2020++ - smiling and waving and looking so fine

Sarahwithlove

Well done for starting to get on top of the finances. Right now i would say the overdraft is more important than the loan, once that's settled this month you can focus entirely on the loan then. It's all about making small changes each month and adding new changes every time and soon you will be on top of it all. 

findingthisdifficult

Hurrah, I've found your diary again and bookmarked it, I enjoyed reading on the old forum so I'm back for more.
Great to see you're making good progress on frog squashing!  Hope you enjoyed your little break, I love a good stormy sea view.

mark55man

back from  holiday now, and the weather is still grim, but we had enough to do - maybe a bit spendier as we sat out a few squalls in coffee shops and restaurants, but lots of walking (10K+ most days) and some peace and quiet time in our rental.

will be getting back in control of budgets with a clean slate in March.  

March will be busy at work, which is always a challenge, but hopefully can keep it balanced.  Additionally I am going to try the very low carb diet which has been suggested here and my colleague is having some success with.  Worried about that being more expensive but I need to do something

mark55man

Devastated to report that my balance the transaction before my pay cheque went in was - £8.10 (OD) I was hoping to have ended the month above zero !!

That's everything rationalised and simplified in my financial world now apart from my hotel and travel work transactions which have to be done on CC.  I haven't closed off other accounts yet, but am not using them which should make tracking easier - and I've used all my regular savings for the OD and a bit off the car loan, so those are all closed.  That equivalent money will be used to accelerate clearing other CC if I am going to meet my targets this year need to be very focused     

doingitanyway

Annoying about the OD, especially as it is such a small amount over.
Good to see you wrestling control back

savingholmes

It sounds like another busy month. Well done for clearing so much off your overdraft - you can now focus on clearing the rest of the debt.

mark55man

Budget Report Back 003

CAR - Quite cheap this month as really not on the road for 3 weeks!!.

CASH - Doing well on no cash, mainly holiday spends

CLOTHES - Nothing on clothes this month

COFFEE - Under budget on Coffee, although  maybe that's because coffees on holiday are holiday spends!

CRAFTS - Crafts well under budget

ENTERTAINMENT - Couple of family meals, to celebrate.  Bit pricier than expected but one-offs

GROCERY - Really  low, out of the house for easily a third of the month perhaps not surprising

HOLIDAY - Holiday expenses were within budget, although did eat out a little more than we could have, mainly breakfast by the sea side

KIDS - Kids were bit high this month - help on rent for DD2 mainly

LIFE - Just focusing on making do with what we have seems to be working, under last year average

AMAZON - Avoiding Amazon but not completely

mark55man

Report Back 006 - for 01/03/20

Fitness & Health: So thanks to db206 and a colleague at work, I am om a low-carb keto kick.  Am doing a lot of stir frying and cheesy salads and so far seems to be working 3 kilos off in Feb, since I got back to the UK. 

Steps were good on holiday at least 5000, mainly 10000.  Last week at work was a bit of a reversion to bad habits, but I did try and walk a bit more than usual - but not 5000

Budget & Financial:  On target with regular payments, but no overpayments yet.  As with overdraft below this will be the core challenge this year. The overdraft is gone, although I had to use a bit more of the last of my 2019 regular savers to clear., which means a bt less to go towards the loan.  Main cause, just a little bit more support for DS1 than expected

Environment & Green: Minor actions on consumption only. Decluttering has taken a back seat this month as holidays and catching up have taken us away from domestic bliss

Community & Volunteering: Community and volunteering is another Topic that hasn't had much love.  I suspect this will be easier in the spring

Organisation & Household: Household organisation also suffering 

savingholmes

Keep going - the weather will improve - and things will then hopefully settle into place

doingitanyway

You will soon get your steps up. You tend to do may more when you are in London if I remember correctly? Anyway it will all even out...
I just bought a wok as I intend to stir fry in a bid to up my veggies.