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

Choccygirl123

Have been missing in action and off the wagon slightly. Stopped keeping track on the NSD as odds and ends always seem to pop back up. The good news is we made it to my pay day - phew. I hate Jan, it's the longest month ever.

I've updated a new month's spreadsheet and will continue to keep tracking spending on food and misc bits - this is where the cash goes. Have set aside the saving pot cash in the budget, but my daughter's little car due a bit of work. Just hoping it's nothing too much.

We've got a teenagers birthday this month which I've been saving for and have planned a sunday lunch out with friends. It's the first time we've eaten out properly with friends since before covid. I'm very excited the table is booked for a couple of weeks, but I'm already looking forward to a stress free sunday.

Still waiting on the £60 refund, need to chase that this month. Looking forward to FEb being a short month and staying on track. I need to get e-baying again, so much clutter and any money welcome for Chritmas 2022 spending.

Choccygirl123

I really need to get back on track! We've had a couple of birthdays in feb and huge leak. Unexpected plumbers cost hit us hard abs we had to dip into our overdraft. We're going to make March a quiet month to make sure we're back on an even keel.

Will double check our budget and transfer the saving pot cash. Still waiting for my credit refund from when People's energy, I keep chasing it up but there's no rushing the process.

Choccygirl123

Pay day is on the horizon and I've done this month's budget. We're planning a very quiet Easter with both teenagers working odd days and revising for exams.

I'm going to clean my freezer out and make space for a 5kg chicken breast order from
the butchers. Hubby is already making noises about getting the bbq out.

The saving pots have taken a hit over last few weeks, so I need to start topping them up. My extra income surveys, eBay and receipts pot is growing well with £159.38. I do have vouchers to cash in for Amazon vouchers approx £40. I try to make £100 a month on average, but have lost my motivation a bit.

Plan for April
meal plan 
reduce takeaways and food out
use freezer and cupboard supplies as much as poss
bulk but 5kg chicken breast 
Turn heating off (fingers crossed)
limit car use
sort garage junk for car boot 
get eBay listing again 

Choccygirl123

Pay day has hit, so has covid. It's a tag team older teenager had it first, then hubby and now me. Hoping the youngest avoids it! Ckeaning frenzy in progress and house stinks of bleach.

I'm hoping it'll help us save some cash. We were supposed to go see friends at the weekend. Not sure if hubby will be negative to go on his own. If he doesn't it'll mean we save £30 in fuel, £60 on drinks /food.

Hubby has been paid, rent in and direct debits flying out. Have had to order the teenagers some summer clothes which has a heavy £236 but has been in this month's budget..  

I'm hoping I'll be bright enough to get few bits on eBay this weekend whilst I'm stuck at home.

pennywisepoundstupid

Sorry you have covid, hope your not feeling too poorly xx

Choccygirl123

Thanks penny, it really knocked me for six. Had a nasty chest infection on top of the covid and I'm only starting to feel human again. The moneysaving was put on hold whilst I was so wiped out.

I got paid yesterday so I'm back here again! Going to finish May's budget on my spreadsheet this morning, before doing a food shop. I did manage to do full store and freezer tidy, sort and inventory. We've been slowly working through and using things up to try keep shopping to a minimum.

I did receive my pay rise from last year (finally) this month. A whopping £121 for the back dated for the year. I'm really annoyed it took the unions a year to finalise, in meantime inflation shooting up. Guess it's better than nothing but what does £10 a month buy? Let's hope this year's doesn't take as long! 

Hoping May will be a quiet spends month. Have a weekend away with friends (no children) and we booked cheap hotel inc brekkie for two nights which has been paid for Have set a budget a decent budget of £200 as there will be quite a bit of drinking and transport costs. It's a real treat after so many months of lockdown and I'm really looking forward to it. However, I can't help think that'd be £200 towards my savings pots. We need the break if I'm honest, I just need to stop beating myself up about the debt.

Choccygirl123

Fast forward from April to 1st September....how on earn has that happened? Start of a shiny new month and I'm back on the diary train. 

With the cost of living going crazy, I'm shifting my focus to creating better money habits to keep us on an even keel. The 2 loans are slowly coming down and as much as I'd like to pay them off quicker, i've been trying to build buffers in my saving pots and keep our living costs food fuel etc as low as I can. 

