New Year, New me

bigbeff

Morning all, paid another chunk off loan and plodding on. Managed to have two prolific payouts totalling £11 this week. 

Week off from college so I'm sorting my life out this week - big wardrobe overhaul 😊. 

In Bristol currently with friend I haven't seen for 3 years. It's lovely 😻

LittleMissDetermined

Enjoy your time away! I love overhauling my wardrobe, it’s very cleansing!

bigbeff

Ok... so been a bit off the boil so time to refocus if I want to be free by the end of the summer! At the moment, debt free date is back to 8th November (which will be last loan payment as it currently stands), but I haven't been consciously focusing on my finances so although it is still going down, it is not as much as previously. So I am going to take a leaf from @LittleMissDetermined who has done so well. I am going to post every day even with nothing to say. I am going to look again at my budget and limit my spending and list a few things on vinted and I want to make sure I have enough in my tax account to cover Julys payment (I need to submit forms to accountant to find out how much, but I am expecting a bigger whack this year. 

My tutoring will slow in next few weeks once exams over, but I have lots of marking lined up to cover me and I am doing an extra half day at work until the end of June so a little extra in pay packet at end of April, May and June I've got this! I've been inspired!! 

lucielle

Sounds like you’re getting your focus back, well done. 

L

LittleMissDetermined

Yay! Glad you’re back 😊 I make a payment to the debt every single day and it’s budgeted for. So every day it’s one of the first things I do. And then I post about it and update my signature.  It’s a hard habit to break so once my debt is gone I’m going to have a savings diary and do the same thing. 

I’ll still be here reading and cheering you along 
LMD x

bigbeff

£5 prolific payment sent straight to loan today.

Today I plan a no spend day - just watching London marathon after doing a 5 mile run myself! 

Budget is going to be looked at this week, I find it pretty hard because my tutoring can vary from week to week and month to month so I'm not sure of best way to do it. I might try and budget based on my college wage and rental income... Although I'm not sure that covers absolutely everything. I'll have to have a look and see. 

LittleMissDetermined

It’s good to have a play about with the budget, don’t forget to leave a contingency and some fun money xx

bigbeff

So this morning I have booked a little holiday to Lisbon to run the half marathon in October. We planned that as our Christmas present to each other. But we both have birthdays in June so decided only a small present to open on the day. Added a bit to my cc but planned for (I'll update signature later)

I planned it for two reasons -
1) I aim to be debt free by then (current date for loan to be paid back is start of November so I need to bring it forward a month)
2) I want to really go for it over there so gives me a time frame to drop extra weight and do some good training again. 

It would have been no spend day but engine light came on car at weekend so I'm taking that in this morning and I thought in for a penny, in for a pound 😂

I'll be penniless for the rest of the month... And maybe next month 😉

LittleMissDetermined

Ooh exciting to book the Lisbon half marathon, will you be getting sponsorship for a charitable cause? 

Good luck with the car, hopefully it will be something simple like low brake fluid. Keep is posted on the diagnosis and I will keep my fingers crossed that it's not too costly.
LMD x

bigbeff

Not sure about sponsorship. Aim is to get me fit and I have done quite a few before so people don't link to sponsor me! 

Car - cost £35 for full diagnostic check and he reattached hose that had come off - so hopefully it should run ok. He said he drove round the block and no faults appearing, so keep driving until something breaks... doesn't fill me with hope! 

A couple of prolific studies done this morning, £5 odd pending so hopefully that'll pay out today ready for my next loan/cc payment. I need to re-evaluate the order I pay - I was enjoying watching the loan go down, but now CC has a bit on it, I maybe should focus on that first. 

Planning no spend day - off to make shepherds pie, hang washing out, send a few work emails and then head to work for lunchtime - at least my pay packet should be more this month as extra half day a week since mid march although I did up my pension contributions as only part time so not sure how much more I will see!