2020++ - smiling and waving and looking so fine

mark55man

Now listening to Ace of Spades - was my favourite exercise music (High intensity - when that wasn't a fatal proposition)

"Win some, lose some, its all the same to me" would be a cracking diary title - or
"That's the way I like it, baby, I don't want to live forever" - but perhaps inevitably
"The only CC I need is the Ace of Spades"

savingholmes

I think whether they can work is very course and child dependent. They should have jobs in holidays at least. Ds had to work a lot in the second half of year 2 because he spent a whole year's £ in the first 6 months of Oz.... He still did well.

t2rry

All the uni discussions is really interesting to consider - I'm nowhere near it yet as mine are not even in school yet but makes me wonder how we maybe should start thinking about it all sooner rather than later, which is terrifying in itself!!
When I was at uni (mindful that I snuck in before the tuition fees uplift happened, so my fees were £1200 a year total), my parents paid my fees and my household bills (including rent), then I used my loan (then around £3000 a year) to live on, which I supplemented with holiday working.  I guess these days that approach may not be so affordable.

mark55man

Just starting my xmas leave from tomorrow - got to sort the house out for all our visitors - oh wait ... we're home alone - but still need to sort the house out

looking like the year will end well for the budgets - but xmas has a lot of ins and outs so (depressingly) still not quite on top of all that.  will probably just put my head down until its over and then have a major spreadsheet session in the new year - until then just enjoying a break

ohdearhowdidthathappen

Yeah, I know.  I just think it's painful when we have another 4 children to support, two of whom we're still paying childcare for.... I don't think the loans should be means tested against parents income.  At 18, they're adults :-/ We'll have to have a really good look at our finances nearer the time.
Enjoy your time off and good luck with the Christmas finances!

mark55man

a good day on the phone today.  a long saga with A****n left me with £200 refund on £350 of goods - plus managed the annual dance around the handbags with the AA where they try and charge me double what I paid last year and then they agree I can have it for the same

mark55man

have a good break - and see you the other side of xmas - got a lot of prep to do today, although no more shopping needed - then just telly, food and alcohol in moderate but not miserly proportions - trying a few days away from being online, then will get busy with some shiny new spreadsheets

in other news, I calculated that I would not be able to repay CC2 before the 0% ran out in April, so rather than do another BT at that point, I have got a 0% purchase card, which I shall name (originally ) as CC3, and by just putting all my routine purchases on that and then OP'ing CC2 by equivalent amounts on a daily basis, I should be able to get  to £0 on CC2 by April, leaving an exactly equivalent amount on CC3 with 15 months to pay it down.

A lifetime of debt and non defaulting has given me frightening easy access to financial offerings (and I haven't been fussy) - but I hope I am now wise enough to not fall foul to the key danger of this plan, namely losing a bit of visibility  and ending up in April with a bigger debt

mark55man

Came off the diet a week or so ago, coinciding with a week away from home at work.  So hotel food and being very busy has not been too kind, and I am going to close the year with a weekly gain of a couple of kilos - which was harsh but fair, and a salutary reminder you shouldn't mess with the system.  I'm not weighing myself over xmas and will start 2021 with a new number, with an initial target of 200lbs (90.9kg) as before.  until then I am still 27kilos lighter than at the start of 2020 and that will do nicely.  

savingholmes

I too can access frightening sums of debt. Good to see it going. Hope you have a good break. 

mark55man

Happy new year everyone - will be back soon - posting more detail and forecasts - just wanted to say 2021 has got off to a great start - I'm well, my family is well, and I'm just having a black coffee no sugar and it's lush!

In summary then, my 2020
* Started with this diary clearing my head and setting some targets
* Then a fabulous (and heavily subsidised) visit to my brother in another time zone

and then 2020 went downhill, BUT with some positives
* I still haven't been overdrawn since summer, and have been building EF & other balances
* I lost a LOT of weight (although December has not been kind) and I have a little more to go
* I paid off a LOT of debt, without quite sealing the deal
* I'm still completely unfit, but have plans
* Have made progress in the garden, with more to do
* Have not decluttered / home-improved with any real zeal, so lots to do
* Have helped the local community in need (mainly by supporting my lovely OH)
* Have improved long term and MFW type thinking - may be debt/mortgage neutral in 2024
* Have completely smashed my green targets by recycling more and driving about half my 2020 miles

More detail and 2021 targets in a bit - now back to my coffee