Debt Goals

takingcontrolatlast

Thanks for your good wishes Foxgloves

Yes I know you have been through the sad loss of your parents and you do understand the stress and difficulty of juggling everything. I'm finding it difficult to try and please everyone and I've just come to the conclusion that I can't.

The unexpected extra finances that come with hospital visits (extra petrol, parking costs, canteen visits so that mum is out of the ward) etc have to come from somewhere... I have had to "dig into" the savings I have been putting away to pay my family member back. All my personal savings for the month are well spent!

Everything is really stressful and I'm on automatic pilot at the moment.

Hopefully the care plan will be finalised soon and life will become a little more relaxed.

I have learned that an emergency fund needs to be put in place sooner than later!

Weekend is nearly here - lets hope i can have NSDs till then

x

takingcontrolatlast

Well I'm still not managing NSDs but that being said - spends are on essentials.

With everything up in the air with family life atm I havent been able to do as much overtime. I wanted to pay the family member back by the end of August and realistically I'm not going to do it especially as I'm dipping into the savings towards this debt. I was hoping I could hammer the overtime to get a big chunk towards it but it is not happening.

I have taken the bull by the horns and explained to family member that realistically I'm not going to be able to hit deadline of August. All is well and family member very understanding. This is such a relief but I'm also disappointed in myself for letting him down. I can pay a monthly figure towards reducing the debt and this will be incorporated into my new spreadsheet.

All the additional expenses recently as I have said highlighted that I have no emergency fund to draw on. So my next challenge is to save towards that £500 will be my figure.

So off to have my morning coffee (I've had a long awaited lie in) and then blitz the house, meal plan and hopefully a bit of knitting.

x

takingcontrolatlast

Life is proving very challenging atm. Mum still in hospital and I think getting worse. Waiting for the care plan to be set up is soul destroying especially when mum is phoning up to be taken home "for a little bit please and I promise to come back to hospital"

Still - these things take time and its in mums best interests.

My sister is diagnosed with Ca this week - and has to have surgery within 3 weeks - I wont go into her personal details but the family are all there to support her.

DD1's foot got stuck under the brake pedal in her car - she somehow pushed the accelerator and drove across a give way into someones garden - through a concrete panel and fence.. there was no one injured thank goodness and she is fine physically but it did shake her up and she is very tearful. It will be very expensive for her but she has savings and insurance. But the call in work.. dont panic ive been in an accident just topped my week.

Somehow i'm functioning. Saying that i've been awake since 4am!

Its been a spendy week - granted some necessaties but i have noticed unnecessary spending creeping in... for example canteen lunches as i couldnt be bothered to make myself a lunch at home; I bought a candle and a magazine.... feel good items. Its been a while since I bought a magazine so i'll forgive myself for that and I dont need a candle so I have put that into my presents box. But I dont want to go back down the route of I want that..

This weekend I hope to make some muffins from frozen blueberries I have saved in the freezer - if I can at least achieve that and meal plan I'll feel content with home life.

In times like these it's important to remind oneself of things to be grateful for. I still have reasonable amount of health and therefore can support those in need, I am grateful for my family, I am grateful for my job even though it is tough, I am grateful for my home and I am grateful for my old cat xx

takingcontrolatlast

DD1 made the blueberry muffins - delicious

I forgot to say DH has bought me a chilli plant and tomato plant which are sitting in a grow bag :j

Meal plan more or less complete and tomorrow I want a cleaning and washing day to have some order in my life.

I will take another look at my budgets ready for payday - may have to tweak as I have splurged this past week.

Sunday will be food shopping and hospital visit and then hopefully a restful day

x

Happier_Me

I'm more of a lurker than a regular poster, but having read your diary I just wanted to say that I think you are doing amazingly well to balance home, work, your mum and your debt. You will become debt free, just keep going!

You've had debt for a long time and I know your household finances are tight. Is it worth posting an SOA to see if anyone on here can give you some tips to cut back more or to approach your debt busting in a different way?

