Little bit of Wales; living in sunny Surrey

catlady1990

So it's a new year and I don't feel any closer to paying off my debt. I have had a few woopsies so my credit card amount has gone back up again!!!!!
However, I am 12 payments away from owning my car. Which will save me £204 a month.
I have been using a budgeting app called moneydashboard for a few months now. It works on my phone and on my laptop which has really assisted with how I view my money.
My total debt amounts at this current moment in time are:
Credit card 0% interest £1246.01
Car finance £2445.84
Personal loan £7643.56
So the total amount is £11335.41
I am currently trying to pay the 0% finance down as fast as possible to remove credit cards out of my life. Then my plan is to start on my emergency fund and I have finally got a personal monzo account. So I am slowly setting up pots of sinking funds to cover car insurance / Maintence, holidays, gifts and clothing allowance ( I don't have one at the moment)

I have started going back to the gym well until tier 4 restrictions hit as something was really missing from my life. It really started to help my mental health and my waist line hasn't decreased so far but I was only back there for a few weeks. 

Our kittens really enjoyed their first Christmas, especially eating turkey off the chopping board on the  side!!!! They were very spoilt with fresh toys and a cat senses toy.
I was actually really poorly over the Christmas period (not covid, although I did get tested). As a result I have lots of left over treats and alcohol to munch on during grey January. Which should reduce our snacks going into the shopping trolley.
I haven't made any proper new years resolutions. Although I would like to improve my inhaler and vitamin D taking habits. They are better than they were pre covid but still not perfect. I also want to work on my resilance and mental health as I really feel so flat and not as strong as I have felt in previous years. I also want to continue to pay £4 a week into my lifetime isa until my fortunes change. I know it is barely anything but it's having the savings habit not the amount that it is important.

My partner has been furloughed for the third time due to covid so it's been tough on him mentally. Although it means I barely have to lift the Hoover so I can concentrate on studying in my spare time. 
We haven't made any joint couple goals this year apart from pay back our savings as we used some of them to pay for a new mattress. I am sure when we can start making plans again we will be able to set some goals. 

I have been watching quite a bit of mama furfur on YouTube and really hope that some of her tips will help me get out of debt in the next 3/ 5 years. Or sooner if I manage to set up my sinking funds each month. 

Anyway that's all from me. Hopefully next time I post i will have made a bit of headway on life

savingholmes

Hope 2021 is a better year for you and you can get back on track. Are there any jobs your OH can apply for?

catlady1990

My oh is a shop manager so got an ok job. He has only had the job since end of September and I think he wants to try and stick it out a while for experience unfortunately covid is putting a spanner in the works as it is for everyone. Really hope by Easter they will stop having to lock down parts of the country. We have been in tier 4 since before Christmas. 

I am back at work this week and been up early enough to have a leisurely cup of tea and browse the web plus do a little of my student nursing logging. I even had my inhaler and my vitamin D tablet. 
Very happy with myself 😁
Here's to a more positive new year, for an hour or so at least 🤣

catlady1990

So fed up today!!! I had been feeling fairly positive about covid and the 3.0 lockdown. My partner and cats are financially secure as the rent is based on me living here alone so it's pittance. My partner is furloughed but can still comfortably afford to pay half of the bills.
Then I get to work and it's like we were being bombed or something. I know everyone is freaking out about cases. It's looming, it's scary and anxiety ridden 

But myself and most of the team I work with have been back at work since June/ July. We have safe practices of working.

I know people have other things going on at home and it's hard to balance childcare and work especially if you are a single parent or both parents work full time. But way to bring the whole team down. Then one person started freaking out about public transport. They all bounced all their covid related anxieties of each other for about 5 hours. Which mean I came home at 5ish stressed as hell because they are all stressed. 
I don't think any actual work got done today because they were all dragging their covid fears out. 
I was more than happy listening giving a suggestion or two then putting it to rest and getting on with work but that didn't happen. 

Only just destressing now. I officially hate working with constantly negative people it is really dragging me down. 

In other news, I have managed not to spend anything since I got paid on he 23rd of September. Apart from direct debits and the money that goes into the joint account for joint food and joint bills. Here's hoping I can keep it up for another week or two..... before I go stir crazy and give into buying a bottle of wine. 

