Sorting out my life before the BIG 50

Ollielikesswimming

So I found out this morning that I have been offered the job I interviewed for last week. That should mean that I am :j as I will only have been unemployed for 1 day, however there is a huge difference in the salary (which I knew) so now I need to get myself together and work out what the future looks like.

So here's a quick run down:
Been on these forums for years but have changed my email so had to re-register
Have 2 years to till I hit the BIG 50 and will be debt free and in a position to work less hours
Live alone - which I love
Like to travel lots - this will still be the case, I will just have to be more creative:D
I have just under £5k on a CC at 0% for 24 months
I have a loan (car) with just about £4.5k with 2 years to run
I have a S&S ISA with over £12k which I WILL NOT touch
I have around £6k in savings that need to pay for a new boiler and living expenses till my first pay day which I hope will be mid July:) but could be mid August :eek:

I know that I am in a good position really and that there are several areas that I can cut costs to make sure that I am able to live comfortably

Over the next few days I will start to work out a new budget based on my predicted salary but for now there are a few things I need to do which I will post below to keep me accountable.

Ollielikesswimming

June Goals

Cancel expensive gym membership
Look at local gym prices £28.50 per month
List 5 items on EB / FC
Put contact lens sub on hold Done until Dec 19
Cancel paid for email address
[STRIKE]Draw up new budget based on expected new salary[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]Review all accounts[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]Check final pay and make budget for month[/STRIKE]

Ollielikesswimming

So a quick update of what I need to do today, after spending yesterday in my PJ's not leaving the house:rotfl:

Scan cancellation letter to gymDONE awaiting confirmation
Review all accounts DONE not too bad:)
Buy Fathers Day giftOUTSTANDING
Buy card for AuntieDONE
Mini food shop to last till weekendOUTSTANDING eating from stores
Run session - hope the weather improves else it will have to be the dreaded treadmill:(Delayed till tomorrow

Ollielikesswimming

So up early again this morning and hoping that the weather is slightly better so that I can get out for my run in a while.

Spent most of last night playing with my new budget planner:D so this meant that I have just moved £300 into my holding account as my budget says that this SHOULD be spare if I stick to my plan. If this is the case it will mean that I can use this to cover the shortfall if I only manage 2 weeks salary in July

Here comes my list for today :

• Run session
• Get paperwork together for visa
• Finish unpacking bag
• Start XStitch card
• List 5 things on EB/FB
• Take charity bag to shop
• Pot Ivy
• Sort mould spots on bathroom ceiling
• Put out recycling

Right I'm giving myself another 15 mins on here and then I'm getting going rain or no rain

beanielou

Happy shiny new diary

Ollielikesswimming

So didn't manage to get as much sorted off the list yesterday as I'd have liked but had a few wins;

• Expensive gym confirmed I can cancel at end of month
• Sold item for £40 on bookface
• Managed to make dinner from stores
• Listed 3 items on BF/BE

Today is going to be a spend day as off out for a birthday meal and there really is nothing left in the fridge to eat!
Have some life admin to sort this morning, filing some bits and have a phone interview at 10:30 so currently just pottering until that happens and then I can get on with my day.
Have been continually playing with my budget spreadsheet this week and think I have a plan but really need to get a start date for this job so that I have an idea of how much longer I need to stretch my saving for

Ollielikesswimming

So I've not posted in a few days as I have been waiting for official confirmation about my start date, its taken forever but I now know that I won't be getting paid until August :eek:

So with that in mind I now need to review where I am. At first glance I am :eek: however I know that I have enough in savings to cover my outgoings by being sensible and thats what saving are for ( I NEED to keep telling myself this)

Plumber phoned last night and can now sort the boiler & hopefully the shower this week so thats fab and the money is already put away to pay for this, it just means that my plan to pay off my car loan 12 months early will have to be put on hold, I'll review this once I have a salary coming in again and work out what I can do.

I need to write a master list that needs completing before I start back to work, now I know my start date I feel like I have the motivation back to get things done, so I'll post that later today when I can transfer it from my planner

Ollielikesswimming

So my master list is in my bullet journal so I am not going to copy it out here as well but will mention bits as plan for the day.

Been busy so far tiding the garden, planting some new plants (birthday money spend), have ran and also done a few other jobs although the house currently looks like a bomb has gone off!:rotfl:

Have just checked my PayPal account and I had set myself the challenge of making £50 this month from surveys & selling, happy to say I am already at £75 ( +£40 that was Dad's) so am going to revise that to £100

Off out with a friend later so just have an hour to try and get a little bit more done

Had completed two R40 interest claim back form with hmrc and website is showing they have been processed so just waiting to see if I get anything back :whistle:

Need to empty the airing cupboard before Saturday morning, I know that there are a lot of picture frames in there so I am going to decide which I want to keep / use and the rest can be sold :j

Ollielikesswimming

So had a bit of a spendy and helping others couple of days.

For some reason the R40 form has resulted in my owing HMRC £64 :mad: just hoping that there will be some to come back from the current year with a salary decrease and a month of not working - I've paid it straight away so at least its done
Spent a lot of Friday with a friend who is going through some stuff, so a little spendy but a nice trip out somewhere I would not have gone alone
& today after my run I've been looking after Ollie whilst there has been lots of noise and men in the house - which has resulted in yet more money spent BUT at least this has been planned and all saved for

So not the couple of days I had planned , I'd hoped to have re-organised the study today and get some more bits on bay & BF but its been a NSD so not all bad

Ollielikesswimming

So its been a few days and there are a few wins to write about :j

1. £344 refund from HMRC
2. Admin fee waved and no payment till Aug for new gym
3. Now have a lovely shower
4. Big holiday issue sorted

Been busy tidying and sorting things and will continue this for the rest of the week, as I have then have just one week left before I start back to work.
Budget looks tight - but I have a months salary to transfer over to last me till August
Spent my birthday money on some bits for the garden and a lovely new cookbook that I have already used
Meal planning is still ongoing, I am trying to eat out of stores for another couple of weeks

Ollielikesswimming

So its been a little while since I last updated but as I have been working through a few things I wanted to update where I have gotten too so that as I start next week I can keep a daily check of whats happening.

Things may be looking a little better as I believe that I will actually get a wage in July :j so I will not have to eat into too much more of my savings ( although that is what they are there for!) I have this evening been working out a really tight plan for July in order to kick start my spending cap. Being off work has been great but it has made me realise that I have far too many expensive coffee meet up's with friends and that I keep popping to the supermarket for a couple of bits.....:rotfl:

So after reading some DFW diaries, I have decided to go weekly for the rest of July to both keep a lid on spending and to also only ever be a few days away from another payout of money.
Have done a shop today (£18) and have £7 left for a top up, there is a tank of petrol in the car and I have given myself £35 for the week (which should be loads:o)

So 1 day left of freedom and I have several jobs to finish off, so tomorrow is about a bit of diy, housework, hopefully a bike ride, baking a cake and meal prep for the week.

I've been playing with my budget planner spread sheet and have also been reading the Barefoot Investor - this has given me a few other thoughts about paying off the credit card and loan which I will continue to work through while I get too grips with salary. I have added another couple of saving pots and I will start to work out how to fill these in the coming weeks. I do feel better now that I have a plan:D

I managed to earn £100 via Fbay, surveys & bits in June so am aiming for another £100 in July , although being back at work will make that a little harder.
I have 2 bank account switches on the go which should earn me £300 by August