Trying again 😪

CRANKY40

Definitely join some knitting and crochet groups on the book of face then. On the gothic one a person made a bat that was bigger than her children. I've also seen a shawl that I would love to make (ravelry pattern) but I'm not sure that I'm good enough at pattern reading yet. Youtube is another really good source of "how to" tutorials - I made a small sheep in bobble stitch which I've never done before.

Attic24 is a good site - I've just made the springfrost blanket from the crochet along there. I didn't join in the CAL, I made it while I was sitting indoors with a friend who was having building work done and who dislikes having people that he doesn't know in the house. You can use your own colours etc but I now have a lovely warm blanket to help me to keep the heating off as long as possible come autumn. 

You probably already know this but it's a great way to keep your hands busy and to stop yourself from putting sweeties and chocolate in your face. I find myself saying just one more row, then another..... The other thing that I've found is that if I don't go near shops I don't find a pile of other things that I think I need when I don't. Of course once you buy something you find yourself craving that high again and you start thinking of all the other things that you "need". If I can sit that out for 24 hours I usually return to my current default setting of not going near shops. Interestingly I went out this week for t shirts that I really did need. I bought them (only went to one shop) and came home pleased with my purchases and myself but without the buying more craving so it is possible to retrain yourself. 

I'll leave you in peace now 🤣but hopefully there's some useful info in that lot. 

Bizzywizard

Hi Jen,

Good Luck with your debit free journey! I was on here a good few years ago with cira £20k worth of debit and was not sleeping once my DH told me about the debit, I was never one to do the bank stuff. My husband was the issue---I had to take charge!

A few things that helped me----- only do the washing on dry days and get the washing on the line (may sound silly but tumble dryers are really expensive to run). My washing pile is huge at the moment as we have had way to much rain for may! Same with a dishwasher, try not to use it...just wash up! Turn off all the electrics you don't use....my son always has his stuff plugged in when at school(so that goes off once he is out the door).

Don't drink full stop (both of you)-----we told others we were on a health drive to loose weight and get fit. We saved over £50 a month!

Walk as much as you can (if possible to work). This helps to clear your head and is a good fitness tool.

Give up all the netflix/disney/spotify etc etc (we never had any of these, but I know alot of people do).

Are you in credit with your electricity company? If so requset some money back. And send straight to the highest debt.

Do you pay your council tax over 10 months or 12 (we changed to 12 and it really helped me budget as its near enough the same amount going out each month). Call the council and ask for a change today!

Sell anything you do not NEED on marketplace (ebay to expensive and a pain now). Old stuff in the loft, garage, old clothes, shoes, furniture. Maybe do a carboot when the weather improves. If you need to bake, why not sell them at the car boot? Make sure you tally up the cost and then sell to make a healthy profit! If you are a good baker sell cakes on market place (if you are allowed that is).

Do you have an excel spread sheet? Best thing I ever did. It shows each company on one side ie Eon/coucil tax and the amount next to it. This should also include your credit card debit with the end date and % interest. Highest is paid off first and then the other minimum amounts.

You have not added your salarys and what your out goings are, so the above is just guessing from me. 

Regarding a holiday-----I think you need to consider not going away next year (take a year off we didn't go away for 3 years). Enjoy your holiday this year and then take stock.

Joint account is perfect, we have this now and we never used too! I check this account every day.....I never used to, head was always in the sand! Make you DH pay his whole wage into this account and set up a standing order for his account.My DH has £50 a month (its was £30 when in debt) in his own seperate account for his car mags and books and coffee/cake(I then sell the books). My DH could spend alot on coffee and cake each month (£100 easy)....this has now been cut right back!

I also bought some clippers for £30 and have shaved my husbands head ever since, saved me £20 a month (long term save). I also grew my hair and popped it in a pony tail and have started to embrace the grey (hate it but its saves me money). My son is the only one to go to the barbers every 6/8 weeks as he has a mop of hair. I have always cut my daughters hair (long a staright) paid £12 for scissors yaesr ago for her! She has never been to the hairdressers (awful mother I know).

Stop spending on none essentail items (easier said than done, but you have too). It became an obsession of mine. My kids never really want anything. Clothes are my biggest expense as my son is going through trousers.jeans as he will not stop grwing. My daughter is dinkie, so never been an issue.

