Now or never

Blackcats

It's time - that sounds so familiar - I had credit cards with massive limits, filled them up, got another credit card.  Loans, paid them off, got another one.  No real understanding or recognition of the cost of that money, and I mean the cost of £ out of my pay and therefore the fact that so much of my pay just went out to repay a small proportion of that debt - goodness only knows how much interest I've paid over the years.  

Sorry if I've missed it but what's your 6 year pan?

Glad you've had a good day at work.

Its_time

Yes the amount of interest paid since we've had cards does not bear thinking about.  The 6 year plan Blackcats is just really a timescale of when I hope we might have paid off our debts and most of our mortgage, it's the time frame I think we need before we can either give up B1 or at least scale it down.
Paid £420 to the debt last Friday which was a good feeling again.
Not a lot to say tonight really, DH is very grumpy as our car has stopped being 4 wheel drive and delightfully I was driving it at the time ...sigh....and apparently it's going to cost in the region of £1500/£2000 to repair.  So he is a bear with a sore head tonight and is huffing and puffing all over the place

Its_time

I don't know where to start.
So shopping trip to Aldi resulting from drastic diet action and planning total spend £85.97, shopping spends for January so far are £270.28 in all out of £375, under budget by £104.72, pleased with that, could have been better but at least it was under.
Anyway last Saturday I had a mad panic about my increased weight and my health and joined a keto diet class!  Stupid move, I had no idea what I was letting myself in for.  By Saturday dinner time, I couldn't find a single thing to eat that was 'keto' so ended up having a 3 egg omelette with bacon and cheese and feeling ill afterwards.  Tea time I had craved and had a chicken salad with the banned bake potato.  Sunday morning I had put on a 1lb - gutted.  Sunday afternoon I decided that actually the slimming world way is not that bad at all and had decided to ditch the keto class (without telling them) and go back to doing slimming world without joining but taking it seriously.  As of this morning I am 3lb down and not in the least hungry.  I will keep weighing in with the keto class because to be fair it really has given me the motivation that I needed to do something about my unhealthy eating, some of the slimming world meals are keto friendly anyway.  I've had a look at the websites and so far have had spaghetti bolognese, a bacon and chicken pasta which I made double of and DH liked it so much we had it again for tea tonight.  I have planned a curry, loaded wedges and bacon egg and chips (slimming world style) and a cooked dinner this week also.  I need some other ideas which we can have as a recurring regular meal as well.  I want to do a lasagne as well.  I don't want to starve myself or limit what I can have like pretty much a salad every night, too frightened to eat much more, which is what I have done in the past.  What I really would like to find is something that I can make which can be dipped into curry and spagbol similar to garlic bread but free
I haven't been on my treadmill much this week as I have been feeling unwell, not in myself but pain in my tummy.  Finally the pains have more or less gone today so I feel much happier.  I spent the afternoon working and achieved quite a lot so that feels good tonight, back in targets.  I am really hoping I sleep better tonight because for the last few nights I have lain awake for hours again which obviously makes me tired in the day. 
I changed our internet supplier a few weeks ago and had the £75 pre paid credit card through last week (can't remember if I already said that) and we also have a £50 marks and spencers gift card to use.  Wish I could pay them into the bank.
It's hammering down with rain at the moment, I am looking forward to bed time so I can lay there listening to it, time to enjoy the sun in Death in Paradise first.
It's time

joedenise

@Its_time - SW garlic bread:  use a Promis roll sprayed with garlic Fry*ght (or one of the others and rub with a garlic clove) and then bake in the oven until crisp - Promis rolls are HEB (gluten free rolls).  I've not tried it but I know others who have and say it's good.

I agree with you that there is no need to ever feel hungry with SW - to be honest it's the only 'diet' I've ever done but from what I've heard about others I glad I didn't even bother with them!

Its_time

@joedenise thank you!  Sounds lovely will give it a go.
Total additional over payments made in January = £1364.75  Total paid to debt in all including minimum payments and automatic set over payments = £1910.15, I can't wait for the day when this is my money to do with as I wish.
Have left £75.00 in the shopping account moving into February and transferred the rest of the unspent budget over to the credit card. 
Weight loss this month is 2lb over all.  
Not a bad month.  
Next months food budget is set at £300 which will be 4 payments into the shopping account of £75 plus there will be the additional £75 from last month already in there. 
Goals:
Shopping budget needs me to meal plan, make list and shop as per the list.  Spend no more than £300.
Debt over payments set at an automatic £120 a week plus any that we already have set to over pay and minimum payments etc. total to pay this month = £1025.40.
Weight loss 4lb in February plus the 2lb I didn't manage in January if possible.  Would settle for 4lb.
Its time

Its_time

Shopping this week of £2.10, another £120 over payment sent to the cards.

Blackcats

Great debt repayment!  It will be fantastic to have that money for yourself when the debts are gone.  When I finally became debt free I struggled for a while to put as much energy into saving as I had for debt repayments.  I now try and treat savings goals as if they are debts to my future self.  

Well done on the weight loss too. 

Its_time

Thanks Blackcats.  I don't think this month with be as much as I haven't got many of my B3 jobs going out.  Nevermind they will go eventually.
I did consider consolidating all our credit cards and loan into a bigger loan, but then I thought I have done that 2 or 3 times in all and it doesn't help matters, if anything I just see that my cards are empty and fill them again.  Will stick to my over payment and keeping the spends minimal method and see where we are in 6 months.
It's time

Blackcats

I think you are right about a consolidation loan.  I have taken out a loan to consolidate debt, paid off credit cards and then slowly but surely filled the cards again.  

Its_time

I am really finding it hard, not just the debt but everything.  I look older, my hair is going grey, my skin is dry, my clothes are old and stained with glue etc. I am nearly 2 stone heavier and am yo-yoing up and down 3 or 4 lb constantly so not actually losing anything.  I have no will power.  I did actually pluck my eye brows earlier and cut my nails into shape but that's about it.  I just can't get a grip on things.  Around August last year things started to slide and the weight has just got more and more and more, I can't stop it.  Today I got on my treadmill which I am using about 3 times a week and did 3km, I partly walked and ran, I did the couch to 5k plus 10 extra minutes of walking.  When I totted up my calories I was horrified and only had a tin of soup for tea to try and compensate.  It's really getting me down.  
DH has decided he is going to fix our car and then sell it, he has never really liked it the foot pedal is not a comfy position for him.  Instead he is going to buy a Hi-lux and have it sign written which is a very good idea for the business, well actually it will be for my B3 so that is very kind of him.  He will have to use some of his savings to put to the car we already have so it wont cost any more on a credit card or loan.  We have both agreed that once that car is bought and he has put his savings back up to a reasonable amount again he will give me at least half of his monthly income to pay off the mortgage because by then hopefully the debt will have gone.  I think he can see how much B1 drives me mad.
B3 is very slow at the moment, I really need peace and quiet to work and I am just not getting that with lock down and childcare etc.  I have a job in on Friday which I hope will be a straight forward project, fingers crossed.  I have a quote to do for another similar job but other than that I am really quiet.  I have 2 jobs of my own that are needing finishing but that wont happen until schools re open and another job that is hopefully coming in a week or two that is small.  
I tagged onto my mums tesco order today and the bill is £34.56 which I have paid for already.  I did laugh when I saw the amount I couldn't have done that again if I tried
It's time