The Mental Debt Struggle...

peb

If you get meerkat I think it's 25 per cent off in Zizzi, worth getting a one day travel insurance policy for it, I do that. it's a quid or so

I usually use tastecard (free with green flag) if with friends as BOGOF!

Time to yourself with a nice meal is an excellent thing if it can be done 

vampirotoothus

Hi Keedie you won't be able to use the voucher on the drinks, only food V x

Cherryfudge

Keedie said:

Funny that you say that about the cathedrals and cafes @Cherryfudge, as this one had one that looked like it was rather popular. At my first job at St Martins-in-the-Field in Trafalgar Square, I was a concert usher for the evening classical music concerts. But sometimes I picked up a Saturday shift in the box office, and if you did the box office and an evening concert, you got a free two course dinner and a drink from the cafe in the crypt. Not gonna lie, I was rather motivated by those meals as they were absolutely delicious and did the best apple pies (and it was all free) and I earned a better hourly rate on the box office.

You've got to be kidding - I love that café! The food is really nice and St Martin's is, too. We usually go there when we're in London, though we live a long way away now so it's maybe once a year. And what an experience being a concert usher there must have been!

Keedie

Thanks for the reminder that I do have a tastecard @KajiKita, as for some reason it came with the renewal of my railcard. I wasn't able to get my meal in Zizzi in the end, as the one in London Victoria doesn't take the Tesco reward vouchers as they said they're too central for that. Which is kinda funny, as I've been to Zizzi in Tottenham Court Road and near Oxford Street and they're arguably more central and accepted it. Oh well. The reward vouchers lasts until August sometime, so I'll there another day.

I only had £10 to top up the voucher price (and to pay for a drink @vampirotoothus) so I found a Wetherspoons nearby and went there instead to eat. Got a panini, chips and a drink for £9.46. Then I wandered around Victoria train station and ended up getting a new black rucksack from Mountain Warehouse. It was showing as £54.99 (like, what??? 😳), down to £34.99 and I stared at it for so long debating if I should do it. Then I rationalised, that if my son needed something I wouldn't hesitate and I've not had a decent rucksack for a very long time. So I bit the bullet or whatever the phrase is, and I went to the till. And it was £32.99 🥳🎉. So I was pleased about that and started using it straight away and put all the things from my smaller rucksack, including the small rucksack in there. Can anyone tell I was a bit eager? 😂

I had a really good time at the bipolar group as always but I couldn't sleep very well as I tend to get a bit wound up afterwards, as I've had a good time and then I can't wind down easily. But I went for an early dinner with my friend yesterday, and he took me to a Punjabi kebab house in Whitechapel, and it was delicious. Next time, I'm treating him to my favourite Turkish restaurant in Walthamstow. I was utterly shattered by the time I did a stop start journey home, and I sat on the wall at the grassy area for a little while before I could psyche myself up to do the stairs. But my son had put my electric blanket on for me as I'd asked, so I was able to crawl into my bed. And I was so full, I didn't need anything else aside from some water and I woke up this morning feeling tired but contented. I'm really lucky to have the friends in my life that I do. 

I'm off to Specsavers soon to get my extortionately priced varifocals. I went in the week to look at the screen that shows you what it looks like through the different lenses. I'm going to pick my sister up in a few minutes and she's going to help me pick a nice frame. I trust her judgement as she is the most glamorous diva out of us and has her own online clothing boutique, so she's got the perfect critical eye. If I'm investing in nice frames that will last, and I can just update the prescription, then I need her brutally honest opinion about what will and won't work for me. And when I get back, I'll do my weekly check-in as I've actually made some progress this week 🤗.

KajiKita

Hi Keedie, it wasn’t me who mentioned the taste card, it was Peb I think 😊

Glad you had a good time 😊

KK

Keedie

Yes you're right @KajiKita 🤦🏾‍♀️. Sorry @peb! And thanks for the reminder 🤗.

