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

lantanna

Ended up spending £60 in Asda, I’ve been cooking pizzas etc for 2 days running now. 

lantanna

Looks like Northern Ireland is headed for a full 6 week lockdown soon. Not sure how I feel about this yet but I think it has to happen.  Thankfully work is secure for me for now. What a year it’s been for us all.

lantanna

Looking forward to declaring my final figures for the year. It won’t be as good as it could have been but it’s certainly not bad.  Just got to wait until the 31st so I can see what else I can squirrel away. Increased my pension AVC by one per cent today, now at 2 per cent plus my 4 per cent compulsory.  Not mortgage related but definitely a very positive factor.  Doubtful il get on holiday now in February not sure whether to try and change the date etc. I’m actually excited that one of my Regular Savers matures this month.  First time I’ve ever successfully got to the end of a term before closing it and withdrawing what little I’d saved after a couple of months

lantanna

Finishing work tomorrow really looking forward to a break. Now to try and keep my spending under control and not let being off work derail me. Trying to use up food from the freezer and cupboards over the next while. 

maggiem

Merry Christmas Lantanna, enjoy your time away from work 

lantanna

Thank you Maggie, you 2. Happy Christmas everybody.  Just 3 of us for Xmas this year but we will make the best of it

lantanna

Christmas has been lovely this year, plenty of relaxing, nice food, wine and heat.  Got to spend some quality time with my parents which is rare these days due to the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Also got to see my sister and nieces and nephew for a bit too. Back home now, catching up on tv now the soaps etc and have a day of cleaning planned for tomorrow.  Was able to get my holiday moved to October next year instead of Feb so fingers crossed that will happen! I have actually really enjoyed this Christmas more than others, it seemed like there was less pressure and everything more relaxed. Even gifts seemed to be more purposeful and have more meaning.  Less wastage and money being frittered away too by everyone.  

Treated myself to some serving platters I’d been eyeing up before Xmas, got a good deal in the online sales.  Also got a pair of earrings I’d wanted to match a bracelete I have.  That should be my sales shopping done now.  All non essential shops are closed in NI now for 6 weeks and we are also under curfew from 8pm to 6am for a week. 

Looking forward to the 31st to sorting my final figures for the year.  Just really groceries to pay for now until payday on the 20th of Jan.  will have to try and not go overboard with that as it’s the only form of shopping we can do! Back to work Tues

lantanna

Went to Asda today, spent £55 that included the new pinch of nom book, some lovely recipes in it I look forward to trying. Also picked up a soup pot reduced to £12 from £22. Can’t believe I’m back in work tomorrow, have to make sure I don’t fall asleep this afternoon or il not sleep tonight. Making chicken parm tonight with leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Everyone seems to be adhering to the 8pm curfew which is good although makes the street seem really eerie. 

I have £160 left for groceries/shopping this month ( 20th Jan) and £60 for petrol with enough in the tank for the rest of this week.   Should be enough. Need to decide what food I want on NYE, whether to get a takeaway or maybe do that on New Years Day. Or I might just make a bolognese and got all out with garlic bread ( which will be a treat) as trying to stay off bread.  Love cooking a bolognese for hours so it becomes more like a Ragu, looks like I’ve talked myself into that lol.  I love all the diet and health programmes that come on in January. I hope to shed a few lbs in January.  In fact I need too!

lantanna

Declared my final savings for 2020.  £ 7633.83 saved in total excluding pension AVC.  

Very pleased with what I’ve accomplished this year in the most challenging of years. Paid off Very, overdraft, all outstanding loans and managed to save just over a quarter of my deposit and some towards fees/costs.  

Looking forward to getting above £6k in the house deposit in Jan, seem to have been stuck in and around 5k for a while now.  

Hope 2021 is kind and less challenging for everybody. My focus will be on hitting 10k before the middle of the year and getting my credit card cleared

lantanna

Went to M & s at lunch time to buy some bits.  Going to make spaghetti Bol tomorrow night to have with garlic bread, salad and red wine. I’ll not be seeing bread for a long time after that lol I’ll be sitting in on my own watching The Crown.   Managed to get tomorrow off work so that means I’ll not be leaving this house tomorrow, glad as roads are icy and it’s freezing.  Down to £100 now for groceries / shopping until the 20th.  I always used to get paid on the 31st in Jan so thankful to now get paid on the 20th, always seemed like such a long stretch after Xmas.