Flying solo

twiggy86

Sorry I haven't been online at all over the Christmas period - but thanks for your comments! I realised yesterday that it was a year ago (i.e. literally as we came back from Christmas) that they made someone redundant and I woke up this morning feeling really stressed. Bf gave me a talking to, to show that I've "invented" the source of the stress and would also be given 3 months notice if I was to lose my job - so that really helped! I going to start properly looking and bf is going to see if can find any possible opportunities - he works in recruitment but a different sector, but still has a better understanding of the job market and how things work compared to me! Been in my job nearly 9 years so it's a long time since I was looking! 

Whilst I haven't been online I did keep my MSE mindset! I just about stuck to budget, but didn't manage to make any more debt over-payments in December. Did lots of fun things including ice skating, panto, dinner out, seeing friends! Bf even did a "duck hunt" on Christmas day before I was allowed to open any presents! So it was super fun and lovely! One of my "Christmas presents" from my mum was a pair of her knitting needles as I want to give knitting a try - however, I tried for about 30 minutes over Christmas and got completely frustrated!!! The problem was that I had no idea if I was doing it correctly so may need to sit with my mum for a few tips! Oh and ex's mum sent me £50 for Christmas which I really didn't expect and it made me a bit uncomfortable - I texted her to thank her but also say how I felt and that I wanted to send it back to her. However, she told me to keep but won't send anything in future. It really was lovely of her though. 

I'll do a 2024 round up in a separate post in a minute, but I did make a CC over payment of £50 yesterday to start the year off on the right track! All money was shuffled to correct accounts on NYE when my pay came in - it feels hard not to get paid early in December but it is better in the long run and I had budgeted extra! Part of the budget for January was to put money aside to book a little weekend away for me and bf as part of his Christmas present - he also paid for our weekend away in November, it's not that I completely spoiled him for Christmas! 

Anyway, back in work today and back in the office so normality resumes...

• Make lunch to take to work 
• Update spreadsheet 
• Work on my Christmas socks(!) at lunch 
• Pop to shop for a few bits 
• Snap receipt 
• Dinner from stores 
• Maybe start on my advent project this evening 

twiggy86

2024 roundup 

Start - £12,999
End - £8,805
Difference - £4,194

So I cleared £4,194 in debt for the year! That isn't quite the £5k target that I had set myself, but I achieved and did a lot throughout the year, so I'm still proud of myself! It's also sooo nice starting the year with a sub £10k debt total - feels like it's been forever since that was the case! 

I also spent over £2,500 on doing work on the house and managed to keep my emergency fund in tact for the year (thankfully!) Oh and the other "big" expense was the £1,500 deposit I put down on my car - which I managed without having to steal/ reshuffle from any other pots/ emergency fund. 

So overall I definitely feel a lot more in control of my finances. However, I do sometimes think I should be more intense about things as I do allow myself fun money and had a number of short breaks away. I think I just need to mindful/ intentional about the balance of debt repayments vs life! 

2025 goal 

£5,000 debt repaid 

Although I didn't manage to achieve it last year, I'm setting the goal of clearing £5k worth of debt. I really want it all gone before my 40th birthday in September 2026, which gives me not quite two years so ideally I need to repay more than half this year. 

I also want to get all my sinking funds to a minimum amount and then just top them up when they get used, just so I feel a bit more ahead. I've been feeling like I'm "chasing" trying to keep up with them - although they have always been available to me. E.g. I'll look at birthdays coming up and what's available and "top up" - meaning I've felt like I'm always reacting, rather than being ahead. 

Plus there is a big project in the house that I would REALLY like to get done this year - as it's something that's been needing doing for the 11 years that I've lived there! There is a utility area with a separate space off of it that I want to become a downstairs toilet. So that needs completing plus the actual utility room itself. I currently have £500 saved towards DIY but have no clue how much it will cost! So I think the first step is to get a quote from a plumber but having said that my dad/ bf have said about doing some of the work?! Need to sit down and try and cost things out! 

