Little by little, and with love

RosaBernicia

The title is both a reminder and pretty much what I've learned from *ahem* years on here! 

There's been a lot going on recently and I think it's finally time for a fresh start diary-wise as well as with some other parts of my life. 

RosaBernicia

So where am I at just now?

Well, on top of the pandemic which is stressing everybody, I have had a major relocation taking me a long way from my support network, job change, two house moves, lost a beloved pet and gained another, and am dealing with some family stuff (which always existed but has been made much more apparent by the pressures of pandemic).  I really like where I live and feel very lucky to be in the job that I have, but it does have some difficult aspects (including professional exams) and I've felt rather frustrated at not being able to sort out the new house as quickly as I had hoped. 

I've finally taken some time off to do literally nothing but think and catch up with myself.  It is really helping as I have at least got to a point where my stress levels are going down and I am hoping to take a while longer so that I can work through some more thinking (my counsellor has made suggestions) and make a fresh start from the ground up. 

Somewhere in all this, I have kinda taken my eye off the ball money wise and although I know some hard learned lessons from before, my credit card has crept up what with exam costs and car stuff and work on the house.  I think it's time to get a hold on this again.  However, I also know that realistically, if this is going to work it needs to happen slowly.  I have a bad habit of thinking I'll just pay off huge chunks at a time and ignoring the bills or events due next month which put me back again.  And I have noticed that everything is so much harder to do when it feels like a chore and a demand rather than something I'm gaining.  What I want to do is kind of go back to the FlyL@dy / Kondo idea of doing things with love, joy and appreciation (though I won't be going back to the FlyL@dy website after seeing the antivaxx posts there) and apply it to my budgeting.  As I also use YNAB, I know every penny has a job!  I just need to remember what it is those pennies and pounds are doing for me.  So, as per the title... everything needs to be in little steps, and with love and joy identified for why I'm doing it. 

There are sooo many lovely lovely people on these boards - I hope some of you will join me for this next part of the journey. 

RosaBernicia

SOA as of today.  Input welcome! 

Water is included in my council tax, as I'm in Scotland.  The medical costs are much higher than usual because I'm currently paying for counselling, so that will hopefully go down again after a while.  One of the cars is a campervan. 

Statement of Affairs and Personal Balance Sheet

Household Information
Number of adults in household........... 1
Number of children in household......... 0
Number of cars owned.................... 2

Monthly Income Details
Monthly income after tax................ 3268
Partners monthly income after tax....... 0
Benefits................................ 0
Other income............................ 0
Total monthly income.................... 3268

Monthly Expense Details
Mortgage................................ 605
Secured/HP loan repayments.............. 164
Rent.................................... 0
Management charge (leasehold property).. 0
Council tax............................. 96
Electricity............................. 25
Gas..................................... 37
Oil..................................... 0
Water rates............................. 0
Telephone (land line)................... 0
Mobile phone............................ 8
TV Licence.............................. 13.5
Satellite/Cable TV...................... 6
Internet Services....................... 33
Groceries etc. ......................... 300
Clothing................................ 75
Petrol/diesel........................... 50
Road tax................................ 37
Car Insurance........................... 40
Car maintenance (including MOT)......... 75
Car parking............................. 2.5
Other travel............................ 0
Childcare/nursery....................... 0
Other child related expenses............ 0
Medical (prescriptions, dentist etc).... 250
Pet insurance/vet bills................. 35
Buildings insurance..................... 12
Contents insurance...................... 0
Life assurance ......................... 0
Other insurance......................... 15
Presents (birthday, christmas etc)...... 50
Haircuts................................ 10
Entertainment........................... 100
Holiday................................. 100
Emergency fund.......................... 0
Total monthly expenses.................. 2139

Assets
Cash.................................... 0
House value (Gross)..................... 150000
Shares and bonds........................ 0
Car(s).................................. 7500
Other assets............................ 0
Total Assets............................ 157500

