YNAB...ing my way to freedom!

SuperFrank88

Rgib89 said:

Been reading your diary over the last few days.
Well done with how far you have come. 
I have subscribed
Keep doing what your doing 
😀

Thank you for reading. Do you have a diary? I will subscribe if so. Good to keep growing the network, especially at these crazy times we are living in. 

SuperFrank88

Hi All,

Well that was a pretty uneventful weekend. OH went into work on Saturday (Full time student nurse, Part time health care support worker) only to be told to go home and that she should not be there. This is because she suffers with Colitis and is taking immuno suppressant medication which means she has a weakened immune system so catches things quite easily. After Boris' speech yesterday, she falls into the high risk category so is in self isolation for the next 12 weeks!!! I feel for her. 

My boss has today asked me if I wanted to work from home as I am a design engineer and can easily crack on from home. I am not sure what to do though. I am in my own little office in work so do not come into contact with anyone on the shop floor. Work is my escape and I think I would really struggle mentally if I was couped up at home all day everyday. Will speak to OH tonight and make a desicion.

A little nice suprise this morning though, when I started my part time degree course in January, I applied for a £200 PT bursary that was on offer. Totally forgot about it until I checked my account this morning and it had been paid in So that went straight into EF.

Hope you are all staying safe.
Frank

Rgib89

I do have a diary, really need to keep up with it mind. Always read others diary for inspiration but need to update more myself. 
The way things are at the moment is crazy scary. With the line of work that I'm in I will still be at work even if we go into lockdown. Hope with the crazy time it passes quickly and dont affect people to much. 

Good surprise for you, even better you transferred straight away and not thinking you have spare money. 

SuperFrank88

Rgib89 said:

I do have a diary, really need to keep up with it mind. Always read others diary for inspiration but need to update more myself. 
The way things are at the moment is crazy scary. With the line of work that I'm in I will still be at work even if we go into lockdown. Hope with the crazy time it passes quickly and dont affect people to much. 

Good surprise for you, even better you transferred straight away and not thinking you have spare money. 

Hope you stay safe  

FootyFanDan

Hey Frank, 

Well done on the super progress you are making, the fact you put the unexpected straight into emergency fund shows how far you have come. 

Keep safe

SuperFrank88

Morning,

As soon as BoJo made that announcement last night, my boss wrote in our Whats app group that the place was shut immediately. It was inevitable really. I went to work this morning to collect my work PC to bring home so I can at least crack on with some design work.
I have already booked Easter week off so I am now off work for a minimum of 4 weeks!    I have never had that much time off since I started working at 14! 
We will get paid as normal this 'month' (20th April) and then he is going to let us know what the plan is going forward. 
I am guessing he will make us all furloughed which worse case will mean a £400 reduction in my take home salary. I am very grateful that it will only be £400. That figure will not have a big impact on my finances for a while. But who knows how long this is going to go on for. 
Positives are that I will be saving on fuel and wear & tear on the car. 

Going to try and follow my usual routine as much as possible so that I don't drive myself stir crazy. We are lucky that we have a good amount of private outdoor space at the front and back of the house so plenty of room to do some home style workouts. My gym sent me a link to get free access to the Les Mills on demand videos so OH & I will be getting involved with that at least 4 times a week. Plan is to really watch what I am eating now that I am at home all the time, do not want to get fat!

SuperFrank88

FootyFanDan said:

Hey Frank, 

Well done on the super progress you are making, the fact you put the unexpected straight into emergency fund shows how far you have come. 

Keep safe

Hi Dan,

How are you doing? I am going stir crazy without the footy! 
Thanks for the kind words. YNAB really has changed my life! I have completely changed the way I think about money now that I have given every penny a job to do. I am trying to pass on what I have learnt from it to my close family & friends, some who are in difficult times at the moment, but they are not interested. Comments like 'oh I haven't got enough money to budget' and 'That seems way too complicated'! It drives me up the wall because that is exactly what it is intended to be used for! I'm so passionate about helping others but you can lead a horse to water and all that jazz....

I am so grateful that I have pulled my head out of the sand since December. When I received that text from my boss last night, there was no panic! because I knew I had a plan and that I have got enough put away in my EF for times like this....An Emergency! 

Hope you and the family are safe.

Frank.

FootyFanDan

I am also going stir crazy without the sport in general...especially the footy though! I am doing well thank you, hope you are too. I was always very dubious about YNAB and had a few attempts at it and gave up as a bad job. I then came across a few you tube vids and thought i am going to get serious about it and spent a few hours learning and now i wouldn't go back. 

I am really glad that i got to grips with finances too and i feel better that things are shaping up, i think this virus thing is going to certainly change the landscape of things long after it as gone though. I want to be debt free so bad but also these times have made me realise that anything can happen and i certainly plan (when i can) make sure i enjoy the place we live in more.

SuperFrank88

So today I had my first ‘Notice of default’ from one of my creditors. So in 14 days time I should have my first default. I’ve been talking about this moment for months now, and now that it is finally here it feels very strange. 

I am now going into the next ‘phase’. Once the default is issued, I’m not really sure what to do next 🤔 my aim has not changed from the very start. I fully intend to pay back my debt. But I am not sure we there to start paying a affordable payment straight away to my creditor, now that I know they can’t add any interest or charges. Or do I wait for them to inevitably sell my debt on to a DCA and then start fresh with them? Hmmm decisions. Got 14 days to start asking these questions and finding answers anyway.

Looking forward to getting the ball rolling though and hoping that all my other creditors will start to follow suit. 

bd80s

Must be good for you to be seeing some progress (if that's the right word??? )
From the experience I had dealing with all my creditors I would say contact them directly rather than letting it go further, none of mine have been bad or demanding and always happy to accept when I have been able to make extra payments.
I guess it depends on how much time you want to give yourself to save before starting to issue any payments at all?