheets are up to date (and a thing of beauty :rotfl:), pensions in hand, future strategy looking good. Not a bad mornings work.

Have a great day all

EDIT: forgot to mention the most important job of the day. have removed the sky box from the living room and replaced with the freesat box :money: Number 1 priority for the day (as delegated by the boss) was to make DOUBLY sure that the soaps are on series link :rotfl:

Pip_Boy_111

Nothing much to report today, financially. One of those "dead" days. Nothing in or out.

In other news, I will be mostly being a lumberjack today. A tree needs removing so I get to play with a chainsaw (borrowed). TIMBEEEEERRR!!! :rotfl:

poppytattoo

Hi Pip!

Not stopped by in a while, just wanted to say hello and well done on everything in recent weeks, looks like you're smashing it!!

Pip_Boy_111

poppytattoo wrote: »

Hi Pip!

Not stopped by in a while, just wanted to say hello and well done on everything in recent weeks, looks like you're smashing it!!

Thanks Poppy.
Took a long time to get to this point, rather than muddling through and not really paying attention to our finances. Better late than never though eh?

Now about this cashback on takeaway..........:drool:

Pip_Boy_111

Starting feel like a bit of fraud, posting in DFW.

I've been reading a few diaries the last couple of nights and have read some truly inspiring, heartbreaking and harrowing stories. Stories that make my own seem like nothing, like a minor bump in the road compared to what some people are going through. It's actually making me feel a bit guilty posting my situation, when I have things under control and have the means to change things around, and others are in true need of help. I only hope i can help in some small way, as others here have graciously taken the time to help me.

I know I have worked hard, tried to educate myself on finances (both debt and future plans), and taken the time to do some things that, maybe weren't fun or desirable, but needed to be done. This still doesn't dampen the feeling that, maybe, my posts can be seen as a boast or a brag to some who are not as lucky as me. I hope not. It's not what i intended my posts to be.

Back to debt busting. Account switch is complete (early??) and shouldn't be too long until the switching bonus is paid. I'd forgotten about this in my budget, so that's an extra £100 towards the CC balance :j

In terms of budgeting, we've still a bit left over from last months budget thanks to some frugal shopping and using up what's left, rather than buying more and ignoring the leftover veg in the fridge. This is great as, every day we still have last months spends left, is another day of not using this months budget. Hopefully this will snowball and leave us with some extra to pay towards the CC at the end of the month.
In terms of long term goals and targets, I now have my sights firmly set on opening a S+S ISA once the debts are gone and that money is available. This has given my target based brain something concrete to aim for. This is now the prize and has made it even more real that, if we really knuckle down and become debt free, the prize is not having to work until we're skeletons :rotfl:

I know i ramble a lot about the mental effects of debt and today is no different
Since having a LBM and putting in the work to try and track and control everything we spend, it's like a fog has lifted. Things have become clearer. Future plans that seemed like fantasy are actually revealing themselves to be achievable (not guaranteed by any means). Bills are now payable from our own cash, rather than credit (looking at you car insurance and service), and plans of retiring before the age of 101 (once thought, by me, to be the reserve of the super wealthy) are now a shiny medal at the end of the marathon. The reason? Control and organisation. That is really all that's changed in the last year. If anything, we actually earn less now than last year, with DW re training and following her dream of a career in education, rather than a dull 9-5 waiting tables. Shows how wasteful we were, and that, with a bit of nouse and hard work, you CAN achieve your goals. Even if that goal is just to be less stressed around money, or to be more in control, or to appreciate the simpler things in life rather than the consumer based "must haves". Being a part of this family of forumites has done more than give me practical money advice. It has given me an appreciation and understanding that, whatever the adverts say, or Dave in the other office says, appreciating the area you live in, the memories being made with the kids and wife or the unplanned day at the beach with no money in your pocket is far more important than having the cash to buy the latest phone that makes you a cup of tea whilst having 60000 filters to touch up your instagram pics

Ramble over. Feeling reflective and philosophical today! :rotfl:

Pip_Boy_111

Another £100 off the overdraft today. Just £200 to go :j

Not much else to report really. Work day, so it's basically get in, get something to eat chill for an hour or two, then bed before getting up again at 4am. All meals were from stocks today (as usual with work these days :T) and no monies have been spended :rotfl:.

Pip_Boy_111

Updated my signature and worked out how much we've paid off in percentage terms. 17.51% in 2 months :j
Obviously the majority of that comes from nabbing the headline rate of 3.3% with FD for the loan, but however it came about, we owe 17.51% less than we did 2 months ago. Very, very pleased
Money saving is having a positive effect on our efforts to help the environment too. With only shopping with a list, for what we need, we're producing less food waste (less waste in general) and our bin is now barely full every two weeks, instead of being overflowing and packed in. We're making as conscious effort to recycle everything we can too. The kerbside collections really help with this. Drying washing outside (when possible :rotfl:) is reducing electric use. Eco settings on the dishwasher and washing machine do this too. Using the car a LOT less has obvious benefits for the planet and our health too. So, spend less money, get healthier, look after the planet more. Win, win situation. You heard it here first people, budgeting is good for the planet :rotfl: