My Intentional Journey to Debt Freedom

Less_Talk_and_More_Action

Hi everyone 
Long week at work - mostly away.  Good MSE week as pretty much everything expensed and Mr L had everything at home.  

Need to plan out next month but too tired today.  We’re out all day tomorrow including lunch out but planned for a while.  

@EssexHebridean that’s been one of the great things so far - we never really argued about money but it’s good to have those conversations and to plan ahead.  

Glad the car insurance is paid for and out of the way. MOT next month but not expecting anything adverse. The car gets serviced so often due to my high mileage that we don’t generally have any surprises.  

Another long week next week but then a week off so will catch up with myself then.  

I am going to get next months budget organised tomorrow evening so that we have everything together- all going to plan so far.  

This feels like a tired post - exactly how I feel.  

Hope you are all okay - enjoy the rest of the weekend.  

L x 

EssexHebridean

How's it going LTMA? 

Less_Talk_and_More_Action

It’s going okay @EssexHebridean.  I’ll catch up properly at the weekend but knee deep in work and no spare brain power.  I have worked out a budget for next month so going through that with Mr L on Saturday morning.   I’ll be back at the weekend.  Thanks for asking 😁. 

L x 

Less_Talk_and_More_Action

Hello everyone 
Very long week at work and just catching up on here.  

Budget review and plan for March all done.  

Review
-Feb a good month.  

- I have learnt that I can have a month where I don’t buy things for entertainment (who knew🤣).  Consequently our random and unplanned spending has gone right down. 

- All credit cards on track. No spending on them.  

- Food budget - not too bad.  We budget 350-400 a month and have come out just under 350.  This is well under control.  

- Drive thru coffees - £7. For the whole month!!!!!!!  That is amazing, to be honest.  It has been helped by my no dairy at home action for Lent.  I have included work under the umbrella of home as I’m away quite a lot and there would be no point doing it otherwise.  That means I’m on black coffee (don’t like plant milk in drinks).   I like black coffee but it doesn’t appeal the way a latte does. Hoping to carry this on after lent.  

-Paid for car insurance in full last month and have set up a pot for next years as it’s obviously going to be expensive.  I used to be able to put the two months of no council tax to it and a bit extra but that’s obviously not going to cover it going forward.  

- having an “ entertainment “ budget worked well last month so going to do that this month as well.  

- Emergency fund didn’t increase much last month due to paying for the car insurance but I will be able to add a good bit this month taking it up to £1800.  We will get it to £2000 and then leave it. 

March
- awaiting tax back on mileage and repayment of credit from Octopus.  That will reduce my CC to three figures and may even be gone the following month as I have some expenses to come back from work.  

- food budget set 
- I have next week off so have set a budget for that to include a few social things - some me and some both of us.  Looking forward to that. 

- have worked out a provisional budget for April including all the rises we know about to date.  Will revise once council tax is notified.  

- car service will be due sometime in April.  Money put aside this month. I have to service my car three times a year usually due to high mileage.  MOT next week but should be okay.  The only advantage of all the servicing is confidence it will pass its MOT. 

- still populating the silver wedding/Christmas pot.  

All in all, pretty happy with things.  I could get there quicker I’m sure, but the balance feels right and we are sticking with it and making progress and that’s the most important thing for me.  

Work is so full on at the moment that I will probably post at weekends as I can’t keep up during the week.  Nonetheless I take you all with me as I go and hear all that advice and it continues to be massively helpful 😁.  

Hope you are all well and that you have a good weekend. 

L x 

enthusiasticsaver

That is a great update. 

Well done on the pots, paying upfront for car insurance and sticking to budget. I think I may have spent more on coffee than you last month 😜

Less_Talk_and_More_Action

That’s made me laugh about the coffee @enthusiasticsaver.  I feel like I’ve had a major triumph 🤣. In the interest of full disclosure I have had other coffee out of the entertainment budget but my focus was the pointless and overpriced drive thru stuff so I’m very pleased with £7. 

I think the best bit of all of this is the feeling in control.  The intentional part of my diary title, if you like.
Feels good 

L x 

Blackcats

Great update.  I find our entertainment pot and personal spends pot keep us on track and mean that we spend less because they are intentional, planned for and enjoyed spends.  Guilt free. 

Last month we bought expensive concert tickets but we knew when tickets were being released for sale and had the money to buy them immediately.  Seats in the second row at our favourite venue seeing a fabulous performer.  That's the joy of our entertainment pot for us.
Have a great weekend.

Cheery_Daff

What a fantastic update, well done! £7 coffee spends, down from what you were spending before, is a great achievement, and it's good to hear you sounding so positive about it all! Well done!

I like the thought of being carried around in someone's handbag while they go about their normal week 😂 I'm quite nosey so it would suit me very well 😂

foxgloves

£7 !! Excellent!!
F x

lucielle

Really great re the coffee and the budget is working. 

L