Facing reality

Sarahwithlove

t2rry said:

Sounds solid, Sarah - it's the part of the journey where there's nothing to report because you're doing it as usual life...I think that's a great place to be! 

Very much so just need to control the spending. 

CreditCardJunkie said:

Glad everything's ticking over. I'm sure it's really frustrating with your lodger not working. Hopefully she'll get another job soon!!

She goes away on 2nd for nearly 3 weeks, then back 2 weeks away for 10 days, then back for 5 days and away for a week again. So probably won't be getting a job until September I think she plans to just enjoy her summer. She was in quite a low place last week but started dating a new guy and that seems to have made her peek up again. On plus side we spoke about a rent increase and she now pays me an extra £50 a month which is just now under 50% of the bills including my mortgage. 

Not having a good time with my back at the moment. Doctors given me some strong painkillers which are making me a bit drowsy.

Budget is really tight had to put my food shop for this week in the CC. Will pay it off on Thursday once been paid. Will use remainder of this months budget and some from next months but have upped my food budget going forward now as this eating healthy stuff is expensive! I've also increased my spending money allowance as well and created a general household budget for little purchases that I don't want to come out my food budget or my spending money. Like a new mop and bucket.

My sinking funds are all looking pretty good and from July my focus is going to be on my emergency fund. Should be able to put away £250 a month. Once I have that built up I then plan to start overpaying the mortgage which in all honesty probably won't be until next year now. Depends what big expenses crop up, especially as I am fully expecting my car to cost me money when it comes to its MOT in October. 

SuperFrank88

Hi,

How are you getting on?

Sarahwithlove

SuperFrank88 said:

Hi,

How are you getting on?

Hi thanks for stopping by good timing actually. Finances haven't been great lately been doing a lot of spending without thinking about it. But going to reign it in now and created a new budget for August. I'm ashamed to say I have some money on the credit card as a result. So that's being cut up and removed from my saved cards on my phone. Will reduce my spending allowance for next few months to make up for it. It's mostly been on eating out and takeaways and clothes shopping. But need to stop. I've gotten into bad habit of not using ynab as don't like what it has to say. But that isn't good habit to be doing. So now everything is going back through it again. Recently switched bank accounts as well which will get me £125 bonus for doing so. 

mark55man

HI Sarah - there has been a lot of post lockdown splurging so you are not alone.  Like you, I am having to readjust following a spendy July, and have had to reschedule my final push on getting CC sorted.  

I think we all needed a little indulgence, but well done for reining it in in a month and not a quarter (or a year or a decade ) 

Blackcats

Hi Sarah - increased spending post lockdown is easily done but you are back on track now and that's the main thing.  

How are things going with your lodger?  Is she still living with you? 

DancingInTheRain

Hi Sarah, hope you're okay x

Sarahwithlove

Hello all, anyone still here? I'm back and fighting the current inflation crisis we are all finding ourselves in. I have been reading and trying to catch up on some diaries this week and been putting off updating my own. But then today I went shopping and really looked at the price increases and it shocked me. Loo rolls that used to be £7.50 now £9.10 and that's supermarket own. 

So me being me, I spent some time this morning readjusting my spreadsheet (I didn't renew YNAB due to cost) to fit the new rising costs. I'm hoping this will mean that I wont get to the end of the month and need to use my credit card. Admittedly its 0% but its not a habit I want to get into. I went through a period of using it for everything as was getting "points" which then turned into vouchers but now I have a Ch@se bank account that I currently get 1% cashback on and only use the credit card for big purchases and then transfer the money from my savings spaces. 

As things stand currently I have about £900 on my credit card at 0% and owe my dad £4400 as borrowed some more money off him last year when had to do some repairs at home and on my car all within the same month. I'm still paying it off at £100 a month and my dad is happy with that arrangement. I think he would probably write it off if I would let him but I would rather keep paying all time I am able to as doesn't seem fair when he wouldn't be able to give my brothers the same. Admittedly I do more for him and am the one he turns to for everything but still. 

My housemate is still living with me, will be 3 years at beginning of August its crazy. We still get on well for the most part. I'm not sure how much longer she will be with me though. She has a boyfriend who she's now been with about 6 months and they are very intense, constantly together and if she had her way he would be staying every night and living here with us. As it stands I have restricted it to 3 nights a week. I don't think either will be in position to buy somewhere together for a while and at the moment they have the best of both worlds but I don't know, she can be very persuasive so he may give in and agree to rent somewhere together. He has offered to pay towards the bills for the days he stays but I have been reluctant to agree at the moment. Currently I have said he can take us out for Nand0s instead every now and then. I feel like if I say yes and take money from him then it will be harder to say no to him staying over or cutting it down to 2 nights if I decide its too much. 

I'm also in process of looking for a new job at the moment as not very happy, its such a toxic atmosphere even though I am working from home. I find it very tedious and repetitive and all the things I liked about my job have now been stopped or changed and its just very much a tick box situation that's made worse by the rising cost of living. I'm hoping that a new job also comes with a pay rise, the ones I have applied for so far all have one. Sadly working for your local authority doesn't come with much in the way of pay rises. 

I'll be back soon with another update but in the mean time I hope you are all keeping ok? 

floorspeed_2

I am alright, glad to see you back posting. Sounds like you have a some what difficult time at the moment with what’s on your plate. If you find a better job with better pay I would go for it if you’re not happy at the moment. 

mark55man

welcome back, as you look around the diaries you will see a lot of people (myself included) have not quite readjusted post lockdown and post inflation at the moment.  but you can only do the best you can - and leaving a toxic job is a good start.  even if you move for the same salary the mental improvement will be worth it, and may prevent some expenditure

DancingInTheRain

Good to see you posting again 😊