Anyway I am going to go away and work out my other goals for the year... I start by working out how I want my life to look and then work out the goals/ steps to help me achieve that!

badmemory

How nice of ex's mum to think of you but I can understand it making you feel uncomfortable.  At least it must be nice to know that his family are not bad mouthing you.

twiggy86

Doesn't the Christmas break already feel like forever ago! Last night was back to normal routine - went food shopping, cooked dinner and then watched TV! Bf has joined the gym so he went there last night plus he gets 4 free passes a month so the plan is for me to go with him once a week - went on Tuesday and then plan is to again on Sunday after we drop his daughter home. I do netball and acro so not much point me joining the gym as well as I probably wouldn't go very often.

Not many plans this weekend - have bf's daughter but his son (15 year old) got his weekend's confused and has made plans so bf isn't forcing him to come round. I think bf's sister and kids may be coming over on Saturday afternoon for pizza as we didn't manage to see them over Christmas. Hopefully I will have time for some crochet - need to start on something someone from acro asked me to make and a birthday present, plus it would be nice to start my advent project and finish my "Christmas" socks!!! I did manage to finish a hat that I was making for myself though! 

On to today's list...

• Make lunch to take to work 
• Listen to free audiobook 
• Update spreadsheet 
• Snap receipt 
• Print advent pattern at work 
• Pop into town for something on my way home 
• Dinner from stores 

twiggy86

Fairly quiet weekend but very nice (despite the weather!) Mainly spent at home with bf and his daughter, although his sister and kids came over Saturday afternoon for pizzas and late Christmas presents! We did go out for lunch yesterday (£13) and then went to the gym in the evening - I used a free guest pass as bf is a member. I don't particularly like running on a treadmill but it felt good to run! 

The main spanner was that bf's car wouldn't start at one point and thought he might need a new battery but looks like it just needs a good run. So thankfully it's not the £200-ish cost he thought! 

Today's bits and bobs list...

• Make lunch to take to work 
• Make CC payment (statement had come in)
• Listen to free audiobook 
• Update spreadsheet 
• Snap receipt 
• Work on a crochet project at lunch 
• Print advent pattern at work 
• Small-ish shop 
• Dinner from stores 

twiggy86

And here's a list of things that I'd like to get done this week... 

• Set up tripod that I got for Christmas - it's to make taking acro videos easier 
• Start considering photos I want to print out to change up some frames 
• Finish crochet penguin that I've been asked to make 
• Sort out medicine cupboard 
• Check details of voucher I purchased for bf for Christmas 

twiggy86

Feeling productive today as I started sorting out the medicine cupboard before 7:30! Numerous old suntan lotions and after suns thrown out... as was a prescription for my old dog that was issued in August 2016 to give you a greater understanding of how old some things were lurking in there! 

It was a quiet evening last night - did a small food shop, cooked dinner and then watched some TV whilst bf went to the gym. Annoyingly I had to pause working on the penguin as I didn't have any safety eyes! Have ordered some from Amazon using a voucher I got for Christmas and they should arrive today - means I won't be able to take it tomorrow at acro but will be done by next week (they wanted it by February). 

I think I mentioned that I want to learn to knit and the person who runs a local stitch night that I go to, has a workshop later this month. I messaged her this morning about booking direct with her, which will save us both on Etsy fees - so a couple of pounds saved there! I will use money I got for Christmas to pay for it. The other thing I'm considering using some of my Christmas money for is an acro weekend in March but need to check if/ who else is going - potentially involves a hotel stay overnight which I will also need to factor in! 

The other thing I really want to work on this year is my mental health, particularly anxiety. So this morning I have downloaded a journal/ gratitude app. I have a printed one at home that I've never used but I realised that the reason is that I get conscious about writing in it. Bf has had counselling before, so I know he wouldn't judge me (if anything he would probably congratulate me!) but I just find myself being self-conscious and making excuses to myself. So I figured if it's on my phone then there's less attention drawn to it! Anyway, I have a week's free trial so I'll see how I get on and then it's £26 for the year. 