Quick update 

- hubby changed jobs jobs had pay rise - have using extra money to build up saving pots but lot seems to be swallowed up on fuel and food as inflation goes up. 
-trying to build rainy day savings current balance £1200
-using regular saving pots for car, pet, teenager expenses like birthdays driving lessons 
-savings any extra money made on surveys, cash backs, selling etc for Xmas in separate  account balance £552.48
- 2 loans still ticking over nicely both be sub 5k month O/S loan 1 £4815.25 loan 2 £5018.94 total debt £9834.19
-tracking and logging all spending 
-checking accounts daily to ensure budget on track

Moving forward
- holiday booked for October, want to cut right back on budgets to save as much as we can for spending money. All other savings pot on hold. Long awaited and much needed break to celebrate my hubby's 50th earlier in the year. We've had the trip booked for 20months. With costs of utilities fuel etc rocketing I did look at cancelling but flights are non-refundable so we made the decision we'll still go, but are in strick budget. Have joined couple of forums for ideas to save cash whilst there.

-limit unnecessary food and drink spending. shocked how much extra spending adds to budgets. No takeaways or drinks 
-reduce fuel costs as much as possible. No unnecessary trips and maximise getting shopping etc all in one go.

-meal plan, prep reduce food waste 
-no misc spending and no Amazon spending 

We're in a fortunate position at minute both in work, mortgage fixed but I am well aware we need to pay the debts off and build decent rainy day buffer.

Choccygirl123

Day 2 of the keeping track mission and all is going well. Was going to nip and do food shop today, but teenagers both working over weekend and hubby out with his mate tomorrow. It's great chance to play freezer and cupboard surprise and stay away from the shops. Tonight we're having a chickpea curry made with pack of mix I bought at a food show couple of years ago. We've had it before and it wasn't a family favourite, but it needs using up. Have thrown in the last of the frozen spinach to use that up.

Have printed couple of free vouchers to try new products for when I do go shopping. Caught up on my admin, wrapped a glass i'd sold on ebay. Found my co-op share book to send that off to see how much interest and voucher cash has been added.

Checked bank accounts and updated my budget sheet as my direct debits are leaving. It's taking me a lot longer to sort the budget as hubby now gets paid in the middle of the month. It's good in the fact that we're only ever few days away from a payment, but it's harder juggling the payments. I think this is the first month I feel in control of knowing what's going on when finally, after moveing DD dates.

Determined to get my load of dark washing dried on the line today. It's been in and out twice already, but hopefully will get it to point it can be aired overnight if not quite dry. I love my tumble drier, but can't justify using it yet. Just means i've got to keep watching in case it starts raining again.

Blitzed the kitchen today, just need to mop the floor. Have found few bits to stick on ebay, which i'll try get done tomorrow. Today is just about getting jobs done, having a no spend day and trying to get house put back together after summer.

Choccygirl123

Day 3 - I'm on a roll in diary keeping.

I'm home alone as hubby and kids are all out, so i've been on a mission. I've sat and done a week's meal prep, planned each lunch and dinner and wrote my shopping list. Trying to reduce out meat consumption so have added a halloumi and a prawn meals in. I did forget to buy 5% for sticky beef stir fry, so will have to grab that when I next pass a shop. I did manage to cash in my two free 7up vouchers for 4litres of pop. I couldn't beliebe they were £1.65 each. Tesco not the cheapest, but it's closer than Aldi and avoids stacks of traffic on the way to the country show.

Shop was £79.33 which included bleach and cleaning bits and a folder and inserts for the youngest. We're having an easy tea tonight eating up leftover up, so they don't get wasted. 3x sausages and 3 x small sausage rolls, with some tomato soup with h/m croutons out of last dry bit of sour dough bread and round of cheese on toast. Littlest will be fed at work this afternoon, so don't need to worry about her. Tomorrow eldest is working, hubby&Iare cashing in voucher for meal, so we won't need a lot. Youngest will have cheese on toast and soup. That's the fridge and bread used up, so we can start Monday with item's I've planned today.

I'm back to work on Monday so need to be oragnised with lunches and evening meals. I've planned quick tasty options, so I'm not slaving for hours aftter work.

Nothing much to update money making wise. I've completed this week's correctly delivered post surveys, just have next week to do and then will get another £5 voucher for Amazon.  I keep checking my surveys, but very few popping up. Have listed another 6 items on ebay. It seems very slow at minute, with not many views. Hopefully may get a sale or two over the week. Need to dig a lot more items out, but just struggling for time and playing catch up in the house before summer finishes.

Choccygirl123

Day 4, only just remembered before falling asleep.

Managed another no spend day. Hubby and I cashed in our gift vouchers for pub roast which included drinks. Did well not spending a penny. Eldest ate at work abd youngest made a beautiful lemon drizzle cake and done pasta for her dinner.

Back to work tomorrow so will make a salad to save me buying any lunch. Hubby working from home and kids both still off school, so they can feed themselves. Should be another no spend day, although we're off to cinema tomorrow night. The kids and I have cards for cinema and we'll take a drink each so only cost will be fuel to get there.