My Intentional Journey to Debt Freedom

Less_Talk_and_More_Action

Thank you @enthusiasticsaver. We do have a car pot which will be a bit tight until April but after that will be able to build up 🤞. We have some money to the insurance already and the council tax free month can be added and I think that will cover it.  The service will be April I think and we should be okay on that as it’s the cheaper one.  

Re the coffee dilemma.  If is about a 2.5 - 3 hour journey depending on the time of day. I can do it without stopping but I am definitely Pavlov’s dog and I see the stopping point and convince myself I need the loo.   I think you have come up with the answer though.  Which is - no coffee on the journey home and stop at the last services that are proper services and have decent ish loos.  That’s about 45 mins in so would then have about 2 hours.  I don’t do the journey every day - usually just once a week, sometimes twice but separated days.  I am at head office tomorrow so will try this.  In London on Thursday but that may be cancelled - need to check the strikes as not sure if they will affect me.  

@Florafauna thanks for the vote of confidence in the cream.  I’m looking forward to trying this. Rich but light sounds a bit of a contradiction but it’s definitely what I need.  

Thanks for the comments as always everyone. 

L x 

Sun_Addict

If you’re travelling about to different work locations can you claim back for the coffee on expenses? If I have to travel anywhere for work I can claim for coffee/meals purchased while I’m away from my base. 

RosaBernicia

I know the brand you mention as well, and am another fan of Skin Food (though I don't use it currently).  They are long established and generally the ingredients are ones that do what it says on the box, without adding tiny amounts of more expensive ones for no good reason.  I used to use the rose range and sometimes still do, but I love the Dr H rose scent better. 

EssexHebridean

You're far from the first person on here with a frittering habit of one sort or another. If you are finding that money that should be in the account as a surplus just "disappears" then it sounds like a spending diary might be your friend. The good thing about this is that all fritterers have something in common here as a rule, and that is that we can ALWAYS find a nice notebook kicking around somewhere at home to use for the diary itself! 

You have the 1st of the month tomorrow which is a perfect start date - so why not challenge yourself for one month to make a note of everything you spend money on - not the regular DDs and standing orders, and not money transferred to any form of savings, just actual "spending" - it might have two effects - first, helping you track down any "lost" money, and second, stopping you from spending it in the first place as often the thought of having to write it down makes you rethink the purchase! 

twiggy86

100% echo @EssexHebridean comments! I track every spend in my spreadsheet and it does make me stop and think! However, that is after a few months of not stopping to think first and seeing how much went on lunches and the "odd" can of pop! 

jwil

It's the first month I've properly tracked my spending and it's an eye opener!  

RosaBernicia

this is how YNAB pays for itself for me.  Where did all the disposable money go this month... oh. 

Less_Talk_and_More_Action

Hi everyone 
Thanks for your comments.  I’ve been getting home really late with work since mid-week so I’m going to read everything and catch up with all your diaries tomorrow. 

L x

Less_Talk_and_More_Action

Hello all
Bit of a mad week so just catching up in peace and quiet.  

Money saving wins this week: 
- No coffees bought to or from work 👏👏👏.  Some of this was a bit related to later finishes, not wanting to stop but still helps to stop the habit.  

- Spending diary commenced with Mr L also participating as he does the shopping during the week if needed.  You are so right @EssexHebridean.  It wasn’t difficult to find a couple of spare notebooks 🤣.  Good to hear it’s been so beneficial @jwil - as you say I’m sure it will be quite revealing and easy to forget things (bit like calories 🤣). @twiggy86 and @RosaBernicia - I’m sure that will be me. I remember the bigger spends but not so much the small stuff and they add up.  As I have proved to myself when looking back on my service station spends.  When I looked at the Nov/Dec spend in that area I would have said about £50. But it was over £100 😱.  

- Good discussion with Mr L on personal spends and how they might work.  I like the idea of this in principle but from last month there are bits that havnt worked so we are pondering.   This comes back to the fact that we are really at the beginning of this and we both want to be flexible and put stuff in place that will work long term.  

- Moisturiser.  The W*leda Sk*n Food light has arrived and I really like it.  I used to use this brand but not for a few years.  This works out at about £7.50 for 50mls and I am very happy with that.  The current moisturiser I am finishing up - £39 for the same amount.  

Pots not paid yet - I will do that on 15th. We get my salary in for the 1st and then 4 other payments with the last on 15th so I move everything else on that date.  

@Sun_Addict. I can claim for stuff iand have a work card I can use. But I can’t claim anything on a journey that started at home.  If I’m away for a couple of days it’s more flexible and I can claim coffee, food etc within our organisation limits which are pretty reasonable.  

Hope you have all had a good week - I will catch up on the other diaries today sometime as quiet day here (hopefully). 

L x 

foxgloves

Morning @LTMA, 
I think what you have identified about getting a budget in place for the first time is very true. Things do need to be flexible at the outset as you experiment with various systems of doing things then changing or tweaking them until they work in an optimum way for you & your situation. I was entirely new to budgeting & it took a few 'goes' to get everything working properly together. My first method included a built-in problem which I didn't foresee & the weird thing was that when I tightened it up, it actually felt more financially freeing as relied less on memory & more on actual statistics.
I think the way I budget now is probably about Mark 4.5!
Glad the moisturiser is a good swap. My favourite one is £28 & I have been pondering whether to treat myself as have a 20% off code plus a £5 loyalty voucher. But the £18 one is perfectly good & the money-off would mean a good reduction to that as well  Personal Spends certainly introduced a lot more thought into my spending.
F x