OK I'm going to do this!

darrannah

Ok so....I am going to do this, I have been sat reading all of your lovely diaries and it has inspired and spurred me on to do my own, I feel I will be more accountable for my actions if I start putting it into print for ALL to see:eek:..... I NEED to get debt free and start saving and achieve my end goal which is a lifelong dream of visiting America
I have always been loosely frugal (as in frugal in some parts but not in others!) I will save money one week but splurge the next:mad: and as mentioned previously the "top-up" shops throughout the week are my biggest downfall because I simple CANNOT resist a bargain :rotfl:
So, a bit of back ground, I am 40:eek:, and live with my DH, DS(20) DD1(19) and DD2(12) Ivy the dog, Rosie the bearded dragon and Freckles the fish.
DH is unable to work due to various disabilities and needing care from me most of the time, therefore I am self employed and run my business from home. DS and DD both work full time and contribute £20 a week to electric, (basic) food and water, Everything else is bought by them ie toiletries, clothes, foody treats (anything that I wouldn't normally buy) They both stop out at their partners over the weekends so I only have to provide an evening meal for them 4 days a week.
My other goals apart from debt free are to get fit, organise my home and get into a housework/chores routine.
Its payday on Monday so will start properly then, as this weekend is set to be quite a spendy one, I'm out tonight with my mum, 4 sisters and my daughter (after a very messy divorce for 1 of them):beer: and Im not going to justify it because its the 1st time I have been out in over a year, then tomorrow I'm off to a food festival. DD2 is away with her friend all weekend from tonight so, its just me and DH for 3 days:j
I will sit down tomorrow evening and sort out my finances and write everything down and post tomorrow.
Friday mornings I go to my Granny's to make any phone calls that she needs making so that's where I'm off to now, so enjoy your day everyone

beanielou

Happy shiny new diary
Wishing you well on your journey.

Iwantanewlife

Wishing you well on your journey! X

findingthisdifficult

Happy New Diary, I've subscribed so I can check in again from time to time.
Hope you've had a lovely weekend.

darrannah

findingthisdifficult wrote: »

Happy New Diary, I've subscribed so I can check in again from time to time.
Hope you've had a lovely weekend.

thank you, yes I have had a lovely weekend, spent a little more than I would have liked but it was all worth it

Thanks everybody for popping by, your support will keep me on the straight and narrow.:j

So, apart from the food festival this weekend, I have been preoccupied with other family stuff so as yet have not set out a budget and goals, but this is my priority this afternoon. However I have been sorting out a few things, only little baby steps for now but it will all count in the end.
Last week Tesco sent me an email to say they were merging my clubcards, I somehow have 2 registered, but when I logged onto my app all of the points that I have accumulated ready for Xmas had disappeared:eek: (over £34 last time I looked), so I was a bit unhappy. Anyway I phoned them and they are getting them moved over onto my new card. Phew.
While I was on with loyalty cards I have re-registered and sent for new cards for Boots ( £7.96 on that one that I had forgotten about, so that will help at Xmas) Superdrug had just over £2 and a Morrisons one with points on (I tend not to use Morrisons often as its not close enough to me)
As its Sunday meal planning is in progress. I used to HATE dinnertime as I could NEVER make something that everyone liked, I hated having to make all the decisions myself to be met with "I don't like that" or "do we have to" but when I asked what they wanted I get the dreaded reply "whatever":mad: ...so a month ago I devised a plan.... I have a list of 50 meals and send it out on Message to the rest of them and they all have to choose 1 meal a week and it goes in the order of who replies first, that way everyone gets something that they like. Saturdays are "get your own days" and always a roast on Sunday....its made dinnertime's so much less stressful and it means that I can prepare earlier on in the day when I have time.
On the organisation front I have set out a plan of daily chores and set the task of sorting out and decluttering one area a week, I will start with the bedding cupboard this week, it drives me crazy when the kids pull out their bedding to change their beds and all the rest comes with it, do they put it back neatly though?? haha dont make me laugh! I am going to start putting all the set in a pillowcase, see if it makes it easier and tidier.
anyway, I'm off to cook dinner, enjoy the rest of your Sunday.

