Munchin's moseying out of debt diary....again

Munchin

Thanks SSG - I know we are all getting older but you cling on to the hope that your Mum/Dad will just keep going. I have boxes of toiletries , a lot of the lotions and potions were presents but I need to use them up. Hopefully once they are all used up I will see how little I really need as my main products.

Pup & I are just in from a walk and thankfully we made it round before the heavens opened. Yesterday wasn't that productive, pup & I went for a run and I did get the flowers planted but felt off the entire time. Sis was fit to tell me that her and nephew had a stomach bug and they kindly gifted it to me .

I still have the ironing to do but it is a Sunday. I've already hoovered the hall and polished the living room and hopefully apart from getting everything ready for back to work tomorrow it should be an easy day. Nephew no 2 should be here in bit and we can watch a movie while we are waiting for his Mum to finish work.

Seasidegal58

Hope your stomach bug is on the wane. Have a lovely afternoon relaxing with your nephew.
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Munchin

Morning

I'm out for dinner tonight and it's my turn to pay - I really don't want to go as this is an ex colleague and we have nothing really in common but I struggle to say no without being rude. I might have to borrow from the Everything else pot if I go over on the Dining pot.

I have plans to meet friends at lunchtime for a run and after that I'm in a 3 hour meeting about nothing I know....sigh. At least I will be happy after my run.

This weekend is a bit spendy as I need 2 new front tyres. I had hoped to make them last a bit longer but brother told me if I got stopped I could be fined. I have the money in my car fund but just don't like to see the account going down. I would also like to get my hair cut - so the Everything else fund will be down to pennies by the weekend. At least I get paid on Monday and hopefully I also get my back pay.

Budgets are getting very squeaky but I'm hoping to see better in roads to the debt repayment from next week.

July budget (13 days to go)

Groceries - £[STRIKE]80[/STRIKE]/£7.41 left
Dining out/fun - £[STRIKE]100[/STRIKE]/£37.60 left
Everything else - £[STRIKE]110[/STRIKE]/£37.15 left
Diesel - £[STRIKE]150[/STRIKE]/£0 left.

Munchin

Morning,

I had to cross the picket line this morning as my colleagues are striking for fair pay - felt so guilty but I'm no longer a Union member so kept my head down.

I didn't have to pay for dinner the other night which was good and there was an incident on the motorway that evening so rather than having to sit for hours in a traffic jam I had a nice sea food dinner and killed a few hours with a friend.

Money front - can't wait until Monday when I find out exactly what my arrears are - again they are being spent on boring stuff that I need (car tyres etc) but at least it will be nice to see my bank account being healthy for a short time. I have cleared my Very account so that is one less debt to worry about. I now have just my credit card (£900) and loan (£3,500). I intend on having the card cleared by the end of this year and the loan gone by July next year. I would like then to have £5,000 in savings by the end of next year so that I finally have a cushion to fall back on and I'm no longer robbing peter to pay paul. My mantra - 'I didn't need it yesterday so I don't need it today' is paying off. I think losing the weight also cuts down on the clothes shopping as I am managing to slim back into clothes that didn't fit.

No big plans over the weekend - saving the pennies for our family holiday in just over 2 weeks

Seasidegal58

Hi munchin - you sound like you had mixed feelings about the picket line, but you have to do what you think best.


Congrats on clearing the Very card! One down!


I will be channelling you soon hopefully with the clothes and then finally be able to wear some smaller sizes that have been languishing in my bedroom for ages!

Munchin

Hi SSG - hope the weight loss is going well and it will be great to get back into your smaller sizes.

So I got my arrears and I paid £144 on 2 new tyres + alignment and I have set aside spending money for our holidays and then our tumble dryer broke at the beginning of the summer so the arrears are going for a new one (well past repair stage). We don't use it often but it's Ireland which is usually wet and there are times it is needed. The seal has gone on the washing machine..... this adulting life is a total pain... but at least the money is going to necessities....and maybe a new swimsuit for my holidays .

