The Mental Debt Struggle...

Keedie

Oooh it sounds like I should join the drooling over mustard in the cheese sauce and diary club as well 😂. I feel like we're in a secret mustard cheese sauce society 🤗. Didn't know that about mustard, but it makes sense as it's in a lot of sauces, so it must be a great flavour enhancer. I'll have to check out the powdered version as well, as we don't actually eat mustard, so it'd go to waste if it was in the fridge. Whereas BBQ sauce round here is consumed at lightning speed!

I'm going to teach him how to make cheese sauce from scratch, so batch cooking mac and cheese is a great idea @PennysIntoPounds, thank you. It is definitely one of his favourites, and mine and having that on hand would do wonders when I can't handle cooking. 

The finances definitely feels more stable @Cherryfudge. Doing expense tracking and cringing whenever I went over budget, really gave me the eye opener that I needed with my approach to spending and the various categories I had. Taking a simpler approach to savings, in terms of sinking funds, but having a set plan for the savings and debt goals that means a lot to me, has really helped to focus me.

I've also been enjoying the feeling of being debt free to my mum. It's spurred me on to envision a life where I don't have debt and I can enjoy life a little more. But equally, seeing my mum in a position to be able to help, has highlighted the need for savings. So having a more balanced approach has helped me to feel more confident with my finances. 

Work is still boring. I go back into the office on Tuesday and my special chair is being delivered and they'll do an adjustment fitting as well. I've been off since just before Good Friday, so I've put work out of my mind. I've almost pretended I'm not employed, so good luck to me when I have to actually physically return to work on Tuesday. I'm not looking forward to that drive to be honest.

Makingabobor2

Good luck with your return to the office. I'm sure all will be fine once you get there. Will be nice for you to see your colleagues again and catch up on work gossip. 

bamboo_socks

I found your diary while I was mooching around the forum. I've dipped in and out but I wanted to say that firstly, you write really well. Secondly, I think it's great how open and gracious you have been to the advice given. It's one thing I wish I had been when I started my debt free journey. Not to mention being a resourceful and capable human being (you, not me 😅)

Bookmarked, anyway, and cheering you on from here. Everything crossed for a straightforward return to work.

beanielou

KajiKita said:

A touch of Dijon mustard in cheesy sauces elevates them no end 😊

KK

No, no, got to be English!! My DS used to love my maccaroni cheese til he saw me putting it in one day :lol

beanielou

Hope chair day goes well on Tuesday!

Keedie

I'll definitely be trying the mustard trick on my own (dijon/English as I don't eat mustard so don't know the difference), and once I've perfected it, I'll teach my son. He's really determined to go to uni and told me that he wants to know how to do all these things.

I need to wash my hair and do something with it, so that I have one less thing to worry about on Tuesday when I go into the office. Hopefully my chair doesn't take too long to arrive as the delivery is between 9am to 5pm and I finish at 4pm. I don't mind seeing my colleagues as it's been over a year, but I'm not enthusiastic about working in general. But considering that incredibly detailed dream I had last night about being a time travelling uber rich socialite was just a fantasy, I gotta keep working 😂. I really need to be analysing these dreams as the amount of nonsense that happens in my dreams is just craziness...

Thank you for your comments and compliments @bamboo_socks, as it's much appreciated. I do love writing and I find it very humbling and fascinating that anyone wants to read it, but I am very grateful that you guys do. I've learned a lot on this finance journey and the MSE forum and since I've had a diary, I feel like I'm slowly coming into my own and the accountability is making all the difference to my financial mindset 🤗. 

I picked up my varifocals yesterday with my son and he was horrified about the cost, said he's hoping he never wears glasses aside from 'fashion purposes', whatever that means 🙄. But he did say that he was very proud of me for being able to buy the glasses and to get a nice frame as my old ones were 'not the one', as they're 'ugly'. He pointed out that I always do nice things for him, and everyone else but I don't look after myself. I was rather touched by that. 

But he had a good cackle at my expense when he realised that I've got 3 grey eyelashes on my right eye (which I'm a tad paranoid about), and my mum who is in her 70s doesn't have any. I pointed out that I went grey at 27 and my dad had grey eyelashes and lots of grey hair (when he actually had hair). I evilly hinted to him not to get too comfortable as it's in his genes and that shut him up 🤣. Now, apparently my grey hairs are 'kinda cool' and 'barely noticeable'.