millymolly22

Just reading your diary and I love the idea of messaging round the family to pick a meal for the week. I meal plan every week for me DH and DS and every week I ask for ideas.....neither of them come forward with anything and then always complain about 2/3 meals each week....I just say "tough...I asked for your ideas....you don't give me any....so eat it"
Enjoy your Sunday x

enthusiasticsaver

Great idea on the menu planning. Have you tried just using cash or a zero based budgeting system like YNAB or clear checkbook to sort out your relatively small debt and saving for your trip? It just imposes a financial discipline that may help you resist splurging. I have just spent an hour moving all my budgets around as we have 2 cars to mot and service next month and one needs the insurance paying for. I found the money by finding underspends on food and entertainment and diesel/travel this month. It focuses your mind on what you are spending and due to spend rather than what is in your account.

darrannah

Good morning everyone, I’m up and raring to go, the eldest 2 are out to work already and the youngest is out to school already. I’ve already put a wash in, fed the animals and filled the dishwasher and turned it on....I must admit it feels good to get stuff out the way early in

enthusiasticsaver wrote: »

Have you tried just using cash or a zero based budgeting system like YNAB or clear checkbook to sort out your relatively small debt and saving for your trip?

Ooo what is this YNAB of which you speak?? I will have to have a look in to that thanks for the heads up
MillieMolly that’s what I was getting fed up of but this plan seems to be working so far
So here’s a list of debts as they stand this morning

Cc1 owe £123.46
Cc2 owe £195.27
Cc3 owe £328.18
Cc4 owe £747.76
Next owe £1320
Studio owe £40 ...total £ 2767.67

Yes it is a relatively small debt and I did feel a bit daft starting the diary but I feel that it could spiral if I wasn’t accountable
Today is payday from work I did last week and after all the bills have gone out I have £250 left, so I’m going to put £100 to one side for next week, £50 into my EF and split the rest on the smaller 3 cc’s, I am hoping to get the studio account cleared and shut down after next week so that will be one less thing to think about
Next week will be a spend week as we are away for a few days in Blackpool for the illuminations...I’m a bit excited as I’ve not seen them in over 20 years 😳

I have a few “must do” jobs today like posting off a logbook for a car DS sold on Friday and send some trousers back to Next for DD1, I need to implement the new organisation plan which consists of daily chores
1) feed the dragon and fish,
2) put a wash in and hang out to dry
3) hoover and mop downstairs
4) hoover upstairs
5) wipe over kitchen
6) check banking and skim rogue pennies into the EF
7) do survey and point sites
Bi weekly jobs Monday/Thursday clean downstairs toilet and upstairs bathroom.
Weekly jobs strip beds ready for kids to make them back up (get bedding out for them so the won’t mess up my newly organised cupboard (when I do it hehe)) today I need to hoover the stairs
I’m off to set a proper budget for food, petrol, entertainment, gift etc

Enjoy your day!

beanielou

Why don’t you pay the money off the smallest CC so it is nearly gone & you nearly have one off the list?

darrannah

beanielou wrote: »

Why don’t you pay the money off the smallest CC so it is nearly gone & you nearly have one off the list?

Yes Beanielou, that would have been the better idea, until school phoned me to drop a bra up for DD2 as the clasp has broken on hers...(not that they gave it her anyway after I’d taken it up 🤔) so I went to set off but noticed the tyre was flat and split round the outside so had to replace that this morning to the tune of £55 😡 I wouldn’t mind but it only had a new one about 4 months ago! So in the end I paid £23.46 off cc1 £15.38 off cc2 and £10 off studio
Small steps but it all counts

Enjoy your evening
Suzy xx

Purplesocks

Hi Darrennah
As you were kind enough to offer support on my diary, I thought I would return the favour.

I don’t think your daft in starting a diary, all debt is relative it’s finding your own comfort zone that is important. And while the practical benefits of being in control of money and debt free are discussed the most on mse, I find that emotionally being in control of my finances makes me feel much more secure and calmer. And helps bring order in other areas of my life.

I don’t know if you do this already but a top tip I picked up somewhere, was to keep all the bedding need for an individual bed in one of the matching pillowcases, it doesn’t take any longer when you are folding the bed ( I don’t ironing bedding, as I’m a firm believer in not making work for myself) up and makes it so much easier when you need it.

Good luck.