Keeping on the Straight and Narrow...

DancingInTheRain

So plans for 2020...

Debts
Target is to have a debt figure below £5,000 by the end of the year.
Stretch target is to clear the credit card (currently at £6,029).
Shoot for the stars target is to be totally debt free but, realistically, unlikely to happen. But you never know do you?
Also joined the MFW 1% Challenge for 2020, signature updated. Target for this is £565 which should be achieved by adding a little to my usual mortgage account tidy I do each month so that the amount owed ends in a zero

Savings
Started rebuilding savings pots which were decimated in November so feeling back in control.
EF currently at £2,870. We haven't added to this for a while but feels like this should be a nice & tidy £3,000 doesn't it? Or is that just me and my weird brain? :rotfl:

Fun
We've not been far in the last 2 years so have booked 2 short breaks for May and October half terms for us as a family. Both relatively local to where we live (within 50 miles), but lots to do and I think it will do us all good to have a couple of treats to look forward to this year. Total cost for these is £600 plus fuel costs and spending money.
Finally, I have a big birthday next month - it starts with a 4 and ends with a 0 :eek: and again, in the interest of having more experiences/treats this year. DH and I have booked to go to the Grand National in April, including an overnight stay.
There's a couple of jobs we need to get done in the house too so we're setting money aside for this so the cash is in place first.

Health
I've been slowly but surely losing the baby weight over the last 6 months but still have a stone to go so that's a focus over the next year, also still trying to get my blood pressure under control so eating well and looking after myself more will help with this too.
DH is also keen to lose weight having been fairly immobile the last few years. He continues to recover well from surgery so is much more mobile which will help him massively.

FootyFanDan

Hey

Fab update -

Started rebuilding savings pots which were decimated in November so feeling back in control.
EF currently at £2,870. We haven't added to this for a while but feels like this shoLifuld be a nice & tidy £3,000 doesn't it? Or is that just me and my weird brain? This 100 % should be a round £3000 hahaha:rotfl:

Well done on the goal setting for the debt it really does help focus the mind when you have a specific target. You have done so well so far so I would expect the next set of targets would be smashed too.

Agree re the having something to look forward to as well, Its nice to have breaks away with family as despite all the rest of stuff we have going off been all MSE family is the reason we do it so enjoy every second of it

I have found your diary to be so inspiring and a source of info for me to take forward in my journey so thank you

beanielou

Great update.

Oh to be 40 again!!

savingholmes

Hi Dancing - you are making great progress - you can do this.

As Beanie said - 40 seemed old but now I am almost 50 - 40 seems young...

beanielou

I much nearer 60 than 50 now.
Not really sure how that happened to be honest.

DancingInTheRain

Thanks guys x

Dan - Looks like I need to be adding to my EF in the coming weeks then eh?

I'm not too bothered about turning 40 really, I just don't know where time has gone. Millennium Eve was half my lifetime ago but only feels like 2 or 3 years ago.

Age really is just a number and all we can do is take each day as it comes & try to not cause harm or upset to others. Easier said than done some days though (still in DH's bad books )

FootyFanDan

DancingInTheRain wrote: »

Thanks guys x

Dan - Looks like I need to be adding to my EF in the coming weeks then eh?

Yup!:rotfl: better get it topped up, not keen on not round up numbers haha maybe just as weird as you

Age is 100 per cent just a number your as old as you feel they say right? Sorry to read about been in bad books...I am pretty sure it will pass

x

ohdearhowdidthathappen

I turned 40 last year, strangely it bothered me less than turning 30!

Fab update, lots of positives. Nice to have treats to look forward to too.

DancingInTheRain

Is it too late to say Happy New Year?
So much activity on these pages since my last update, I've dropped down to page 8! Here's hoping all DFW's old and new have a successful 2020 :beer:

Turns out DH's grumpiness was due to him coming down to gastroenteritis so he's been bedridden for a few days, he's finally showing signs of being more human this evening thank goodness! Can't believe how many bugs we've had the last few months, the joys of having young children

Mum and MIL have been awesome as they each had the boys for a day to give me a chance to look after DH and complete an assignment that was due this week (work related course). I've also got all the Christmas decorations down and back on the loft and given the house a decent clean - the boys 'helped' too armed with their toy hoover and a couple of old dusters :rotfl:

Me and the boys have also managed to get out each day for some fresh air to stop us crawling the walls. Got an online grocery shop ordered for delivery tomorrow then hopefully we can have a relaxing weekend ahead of us returning to work/school Monday.
Not sure if I'll have such a long break next Christmas. Never been off this long before and although I have recharged my batteries I'm ready to go back to work, I think I prefer being off more when the days are longer in summer.
Made a start on my MFW 1% challenge today by sending £34.52 to the mortgage account and have made a couple of small TT's to the credit card. Nice to see all the DD's and SO's update on my bank account today too.
Let's see what January has in store....

nomorecredit

Happy New Year to you Dancing x hope you enjoy the weekend but like you I am ready to go back to the normal routine, hope DH is feeling better soon.

How fantastic are you reaching you under 10k goal, well done you are doing fabulous.

Take care
NMC xx