Keedie

THE SUNDAY SUMMARY

(Week 14 ~ 7 April 2024)

Debt Regrets

Goal 1 - 100% repayment to Bank of Mum 3 (school fees) - due 1 April 2024
Progress Checker = £3,800/£3,800 (100% repaid)
🎉 Achievement Date = 24 March 2024 🎉


Goal 2 - Clear Barclaycard Plan 1 (£6,508.43) - due by 31 December 2024
Progress checker = £478.43/£6,508.43 (7.35% repaid)
The £300 direct debit came out on 2 April 2024, and so I've reduced the fixed amount from £300 to £250 and that will come out on 29 April 2024. I also realised that I had the balance for this plan at £6,330 as that was the amount from April 2024, but the reality is that the plan was £6,508.43 and it took me making that additional payment and the direct debit coming out, and looking at the statement this time, to see it for what it is. 

Goal 3 - Pay £6,750 off my overall debt balance in 2024 - due by 31 December 2024

Progress Checker = £2,030/£6,750 (24.89% repaid)

I paid £50 to my Argos Card this week and the direct debit for Barclaycard, meant that £350 was paid this week and that has helped to boost the amount of debt paid overall. As I'm reducing the direct debit for Barclaycard, and I've decided to not be so zealous with debt repayments, it's unlikely I'll be meeting this goal. But rather than change it, I'll see how far I can get with it.

Saving Grace

Goal 1 - Save £750 for my son's 18th birthday - due by 30 September 2024
Progress Checker = £11.42/£750 (14.72% saved)
I've saved £10 this week and earned £0.36 interest from last month's balance. The Chase round ups pot that will feed into this, currently has £139.31/£150 target (up £5.02 from last week), which will go towards this pot when it matures in 83 days.

Goal 2 - Build a Buffer of £500 (homemade overdraft) - due by 31 December 2024
Progress Checker = £55/£500 (11% saved)
I saved £5 this week. I've been thinking about the budget, and now that my mum has been paid off and there's only really Barclaycard to think about, I will be focussing more on savings. I'm having trouble trying to save in too many sinking funds, so I will just focus on building this buffer, and having a gifts pot, car pot and the 18th birthday pot. Once my son's 18th is out of the way, I'll throw more at this challenge. 

Goal 3 - Save £1,000 emergency fund - due by 31 December 2024
Progress Checker = £220.99/£1,000 (22.10% saved)
I saved £20 this week and earned £0.67 interest on last month's balance, and so I'm now at just over 20% of my goal. Paying this weekly will help to build the momentum and once I reach the goal, if my budget can manage it, I'll continue at the same rate.

Goal 4 - Complete 50 Envelope Challenge (£1,275) - due by 31 December 2024
Progress Checker = 6/50 Envelopes ~ £185/£1,275 (14.71% saved)
I'm working on accumulating the £50 for envelopes 3 and 47 of which I have £10/£50 so far, as I saved £10 this week. Now that I am only saving for Build a Buffer, it should be completed ahead of schedule, then I'll add the extra into this challenge.

Keedie

I had the most bizarre dreams last night, including searching through the freezer for my granola because my son had tidied it away in there instead of the cupboard... 🤷🏾‍♀️. The brain does do some awkward things when it goes offline 😂.

I've put £20 in my emergency fund, £10 in my son's 18th birthday pot, £5 in the buffer and £10 towards the 50 envelope challenge. I need to go through my change as well, because I can put more in the coin jars. I'm looking forward to cashing in my Lenny cat tin and seeing how much is in there as I've stopped counting a while ago as I couldn't remember to keep on top of the penny challenge tracker. So it'll be a nice surprise.

I need to clear my bedroom desk as it's overflowing with nonsense and I've got to get on top of my papers etc. And the headboard for my bed has become a dumping ground of sorts, so I need to get that sorted too. My son did a massive declutter yesterday evening and he's inspired me to be more organised. He's getting excited about upgrading his room and wants to do a wallpapered feature wall and put up some shelves to make it more functional. I just want to have clear surfaces and we're both going to do a thorough clear out of unused clothes. Some will be sold online for the Playstation payments and some will go to charity.  

beanielou

I had one of those headboards that had a shelf on the top years ago. It was a real pain. 

peb

Keedie said:

Yes you're right @KajiKita 🤦🏾‍♀️. Sorry @peb! And thanks for the reminder 🤗.

No worries, better offers often if there's a multiple of people 😁