Secured & HP Debts
Description....................Debt......Monthly...APR
Mortgage...................... 123000...(605)......2.1
Secured Debt.................. 1146.....(164)......2.8
Total secured & HP debts...... 124146....-.........-  

Unsecured Debts
Description....................Debt......Monthly...APR
NW ............................5344......25........0
SC.............................1700......0.........0[b]
Total unsecured debts..........7044......25........- 

Monthly Budget Summary
Total monthly income.................... 3,268
Expenses (including HP & secured debts). 2,139
Available for debt repayments........... 1,129
Monthly UNsecured debt repayments....... 25[b]
Amount left after debt repayments....... 1,104[/b]

Personal Balance Sheet Summary
Total assets (things you own)........... 157,500
Total HP & Secured debt................. -124,146
Total Unsecured debt.................... -7,044
Net Assets.............................. 26,310

Created using the SOA calculator at www.LemonFool.co.uk.
Reproduced on Moneysavingexpert with permission, using Firefox browser.

Grumpelstiltskin

Rosa Car Tax £155 a month? Does that include Camper van?

RosaBernicia

Some things that need done...

• Tax return (this should get me a couple of hundred quid back)
• Work on my groceries bill (doing much better on this after going to a weekly shop, but lots of room to improve)
• Still have some clothes that may be worth 3baying

RosaBernicia

Grumpelstiltskin said:

Rosa Car Tax £155 a month? Does that include Camper van?

Thanks Grumpelstiltskin

Oops, hopefully corrected now... I've included the van in an updated SOA to be consistent after all, so £37/ month for both.  The van tax is hideous as it's an old diesel.

The van is really a luxury rather than the basics, but even after much dithering I don't really want to sell it as I still hope to be using it more next year.

Four_Seasons

Cheering you on x

Buffythedebtslayer

I LOVE the title! 

I love a new diary and have been thinking of starting another one now I am back in debt again. I definitely think keeping the van is a good idea, just the possibility of getting in it and getting away would be  enough. 

XXXX 

RosaBernicia

Four_Seasons said:

Cheering you on x

Thank you FourSeasons, welcome 

RosaBernicia

Buffythedebtslayer said:

I LOVE the title! 

I love a new diary and have been thinking of starting another one now I am back in debt again. I definitely think keeping the van is a good idea, just the possibility of getting in it and getting away would be  enough. 

XXXX

Yay, Buffy!  Welcome!  [runs to sort out virtual coffee and cake]

I've never bothered starting a new one before as lately I don't post as much and there didn't seem any need.  But I've just been tidying my office and feel better for throwing out some stuff from the old house that I can't possibly use   .  I am so bad for hanging onto stuff.  I think that needs to change.  It's a sort of pessimism, and it detracts from seeing new possibilities and living with what I need for just now.  So a fresh start here too. 

I love my van when I'm in it but it still has some stress/ guilt attached because of all the issues it's had and how much it's cost for so little use.  But I'm going to work on that.  It's going to be properly washed and cleaned soon so a fresh start for it too and I want to start using it for days out.  Possibly for northern lights hunting too...

RosaBernicia

Well, I am already £67 better off because I've finally packed up all my returns properly and realised I hadn't logged one of them in YNAB

The £180 boots are going back and the nearly identical £47 ones are staying.  Neither are quite perfect but that's why I am not keeping the ones that cost another £133!  And I think I will keep another £47 pair in another colour and style, since they're so much more reasonable and both look to be ok quality.  That means I can wear a couple more outfits that weren't quite working otherwise.  Glad I persisted with the online ordering hunt.  I haven't bought boots in I think four years now and my last ones had really had it - I gave in and binned them in my last season-swop clear out.  I've got one more pair that might survive a little longer with polish and perhaps the zips replacing, so I might stop by Timpsons on that next trip into town as well.  (I did find one more pair I really like the look of but they are even more expensive so that's waiting til the sale.)