Really hope anyone who is reading this doesn't hate me. I totally get that everyone is struggling in different ways and it's ok to have time to be sad and anxious or any other feeling. As it is so important to feel and people often feel the need to have permission to feel. But it is also important to try not to spiral. To look at the positive things even if it's as simple as ' I still have a job' ( which I am so lucky to have).

Anyway rant / musings over. 
I have managed to keep up with taking my brown inhaler and my vitamin D tablet since the weekend! 
I have eaten healthier meal choices, although my bf has been out of portion control to the point I am putting half of my dinner in my lunchbox for the next day. 
I have my health, my two cats and a boyfriend who loves me. 

Should probably go and do some student related writing up of my portfolio for college as I am behind and feeling in a slightly better headspace now. 

Funny how typing something out helps to relieve so much tension. 

Sarahwithlove

If it was me I would be tempted to work out how much I have to repay each month to credit card to get it gone by the end of 0% and put remainder to loans which are charging interest. Might allow you to bring the car loan end date a forward a few months and save on interest. If you have made any overpayments on your loans make sure for the final payment on car loan you ring up and ask for a settlement rather than allowing for DD to carry on as they calculate total loan based on interest for full term so you might not owe as much as you thought. But only if you do overpayments which like I said above I'd be tempted to do rather than clearing the card myself. 

catlady1990

Sarahwithlove said:

If it was me I would be tempted to work out how much I have to repay each month to credit card to get it gone by the end of 0% and put remainder to loans which are charging interest. Might allow you to bring the car loan end date a forward a few months and save on interest. If you have made any overpayments on your loans make sure for the final payment on car loan you ring up and ask for a settlement rather than allowing for DD to carry on as they calculate total loan based on interest for full term so you might not owe as much as you thought. But only if you do overpayments which like I said above I'd be tempted to do rather than clearing the card myself. 

That's a good idea. I will try and look into that this weekend if I get a chance to sit down properly.

In other news I have created 8 little pots and I have put £48 pounds away. This is for my emergency fund, car insurance (determined to try and pay it annually), car maintainence and fuel, gifts to people, holidays, new phone (mine is limping on its last legs), house fund and a loan pot ( when it gets to £1000 I will pop it straight on my car / personal loan). 

I know paying of debt is really important, but I think the reason I got into debt was because I didn't have savings and I don't want to get into this mess in the future. Hopefully these pots will help me have better money management. 

I have finally signed up to my local library and downloaded their e-book app so I can read for free 😊
My work shifts are changing slightly so I will be able to save money on fuel, which will take the pressure off my finances so much. Hopefully only have to fill up once a month instead of at least twice. That's at least £30 a month saved, if not more. 

Not much else to report all my exams at college have been postponed. Gives me a chance to get right up to date with writing revision notes and not just cramming close to the exam. 

Kittens are doing well. My bf bought three fabric fish which have motors in them and both are chasing them. When they catch them they walk round around proud as punch for at least 20 minutes. The noise is horrific though. But happy kitties mean happy cat parents.
Not a fan of January but this year at least I don't feel as though I am wasting the month as we aren't allowed to do anything because of lockdown. 

Feeling a lot more positive about life at the moment. I am on track to get my debt paid down considerably by the end of the year. 
I am doing the best of being a student vet nurse in the circumstances and it's tough.
My boyfriend is still his usual supportive self.

Sarahwithlove

As someone who has had to dip into her emergency fund a lot the last few months for unexpected expenses I agree it's important to have pots. My debt is all 0% atm so next few months for me are focusing on rebuilding my pots back up before I tackle the debt hard again. Good luck. 

catlady1990

Feeling a bit poo this week. I have not left myself any free money to play with this month as was trying to focus on making saving pots and pay off my debt. Going to have to fiddle things around next month or I can definitely see me using my cc to splurge on something silly. 
It's funny how just giving yourself a few pounds pocket money each week really does make such a difference.
Otherwise debt busting is going really well. At the rate I am going both credit cards and my car loan will comfortably be paid off by October / November. 
My boyfriend and I will have paid our pot back that we used to buy a matress by the end of August. 
I have created pots for my personal account and have a tiny bit of money going into each one each month. So that takes the pressure off emergencies a tiny bit. 
My car fuel has reduced dramatically and it looks as though I will only need to fill up once this month. So saving around £35 as I having been filling up twice a month since lockdown. 

