Crunchy pays off the loan early, and other stories

WinterWarrior

Actually if it’s eBay can you just claim your money back? PayPal you can reverse a payment I think, or if it was a credit card you could try claiming on the credit card insurance?
good luck x
Car boot sale for the shoes?

crunchy_time

Thanks @WinterWarrior I’m going to contact my credit card people and find out if I can claim. Husband has had email from the supplier saying it’s been referred to the relevant department.

I have made time to put the shoes on eBay now so will see what happens there. We have sold a bike in gumtree for £20 for DS and have another bike to sell which husband thinks we could get about £100 and some cycling accessories can go on. My plan tomorrow after workout is to clear out the shed and solve storage issues/gather carp to sell.

In other news, and without going into too much detail we are having to get solicitors involved to sort out a property legal situation for us. Initial consult is £250 plus Vat. We will then be able to see what is needed and budget for what is. This may affect plans to pay off credit cards with savings, we shall see.

Overall mood in our house is very frugal at the moment. Husband and I talking about doing a five year plan now that our finances are settling down and the consumer debt is nearly paid off.  I’ve spent some time today looking at ways we could cut some of our outgoings.

There have been a few things going on in our lives that have made us focus on what WE want rather than performing our lives in a way that makes other people happy. Life seems very much now about how it feels rather than what it might look like to others. Hard to explain without going into detail, but I feel more aligned than ever to my goals and desires and am formulating the roadmap to get there xxx

crunchy_time

Evening all

Horrible day with the kids. They just spent the day arguing with each other and then me.  I tried so hard but they were just awful.  I was trying to sort out the shed as well and initially they helped but then when I was trying to figure things out, of course they lost interest.  Will get them out of house tomorrow.  Banned screen time in the morning for the foreseeable as it is not making us productive and we start the day off on the wrong foot.

Anyway, todays successes

 - I put the bike on ebay and gumtree.  ebay reckons I could get at least £250 for it!!!  Also put on some biking shoes so a few bits on now. 
 - I also put a few bits out for free on our drive just to get rid of them.  One thing has gone already. 
 - Started a pile for the tip.
- Contemplated buying a new under counter freezer on credit for the utility and get rid of our chest freezer in the shed just to free up some space.  We hardly use all the space at all - not really batch cookers or hoarders of food like we should be.  No use pretending to be something we are not!  Shall sell chest freezer to make funds for new utility one if needed.  Husband also looking at building outside shed for bikes so shall weigh up costs.  Meanwhile overflowing shed items shall have to go in loft.
 - Sort of solved current cash flow issues around all the mini emergencies we have been having recently and limited desire to stick hand too far into emergency fund due to impending legal situation.  Solution is to withdraw some from savings and some has been pushed to a 0% offer that I had on my credit card.  These were mainly the bills that cropped up quickly after lockdown ended and we hadn't planned for as we took our eye off the ball.

Feeling slightly less stressed now we have a financial plan but impending legal situation alongside current long term personal issue is becomng very stressful.  Maybe that is why kids have been playing up today.

Can't wait to go back to work, isn't that awful to say.

Crunchy xx

crunchy_time

WinterWarrior said:

Actually if it’s eBay can you just claim your money back? PayPal you can reverse a payment I think, or if it was a credit card you could try claiming on the credit card insurance?
good luck x
Car boot sale for the shoes?

On list today is to ring credit card people.

Dont think I could do a car boot sale just for shoes- we have too much going on at the weekends. I could see if I could sell rugby boots at my sons rugby club when it starts back

WinterWarrior

I hope the kids behave today. I often spend my days off wanting to be back at work and my days at work wanting to be off 🤷🏻‍♀️ 

Honeysucklelou2

Hope you have a good day today. I find that my children get on better when I limit their screen time, it’s as if they then can recall how to play with each other  in more imaginative play or make up jumping challenges on the trampoline.

Hope the legal situation is sortable quickly for you.

crunchy_time

Having having a much better day so far, thank you. They watched tv whilst I did my workout and then we went out to get bits for hamsters.Have come back, had lunch, cleaned out hamsters and kids are now having some time separate from each other. One in the house and one in the office with husband. Going to park later to meet a friend. It’s better when the day is broken up.

Husband and I are both feeling anxious about legal situation.Determined to stick to budget though so we can get through the rest of this year with minimal extra costs.  Had to withdraw £300 out of emergency fund for initial consultation with solicitors.

money saving efforts today - not buying extra snacks just because we have run out - making something instead.

crunchy_time

Morning all

Much better few days,  not so much arguing. They haven’t really wanted to do much either. Son was a bit ill yesterday with a tummy upset so we ended up just resting rather than doing what was planned.

Anyway, husbands pay day! Money shuffle done! Direct debits for loans will come out on Wednesday but I will be back at work so updating the signature now! £1955 - can start to see the end of the road for this line of debt.

Husband has withdrawn money from the emergency fund to cover what was needed - new tyre, solicitor fee, X-ray, filling etc. It should land soon then I shall share updated credit card situation and plans to pay it off.

Have a good day everyone!

Crunchy xx

crunchy_time

Afternoon  all!

We have just got back from a trip to the coast.  So cold we had to wear coats.  Autumn is definitely here!

Last day tomorrow before I am back at work.  Husband is taking a few days off for the kids and also grandparents are going to look after them before they go back to school on Monday.  The summer has flown by!

In some ways I will be glad to get back to work and some routine as all the mini disasters that we have had recently have left us broke and out of sync.

Now the end is near with the consumer debt that we have ad since 2018, we are looking ahead to the future so we have drafted out a financial plan for the first time in a long while.  We have some vague long-term plans like 'pay off our mortgage early by 60' which is 20 years away for us. Any inheritance that may come our way will be invested in property but we want to pay off our own mortgage early.  Then we have 10 year goals along the lines of helping the kids out with higher education, another house move and then five year goals which are to get rid of all debt and save for planned house projects as well as have adventures with the kids.

So from next month, we have decided to reduce our savings to £100 a month from £300 as our current emergency fund is roughly £1500 and spend the next academic year really hammering down the remaining debt including the car loan to reduce the interest that we are paying on it and get it paid off early. 

Consumer debt first though. So this should be paid off by Christmas now!!  Just got to stick to the budgets so can also pay off my 0% card as well.

Happy bank holiday weekend everyone!
Crunchy xx

crunchy_time

Morning all

The minimum payment for the privacy project has gone out so that is now £2833.  Slowly heading in the right direction.

We have also sold something on ebay that we got more money than we thought we would - £250!!  £50 was spent in the pub last night on dinner and drinks for us a date night.  The other £200 has been sent to my credit card and paid off various bits and pieces.

All the shoes have been sold on ebay as well so that has gone towards the credit card too.  Husband has a few pairs of football boots to clean up and put on as well as a pair of shoes he doesn't wear much.

The money that we withdrew from the emergency fund has come in so I have used it to pay off the tyre, xray, office and saved some for filling and legal fees.  Feels good to have been able to pay for these things using savings.

Back to school on Monday.  Having a weekend of getting organised for the week ahead and tying up loose ends.  I get paid in two weeks time and husband the week after that but then it is a 5 weeks month so we will need to be very on it for the food budget so we don't go over.  I still need to be overpaying the amount that is left on credit card.but at 0%.

I also have £250 ready for Christmas but we have 3 family birthdays coming up that I need to get planning for.

Anyway, better get ready for the day - I'm still in my pyjamas!!!

Crunchy xx