Budgets have been allocated for August and although the Groceries budget has been reduced this is because I'm away for a week and will use the holiday spends that week.

August budget

Groceries - £[STRIKE]70[/STRIKE]/£70 left
Dining out/fun - £[STRIKE]50[/STRIKE]/£50 left
Everything else - £[STRIKE]150[/STRIKE]/£150 left
Diesel - £[STRIKE]140[/STRIKE]/£140 left.

The 'Everything else' is high this month but I'm away this weekend with cousins and that will cost £65. It is my nieces b'day (£20), I have 2 beauticians appointments because of holiday (£45 guesstimate) and my pup's dog licence is due (£5). So I'm probably only left with £15 for incidentals. My best buddy is coming home for a weekend at the end of August and we normally meet for lunch and then I have 1 girls night out planned and it should be less than £50 for both events as they will be local. Hopefully I can stick to it or even come in under budget....best laid plans and all that.

It is nice to see my signature with just 2 debts on …..slowly but surely.

Busy day ahead so I better get on with it

Munchin

Morning

I had an interesting weekend on a retreat with my cousins & it was an opportunity to take stock of where I am at and what I want for the future. Obviously the spending more time with family and friends was higher up the list of wants and doing things to improve my life is there. I think a goal I've identified is to have financial security so that I can decide when I want to retire which obviously depends on the financial security but I'm mid 40s & I don't want to be sitting in work until I'm near 70 waiting for my pension (assuming I still have health etc). I have time to build a nest egg but I need to clear the debt first. I sat with a pencil & paper working out the plans and how much I can save once debt is paid of which isn't bad - £650 per month.

I also made another decision - I'm stopping eating meat which shouldn't be that hard for me - I don't like pork, lamb or chicken (unless it is disguised as goujons etc) and not overly fond of beef - so I officially stopped on 1st August.

So the new plan is -

• clear my debt by July 2020
• start building my nest egg with £650 per month from Aug 2020

This is my last week in work before my holiday and so looking forward to the break. I got my euros at the weekend and hopefully as the hotel is all inclusive I shouldn't need that much spending money but I do like to try restaurants outside of the hotel.

August budget

Groceries - £[STRIKE]70[/STRIKE]/£47.68 left
Dining out/fun - £[STRIKE]50[/STRIKE]/£50 left
Everything else - £[STRIKE]150[/STRIKE]/£55 left
Diesel - £[STRIKE]140[/STRIKE]/£80 left.

Seasidegal58

Hi Munchin - your retreat weekend sounded very interesting and useful in that it has given you some food for thought on your financial goals.

£650 per month is a very useful sum for your retirement planning and you have a good timescale from which to build this up. I've not got long to go now and am throwing quite a bit of my salary per month into my works pension. With my firm's contribution and tax break it's a no brainer!

Good luck with going meat free! I'm afraid I'm too much of a carnivore to cut it out completely but don't eat as much meat as I used to. You'll certainly save some pennies!

Won't be too long now till your holiday!:)
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savingholmes

Just caught up on your journey and wanted to wish you all the best. You sound like you're doing really well at cutting down the fritter spend.

Munchin

Morning

Thanks SSG & SH.

So I’m up early which is nothing new but I have a busy day ahead. Flying out to Spain tomorrow so have loads of cleaning to do today - I like coming home to a clean house. I want to go for a run now & then I’m getting my nails done at 9.30. I have to pop over and do volunteer thing & later sister is coming up to do my hair. The sooner I get started the sooner all the jobs will be done.

Flight goes out at ridiculous o’clock tmw morning & I’ve not even started packing. Sister & family flew out this morning ... the advance party .

Stop frittering is going well & I could list on one hand the things I have in addition to normal groceries so I’m quite pleased.

To do today

• [STRIKE]Run[/STRIKE] & washed pup after run.
• Volunteer
• [STRIKE]Clean bathroom[/STRIKE]
• Clean kitchen
• Clean living room
• Clean bedroom
• Clean car
• Pack