Popping prosecco while saving for champagne 🍾

Champagnemummy

So here it goes my debt free diary! As much as we don’t have a huge debt it’s something that’s bugging me and I’m ready to just get better with money all round and save save save!!!!!!

So quick background ..

I’m a mum of three under 3, I had my first daughter November 2016 and my twins arrived November 2017 two weeks before oldest turned one 🙈 born 3 months early so she should have been one by the time they arrived but nope they had other ideas! The minute we found out we where having twins I knew that I had to stop working plus I was also diagnosed with Ulcerative colitis during pregnancy and was very sick! Fast forward nearly two years and many many many hospital and doctors visits later we have £5000 debt on credit card mostly down to me re training to become a make up artist and buying my kit.

It’s been a crazy few years and until recently we have just got to a point where life is slightly easier and we can get back to being good savers and shift this debt.

I’m still not working but looking to get my own make up business up and running hopefully by January 2020 (fingers and toes crossed) my partner has a good job and we have a good income but the last few years we have just not thought about our spending and just got by and looking back we could have saved LOADS if we had been better.

So my goals:

- Shift the £5000 credit card debt

- look at over paying our mortgage
- We want to look to buy a bigger house in the new year so we need to save save save for this
- Do some home improvements on our house now to get maximum money when we sell - do this very MSE style and not spend a fortune

I’m looking for all tips tricks and any help anyone can give me and I’m hoping this diary will keep me on track and keep everything in one place - I’m going to do another post with all our outgoings and see where we can get better with money.

I also LOVE doing Surveys so these are going to help for Christmas savings pot and getting a £1000 in our emergency fund.

I’m a very good saver when I want to be and love having little pots for everything. So far I have Christmas pot, wedding and EF, but we could be paying more in I also want a pot for yearly outgoings so we don’t have to dip in to that months wages when they need renewing.

Right I’m going to stop rambling thank your for reading my first diary post!!

Misslayed

Happy shiny new diary! Best of luck

mandypower123

Woop good luck!! You can do this super mummy.. with a glass or bottle of champers along the way xx

redofromstart

Happy new diary, have to say after extensive experimenting that the Aldee £6 Prosecco is by far my favourite.

Champagnemummy

Ooo I’ve tried Ald1 amaretto but never there prosecco may have to try it!! Will budget it in for next week :beer:

redofromstart

Champagnemummy wrote: »

Ooo I’ve tried Ald1 amaretto but never there prosecco may have to try it!! Will budget it in for next week :beer:

It is quite appley smelling and tasting if that makes sense, against tonights also £6 MrM Sorso Prosecco which is quite dry and musty by comparison.

I am a recent convert to Prosecco though, having moved over from lager after being declared a gluten free space

I am a big fan of cheap notebook, write down everything you spend, however small. It made me see that I bought the boys something every single time we went out which was neither affordable or good for them. I quite like a personal fritters budget so that you don't feel deprived. £10 that has to cover sweet shop, drinks after park, soft play, etc. It does force you to plan and take stuff with you.

beanielou

Happy shiny new diary

Champagnemummy

redofromstart wrote: »

It is quite appley smelling and tasting if that makes sense, against tonights also £6 MrM Sorso Prosecco which is quite dry and musty by comparison.

I am a recent convert to Prosecco though, having moved over from lager after being declared a gluten free space

I am a big fan of cheap notebook, write down everything you spend, however small. It made me see that I bought the boys something every single time we went out which was neither affordable or good for them. I quite like a personal fritters budget so that you don't feel deprived. £10 that has to cover sweet shop, drinks after park, soft play, etc. It does force you to plan and take stuff with you.

This is one of my biggest problems I buy unnecessary things while in a shop specially for my oldest. I have been trying to be better with Taking snacks and drinks just in case but definitely could better! I like the idea of a fritters budget give myself £10 a month for treats for kiddies :money:

My partner is also awful at going to a shop and not buying just what he needs! We have to buy milk everyday for kids and he will always buy something else BUT just sent him to the shop and he didn’t for the first time ever whoop! Maybe he’s finally listening to all my mse talk

Weekends are defining our killer but today we have done well! No unnecessary spending hope we can keep it up!!!

enthusiasticsaver

If you can cope with 3 under 3s then you must be super organised.

I agree with your plan to save an emergency fund and well done on the savings pots. I do the same and allocate money every month tothe various budgets and virtual envelopes.

Champagnemummy

font=courier new]Statement of Affairs and Personal Balance Sheet

Household Information
Number of adults in household........... 2
Number of children in household......... 5
Number of cars owned.................... 2

Monthly Income Details
Monthly income after tax................ 0
Partners monthly income after tax....... 3100
Benefits................................ 190
Other income............................ 0
Total monthly income.................... 3290

Monthly Expense Details
Mortgage................................ 691.6
Secured/HP loan repayments.............. 0
Rent.................................... 0
Management charge (leasehold property).. 0
Council tax............................. 156
Electricity............................. 72.5
Gas..................................... 72.5
Oil..................................... 0
Water rates............................. 50
Telephone (land line)................... 0
Mobile phone............................ 120
TV Licence.............................. 0
Satellite/Cable TV...................... 0
Internet Services....................... 0
Groceries etc. ......................... 400
Clothing................................ 0
Petrol/diesel........................... 100
Road tax................................ 0
Car Insurance........................... 136.6
Car maintenance (including MOT)......... 0
Car parking............................. 0
Other travel............................ 0
Childcare/nursery....................... 160
Other child related expenses............ 20
Medical (prescriptions, dentist etc).... 0
Pet insurance/vet bills................. 0
Buildings insurance..................... 44
Contents insurance...................... 0
Life assurance ......................... 36.6
Other insurance......................... 0
Presents (birthday, christmas etc)...... 0
Haircuts................................ 0
Entertainment........................... 200
Holiday................................. 0
Emergency fund.......................... 0
Total monthly expenses.................. 2259.8


Assets
Cash.................................... 0
House value (Gross)..................... 270000
Shares and bonds........................ 0
Car(s).................................. 15000
Other assets............................ 0
Total Assets............................ 285000


Secured & HP Debts
Description....................Debt......Monthly...APR
Mortgage...................... 204000...(691.6)....0
Total secured & HP debts...... 204000....-.........-

Unsecured Debts
Description....................Debt......Monthly...APR
Credit card....................5000......0.........0
Credit carbs ..................300.......0.........0
Loan...........................11000.....243.9.....0
Total unsecured debts..........16300.....243.9.....-


Monthly Budget Summary
Total monthly income.................... 3,290
Expenses (including HP & secured debts). 2,259.8
Available for debt repayments........... 1,030.2
Monthly UNsecured debt repayments....... 243.9
Amount left after debt repayments....... 786.3

Personal Balance Sheet Summary
Total assets (things you own)........... 285,000
Total HP & Secured debt................. -204,000
Total Unsecured debt.................... -16,300
Net Assets.............................. 64,700

Champagnemummy

Ok so here is my SOA - I may have done some things wrong so going to check it all AGAIN now but I’m pretty sure it’s right