New Habits Needed...

jwil

I've had several LBMs along the way, it's definitely a learning curve 😂

Seasidegal58

Have just read your diary and subscribed!😃
I had quite a few flickering LBMs when I was debt busting - I ended up going the scenic route and taking a bit longer to clear it than I originally envisaged!🤣.  

I loved the Snow Ball calculator though!  I started off clearing the very small CC balances even though they didn't always have the highest interest as I wanted to see them disappear quickly. I used to update the snow ball each month when I got paid and stare at it for ages like a real saddo!🤣
I bang on a bit about the You Need A Budget (YNAB) budget system but it's been a godsend. You do have to pay for I've set up its own monthly budget category on YNAB!  It's been a game changer for me and I know to the penny how much I have in all my accounts and in each budget category. 

If you are looking for survey sites, I have been using Opinium for several years now. They tend to pay on average 50p-75p per survey and you cash out at £25. I used to do Prolific but for some reason they stopped sending me surveys and I gave up with YouGov as they take so long - I've never cashed out with them yet!
Good luck with hammering away the debt!

BalanceBy50

@Seasidegal58 thank you so much for stopping buy. I do know what you mean about the snowball calculator and it’s a real motivator 😁. I really need to look into YNAB I have heard so many good things about it. I am a paper & pencil kind of girl though 🙈.  Thank you for the survey recommendations xx

BalanceBy50

Quite a chilled day today  & much better weather wise. Brunch with a friend - I budgeted £15 & spent £13, popped into the supermarket for some bits for my mum & spent £12.99 on some food & plants which will come out of food & house pots so all accounted for 😁 
Cooked a roast dinner with clean plates from everyone for tea & prepped both breakfast & lunch for me at work tomorrow & have bought milk so could tomorrow be an elusive no spend day??? I also managed to spend an hour sorting some paperwork out. I am such a hoarder when it comes to paperwork but I do not need to keep water bills from 2007 for a house we no longer own 😂. 

Also asked DH about aiming to semi-retire when we are 62 - maybe working 2 days a week - was pleasantly surprised when he said yes so need to get pension paperwork together to find out what they are worth xx

WinterWarrior

Ah paperwork, how I hate it. I hoard it just the same. It’s a massive job as I’d need to shred for weeks to get rid!
good luck on the NSD, I’m sure you can pin it down today ⭐️

BalanceBy50

WinterWarrior said:

Ah paperwork, how I hate it. I hoard it just the same. It’s a massive job as I’d need to shred for weeks to get rid!
good luck on the NSD, I’m sure you can pin it down today ⭐️

Thank you! DH is going to burn all the paperwork with the garden waste - Its all in two boxes in the conservatory so needs sorting asap!
NSD still on! Boys are running out of their favourite cereal - logical part of me says tough we have other cereal in the cupboard - need to stay strong 😂

Debt_Me_Out_Of_Here

BB50 we're also out of the favourite cereal but I'm forcing everyone to eat the shreddies and weetabix that have been gathering dust for months haha! 
I also recommend YNAB - it's really given me control over everything in a way my spreadsheets never did, and I rarely even check my actual online banking anymore because I don't need to.

BalanceBy50

Just spent half an hour looking at how I have spent this weeks weekly spends - have rounded items up and tried to categorise them.  Some I am fine with others - not so!
Total Spent £160/£100
Birthday Presents - £19 - this can be repaid on Friday
Brunch - £15 ok with this as this is what this post is for.
Takeaways & coffees etc - £46 - includes a trip to McDonalds & a takeaway on Saturday as DH was out - takeaways are very rare. However this could still increase.
Candy Crush - £12 this needs to stop
Gift to childminder £20 - a one off but should this come out of gifts?
Fitness Class & activity for boys - £20 will always be in the budget and what this fund is for
Other (sweets & posting a parcel) - £11 - what this fund is for.
Money in purse - £23 withdrew some cash to pay for brunch etc.
so if I don't spend anything and carry my cash over to next week and repay myself out of the gifts budget I am just within my budget! Maybe need to think about this and decide what to do xx

stymied

Gift to childminder comes under childcare for me - is that one of your pots?

BalanceBy50

stymied said:

Gift to childminder comes under childcare for me - is that one of your pots?

Yes it is! Obviously I use childcare vouchers but a friend helps out in holidays & I give her money for food etc. That pot is not touched & looks very healthy. Thank you so much for that suggestion xx