I have actually been a bit more motivated with my course and managing to record things to do with the portfolio side of it. Hopefully get to a point where I am up to date instead of lagging miles behind. 
I feel my personal alcohol intake has increased a bit recently. So made a pact with myself to buy and drink becks blue instead. It's mainly working although I did buy two tins of cider (the coke sized cans) from Aldi yesterday to have as my Saturday night treat. Seems to be working as I don't buy a bottle of wine on a Friday night, drink most of it and feel crap all Saturday now. 
I can't wait for the gym to open back up so I can start swimming and gym training again. My weight is creaping up and up. Keep saying I'm the heaviest I have ever been and then pile even more weight on 😭

Was looking forward to snow today but it just keeps melting before it hits the ground. 
Trying to keep happy thoughts in my head but just feel all anxious all the time. Recently changed doctors so hoping I can get a telephone consultation and maybe they can offer advice. Tried CBT in the past but it made me feel worse. In the meantime just taking calms day after work, which is helping a little ( don't want to take them before and get drowsy).

Nothing else to report really. 

catlady1990

Feeling a lot more positive about life at the moment. Debt is on track with paying it off. I have a small amount of emergency fund for the first time in a long time.
Only owe £9900 still a LOT of money but I can see it shrinking each month (finally)!!!!
My weight is still creaping up but becks blue is stopping me drink too much. I do have the odd wooopsie now and again
Still behind on all my student veterinary nursing portfolio but slowly catching up. Covid really put the spanner in the works with college and registered nurses having time to train students. So I am learning to be kinder to myself and not beat myself up for not being on top of everything. If it takes me an extra year to become qualified well at least it's a year extra experience 😀
Been discussing with bf about life plans, exciting! As soon as I am qualified we will look at getting married, then getting a mortgage. We both want to live in another country for a while but are waiting for covid to be normal before we make plans.

Both our kit cats are thriving at the moment. Naughtiness does occur but they are indoor cats. Taken to hiding food so they have to hunt for their breakfast and dinner (biscuits only). Wet food just goes in their bowls. They are having a new cat senses toy delivered soon to set up in the kitchen and I bought them a new dounut bed to sit on top of our bed for during the day which they love. Also taking them out on their leads to explore around once a week but hoping to do it more in the evenings as they lighten up. 
Bf is still on furlough. Hoping he will go back around the 12th of April but who knows. 
Can't wait until I'm allowed back to Wales to visit beaches and see my family. Feels like a very long time since last August and probably the longest I have ever gone. Definitely got a touch of homesickness recently. 
Nothing else to report just plodding away one foot in front of the other and slowly achieving less Debt!!! 

catlady1990

Debt is still going down currently on -£9245 doesn't appear to have dropped a lot but I paid my car insurance off in a lump sum which has massive added to my debt total but I am putting extra into it each month so paying it off in0% faster than if I was paying monthly. 
Struggling along with work / study / no life balance due to my veterinary nursing course and got exams and assignments coming out of my ears. I'm very thankful that I have managed to pass everything first time so far so just plodding on in the hope that it will continue. Only 13 months to go hopefully and then I can get my life back or at least feel less torn and burnt out. 
I'm hoping to be out of debt at around the same time as I qualify which will be perfect as it will give me two years to save properly for a mortgage before moving somewhere slightly cheaper. I love Surrey it's just that I don't believe my partner and I will ever be able to afford a mortgage down here. But I also like the clinics I work at and dontnwant to move  to another clinic until I am slightly more experienced.


Due to all the lockdowns I managed to affrd a mini break to Somerset which was lovely as I got to meet some family members who had come down from mid Wales. 
Next weekend I'm popping to South Shropshire for a flying visit to see some friends after my exam in July I will be going on a mini break to Portsmouth with my bf which I am extremely excited about. 
Then that will probably be holidays over for the year unless I get an unexpected amount of money from anywhere. 
anyway that's my update just realised I hadn't checked in for a long time .