Time to move forward……

Taking_back_control

Morning - nearly a month of no posts, my poor neglected diary! 

Does anyone else ever feel that they’re just not cut out for this adulting lark? I’m really beginning to feel that way. We are in a really fortunate position in that we both have relatively well paid jobs, our mortgage rate is low but I still feel that financially we’re not in a great place. Add to that the chaos that is the house and I feel like my mind is blown. We still have the same carpets and for the most part decor that we had when we moved in 12 years ago. There just never seems to be the money or time for improvement. Everybody else seems to do all this effortlessly but here we are with light fittings and kitchen cupboards still in the box 6 plus months after purchase! 

Anyway - enough of the pity party!

Time to move on…..

Spent most of the wet Bank Holiday Monday listing on fb / Vinted / eBay with some good results. I’m upto £120 in fb sales and £50 on Vinted, so I call that productive! Not looking forward so much to getting them all posted 🤣.  This has been paid off the BC as the 0% rate for one of my balance transfers is up at the beginning of June. The last statement showed £1316.53 outstanding, so I’m trying to get as much of this cleared before then. 

Diet isn’t going great and I have my SW leader contacting me to make sure I’m ok as I haven’t been for 3 weeks. I’ve lost 7lb since Christmas (that was the first week!) and since then have been yo-yoing. I think I’m going to call it a day with SW as right now I can do without the additional pressure (and the badgering when I miss a week!) and will just revert to calorie counting and my fitness pal. It’ll save me £6 a week too! 

Will spend some time today with my journal and try to get down in writing everything currently cluttering my mind. I feel it’s very noisy up there and it’s definitely not helping with productivity.

sorry for being a negative Norah - I’ll hopefully be back soon with a recharged mindset 😊

Taking_back_control

Morning,
Mega busy day at work yesterday left me absolutely shattered. Did manage to nip out at lunch and get all my eBay/Vinted bits posted. Had another £20 sale last night so have again directed this to the BC.

Didn’t get a chance to declutter my mind that I was hoping for but will hopefully have time today.

Need to see about cancelling my gym membership as it’s gone up another £2 and I’m not really using it. I may down grade it to pool only which will save me £15 a month. 

Phone bill is through and has been paid by airtime rewards - need to check all my cards are still current in there as I have a feeling they’re not.

Purchased a £50 Morrisons gift card through the work scheme (we get cashback) to buy petrol later. Cashback amount is currently £79.50. I’m hoping to leave this to build this either Christmas or DS’s birthday so hopefully should be a big chunk towards it. 

Talking of Christmas I had a good chat with a friend yesterday who asked if we could stop exchanging pressies. Absolutely no problem for me and so pleased she’s opened up to me. Will reduce my Xmas budget by approximately £40 for her and her children.

Right best crack on as I feel like I’m running late before I’ve started 🤦‍♀️ - have a great day 

Taking_back_control

Morning,
Busy day at work yesterday and feeling a bit drained by it all to be honest. Really beginning to feel like the office dogs body that’s left with all the !!!!!! to do! We have a newish (2 yr old) system in place that no one else in the team has been bothered to gets to grips with so everything that needs doing on it is coming my way. I wouldn’t mind but it isn’t even part of my job now and with me being part time it’s having a knock on affect with my actual work. Conversations to be had me thinks. 

From a MSE point of view, no major spends and a couple of more fb sales that have gone straight to cc. Total paid off so far this month is approximately £500. I’ve got my dd payment to one card still to come out so expecting this to be nearer £600 by the time the months done. 

My dining room is full of bits to list / car boot - need to have a bit of time to work through this and get some listed. Just waiting for a niceish Sunday to get the car loaded up for a car boot. I don’t want to be stood in the cold for hours 🤣

Have a great weekend x 

Taking_back_control

Creeping back a wee bit sheepishly - really must try and keep posting in this diary. It really does help me keep my motivation up. Even if nobody replies it’s good to get my musings down in writing.

I’ve been giving myself a damn good talking to over the last week. Once again there is more month than money left (admittedly not helped by the fact that OH is £700 down this month due to strike days) - I’m sick of being in this situation. My mindset needs one hell of a shift all round. I feel like I’m just on a never ending cycle both financially and from a health / weight point of view. I know what I need to do, but it just seems so hard to action. 

The last week has really brought it home. I’ve been looking after a friends horses at her home. She has such a lovely set up, just opens the back door and there they are. It’s my absolute dream, but one I’ve got zero chance if realising until I get a handle on my life. There’s been suitable houses come up locally, but are just out of reach whilst I’m still paying the price for the past. Anyway another rambling, time for positive proactive action.

So, over the course of the last week I’ve took the following steps…..

