“Debt is normal. Be weird.”

FootyFanDan

Just caught up with your diary! Firstly I share your love of a good old spreadsheet. Everything in my life needs a spreadsheet haha.

Its really good you are finding your way and it seems that a lot of the missing 1000 you are trying to find is in these little extra things that crop up, its probably only since you started this diary yo relise just how much these little £10 stuff adds up. I can understand you frustration as well with the extras not always been discussed but it is a journey and it already seems like you are getting a grip on it

Well done on the huge amount you have cleared since 2018.

ohdearhowdidthathappen

Those little dribs and drabs really add up, especially if you have a large family. I get my husband to pay everything by debit card, makes him more careful if he knows I can see what he's spending, I do the same. Makes you more accountable... with cash, it's easy to make light of what you're spending. It's really made us identify where our 'spare' money goes

browneyed_girl

Thought I should at least end the day by reflecting on some positives. DH has once again pledged allegiance to the debt-fighting cause. I think he knows I’m fully prepared to castrate him with my purse strings if he doesn’t stick to it! :rotfl:

After the necessity of buying an unexpected birthday gift, I feel I clawed back some pennies by wrapping them with gift paper that I’d salvaged from presents given to us. Saving money and the environment in one :T. I also picked out a birthday card from an assorted box of 500 that I bought some months ago for £25. I find they come in very handy for just this scenario. Not sure I’ll ever use them all, but it won’t be for lack of trying!

Since DD1 had food at the party, I just made eggs and soldiers for the younger children (very cheap and quick but they love it!). I did, however, force myself to find the time to make a fruit crumble using homegrown apples, raspberries and blackberries. Had the other ingredients already (my baking cupboard is usually well stocked), so a yummy dessert to last two days for next to nothing

Not sure I’ve achieved much else today, but I think it’s always important to identify and celebrate the little accomplishments to keep motivated on the longer journey.

Working again tomorrow and a very busy schedule. Hopefully that means I’ll be too busy to spend anything!

twiggy86

browneyed_girl wrote: »

I think he knows I’m fully prepared to castrate him with my purse strings if he doesn’t stick to it! :rotfl:

This made me chuckle!!!

browneyed_girl

Evening all! :hello:

Really good day today . Hectic at work as expected, but getting everything done despite the chaos is surprisingly rewarding.

DH was very keen to have a NSD (such a sweetheart!), but then found we needed more milk (story of our lives these days!). He seemed so proud of himself that he then popped to the shop to buy milk and bought only milk!. He has also redeemed himself by collecting up a few items of his that he is selling to friends - total profit £70 :T

My day was a bit spendier (definitely a word...). £10 on fuel (planned spend), then stopped at Mr T on the way home to pick up a few bits totalling £13.65. This could have been a much higher figure, but I was thinking about justifying the cost on this diary and it kept me focused!

The spend was made up of...

• £3.40 on ingredients to make a gift for a colleague
• £2.25 on chocolates as a teaching aid. Would normally have spent at least £6 on some fancy choccies, but opted instead for cheaper items on offer - it all goes down the same!
• £4 on a few top-up items
• £4 on a Pyrex roasting dish and some Tupperware. All items were reduced to clear and a quarter of the original price. Had talked about needing these things for a while but I always make do until I can find a really good deal.

In trying to be fair to DH, I think I need to add the £4 spend on kitchenware to the impulsive spend tally. I think a good way of keeping us both motivated is to add up our individual ‘naughty’ spending and have a forfeit for the person with the highest total after 4 weeks. I’m thinking laundry duty for a month

As it stands currently:

- Me: £4
- DH: £24

I’ve got a good feeling about this one! :rotfl:

browneyed_girl

Thank you everyone for continuing to read and comment. I hope this diary will one day inspire somebody in the same way that so many other diaries inspired me to start my own debt-free journey

Fridays are a really tough day for us because DH works a night shift (well, until 4am), but still has to be up for the school run in the morning because I leave for work at 6.30am. We then literally pass each other in the doorway as I come home and he leaves for work.

