Time to Face The Music

RelievedSheff

We managed a proper no spend day yesterday 

I also managed to get the hedge cut in the front garden before rain stopped play. I'm hoping that it will stay dry enough today that I can get the grass on the front cut and some weeds pulled.

It won't be a no spends day today as I am ordering a half sheep and a steak box to stock up the freezer and the other half is going to visit his step father after work so will be late home. As a treat he is going to pick us a KFC up on the way home.

Today's other jobs include:

• Vacuuming the house (done at 7am)
• Cutting the grass front and back
• Walking the dog x 2
• Dusting the house
• Load of washing, fingers crossed the dryer actually dries today as it has been playing up!
• Oh and I am working from home today as well

RelievedSheff

Not gone well with the washer dryer. It is not drying again

On the plus side I have managed to get a load of washing and a load of bedding washed and dried outside strewn all over the patio set. I really must get a retractable washing line put up in the garden!

Going to have to get the washing machine out and strip it down. We suspect a blockage in the drain pipe at the machine end.

On the plus side jobs are going well and getting ticked off. The vacuuming is done, two loads of washing done, grass cut front and back and weeds pulled front and back. Not done the dusting yet and walked the dog once and in between that lot I have got a fair bit of work work done as well

RelievedSheff

£80 paid to credit card 2 today which will reduce the balance on this card to about £590 although I need to confirm this once the monthly statement for the account is produced. 

Other than the above payment to the credit card it will be a no spend day today. I have made the other half's packed lunch, my lunch will be something from the fridge and dinner tonight is pork chops, sweet potato wedges and veggies that we already have in stock. Speaking of which the lamb and beef that I ordered yesterday is due to arrive this morning so that will see the new freezer mostly filled up. Just need to order the pork and chicken next week and then we will have enough meat to last us through most of this winter.

Today's jobs include:

• Working from home
• Cleaning the bathrooms
• Cleaning the windows
• Walking the dog x 2

RelievedSheff

Ok so I have very much under estimated just how big a 250 litre capacity freezer really is. This load of lamb and beef:


has on filled a third of the freezer!!

On the plus side I have loads of room left for next weeks order of chicken and pork!

RelievedSheff

Another no spend day today. When I started this diary I didn't realise just how many no spend days we do normally achieve in a week.

Breakfast was cereals, the other half has a packed lunch with him for work, jacket potato for me for lunch and a mixed fish platter tonight for dinner with stuff from the fridge and freezer. 

Today's jobs will be:

• working from home
• a load of washing and hanging it outside to dry
• pruning the olive trees in the front garden
• cleaning the kitchen
• waxing the dining table
• walking the dog x 2

enthusiasticsaver

RelievedSheff said:

Wasn't quite a no spend day yesterday as I forgot we needed to get some fruit and veg in from the local farm shop. £20 spent but that has stocked us up for a couple of weeks now. 

Definitely a no spend day today!

We got the kitchen lights done yesterday and they look great at night. A job well done. 



Today we will cut the grass and the hedge in the front garden and take the dog out for a good long walk. First up though a hearty full English to start the day.

We have plinth and under cupboard lighting in our kitchen too  and love it.  We have the gloss grey units too (or are they white?). It looks great. 

Given you have a worse credit record than your DP and almost 4 times more debt in your name than his would it not be better to focus on repaying some of your debt to improve your record before remortgaging? The repayments you are both making are roughly the same each month but the impact on his credit record is much better than the impact on yours due to you having more debt in your name. I would be throwing everything at that Credit Card 3 to get rid of it asap . Unless credit card 1 in your DHs name is due to finish soon I would pay the minimum on that £450 balance and take the rest and put it towards the CC3 with the existing £200 and any overpayments so that you save interest and correct the imbalance in the debt in your name. I know you want to hit the smallest first for a boost but having a lot of debt in your name with an adverse record not only means more interest paid but less chance of getting new deals as the 0% deals expire and a good remortgage deal next April. Especially important as if we do have a long recession the lending criteria will get a lot tougher and anyone with adverse credit will not be able to get any good deals. I also wonder if leaving the £50 stocks and shares isa contribution would be better left until you have got rid of the majority of that debt. Your plan though so whatever works for you. 

RelievedSheff

The cupboards are a creamy colour. Think it is the light making them look grey in the pictures 

The 0% finishes on the other half's CC1 in December so we really want to keep the payment on that card at the £150 to clear the balance by then and have that one card paid off and close the account to prevent any further spending on that card.

The extra £46 from my debt 1 which will be paid off next month is going straight onto CC3 to help reduce that balance more quickly.

We would like to have CC2 cleared and closed down before we remortgage in April purely as it is one less payment a month to juggle and as a bit of a moral boost. I know it leaves most of the debt in my name but we hope that when we next come to remortgage in a further five years that all of the debt will be gone.

Our mortgage advisor doesn't think we will have a problem getting the mortgage we require to remortgage in April assuming that the mortgage market stays broadly similar to where we stand now. We are well in on the affordability even taking account of the debts as they currently stand, no late payments in over six years with a CCJ for £279 that was awarded and satisfied in 2015. He is confident we will be on high street rates.

Smashingitnow

I am so with you on a freezer saving you money...bulk buying, bulk shopping and the ability to have a no spend week and still eat well. Agree too about the morale boost of getting rid of cards. Enthusiastic Saver's point is also intriguing though...I get your point but I guess I'd feel more comfortable for all sorts of reasons keeping debts in line with each other, assuming spend was jointly acquired....like the photos...more diaries should have photos (though as a vegetarian...that is a lot of meat!!!)  

RelievedSheff

It is the pork and chicken order next week 

The debt was jointly accrued. All of our money goes into the one account and all of the bills and spending comes out of that account. We have always worked this way since we met 20 years ago. Blimey that sounds like a long time ago!!

It doesn't overly concern me that the remaining debt will be in my name to be honest although I understand this would be of concern to some. Neither of us have any plans to go anywhere anytime soon 

Smashingitnow

Well it obviously works for you and life seems good even with the debt (beautiful kitchen!). That's what I like about the diaries really...happiness doesn't depend on spending! I shall look forward to chicken and pork week!