1. Cancelled by gym membership - saving £35 per month
2. Reduced my gas and electricity dd by £80 per month
3. Set up pots in Monzo for annual / reoccurring spends (these were previously scattered across various accounts so should hopefully be easier to manage with them all in one place)
4. Balance transferred interest incurring balance - will save £20 per month in interest (transfer fee will take 2 months to recoup).
5. Set out my repayment plan. Giving myself 3 years to clear which coincides with current fixed deal ending on mortgage.

Right that’s it for now. Going to do a few chores before the school run.

Have a great afternoon x 

Spinayarn

Hi there! I'm reading your diary and can totally relate to quite a lot you are saying - including the whole weight debacle. I'm an ex-runner - been injured for months and desperate to get back out there. And I hear you about too much month left after the money has run out. 

Taking_back_control

@Spinayarn being injured is pants isn’t it? I’m currently struggling with my ankle /foot  and think I’ll be returning to c25k (again!)

I’ve woke up this morning to my house insurance renewal  - it’s gone up by £60 per year. Quick compare the meerkat and I’ve already saved near on £100. Will take a look on the cashback sites to see what they’re offering, but either way I won’t be renewing with current provider.

I’ve applied for the First Direct switch. I’ve had confirmation for my bank that they’ve received notification from fd, so just waiting for it all to progress and for £175 to land in my account! I’m trying to streamline by bank accounts as in the pre ‘pots’ days I had various accounts for my different sinking funds. As I eluded to previously they haven’t really been successful upto now but I’m hoping that will change now they’re all in one place 🤞


 

Taking_back_control

 Morning,

Quick update whilst I have a cuppa to keep up momentum….

TCB are offering £50 cashback for my cheapest policy 😊 will get that sorted later when I have the time to just double check it against my existing policy. Currently have £110 in TCB waiting to become payable and £91 in my work scheme account (I buy giftcards to pay for the foodshop etc and get a % back as cashback - bit of a faff but works). Hoping to put this towards Xmas. 

I’ve tried to get a few jobs done before work this morning. It’s an early ish start and then straight on to Football with DS so by the time I’m home and cooked dinner I’m done in! Load of washing is in and hopefully be ready to hang out once I’m back from the yard. Day off tomorrow so I’m writing myself a nice long list to work through.

Hopefully a low spend day today. Need to pay DS football subs (£10) and maybe petrol. Just need to keep myself away from Vinted ……

Taking_back_control

Morning,
I’ve woke up this morning with a renewed sense of energy with regards to getting the weight shifted. It’s sooo warm at the moment and I definitely don’t want to be in the same position next year where I’m covered up and boiling as I don’t want flabby arms and legs on show (I know I shouldn’t care and I have gotten better - I’m not just at that point yet!). I have 7 weeks until I go away and it would be amazing to have lost a stone by then. Just need to focus focus focus! 

Thursday (day off) was spent getting the house into some sort of order. Still a few bits to finish off over the weekend (and the kitchen already looks like a bombs gone off in there 😡).

Moneywise, not a lot to report. Had a £10 off £60 spend at Morrisons online so did a click and collect for some bits that were on offer. Will still need a small shop over the weekend. 

I’ve been driving out the village to work a different way this week. This sounds ridiculous (and I can’t believe I’m admitting it even on here!) but that route takes me past one of the houses that I mentioned earlier in the week, one of the ones with a small amount of land that was for sale earlier in the year.  There’s 3 houses together on the outskirts of the village all with land and for some reason I’ve always been drawn to them even as a child. Driving past them has helped  focus the MSE mindset - I guess it’s a case of look what you could have if you work hard at getting out of this mess! Or Maybe I’m slowly going mad 🤣.

Jobs for the weekend…..
1. Find kitchen (again!)
2. Sort house insurance
3. Tidy up garden and weed the drive 
4. 5 x listings on Vinted / fb / eBay 
6. Meal plan

7. Exercise plan

londoner2019

Following your diary with interest! I’m the same - occasional posts, but it’s really to keep myself in check.

it’s so empowering to have a set of goals laid out - you sound like you have a handle on what you want to achieve and how you plan on achieving it.

One thing I’d add, as I’ve been in a similar position - don’t beat yourself up too much or get too frustrated by things, and try to instead focus on and celebrate the little wins. That mindset helped me to think of other parts of my life and decompress a bit. 

Taking_back_control

Almost another week gone - but it’s pay day!!!

My pots have been filled - although car pot is empty already owing to a rather inconvenient puncture 😡. MOT is also due in August so will keep my fingers crossed for that! (Did get £5 TCB on the tyre tho 😉)

£175 switching incentive has landed from first direct. Leaving it to one side for now so I can see how the month pans out, but hoping to pay it off the debts.

2 x Vinted items sold - £30 ish in total - will be sent to very account once cleared.

Tried SHEIN for the first time and took delivery today - 50/50 on what was ok and what wasn’t. A few months back I’d have chucked what I wasn’t sure about in the back of my wardrobe justifying to myself because it was cheap. Kept a dress and t shirt and returned the rest. Should receive £25 refund.

Not really alot else to report, will keep plodding forwards x