Just managed to sit down for a quick break in between bedtimes and housework. Managed a NSD (for me at least!) and DH’s only spends have been on fuel and a few top up items to last the weekend. He also received the £70 for selling items to a friend, and has another £32 due for selling other bits. Love that this is decluttering and making money at the same time! :T

Found some time to also update the weekend meal plan to reflect what we have in stores and what needs using up. We’ve never spent money on eating out (can’t get babysitters anyway!) or takeaways (we live in the middle of nowhere), but we would often make a meal plan and then decide in the evening that we didn’t fancy what we planned and buy ingredients for something else. Trying very hard not to do that this time by planning a ‘fakeaway’ one night a week and getting the ingredients as cheap as possible (we can usually do it for less than £5).

Another way I’ve been trying to eek out every penny is by focusing on driving economically. I drive 50 miles daily and have noticed today that I’ve managed on average to gain an extra 7mpg this way. Doesn’t seem like much, but I try to look at it as getting a free day’s travel for approximately every 7 gallons Plus, it does seem to make the commute more enjoyable and relaxing - watching everyone else speed by as I tootle along with a grin whilst playing the game of trying to beat yesterday’s mpg. So sad! :rotfl:

Hoping I can find the time for more surveys over the weekend to add to my emergency fund - it’s been static for a while. Aiming for £1000 initially, then once I reach this target I’ll up it to £2000 and so on. Trying to keep myself motivated until payday when I plan on making my first loan over-payment!! Even if it’s only a token amount, it will be a start! :j

browneyed_girl

Morning all :wave:

Early start this morning as DS woke up and wouldn’t settle again. DH got home from his night shift an hour ago and needs to sleep, so I have the unenviable task of keeping four children quiet all day! I’m hoping the weather stays nice so we can head to the local park and let them expend any pent-up energy that way

Looks like DH has brought home some food and around £10 in tips. All the tips he earns are being added to our sealed pot, along with any other shrapnel we acquire. The plan is to pay for next year’s holiday with what we collect, therefore justifying the spend! A few months ago I calculated a rough estimate of what we had collected so far and it was around £400 :T. It’s not as though we can afford exotic holidays (the cost of flights alone for 6 of us gives me palpitations!) and this will be our first holiday in 3 years. The plan is for a glamping holiday with other family to spread the cost. Lots of camp fires, nature walks and time away from screens and technology. I think the kids will absolutely love it . Our share of the cost will be around £500 and then probably an extra £200 for travel, food and a few activities. Hopefully we’re not far off this amount!

Well, I’ve got a busy day ahead with housework and keeping children entertained. Enjoy the weekend folks!

DebtFreeMonkey

The future holiday sounds wonderful and as good as being anywhere else in the world making memories. I think spending time and being with people is much more important than where that is. And like you say, there's quite a number of you! Haha. Hope you have a good weekend

browneyed_girl

Alicia1804 wrote: »

The future holiday sounds wonderful and as good as being anywhere else in the world making memories. I think spending time and being with people is much more important than where that is. And like you say, there's quite a number of you! Haha. Hope you have a good weekend

Thank you - I quite agree!

browneyed_girl

What a day! A perfect example of why I go to work for respite! :rotfl:

Trying to keep four children simultaneously entertained and quiet is not a easy task. DH was obviously still knackered even after a sleep and is working again tonight, which left me needing to do all the housework solo as well. Now officially exhausted! Kudos to single parents and anyone else that has to do this every day - I just wouldn’t cope!

Have just put DD3 to bed and DS has fallen asleep on me. I would put him to bed, but I’m choosing to make the most of these moments. Soon he’ll be too old to want cuddles with mummy so getting them while I still can!

At least I’ve been kept too busy to spend anything today - 2 NSDs this week, which is about as good as it gets for us :j. I’d quite like to set ourselves the challenge of increasing this to 3 NSDs next week - watch this space!

Ooh, and just as a little bonus, DH actually brought home £13.54 in tips which has gone straight into the sealed pot for the holiday fund. Expected to be really busy tonight because it’s fresher’s week at the nearby university - fingers crossed for more to add to the pot!