Choccy's last debt diary! Tme to stop messing and focus.

Choccygirl123

HI RGib - it's just a load of long winded waffle. I do find writing the diary helps me keep motivated. Our debt has been up and down over the last few years, but i'm sick of it. Determinded to get rid of it this time. No date free date in mind but just as soon as possible.

Choccygirl123

5th NSD of the month

Have been very domesticated blitzed the bedrooms, hoovered around and sorted out my eldest daughter's bookcase. Took the dog out for an hour and had good chat with hubby. Both feeling really positive and appreciate we're very lucky with the current state of the world. Our load is currently £7369.24 o/s and i mentioned I'm  aiming to get it before £7000 by the end of Feb. Paymnet is £115.90, so will need an over payment of £253.35.

Will be going shopping again on Wednesday, so have already meal planned but need to do tick list for the shopping list. Our dog groomer has cancelled the dog's appointment this week. Already have the cash in the pot for him, so makes no difference as he'll need it doing as soon as she's open.

Choccygirl123

Just so tired, had a bad stomach last night and just didn't sleep. Typed a post abd it disappeared! Not feeling the love so hubby suggested a chippy tea. Didn't have energy to say no! £24.70 later, good my money due tomorrow or we'd be in the OD by £9.33! 

Did send DD2 £5 for being a superstar over weekend cleaning her room, bathroom
and making me brekkie in bed! She's been doing so much, just wanted a little payment to say thank you.

Choccygirl123

Arggggh I'm a idiot! Payne t isn't due until tomorrow. Had to pinch another £10 from a saving pot to stop us going into the overdraft today. No harm done I guess, but I'm annoyed with myself. 

Have been shuffling savings. I opened a regular savers with FD in Nov whilst rate was still high. Had put £25 a month in Nov & Dec due to Christmas. Noticed in terms you can make it up to the max of £300. So this month's Payment was a whopping £850 - all moved straight from my instant access savings. Plan is to keep saving into the instant account (£100 a month) to add to what was in there to start £2350, so we end up with the Max £3600 when account period finishes.

Choccygirl123

Managed to brave a trip to shop this morning, blitzed the list and home as quickly as i could.

Total spend of £104.51 today in Aldi & Tesco. My budget was £100, but found a special bird in a bird roast in the freezer in Aldi for £4.99. It serves 8, so will make a lovely sunday lunch week on Sunday. Have planned our meals for another week, but have picked up couple of extra bits, so need less towards the end of the month.

Budgets looking good £203.87 left in bank account until my pay day on the 26th.

DD still to go out £17.36 (professional fees-hubby)

Misc niff naff, stuff & takeaways £81.83

Food £104.18

Will definitel scrap to the end of the month without hitting the Overdraft and possibly even a few extra £s spare to go as an overpayment on my Halifax Loan. Starting as we mean to go on in 2021 and finally feel in control.

Choccygirl123

Nice notification popped up saying another £3.81 has cleared on my Quidco account. I've clicked the withdraw button and will update my Xmas pot total when it arrives. The surveys have been a bit slow since Christmas, but have just completed another 2, so I won't be far off another £5 in PA soon.

Sarahwithlove

That's great well done it all helps. 

Choccygirl123

Sarahwithlove said:

That's great well done it all helps. 

Thanks Sarah, it certainly does. I can't believe how quickly these do add up. I never really did anything with the odd payment, some times tried to save them but spent some. Last year I started the 'sealed pot' challenge and am addicted now. Knowing christmas was paid for and I didn't have to add to our debt was such an eye opener.

I've had a couple more surveys on PA and i've hit the £5 min withdraw amount again. That's another £6.52 into the Christmas Account, taking the total to £83.52 including yesterday's quidco. On a mission to try and get listing on ebay!

Sarahwithlove

I do save the change on my main account as well and also put my monthly account reward into the same account along with any other odd such as from prolific etc and it's amazing how quickly it adds up. Whereas before I would have just put it straight into my spending allowance. 

Choccygirl123

Sarahwithlove said:

I do save the change on my main account as well and also put my monthly account reward into the same account along with any other odd such as from prolific etc and it's amazing how quickly it adds up. Whereas before I would have just put it straight into my spending allowance. 

I've never got around to trying save the change, but think i'd stuggle doing it now as every penny accounted for at the start of the month now. Seeing my saving pot grow knowing it's for Christmas keeps me motivated.

Today was supposed to be a NSD, but my old mop has given up the ghost. It's completed rusted away and the handle has collapsed. Decided to try one of the fancy flat head ones, with scraper bucket. It's £29.99 with extra head clothes. It's a lot more than i'd normally spend, but my friend has one and said it saves her so much effort and floor dry in minutes. My kitchen floor is a nightmare - it's huge, white and not dog friendly. Cost will be taken out of our MISC budget  - taking our spend to £152.90 with £47.95 left. Forgot to log £30 which I sent to hubby's account for a family magazine subscrition that he's taken out. He was going to take if from his cash, but it's something we'll all use.

I've had a producted afternoon and finished sorting all my paperwork that had backed up on my desk. All filed away and tax return completed.....thank goodness! A small refund of £64 due, so will send it as overpayment to my halifax loan. I was off sick the majority of 2019/2020 so didn't earn a lot.

The good news is that the next year 20/21 should be a healthy refund as had to replace the boiler in the rental - approx £1500 to come back with a bit of luck. Rather than leave it to Jan as normal, i'll get it done in April. Quicker I do it, the quicker I can get the refund. Went out with hubby and the dog and spent a good hour chatting and money planning - i love our walks in lockdown. It gets us both away from screens, phones and teenagers. We've decided as lovely as it would be to replace hubby's old chair with a posh wingback, the refund will get paid off the Halifax loan.

I can't remember whose diary it was, but i found a quote which has really struck a chord. Debt is just borrowing money from your future self! I love it! Determined not to have to put an amount an my excel sheet for our overdraft!