And in respect of your pension, I understand why you have done this and I really don't know whether you have opted back in or not. But please, please, please rejoin the scheme if you havent already. Yes...it hits your household finances NOW but you will come to realise that this decision is a big mistake. Please don't sacrifice your future for short term debt and don't forget that retirement is one of the main drivers for getting debt free.

I'm a member of the LGPS, I also work in Finance and have developed over the last few years an obsession with retirement planning (I am arguably the pension boards biggest lurker). I know just how valuable these pensions are. If my budget was so tight I couldn't afford to stay in my pension scheme, I would genuinely consider a DMP to ease my monthly finances and reduce interest instead. It impacts your credit rating, but that's only really a problem if you want to get into more debt!

Another benefit of rejoining the scheme is that people like me will stop posting stuff like this on your thread:D. But it is all with good intentions, we are just looking out for you!

takingcontrolatlast

Happier_Me wrote: »

Another benefit of rejoining the scheme is that people like me will stop posting stuff like this on your thread:D. But it is all with good intentions, we are just looking out for you!

Hi Happier Me :hello:

Thank you for your lovely post and I did giggle at the above but I do really appreciate your sentiments and support so thank you

Care plan is in place and mum will be getting discharged tomorrow. The stress on the family has been awful and I'm so glad it is now sorted.

I do work closely with my DH regarding the finances which is a good thing as previously we didn't. I'm doing better at fighting the debt as I'm more focused on it now and this site offers great advice. The spreadsheet is really working for me, I'm meal planning and saving money by doing that, I'm earning extra when I can and overall trying to be more frugal, which I'm actually enjoying! .. I'm not perfect but learning lots of tips.

All household bills are paid and debts are coming down... yes money is tight but it's all heading in the right direction.... apart from the pension!

To be honest I haven't yet enrolled back in. It is on my list to do but with the month I am having .. its been on a back burner.

I'm not sure what LGPS stands for?

Yes I'l admit I do want the pension contributions in my salary now - it makes life easier in the short term but I do want to retire with some money even more and I will be re-enrolling. It just means there is less money in the pot to either throw at debt or I become more frugal to counterbalance it. I dont want to entertain a DMP - I can get rid of this debt. Yes I have had debt a long time but the difference is Ive now actually had enough of it and shamefully its taken this long for me to totally get what I have done to myself.

Thank you for prodding me to re-enrol. :T.. I'll get the forms completed

x

takingcontrolatlast

Mums home and care plan in place at last.

I'm really tired and irritable ... even in work which isnt good:o

I'm looking forward to the weekend - just hope I can have a lie in.

Tonight I have been going over my spreadsheet - this month is the last payment of my car insurance. I 'll have to shop around to see what deals I can get - would love to be able to pay the year off in one hit. I dont think in all my years I have ever done that :eek:

DH uses the car once a week - wonder if he'll contribute :rotfl:

takingcontrolatlast

Things are still difficult. We're waiting on my sister's results of MRI scan and then we actually know what we are dealing with. To top it off work is also stressful. But I just have to carry on best I can.

So, debts paid for the month and spreadsheet updated. I'm waiting to see what my car insurance comes in at with my current provider and then will shop around.

Vet bill was expensive this month £140 without any meds!! I daren't look at DH face when the receptionist told him :eek:

I'm meeting up with friends next week - one for lunch and with the other group tea after work (all budgeted for from personal spends).

Meal planned for the week from freezer and store cupboard so hopefully make some savings on food shop today to put towards my emergency fund.

Over the last month I've been using up cleaning products and toiletries and I'm still going strong - not needed to buy anything as yet - just shows you how much I have!

I have a full tin of white paint gifted and yesterday I started painting the conservatory - its more of an undercoat at the moment - good workout !

My chilli plant is improving and my tomato plant is looking fab - it has grown so tall - can't wait for tomatoes to appear :rotfl:

There are items I no longer want from the conservatory and I'm going to put them in the loft so that i can do a car boot later on in the year - obviously need to tackle other rooms!

Enjoy Sunny Sunday x