Crunchy pays off the loan early, and other stories

crunchy_time

Morning all
Money is on my mind a lot now since the argument.  I have just withdrawn £57 from my savings account to pay off the last bit of the vet bill.  It's been 2 years since my cat died and we had a bill for about £850.  At the time, I didn't have a job and although we had savings, I felt nervous dipping into them so we credit carded it and then 0% it.  I didn't think it would take this long to pay it off!  But here we are.  It's gone now.  So when my loan goes out on the 1st November I can start paying off the fees for the course I haven't used.  What a waste of money.  The only plus was I got to have a year at home with my children and I learnt lots about myself.  If I manage to round up my monthly payment from £181 to £200 it will take me just over a year to pay it off.  Sigh.  Ah well.  No point feeling bad as it won't change it.
Lots of our plans have now changed since the rules have changed about social distancing.  This should save us money but I feel bad for all the businesses that won't get our money if you know what I mean.  I'm going to try my best to shop local and support local people where we can this year at Christmas.  My friend and I are going to go for a coffee next Saturday morning rather than for a drink in the evening so that should be a lot cheaper and healthier.
Will try and broach the finances chat later with husband. I just asked him to get £250 out of his savings account for the mouse man as it is an emergency fund and all.  He needs to do it on his laptop rather than his phone.
Right, onwards with the chores for the day.  My assignment is due on Thursday and I haven't even got half way through!!
Crunchy xx

crunchy_time

Just having a break from my assignment writing.  I'm about halfway there.  There is some information I need to ask a colleague for tomorrow but I can get the first part finished today at least.
Husband has reported that he has withdrawn the money to pay for the mouse man.  It should take a week to get to his current account.  He still needs to sort out his issue with Monzo for his card though.  Meanwhile, we have about £50 to last us the rest of October for food and petrol.  That's not a lot for 2 weeks. I think we need to properly look at this budget.  Now we are back at school it seems to be getting a bit more expensive.  Perhaps we need to accept that £150 per week budgeted for is better than underestimating and then going into the red.  I'm always overly optimistic but now need to become realistic!!  I have also just realised that it is a 5 week month so I'm going to have to find money for two weeks of food and petrol rather than just one.
Husband has said that his really old car needs some work doing to it.  We ideally want it to last another year so we can smash some more of this debt before adding to our loan, but the question of a new car has come up again.  Repair work comes out of the emergency fund so at least we have that money there for now.  He is going to get a quote from the local garage this week.
There is still no sign of the house being painted and I doubt this is going to happen this year now, it's just so damp!
I'm waiting for husband to come back from football so I can go for a run.  I'm saving money by wearing his long-sleeved running tops of which he has plenty until I can afford to buy my own!  I only have short-sleeved at the moment.
So right now it feels like we are in a bit of a blip situation but I am determined to get on top of it so we can end 2020  without any extra debt ready to start 2021 on the right foot for once.  The right foot is not a debt hangover from being disorganised at this time of year.  With three birthdays in the next three months, this time of year can often become a bit tricky but I am so determined to do it!
Crunchy xx

enthusiasticsaver

Well done on getting rid of the last of the vet bill.  As you say it is annoying to have to repay debts from years previously but at least it is gone now.  £50 doesn't sound a lot for a family of 4 for two weeks so you may have to revise that if you can shuffle some money around.  Annoying but these things happen.  At least entertainment should be low with virus restrictions increasing. You are so close to that £10k mark so  presumably next month you will go under? 

crunchy_time

enthusiasticsaver said:

Well done on getting rid of the last of the vet bill.  As you say it is annoying to have to repay debts from years previously but at least it is gone now.  £50 doesn't sound a lot for a family of 4 for two weeks so you may have to revise that if you can shuffle some money around.  Annoying but these things happen.  At least entertainment should be low with virus restrictions increasing. You are so close to that £10k mark so  presumably next month you will go under? 

Thanks @enthusiasticsaver !  Yes at least it has gone now!  No £50 is not a lot.  I just added £10 from our pennies round up pot on Monzo.  Luckily I am holding onto some money in my own bank account that we can use and I'm sure I siphoned off some extra from husbands bank account into one of his short term savings accounts so we can use that too.  We shall have an eat up week and then I get paid anyway.  
Entertainment should be low but husband is going to London for his special birthday drinks with friends in two weeks time and then we have daughters birthday lunch treat.  That will have to be it though for the next 4 weeks.  No problem with that!
We are so close to getting to the below £10k mark and will dip into it next month.  
I forgot to say in my previous post that I have now bought my daughters birthday presents - all budgeted for.  Just a card to go.
Now for the husbands watch!
Crunchy xx

remote_control

Can you make the birthday card? Find an idea to copy on Pintrest

crunchy_time

remote_control said:

Can you make the birthday card? Find an idea to copy on Pintrest

Thanks for the idea but by the time I have bought the stuff I might as well have bought one for £2!!

crunchy_time

Off sick from work today - tension headache or mini migraine. I feel spaced out now so must have been the latter.
When I felt better I took the time to ring HMRC to sort out my tax rebate. They have sorted it and I should have about £600 winging its way to me soon, probably by next pay day which is November. Hurrah! I’m going to be sensible and use it to pay off some of my course fees. 

I made sure I spent some time today appreciating where we are in our journey rather than berating is for not doing better.
crunchy xx

crunchy_time

Evening all
Just sat down to check off some direct debits that have come out of the joint account and realised there will be £33 left in there at the end of the month so I have slushed that towards my loan as well.  Therefore I have now dipped under the £10k mark!
I realise there is a shortfall in the food money for this month but I have shifted some things around and feel ok about this so now it's time to start slushing again.  I miss slushing and it makes me more focused so I am going to continue doing it.   I like trying to find the money in the existing budget to go towards each step in paying it down.

enthusiasticsaver

Great that the loan is now under the £10k mark.  Every little bit slushed helps.  Is there a reason your emergency fund is quite large or is part of that earmarked for something? 

 Tough having all those birthdays coming up to Christmas.  Ours are spaced out over the year thank goodness and we have now stopped buying xmas and birthday presents for friends and extended family even my mum and stepdad who now say in their mid to late 80s  they have everything they need and they don't want to shop for presents either.  So xmas and birthdays for us we only buy for  each other, our daughters, son in law and grandchildren.  So much easier and cheaper. My xmas list used to be almost 20 people and now down to 6. 

t2rry

amazing milestone to have hit!!!