Debt and Budget (Reset) plan

LittleMissDetermined

The last 78 days will pass quickly, especially as you are making plans now, it's great that the holiday booked and sorted, you can just look forward to it now
LMD x

joedenise

@shell16 - you're nearly there and that's brilliant.

As you plan to go abroad in your motorhome next year you might like to think of saving Tesco points and exchanging them to the reduce the cost of either Eurotunnel or one of the Ferries to France (can be used on both Irish Ferries & P&O ferries).  Will certainly save you some money on the holiday and you'll have over a year to save up the vouchers - like most of the Reward Partners they are worth 3 times the face value.  I've just booked our September holiday in the motorhome using my Tesco vouchers and I had enough vouchers to pay the complete fare and I've actually still got a few pounds worth left towards next year's fare!  Need to start saving again, LOL!

Keedie

I'm so excited that you're under 80 days to being debt free! It's good that you've got your holidays booked as well. I don't know much about motorhomes, but it sounds like a great way to explore the country and abroad. I can imagine the diesel to be quite pricey though. Your girls are gonna have so much fond memories of their childhood adventures 😁. I remember all of the trips we did when I was younger and all the holiday camps we went to and all the day trips. They really do last a lifetime in terms of treasured memories and you'll feel so light when you're debt free and enjoying your holidays. Can you post a picture of what your motorhome looks like (one from Google not actually your own) if you don't mind, I'm trying to imagine it all. I've wanted to get a park home for ages, but there's something more appealing about being able to get up travel around instead.

shell16

Hi @Keedie

I love our motorhome holidays so much.  We can just decide to go off when we decide too which I'm very thankful for. The loan we got (which we paid off in November 22) was to buy this. They aren't cheap unfortunately our loan was £20k originally and we put £6k to it. 

It's more than paid for itself in the money we have saved in the 5 years we have had it. We have been to France 5 separate times during summer holidays one of which to South of France for 3 weeks. since brevit/covid, we have toured pretty much the mainland UK, along with the Isle of Wight.

It's a 6 berth one so plenty of room. My eldest has the pod which is a double,  my youngest has the middle which converts to a 3/4 bed and then me and hubby have the living area which converts to another double. It's something we can use all year too as onboard blown heating when we connect to Electric whilst on a site. 

I really hope my girls remember these holidays fondly when they are older. It's something we only did once a year when I was growing up and usually were caravan holidays which I loved as a child!

Here is the same motorhome we have I found on the Web. All mine included our registration number!

shell16

Thanks @joedenise, we always used our tesco vouchers for the tunnel. As I don't shop there normally, we just saved what we had but 3 x value like you say. Something is better than nothing definitely!  Where are you off to in your motorhome? Hope somewhere warm? Ee discussed next year and I would love to go to Italy in ours, but think I will need 3 weeks to do that?  Otherwise we may go through Belgium, Germany??? The choices are many! 

Shell x

joedenise

You don't necessarily need to shop in Tesco @shell16!  I occasionally shop there but most of our points come from using our Tesco CC and paying it off every month!  Not sure how you feel about CCs at the moment but something to think about for the future?

To be quite honest we generally just stay in France for our holidays.  Although have been to Belgium and Germany but as we love France we tend to stay there.  We particularly like Normandy and Brittany.  Our June holiday we're actually using the ferry for a change and going from Newhaven to Dieppe and then we'll travel down the west coast, come across to the middle and travel back up through the middle - well that's probably what we'll do but our plans always change so who knows!

With the price of diesel and being pensioners we tend not to do long distances due to the costs involved but we do save money by using village aires although the free and very cheap ones are getting less since Camping Car Parks are taking over a lot of them and they are costing anything from 10-17 Euros a night so definitely much more expensive but still very much cheaper than staying in the UK with the £30+ per night tariffs!

Keedie

Wow @shell16, I can see why you have so many adventures in your motorhome! It's definitely an investment and has more than paid for itself. And yes, they'll definitely have fond memories of all of their travels and now that travelling abroad is getting easier, there'll be even more places for them to discover. I think that travelling is really important, but it's the actual time spent with loved ones that makes the memories what they are, so they will definitely look back on their childhood fondly. And knowing that your next holiday, you'll be in your motorhome and it's completely paid for, will be a nice feeling too 🤗.

shell16

Afternoon all.

A dull and rainy/windy day here.  Im at home as Teachers on strike so my 2 have not yet surfaced!  The joys of being a teenager!  I have saved my parking and train fare today so a bonus!

1st of the month so lots of bills paid today including my mortgage so account is looking sorry for itself! Im hoping I will have around £125 left by the time im paid again in just over a couple of weeks, will decide what to do with that at the time (praying I dont need to use it!) after remaining bills have come out. On a plus note, I had £34.59 left in cash form my weekly cash envelopes, so I transferred £4.59 to penny challenge and £30 to my Holiday spends pot.  Cash budget has now reset for another week, we planned meals right upto Friday or Saturday so do not have to spend on Groceries just yet, maybe some topups like bread and milk.

Prolific has been quite busy for me for a change, I see on others diaries they have been particularly slow.  I have £4.65 cleared and £7.85 pending, so hoping for at least another 35p to clear so I can cash out.

The pay all your debt off by Christmas 2023 thread I run is going fantastically well.  For the month of January, Members have paid a wonderful total of £24,471!  If anyone would like to join its not too late and as the thread reads 'Pay all your debt off by Christmas 2023' this is not a requirement! Some members will be on their journey for a while and look to pay a certain percentage off which is absolutely fine.  No matter how small or large the payments, they are reducing debt so its all positive!  Link is here if you are interested, you will be very welcome. PAY ALL YOUR DEBT OFF BY XMAS 2023 — MoneySavingExpert Forum

Debt is now £2022, and im very tempted to pay £23 off today so this will bring the total down below £2K I can use the train fare savings which are £14 and I will send £9 from my personal money.

I have decided to treat myself to having my nails repainted on Saturday.  The girl that does them is training still so its only £10 and her work is spot on, so again will be from personal spends.

Not alot going on TBH, Lloyds CC payment which has been snowballed to £231 will come out on Monday, cant wait

Shell x

shell16

I couldnt resist!

Sent £23 to Lloyds CC so balance outstanding is now £1999.
Shell x

MissPennySave

shell16 said:

I couldnt resist!

Sent £23 to Lloyds CC so balance outstanding is now £1999.
Shell x

Whooooo! under the £2k mark!!!!!!x