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

Choccygirl123

beanielou said:

Good news on no OD 

It feels good knowing we're waking up tomorrow and haven't started the month on the back foot. I read a diary (can't remember whose it was) but they said debt is borrowing from your future self abd it's really stuck with me.

Choccygirl123

Pay Day has arrived and the girl's child benefit has been paid too. Shuffling money around and highlighting if off my spreadsheet. I won't do much more, until hubby gets paid on the 30th. I've cancelled hubby's car tax DD which we paid monthly. I've put a reminder on my phone that I need to renew it. It's not a massive saving, but it's another step closer in the right direction. I'd love to be able to save enough to pay our insurance monthly, but the eldest is learning to drive at the end of the year and our renewal will include her. It's not going to be cheap, but it's a life skills i think they both need living rural. I've started saving £200 a month towards her intensive course and will keep going so will have chunk to soften the blow of the insurance.

Today's money movements

£115 car saving pot

£25 for dog saving pot

£60 pocket money for teenagers paid

£30 for DofE for yoingest (had thought was £50 due, so 'spare' £20 in budget - reallocated to savings

£4 eggs for my local farmer's delivery

£36 for a new piece of glass cut for my side table

Nothing listed on ebay - doh! No surverys completed, although I have received a free bottle of fabric conditioner to try which was a bonus - will complete the survery in 14days.

Choccygirl123

Counting down 31 days new budget starts again on my Feb pay day. Hubby's Jan pay and the handful of hours from my second job should hit the account on 31st Jan. I can't help but look forward to my next pay day, even though haven't received all the pay for this month yet. I'm determined we'll get to the next new bugdet month without hitting the overdraft for the 2nd month running. All my extra planning, budgeting and lockdown is making a huge difference keeping our costs down. I'm going back to work next week, so will be using a bit more fuel. I just need to keep checking banking and resist the urge to spend!

Food £400 Budget spent £133.15

 £133.15 - Ouch! Big shop, but filled freezer and even bought hubby crate of lager

Misc £200 Budget spent £59.87

Decorating bits £11.87

Driving licence for DD1

School PTA raffle £12 misc

Fuel £100 Budget Spent £31.65 - filled my car today

XMAS 2021 - Extra income £100 month target / Total made Jan including todays -  £147.15

Roadkill 14p today......whooop 25p total this year! Popped in my Xmas Cash Jar

Shoppix - finally after 8months I've scanned enough and have £20 withdrawn and moved to xmas account

I'm 27p away from another min payment from a survery site. Have £1.72 pending so will hit withdraw as soon as it clears. Just hope it clears before the end of the month so I crack the £150 mark!

Choccygirl123

Not posted for a couple of days. Have been a busy bunny trying to finish my painting, then back to work yesterday. It was crazy, not sure if I'll be in next week or not. Waiting on HR to decide if it's essential.

Hubby has been paid and the cash from my second job has arrived too, so that  £50.45 on the way to our loan. Next repayment goes out Monday £115.90 which will take our balance to £7108.28. Still aiming to get that under 7k this month.

Planning a lazy day and only thing I have planned is spending an hour updating my spreadsheet and checking the budget on track.

Choccygirl123

Updated the budget, i've had to buy a new dehumifier as the garage getting damp. My old was 24years old, so it's done well. Spent30minutes shopping around on the model i wanted and find it £25.00 cheaper and with quidco cashback. It means i've got less to put in my general savings, but needs must.

My hubby took the youngest shopping yesterday, he waited in the car. She needs a lot of ingredients for her food tech, so she's hit my budget a bit. Hubby is working away for couple of weeks, so we'll save on food budget. It's a great chance to stop snacking too, so hoping i'll lose a bit of weight.

I've cashed out another £6.16 today on PA. Have updated my income sheet and I'm chuffed to have made £147.15 in Jan. I set my target at £100 a month to make a total of £1000 for Xmas. I've had a couple of sales, but know Feb will be more of a challenge. It's  a great start to the year though, just need to keep it up!

Choccygirl123

Pinch punch first of the month - have woken up feeling really wheezy and snotty...not feeling the love today.

Checked my banking, updated my budget sheet and spreading tracker as payments leave the account. Have completed a couple of surveys and managed to hit the min withdraw on one site, so have cashed out a £5 Amazon voucher. Great start to the month for my xmas pot, only £95 more to find.

Starting as I mean to go on with a NSD for us. Hubby is working away, but i'm hopeful he'll use the cash he has rather than the card. It's not the end of the world if not, but the budget is always on track when we don't spend lol.

Sarahwithlove

It's expensive when kids learn to drive. Do they work themselves? Will they be putting anything towards the cost or will you be paying it all? 

Choccygirl123

It's a fortune to learn, but it's one of those life skills I think they need. Neither work at the minute due to covid. We live in the middle of nowhere, so jobs are very hard to come by. My eldest due to do exams this year, but she's hoping lockdown will lift so she can get a summer job in a local tea room or gift shop.

Sarahwithlove

Choccygirl123 said:

It's a fortune to learn, but it's one of those life skills I think they need. Neither work at the minute due to covid. We live in the middle of nowhere, so jobs are very hard to come by. My eldest due to do exams this year, but she's hoping lockdown will lift so she can get a summer job in a local tea room or gift shop.

That would be good experience for her. And I agree I started learning as soon as I was 17 and I have friends who never bothered to learn and now wish they had as they have found it harder going back to it 2nd time round. 

Choccygirl123

That would be good experience for her. And I agree I started learning as soon as I was 17 and I have friends who never bothered to learn and now wish they had as they have found it harder going back to it 2nd time round. 

I think it's a good idea to do it when they're younger. My bestie took 7 attempts and 15years to pass.

Nothing to update today, the usual DD are flying out the account. The monthly interest of £35.85 has been added to the loan taking the o/s balance to £7144.13. Hoping to get it under 7k by the end of the month. Hubby is working away and although he has some meals covered, he's having to buy a few bits and bobs. He should be able to claim most of it back with a bit of luck. I think it's going to have big impact on my food and misc budget this month. It may be that i need to refshuffle the pots to keep us on track.