Day 1 - Taking the First Step

DebtFree2023

Not a rude question at all. I would be asking the same thing as it doesnt really make sense however...

We moved areas for school catchment in October 2018 whilst I was on maternity leave. My son had been going to nursery since he was 9 months old and we made the decision to move him nurserys and let him carry on going to nursery to make friends before he started school in September. The previous nursery divided the 3 year funding by 12 so we had equal monthly instalments. The new nursery seemed so cheap in comparison however we later found out (or i didnt read the conditions properly in my hazy newborn state) that the new nursery went term by term. In the final term our bill went from £150 per month to over £500 due to all the school holidays. Big reason for the debt increase, in hindsight we couldnt afford to do nursery on mat leave but we didnt realise about the last few months being so expensive. We only kept him in so he could make friends, hes a very shy august boy and we felt that nursery was important for him to build his confidence ready for school.

I'm now back at work and I only have very limited childcare costs for my eldest now hes at school.

I'm ready to get on top of it all now.

Told my husband no more babies and no more moving house wayyy to expensive haha

DebtFree2023

I've just applied to switch my account for Nationwide and my hubby is on board with switching his account to so thats £300 for free horray!!!

Going to scan those receipts and enter all my purchases on consumer pulse tonight.

I've paid £75.33 off the 1st virgin credit card account (the one he knows about) so its a nice round figure.

Once Virgin CC 2 do my money transfer and the Nationwide Switch has gone across I will close the Natwest Account. and il be starting a fresh. I've only requested a £500 overdraft with Nationwide (interest free for 12 months) but I believe I've over estimated the money transfer amount anyway so should be all clear on the overdraft front and then just to tackle the Virgin 2 Secret Credit Card.

Tomorrow I will go into town cash in the ISA and deposit all the stray piggy bank coins into the piggy bank.

This afternoon I am going to do an online food shop to arrive tomorrow no more takeaways, time to cut back there too.

FEELING POSITIVE HORRAY!

Andyjflet

DebtFree2023 wrote: »

I've just applied to switch my account for Nationwide and my hubby is on board with switching his account to so thats £300 for free horray!!!

Going to scan those receipts and enter all my purchases on consumer pulse tonight.

I've paid £75.33 off the 1st virgin credit card account (the one he knows about) so its a nice round figure.

Once Virgin CC 2 do my money transfer and the Nationwide Switch has gone across I will close the Natwest Account. and il be starting a fresh. I've only requested a £500 overdraft with Nationwide (interest free for 12 months) but I believe I've over estimated the money transfer amount anyway so should be all clear on the overdraft front and then just to tackle the Virgin 2 Secret Credit Card.

Tomorrow I will go into town cash in the ISA and deposit all the stray piggy bank coins into the piggy bank.

This afternoon I am going to do an online food shop to arrive tomorrow no more takeaways, time to cut back there too.

FEELING POSITIVE HORRAY!

The Nat West will close automatically that is part of the agreement with switching..

DebtFree2023

The money transfer is complete. So nice seeing the Natwest account in credit :-)

Checked my ISA balance is £100 so transferred that out and closed the account,

My piggybank paid for my haircut today and a toy for the christmas drawer from the charity shop.

Nationwide switch isnt going as well I didn't read the terms and conditions about closing the old account so will have to ring them again tomorrow to try and sort it.

Did an online grocery shop last night cost £55, going to aim to do this weekly going forward I'm sure this is where most of our money is going.

I have updated my balances too

DebtFree2023

Cashed in my cashback from NWB Rewards and Quidco so another £7.90 made.

Cashed in my audiobook credits on books on side hustles and making more money and membership now paused for 3 months so that £7.99 per month now saved.

Hubby decided we needed a humidifier for our son because of his cough. I asked him to pay for it as said I was close to my overdraft limit and he did! :-) Normally I would have just paid for it. Going to start asking hubby to pay for more stuff, I don't fully know what he earns I just tell him what I need to pay the bills and he pays it. Maybe I will up what I ask for one day. For now I will let him pay for family meals out etc and try and squirrel away what I have saved off the overdtaft/into family savings.

FEELING POSITIVE TODAY!!

beanielou

A fantastic start

DebtFree2023

Hello,

Just checking in, still battling with Nationwide for my account switch, ended the month £20 overdrawn (not including the secret and unsecret credit card) because of a higher than expected childcare bill. First month of after school club so my estimate was slightly off. Will amend my credit card direct debit to £180 a month to compensate for this.

Hoping this month end up at 0 balance or even better still in credit! If i'm in credit the credit amount will be going straight onto the secret credit card.

I'm definitely finding myself more concious of my spending now that I am using monzo. Off to Aldi for bits now with a shopping list. Hoping to spend a maximium of £50 will add things up in my head all I go round instead of throwing things in my troller and hoping for the best.

FEELING POSITIVE AND ON TRACK!!

beanielou

Glad that you are feeling positive

DebtFree2023

Sorted our the account switch so should get £100 in 30 days time. Just in time for Christmas :-)

Also set up a round up savings account on Monzo to see if I can get an emergency fund of £1000 together, will be better than putting things on credit cards in future when the unexpected taking time off unpaid etc for the kids crop up.

Going to look into my gas/electric and home insurance this month.

Realised I had budgetted £168 for my eldests childcare and it was £160 so don't need to amend the credit card standing order horray. £8 into the christmas fund

Went into the charity shop today for a browse. Realised theres loads of clothes in great condition £1 an item especially for my son. Didn't buy anything as were at a wedding and wanted to save the remaining amount of my budget (£20) for drinks at the wedding. :-)

ON TRACK, WITHIN BUDGET AND FEELING POSITIVE!

DebtFree2023

Just paid £4.55 off my credit card. Giving myself a budget of £150 a week for groceries, clothes toys petrol etc (everything but bills) and had some money left horray and even managed to put a couple of christmas presents aside for the kids. Successful week staying under budget horray!

Just given been to iceland and aldi and stocked up the freezer and aldi. Managed to stock up for less than £70! I have £10 to last me until Friday but no plans to spend any money so hopefully this £10 can go off the credit card too!

I have just compared my gas and electric with look after my bills and my monthly direct debit is going from £150-£81 per month!! Absoultely amazing. I am going to set up a standing order to my emergency savings account for £61 per month once the first direct debit gets taken as it really does seem too good to be true and life is much better when you have an emergency fund. Once I have an emergency fund of £500 then I will send this saving across to the credit card.

Hubby has agreed to switch his barclays to nationwide so I will have another £100 refer a friend coming my way.

I realised that I had also signed up to DietBet, I get £60 that I would hit my goal. That ends next week so sorry ive been quiet i have been exercising like crazy to try and shift the rest of my weight. I only have 4lb to goal, getting there will save me £5 per week on my slimming world membership too!

Emptied hubbys pockets before putting them in the machine...found a £10 note and a few pound coins. Have put them in the money box for when he asks for them (or in a few months if he forgets the emergency fund/clear the credit card) Bet I could make loads of money doing his washing haha!

Now to scan my receipts on loads of little apps that I have downloaded see if I make any money that way!