Oh and I snapped/ uploaded a couple of receipts, which took me to the £5 payout amount! So that has been withdrawn and sent to CC, along with another £10 that had built up in my "roundups" account! Once I've paid another £90 off (which will happen later this month) I will have cleared £7k in debt since June 23! 

Bits and pieces for today...

• Start clearing out medicine cupboard 
• Message about workshop 
• Order bits using voucher 
• Make lunch to take to work 
• Put shoes in car that I need to drop off tomorrow (gave me two chances to remember to put them in the car!) 
• Send a couple of messages that I don't want to send! 
• Call about voucher
• Work on socks at lunch
• Print out pattern at work and scan another 
• Dinner from stores
• Work out photo sizes/ orientation that I need to order 
• Set up tripod so that I can take tomorrow
• Quiet evening in!

FacelessNumber

All sounds very productive! Great work on the extra payments, they soon start to add up don't they

twiggy86

Quiet evening in yesterday - although was chatting about a short break with bf later in the year, probably around September so that was exciting! He booked a golf holiday with his friend's yesterday for May so think he was in the holiday mood!!! 

In money news, my other CC statement has come in now, so I've sent £65 (just above the minimum) to that card. So I'm now £25 short of paying off £7k! Tempted to send another payment to hit that marker!!! But then that would mean I'm £20 short of paying off another 1% of my debt, so then I'll want to hit that! 

Tonight I have acro and bf is going to the driving range with his friends, so we will both sort ourselves out dinner. I have brought pooch to work with me so that she isn't on her own all day and then again this evening! Oh I tripod didn't need setting up, so that is ready for me to take tonight! 

Today's bits and bobs...

• Make lunch to take to work 
• Make CC payment 
• Update spreadsheet 
• Complete journal app 
• Combine walking pooch at lunch and dropping something round to bf's sister (probably mean about a 50 minute walk!)
• Pay lowest amount at acro 
• Small dinner from home 

twiggy86

Great class at acro last night! There is a weekend workshop in March that a few of us were discussing going to - ticket is £60 but would also require a hotel overnight, so something I'm considering. Need to make a decision though as tickets are limited! I paid the lower amount of £7 for the class, and have also paid £5.90 for netball tonight - all coming from the "fitness" pot. I'll just have a small dinner before my game tonight - although the game isn't until 9:20!!! It will either be some chicken (that we cooked last night) in a wrap or if bf wants that, I'll find something out the freezer. 

In bigger news, I've seen a job that I think I'm going to apply for! It's peaked my interest so is worth finding out more! I need to tweak my CV so will look at that today and also have a chat with bf (who works in recruitment) about the covering email to see if he has any tips. Based on the salary range provided it would be between the same money I'm currently on or up to £10k more. I am "over-qualified" in most areas but lack experience in another aspect of the job, so not sure what they would actually offer. As I said, interesting to consider though! 

In other money news, I've been considering what to do with the finance on my table. I (probably wrongly) never included it in my debt totals - but the reason for this is that the debt total I go by (and progress against this) is based on the debt ex left me with, to demonstrate to myself how far I have come on my own. At the time I bought the table, I did actually have the money to pay for it in full, but opted to get interest-free finance and utilise the money elsewhere. However, I'm nearing the end now and have a bit of a bee in my bonnet about wanting it gone! If I used the rest of the money I have set aside for debt payments for this month, the payment taken on 1st Feb would be the last one (rather than beginning of May) - giving me an extra £84 in the budget each month. But I also want to hit the £7k mark on total debt repayments since ex left - which requires an extra £25 to achieve, which I wouldn't have if I threw everything at the table! Oh decisions, decisions!!!!

Today's bits and pieces...

• Make lunch to take to work 
• Load of washing on 30 degree wash 
• Update spreadsheet 
• Work on crochet penguin at lunch 
• Hang washing on airer 
• Dinner from stores 
• Apply for job! 
• Park for free at netball