The varifocals gave me a migraine last night though. I don't think I should have been wearing them out and about straight away. So I'm going to use them today for a bit, but not to drive and build up to that. I had a dirty migraine that made it hard to sleep last night.

Anyways, I was out and about driving last night as my sister had a flat battery in Sainsbury's car park as she'd left the light on in her car and she needed me to give her a jump start. She was panicking as she had my mum with her and the store was closing and she was scared she'd get a ticket for being in the car park for too long. I drove over with my son who wanted to come along for the drive, but I started getting a headache. I think it's the fast moving images and trying to look at different parts of the lenses. I think it will just take some getting used to.

My sister was sorted, as some mechanic happened to be there (although he was dressed like a doctor in a tweed blazer), and he helped us with jump starting the car. I was about to explain that we knew what we were doing (well at least I did, my sister is a bit clueless in these situations), but he insisted on helping us as I got the impression that he didn't think us females knew what to do... 🙄. But anyways, after he got my sister sorted, he hustled my mum out of £5, stating that his grandmother locked his car keys in the car and he had to get a train to Essex (where he lives), to get the spare key. And that God will bless us for helping him in the same way that he helped us. My son called bulls**t on that story, as did I, but my mum gave him the money. I think she just wanted to get home and unpack her shopping 🤣.

And by that point, I was so over it. My head was pounding and I'd not had my (very late) dinner, as my Thai green chicken curry was still in the microwave, but luckily I had remembered to turn off the oven with the naan breads before I ran out the house to the jump start rescue. But I ended up in the McDonald's drive thru because I was starving and felt weak. Feeling better now though, and using my varifocals on the laptop seems to be the best bit. The distance bit is confusing and it's unnatural to read looking down as I read on the Kindle app on my iPad. 

Keedie

Forgot to say that Superdrug has buy one get one free on Simple products and so I was able to stock up on my face cream when I'd gone out yesterday to get the glasses.

beanielou

It just takes a wee while to get used to the varifocals. Have a peaceful day. 

Makingabobor2

Ooh, that chap sounds like a right scammer. I agree it was b**l***t

Keedie

THE SUNDAY SUMMARY

(Week 15 ~ 14 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)
Nothing extra paid to Barclaycard this week, but I'm glad that the fixed direct debit has been reduced from £300 to £250 a month. As this means that I will be able to have more disposable income and I can save more and put money aside for extra debt payments. I've ordered some cash envelopes from Aliexpress that should arrive next week, and I will be able to any extra money into the new cash binder that I am creating. 

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)

As I've made no debt payments this week, this has also not changed. But I'm looking forward to setting up my new cash binder and being able to set aside extra money. I think if it's like a savings challenge or a game, it will be easier for me to do it as it won't be boring. 

Saving Grace

Goal 1 - Save £750 for my son's 18th birthday - due by 30 September 2024
Progress Checker = £120.42/£750 (16.06% saved)
I've saved another £10 this week and so we're inching towards 20% (see how I rounded up there although I've just grazed past 15% 😂). The Chase round ups pot that will feed into this, currently has £149/£150 target (up £9.69 from last week - yeah it was spendy week 😬), which will go towards this pot when it matures in 76 days - the countdown begins...

Goal 2 - Build a Buffer of £500 (homemade overdraft) - due by 31 December 2024
Progress Checker = £60/£500 (12% saved)
I saved £5 this week, and by doing that amount weekly, I'm inching up by 1% a week, which is not bad going.  

Goal 3 - Save £1,000 emergency fund - due by 31 December 2024
Progress Checker = £241/£1,000 (24.10% saved)
I saved £20 this week and added £0.01 as the odd balance was annoying me 🤦🏾‍♀️. Buuuut, my fussy nature means I'm even closer to the 25% mark so I've very excited as at next week's check-in, I'll have achieved that. I'm starting to get used to doing things weekly, and seeing slow and steady progress is more motivating and rewarding than seeing big jumps on a monthly basis.

Goal 4 - Complete 50 Envelope Challenge (£1,275) - due by 31 December 2024
Progress Checker = 6/50 Envelopes ~ £195/£1,275 (15.29% saved)
I'm working on accumulating the £50 for envelopes 3 and 47 of which I have £20/£50 so far, as I saved £10 this week. I've been working on a cash binder for this challenge as well, as I've realised that if I make this fun, I'm more likely to achieve it.