The Four D's

FootyFanDan

Hahaha - I am a little....what's the word....obsessed with my spreadsheets 🤣. I do think you are right though re the complacency. I think before because I was in such financial mess I was micro managing everything and over the last few months has I have got into a better position its started slipping purely through thinking ah its only a few quid...I think to myself 'duh boy this is what got us in this mess' haha. 

Hope your day is going okay

Naomim

Despite having saved for Christmas and still being within budget, my overdraft has started to creep back up so I need to get back on the horse as it were.   

Question about YNAB. Do you need to download it or is there a web based version? I use a work laptop so not allowed to download anything to it. Otherwise it will have to be on my phone.

Naomim

FootyFanDan

Naomim said:

Despite having saved for Christmas and still being within budget, my overdraft has started to creep back up so I need to get back on the horse as it were.   

Question about YNAB. Do you need to download it or is there a web based version? I use a work laptop so not allowed to download anything to it. Otherwise it will have to be on my phone.

Naomim

Yeah there is a web based version that I use on my laptop - then I have the app on my phone which i then enter transactions...in theory haha. I really do like it and it has defo helped change my mindset re money it was just last couple of months I have let it go abit

FootyFanDan

So that is YNAB looking all pretty again hahaha. What stood out is just how much different my outgoings are now compared to when I first did YNAB so that has given me a little bit of a good moment seeing how far I have progressed in just over a year

alt80

New job sounds like it’ll be good for you. Definite progress, especially being off that shift pattern.

Any real advantage in using YNAB over a spreadsheet? I use Yolt which is free and brings together accounts / categorises transactions then input into excel (well I get the wife to do it ha).

Have you got the car sorted? I’d expect if it were the cats your engine light would be on not just picked up at MOT - definitely no mechanic haha but had the joy of getting those done on my old Range Rover Sport; it threw the engine light on no other issues.

FootyFanDan

alt80 said:

New job sounds like it’ll be good for you. Definite progress, especially being off that shift pattern.

Any real advantage in using YNAB over a spreadsheet? I use Yolt which is free and brings together accounts / categorises transactions then input into excel (well I get the wife to do it ha).

Have you got the car sorted? I’d expect if it were the cats your engine light would be on not just picked up at MOT - definitely no mechanic haha but had the joy of getting those done on my old Range Rover Sport; it threw the engine light on no other issues.

I just really like the simplicity of YNAB and tbh mate I wasn't sold on it at first and it did take me a little to get used to, but i tend to find with excel I budget in my old way which is write down what I plan to spend and not actually track what I spend. I do love excel and I do put alot of stuff into spreadsheets I have just found that I seem much more in control with YNAB and I enjoy that it categorises my transactions and I can see a overview quite easily. My monzo is set to auto export my transactions into Google sheets as well but don't really find  that has effect.  

The car is work in progress, I did get a second opinion and they haven't mentioned the cat at all, they reckon it could just be a case of getting the oil change and filter change and then change air filter. I also was under the impression that if it was cat then the engine light would be on as well but again I am no mechanic. So I have ordered the stuff to do the filter change and oil change which look pretty straight forward to doing. Also the second garage gave me a number of a guy who is an emissions specialist so I am going to get him take a look. The other stuff on MOT failure were pretty standard stuff that are consumable so no major concern over getting those fixed, my main concern is the emissions. 

FootyFanDan

@alt80 in addition I have looked up the common signs of a faulty cat and I am getting none of those issues just the failed emissions, the consensus online is that a faulty O2 sensor could be the issue. 

alt80

The YNAB sounds a bit like the Yolt app I use tbh and free - could be worth a try.

If you’ve not serviced your car for more than a year, that’s not great for the car mate. No idea how easy/ difficult it is to do yourself never tried. I was told I overheated the cats on the RRS through having it mapped and a smaller pulley on the blower - no idea if complete BS or not but it did make over 600bhp lol.

FootyFanDan

The mechanic did ask if the vehicle was mapped - its a fiesta ST so when it failed emissions that was there first assumption. The car has been regularly service with the exception of this year - due to covid unfortunately most garages near me either closed or were just too busy. I have currently got some money in my car fund that will cover some basic stuff to check off first - I am not prepared to just get rid without at least trying the basics. Luckily the air filter change is quite simple on my car - as is the oil filter change although a little messy, I have some time off so why not put it to good use lol. They also recommended checking spark plugs

alt80

Ha probably wasn’t BS then. Tbh my FFRR has the same engine as the Sport and I won’t bother with the mods on this one, not worth the problems/ paranoia about some catastrophic failure imo.

That makes sense re servicing. I got an email from JLR at the start of covid saying unless you’re NHS you can’t get your car fixed/ serviced etc. Set me off that did haha and nothing was even due.

No need to get rid I don’t think, unless you’re looking to buy a new car soon, just get whatever that needs done and get it back on the road. Even if it is the cats, you’ll not need to replace them again - there was definitely 2 of them on mine so not sure if you can do 1 (or even if the 2 was one of each bank or something and 1 if its an inline engine).