After years of debt journey through my sensible 40s... and save a deposit for a house

lantanna

On a positive managed to save £70 on my hotel stay as I had only reserved it weeks ago, went on last night and the price had dropped for book now price so that’s wot I did. £70 saved

lantanna

Pleased to report a no spend Saturday and Sunday. One more weekend to go before my trip. Currently relaxing watching travel vlogs. Think it’s doubtful il get to Lanzarote in February as planned the ways things seem to be going again.  Getting hair done on Friday and have the £ for that set aside. Aside from that and a minimal top up shop and petrol I plan to spend very little this week. Bit gutted about the talk of a public sector pay freeze, I was due my move to the next point on my scale in April but we never get it until Christmas and then it’s backdated due to it having to be approved by Govt.  I think we r unlikely to get it now.  Annoying but hardly surprising during these times. Does annoy me though that I’ve worked every day during Covid.

lantanna

Feeling unwell today like something is setting in, hopefully just the cold. Was naughty and had a chippy tea, off to lie down now

lantanna

Feeling better today just a little tired. Two unforeseen stings in my tail coming up. One I’m happy to do, contributions to McMillan coffee morning, the 2nd £ for a birthday gift for someone in work. Unfortunately I only have to do this as they went overboard for mine, not that I particularly like the person. ....... the I’m thinking from now to the end of the year is going to be quite spendy. Both parents birthdays coming up in November and then xmas in whatever form it’s going to be this year. It’s going to have to be damage limitation and good forward planning to get me to the 8K at the end of the year.

lantanna

Friday woohoo, plans for the weekend are getting hair cut today, relax and maybe make a pot of soup. Think I have some ham hock buried in the freezer. I’ve booked the cinema tomorrow evening to see after we collided so tonight I’m going to watch After with a bottle of red. Will go to the gym tomorrow as well and that about the height of it.  Head away next Thursday, looking forward to it. 

maggiem

Friday evening plans sound lovely, enjoy! 

WinterWarrior

Sounds great. I can’t bring myself to pay for hair cuts now, I just have a chop at it with you tube tutorials when it gets a bit wild...luckily it’s long so that works ok! 

I really want to try my hand at soup making! 

lantanna

Suzanne54321B said:

Sounds great. I can’t bring myself to pay for hair cuts now, I just have a chop at it with you tube tutorials when it gets a bit wild...luckily it’s long so that works ok! 

I really want to try my hand at soup making! 

Thanks Maggie, Suzanne soup is so easy to make and so much better than the ready made stuff, give it a go.

lantanna

After careful consideration I’ve decided to reduce my target this year to 6.5k instead of 8k. Few reasons why
Ive paid off a lot of debt this year so not everything has went into savings.  Meaning by just focusing on what I’ve saved I’m being hard on myself.
Im on a well being course through work and I’ve realised my mental and physical health might be suffering a bit due to trying to save so much. 

I need to make more me time and enjoy it, I can’t just work and sit in the house.   Sacrifices have to be made for saving yes but I need a better saving / life balance.

Life is short I need to enjoy it. 

Next year there will be more going to savings as only debt now is Credit Card which is work in progress and is being reduced and I’m comfortable enough with how it stands at the minute.

I should also have a pay rise at Xmas which will mean more can be saved next year and there will be no more big chunks going to debt.

I’ll be happy to have saved 6.5 K this year plus some for fees. My original date to buy was 2022 and I think I’ll revert back to that to take the pressure off a bit. 

With a renewed focus on self care I’ve ordered myself a Fitbit, loved my old one which died and it will motivate me, booked a solo weekend away at the end of November in a coastal town ( not paid just reserved) but a very reasonable price and two paydays now to get that £ together, booked every Friday off in December in work.  I have a scandalous amount of hols to use before March or lose them and dug out a notebook for jotting down plans etc for self care and plan on writing in it regularly. 

lantanna

Also just had to remind myself that I’ve been saving into an account for later life which has £650 in it that I started this year and have been making an AVC into my pension every month too that I don’t count  towards any of my totals so yeah I think I can allow myself to reduce my target for this year for my deposit lol

the conversations you have to have with yourself lol