This is not a me telling you how to suck eggs, it was a way that I cleared my debit. I also joined the MSE debt busting group where you post how much you paid off your debit each month (my DH thought I was mad doing this, but it really focused my mind, shouting it out loud to someone I didn't know).

Lastly, you need a proper sit down with your DH and say how concerned you are and that you have an end goal of clearing the debit. Otherwise maybe see a debit councillor together, plenty of good companies out there....I know this site has links to good advisors. 

Good luck 
Bizzy!

Jensfrugalyear

Thank you @Bizzywizard that is a really great list of things. We do need to cut back for a bit.

I earn a good wage, take home 3600 a month my husband is on 1200 a month, but our debt outgoings are about 1700.

We do pay netflix 1 account and fanily spotify as those are the things we use daily, not sure I would get the family to agree to this one though!

Jensfrugalyear

Here is my SOA, I know there are areas we can cut back, it just feels like we have been cutting bsck for ages and not getting anywhere.

I do my budget on excel and try to track spending but give up sometimes as it feels hopeless. My aim this month is to track everything until payday. If we do this for a few months hopefully we can find areas to cut back on.

My wage 3500
Husband 1200
Total Income 4700

Outgoings:
Car Insurance 51
Fuel for 1 car 200 (we are biking more now so don't always spend this much)
Train pass for my job 85
Car Tax 16
Bike insurance (I cycle and train to work and its an expensive bike) 14
Loan for old car 159 - ends next May
Old consolidation loan 458 -ends sept 2026
My old bcard - 212 on pay off plan with reduced interest
MBNA 0% - 250
Another consolidation loan - 147 ends Oct 2026
Sainsburys credit card 0%- 100
Halifax credit card 0% -170
Student loan direct debit 397 - ends march 2024
Tax bill payoff - 57 ends June 2023
Husband Barclaycard 0% 150
Tesco credit card 25
National trust membership 12 (we use this for cheap days out)
Netflix 7 used daily as no other subscriptions
Spotify 17 used by everyone daily 
Food 575
Eating out/random expenses 80
Mortgage 476
Council tax 142
Gas and electric 166
Life insurance 33
Home insurance 16
Husband union 15
Boiler cover 29
School dinners as my son hates sandwiches so not much choice here 30
Son pocket money 10
School laptop 8 needed
Husband mobile 22
My mobile 28 - contract up next month so will go sim only
Sons mobile 11
Moms mobile 17
Clothes/haircuts/birthdays/other spending 200
Printer ink subscription 3
Son scooter lessons 20
Pet vitamins needed 35
Pets vaccinations, flea treatment etc 40
Pet insurance 71 - they are all old pets
Lifetime ISA savings  30
Water 80 for 8 months of the year
Internet 23
TV licence 15
Total outgoings 4701

Where we don't spend all the cash I put this away in savings for birthdays, Christmas and emergencies.

Will update my signature we debt balance to keep a log on here too.

in_need_of_direction

Have you thought what to do with the £57 from July? Also any summer savings on school dinners?

Jensfrugalyear

I thought the 57 would go towards the tesco card as it has the lowest balance.

School dinner money from school holidays usually goes on activities to keep him entertained in the six weeks. The usual week ones I just pay less into the dinner money account, but it gets swallowed up somewhere else along the way. 

I know we have issues "popping to the shop" to get milk etc needed in the week. I'm tracking that separately now to show how much we are wasting on these trips, so far its up to £100 since 25 April! This used to be worse when I was drinking.

Might start making the payment a day again. I did this before as it helps with motivation...will start now, had a small £5.07 dividend payment from work today so will pop that onto the tesco card before I spend it!

Jensfrugalyear

Not really much to update from the weekend. Have started doing the payment a day, as found this motivating before.

My son needed new goggles for swimming lessons as his snapped so that was an unexpected expense. Had a £15 tesco voucher which we used for goodies for watching Eurovision Saturday night.

10 more days until next payday, so this weekend will be doing next months budget....with the husband!

LittleMissDetermined

Glad you've joined the PADding thread, it served me well in clearing my debts and now I'm using it for savings.
LMD x

WinterWarrior

On the soa are the cards the minimum payments, or what you chose to pay? I’m just wondering if snowballing the debts might give you more motivation? Extra good luck x