Diary of a 30-something idiot

foxandflowers

Hiya

Just popping in and reporting from Day One of My New Job, where I have just learned that when I finish probation, there is the option to work overtime at time and a half. Incredibly helpful for building up some savings!

Two No Spend Days so far this month, and £49.50 made on Vinted so far in Feb xx

Debsnewbudget

Sounding good. 
Especially pleased that you are approaching the budgeting as a couple rather than on your own. 

dawnybabes

Brilliant 😀

foxandflowers

Excellent news from the school this morning - free school lunches are being rolled out to Y5 pupils after February half term, so that's another £56 back in the monthly pot  
I'm starting to tentatively feel like this year may go in the right direction xx

foxandflowers

11 days until I get paid and I have 19p in the bank. My Vinted sales have slowed right down, which is usually an indication that I either need to lower the prices, or upload more things to make my items go up nearer the top again. I have 42 active items on there, that are not shifting. I've reduced the price of some of them in the hope that people who have saved them as favourites will be notified. I will have to knuckle down and list more things this weekend!

I am really enjoying my new job, everyone is very nice and I've made tentative friends. I have been getting the bus to and from work which means I am out the house at 6.45am and back at 5.45pm so my motivation to deal with anything is very low by the time I finish work. I've got a cinema trip booked with my book club (£15) on the 22nd to see Andrew Scott perform Vanya via NT Live and I have no idea how I am going to stay awake. The bus is only £12 a week though whereas Mr Fox driving to/from to/from each day was costing £10 a day in fuel, and I've brought lunch with me every day from home, so am feeling v MSE. Please deliver my halo accordingly.

Our van broke down at the harbour on Monday, the battery ran totally flat and we had to get the RAC out to jump us. The battery is only drawing through 14-15% instead of 80% so that needs replacing, along with the tyres. Van is currently sat firmly on the drive, going nowhere. The RAC man did say that most garages would bypass the microsensor that is telling us the bonnet is open when it isn't, and that if I can get them to do that before the MOT it will save me some money. A new battery is between £200-300. We have been discussing selling and downgrading the car, but haven't come to any conclusion around that yet, as it is pretty good on fuel, and I would need to switch the numberplates with the DVLA, and find something cheaper that is also efficient and unlikely to fail MOT.  I need to get saving for the MOT's as they are both due in July, which promises to be an expensive month, as the van will definitely not pass in its current state. 

I have finally painted my kitchen and it is beautifully pink. I still need to paint the grout on the floor tiles, and the bannisters, and fit a windowsill. But it's a lot more done than it was, and I am very happy with it. My next plan is to buy lilac UPVC paint and paint my front door and garage door, and black upvc paint and do the windows. And then buy a pot of dog brand paint in ivory for my lounge. I'd like to plant lavender in the front garden in swathes, and eventually replace the gravel with slate, and then once that's done, the house will resemble more of a home. The back garden and bedrooms are a matter for another time... Aside from the front garden, the rest should be pretty cheap. I've set myself a home renovations pot that will be £100 a month, for now. First purchases will be paint, a new toaster and if there's enough left, a rug for the kitchen because the tiles make it feel very cold underfoot.

Debt wise, I need to speak to Stepchange as I missed payment this month and won't be able to make payment in time before the plan closes. I have decided to leave Stepchange ticking along in the background as of the end of this month, and focus on paying off all the debts I have outside of Stepchange. There's 31k with Stepchange at the moment, and the rest is all loans from friends that I don't want to have around my neck for the rest of my life. I also don't want to borrow off them any more. I want to be self-sufficient, and cut my cloth accordingly. I have a pit in my stomach every time I think about the bills I haven't paid yet, the nauseous guilt that comes from knowing I have once again over extended, once again not planned accordingly, once again been impulsive and stupid. I genuinely considered remortgaging my house the other day, to be able to finish the renovations, get the dental work I sorely need, and put money into savings, but I know that's a false economy. My one secure asset is my home, and I would be rather silly to put that at risk for the sake of £15k. 

I've had rather a windfall in terms of my pay this month in that my marriage allowance has been applied, and rather than sending a cheque, they haven't taxed me this month and have refunded me £30. My pay for February is going to be £1900 after deductions. 😍 I have £150 I hadn't planned for. So £50 will go back to Friend C thus closing my debt to her. £50 will go to friend A, which along with the £50 S.O. will bring my debt to her to £6,382. And as much as I want to spent £50 on myself and get some cute things on Vinted and get my nails done and buy a nice candle from Tk Maxx, there isn't anything I actually need, and it is probably sensible to keep it to one side, and whip it out when things get tight at the end of the month. I'm trying so hard to be good, and its so hard when there just isn't ANY money. And I am fighting with myself, knowing that when I get paid the temptation to buy things will be huge, because I have gone all month 'without' and therefore 'deserve' a treat. Which is nonsense, as I no more deserve anything than the next person. 

Actually, thinking about it, there are very few things that I have bought that have bought me genuine satisfaction in turn. Last year I got a glass water bottle from Wilkos in the sale. It cost me £3 and I have used it almost daily since. That has paid for itself many times over. I treated myself to a Fjallraven embroidered rucksack from Etsy when we bought this house, and that has been excellent for daily use. And my kindle remains the best thing I ever bought myself. But by and large, there isn't much that sticks out as true value for money. And I have an awful lot of debt for someone that can't remember what it was all spent on, and has probably sold most of it on for pennies since then. 

Baileys_Babe

That is a huge reduction in travel costs. Where you live are you able to buy a monthly, quarterly or annual bus pass? With some employers, you can do this through payroll so the cost can be spread over time.

😇 here is your halo wear it with pride.

Make sure you thoroughly prepare your surfaces before using the UPVc paint, there is no point in all your money and effort going to waste.

lillypoo

Just popping in to say thank you for your diary. I hope it doesn't soubd unkind saying this...as its actually said with gratitude ..but I have learnt so very much ( at the start of my debt journey) from your mistakes and from the lessons you have learnt along the way.

I so identify with the sentiment of " I've gone without so now I deserve" this is my biggest struggle. I always have a reason 

for deserving a treat. But I'm trying really hard to control it.

Your paint colours sound fab BTW x

dawnybabes

Glad you’re enjoying your new role, it helps when the people are nice too.  

I think all of us can resonate with the ‘I’ve worked hard therefore …….’ Mentality.  Can your DH do any of the jobs on the car / van to do it cheaper ? 

stymied

How is your new salary budget coming along compared to your spending diary? Fingers crossed it all stacks up ok now x

dreaming

When I was working (now retired) I used to shop on a Friday after work and would always treat myself. It started as a ready meal so no cooking, then I added a magazine, then some chocolate, then it progressed to a bottle of wine as well. When I knew I would be taking early retirement after proposed redundancy I started checking my receipts to make sure I could manage and was horrified to realise that my "treats" accounted for approximately a quarter of my bill. 13 years later I am still happily retired but I have had a tendency to start a new hobby and buy all the kit, and have spent quite a lot on various things (and then cupboards to store it all!). Unfortunately my health and vision has deteriorated so I can no longer use most of it and  am currently trying to sell things as I want the space back. It is true that I won't get even a fraction of the costs back (and much of it is like new) but there is no point keeping it to just collect dust. I have also given quite a bit away on the free sites just to get rid. I don't think we should kick ourselves (too hard) for our past ill-considered actions, just try to learn from them and not make the same mistakes again - and also forgive ourselves when we sometimes take a backwards step. Having followed you since you started posting I think you have made good progress. Please don't take a loan out, and if your partner wants to drive the van then tell him he has to find at least half (if not all) of the cash required to get it roadworthy.