YNAB...ing my way to freedom!

SuperFrank88

Wow, my diary has never had so much interaction  valid points from both sides. 

Poppy1984

SuperFrank88 said:

Poppy1984 said:

Hey frank 👋 
i also LOVE the idea of being a month ahead, although I don't use ynab I just use the spending tracker app and have my pots in different bank accounts. 

I think I'm a long long way Off being a month ahead though. I think once I'm debt free that might be my next goal along with a healthy EF. 

Keep up the good debt busting  

Poppy

Hi Poppy, I hope you are well. Even though I have not been updating my own diary, I have still be following yours as I get notified when you post

I also love using monzo for my pots. Is that who you use? I have heard they are not doing very well at the moment though through the pandemic. Would be a huge shame if they folded. 

Wishing you luck for the rest of the year too, you've got this 

Frank

Hi Frank 
no I don't have monzo but my partner does, that would be a shame if they folded! He's a big fan of monzo. But I'm not very loyal and swap my current account to anyone offering a bribe 🙊 I have my "pots" in different savings accounts just with halifax. I don't think it's the best way to do it but set them up ages ago and have just kind of stuck with it. I think once I'm debt free I'd prefer to have all my savings in one pot (probably better for interest) and a spreadsheet with what I'm saving for in there. At the moment I have an EF, Car pot which includes MOT, annual insurance and annual car tax, a holiday pot, Christmas savings, school uniform, new glasses, house maintenance fund and mobile although I only trickle into the last few and I have been known to empty the mobile pot to use for other things as it's just not something I prioritise like I used to when I always wanted the latest sick and suck I'm not fussed these days. 

Nearly pay day and I can update my totals

Poppy  

SuperFrank88

Hi all,
This weather does not know what to do with itself! I am useless in the heat too, I have been walking around and taking the fan with me whatever room I go into 

Spent a hour this morning doing some 'life admin'. Sent off some more offer letters to accounts that have recently defaulted. Now that I am having lots of small repayments going out of my account each month it could easily get quite messy if I didn't keep on top of it. So I have added all the accounts to the tracking section of YNAB so that every month I can see the balance coming down once the payment has left my account. My current DMP is set to last for 10 years!! But that is because I have been building my EF up so set the monthly payments very low. Once all my accounts have defaulted and I have 6 months salary in my EF I plan to throw everything at the DMP which should drastically reduce the timescale. 

Day off for me today so went got up early, did some uni work that had to be submitted and made a berry protein shake in the Nutribullet as a late breakfast. Not long got back from the butchers, picked up some lean mince for the bolognase batch for work lunches this week and some yummy chicken sausages. Plan for the rest of the day is to work out in my new gazebo (Gym) out the front garden then ask the OH to cut my hair. 

SuperFrank88

Morning all,
Well this morning was a bit of a break though to me on how far I have come so far with my budgeting. I was sat in the office and one of my colleagues said 'Oh it's payday today'... I didn't even realise! My budget is in such a healthy position now that gone are the days I was counting down the days to payday. So grateful to be in this position, especially during the current circumstances.

My mindset has completely changed! I have fully funded the rest of this month, only had to use £800 out of this months salary and £500 of that is for my S&S ISA so its savings really, even though the money in my ISA is NOT to be touched so I think of it as a bill. I used the rest of this months salary to fund next months 'pots'. My goal now is to work towards fully funding the following month. This will take some time as it means I am going to have to really try and watch my spending, even though I don't overspend because I set myself a fixed amount for 'fun money' and once it's gone, it's gone! But to be able to achieve my goal I am going to have to try and have money left at the end of the month that can go towards next months ISA contribution.

I am back training regularly and eating well. My breakfast everyday is overnight oats with strawberry protein powder and blueberries. Lunch is bolognase made with 5% lean mince that I got from the butcher and made a huge batch in the slow cooker at the start of the week. I have this with half a pouch of wholemeal rice instead of pasta and some mixed veg.

All is good at the moment  

joedenise

It's great getting ahead isn't it?  I can fully fund the next month but don't seem to be able to get any further ahead than that but as we're pensioners I suppose that's not too bad.  At least we don't get into debt each month although we do use credit cards but paid off every month.

I sometimes have overnight oats but I like to use mixed frozen fruit in mine as it seems to make it less claggy!  I find that fresh fruit makes more claggy than frozen - I think the defrosted juices help!

SuperFrank88

joedenise said:

It's great getting ahead isn't it?  I can fully fund the next month but don't seem to be able to get any further ahead than that but as we're pensioners I suppose that's not too bad.  At least we don't get into debt each month although we do use credit cards but paid off every month.

I sometimes have overnight oats but I like to use mixed frozen fruit in mine as it seems to make it less claggy!  I find that fresh fruit makes more claggy than frozen - I think the defrosted juices help!

Hi @joedenise, I hope you are well?

Feels so good . Wow well done you! That is fantastic, I wonder how many months it will take me. There is no rush.

Ah yes I forgot to add that I used frozen blueberries. I only ever use frozen fruit & veg. 1) so that it is always fresh when I come to use it and 2) the budget does not allow for fresh fruit  One recipe that I would love to try is the 'carrot cake' overnight oats. Haven't got around to it yet but I LOVE carrot cake and it is meant to taste very similar. I am very boring with my food as I just see it as fuel for my body. I take my hat off to people who spend hours every week prepping and cooking up a different meal at every sitting, I just haven't got it in me. Something quick & easy that I can get down me in 10 mins and that's me done

Mx_Emmin

I'm quite jealous of the people who have managed to get a month ahead in YNAB - that's like third in my "Big Items" wishlist (E Fund, "next move" fund, month ahead) (I rent, so there's always a next move, sometimes at short notice)

Sarahwithlove

Well done on getting a month ahead that's great news. My age of money has dropped from 30 days to 14 I think it's because I did some moving around of pots and redid my budget to add more categories but I'm OK with that as my job is secure and if I got really stuck I know my dad would lend me the mkney
So instead I'm focusing on rebuilding my emergency fund and just paying off what I need of my debt to clear it before end of 0% period. Good luck with getting to the second month ahead. It will take time but I am sure you will get there. 

SuperFrank88

Mx_Emmin said:

I'm quite jealous of the people who have managed to get a month ahead in YNAB - that's like third in my "Big Items" wishlist (E Fund, "next move" fund, month ahead) (I rent, so there's always a next move, sometimes at short notice)

Ah I haven't looked into the wish list for my budget yet. I seen that Hannah did a YouTube video about the (She's so funny!) so I will have to watch that one because it would be a good motivator to have some items on the wish list to work towards, now that I have got the discipline not to impulse buy as soon as something pops into my head!

SuperFrank88

Sarahwithlove said:

Well done on getting a month ahead that's great news. My age of money has dropped from 30 days to 14 I think it's because I did some moving around of pots and redid my budget to add more categories but I'm OK with that as my job is secure and if I got really stuck I know my dad would lend me the mkney
So instead I'm focusing on rebuilding my emergency fund and just paying off what I need of my debt to clear it before end of 0% period. Good luck with getting to the second month ahead. It will take time but I am sure you will get there. 

Hi Sarah,
Yes I read your update this morning about you re-jigging your pots. You're very organised planning into the future fair play. I am the same as you, I am not getting too hung up on the age of money number anymore because I know I am in control and can re-jig things around if needs be. Keep up the great work