In years to come I will laugh

joedenise

You say who budgets for lawn feed!  Well I do or at least I budget for Garden Spends!  I have a small pot, only about £20 max a month but that covers anything we need in the garden or for the BBQ so charcoal, gas etc.  I have lots of small pots but not lots of accounts!  It's all in one account but I use YNAB to keep track of how much is in each pot, although I spreadsheet would work just as well!

You certainly seem to have turned things around.  Well done.

lucielle

All sounding really good and great that you're both singing off the same hymn sheet.
L

flyingscotsman67

I am still here.. just been getting my head down and getting on with things:

Debts:
Credit Cards x  £86,360 /£83,435 (-£2,925)
Loans x 2: £19,600 /£16,100 (-£3,500)
Total: £105,960 /£99,535 (-£6,425) - 6%

Assets:
Emergency fund: 0/ £2,500

Mortgage: £108,000/£103,000

overall debt down by £6,425 and emergency savings up by £2,500 so a £8,925 swing in our favour.  

My wife continues to work extra hours, I have had a pay rise- both are helping us to manager the rise in expenses and keep the payments going!

Kids both home from University- wonderful to see them again!

For the first time in our adult life we are not relying on credit cards for purchases. Everything is bought cash, apart from sons university fees, and that will be addressed in time to come. 

Life is good and despite the large debt- I know how lucky we are compared to many just now.

Take care

flyingscotsman67

Hard to believe it is close to seven months on from when I first posted-- a lot has changed since then. Much happier, more responsible and present and content.

I have had covid for the past 5 days- wow, it floored me- pretty much isolated to my bedroom and bed to keep everyone else in the house clear. Not a big problem as I haven't been fit for anything else. Today for the first day I feel that I have some energy.

When I started this diary I also stopped drinking and was exercising. I stayed on that path until late Feb and the drinking crept back in. I have again stopped drinking and it is an important part of me being peaceful and responsible. 15 days and feeling good! I am at my lowest weight for sometime 215 lbs and that's great too.

My wife and I have restricted our spending massively. We have had some big bills and commitments to make, like others, and I am pleased to say we have done this whilst bringing the debt down. I read some diaries where people make unbelievable sacrifice's and smash debts in really short time. That was never going to be our approach- its more slow and steady.

We have big commitments to the older kids who are at uni- they both have summer work which is good but nonetheless we need to help them with rent and eating etc and i am glad we can.

This month we needed to pay transatlantic flights for child one and flights for child two - the next couple of months will have a few more big expenditures but as long as we are heading in the right direction.


Debts:
Credit Cards   £86,360 /£84,184 (-£2,176)
Loans x 2: £19,600 /£15,500 (-£4,100)
Total: £105,960 /£99,684 (-£6,276) 

Assets:
Emergency fund: 0/ £2,500

Mortgage: £108,000/£102,000

overall debt down by £6,276 and emergency savings up by £2,500 so a £8,776 swing in our favour. 

beanielou

Deby now under £100k