Freedom and Independence.

BudgetingBelinda

Aimingforthegoodlife said:

I have everything crossed, amazing to get those extra steps! I just bought a new washing machine from A0, paid £349 for the machine, removal of old one and delivery, would have been more to have it installed though. It has done three washes so far, and honestly it is amazing! I don't think we realised just how bad our old one was! There were cheaper option available from there too. 

Oh I hear you @Aimingforthegoodlife! My new machine is soooo much better! Went for the cheapest I could with good energy rating. My builder is still here building so he installed for me and disposed of the old one for free! 🎉 took pity on me I think! No extra steps this month, kids school trips on top of the washing/car debacles. Need to replenish the emergency fund too and MOT upcoming in July. After June 1st I’ll be below 3k debt 🤞🏼 need to remember it’s all going down/im in control still even if it’s not as quickly as I’d like. Slow n steady over next few months. Now to
do
some
more washing! ❤️🎉🙌🏼

BudgetingBelinda

Drum roll as I head to below 3k debt in the next couple of days!
Very pleased with that.. wish I could have got to 50% paid off last month but 55% done in next few days and I’ll take that. 

I’ve been thinking (while I can’t sleep) and I am going to add to my overpayment pot over June/July and emergency fund but probably not pay off anymore above the usual monthly payments for June/July. I have my MOT in July and with house things cropping up etc I feel pretty stressed to not have a buffer. It’s tricky as I am feeling quite close to paying off, & if I put it all in to debt repayments I look like I’ll be done in October. BUT I’ve been cutting it so fine the last couple of months and any extras that crop up have been really hard to manage. I have been unlucky with house/car bits breaking but I will treat that as a reminder to stay more in control with a better emergency fund. 

So slower progress expected over the next two months but hopefully behind the scenes overpayment pot will be upped and emergency fund will be. My MOT/car pot is in action too.

I did do better on groceries last month but still a way to go with bringing that cost down. I am going to meal plan for the next week now until I feel sleepy again and work on bringing groceries down more.

Here’s to slowly getting through it 🎉💯👏🏼 

joedenise

That sounds a sensible plan.  It's important to have that emergency fund for unexpected things which crop up.

BudgetingBelinda

joedenise said:

That sounds a sensible plan.  It's important to have that emergency fund for unexpected things which crop up.

Very true, and it’s now expected that these things will crop up 🙄 

BudgetingBelinda

While I’m at the halfway point of paying the last of my debt off I did some reflecting on the bigger picture and calculations…
At the beginning of 2020 my debt was £20k
Sooo.. overall… I’ve paid off 86% of that total debt with 14% to go!

That’s a nice reflection. Not that I have (or ever will) run a marathon but this is the part I want to just sprint over the final straight.. however my bank balance/legs can only manage a slow pace! But I will finish! Perhaps in October if MOT/life/expenses play nice (unlikely!) December if not. 

I’m going to have a weekend of reflection, I have wanted no debt in my future for so long. 

2019 I was still lost in mounting piles of debt, letters, calls and texts about bills and missed payments and in an awful relationship.

At the end of 2020 I was finally out of a horrible relationship but had only paid off £1200 of the £20k debt in a DMP.

I have paid £3360 off so far this year and under 3k to do. 

I have also decluttered loads and loads this year! The utility room so much better, still some to do and some to take to charity. This has and is a constant thing I am working on and making big headway. The garden needs some maintenance but nothing major. Building work being completed and the outside looking better.

Emergency fund, overpayment pot, car pot, lower groceries all on list for next couple of months. Just keep swimming/running/walking/staggering 🎉

BudgetingBelinda

Garden - did an hour, will try for an hour a week. Just sat in it now feeling good. Finances still seem tricky atm. Small steps. Reading a great book! Making me think about the essential mindset and approach to house and finances as well as work! 

Good weekend of de clutter and reflection 🎉

BudgetingBelinda

Might of gone to bed too early 😬 2am and awake now. Washing/cleaning/chores/batch cook done. Got my garden hour to do tomorrow… errr today!.. which I’m actually not dreading as it’s quite manageable in these little chunks. The lawn is small (takes me 8mins to mow!) it’s the wild flower beds (if you can call them that…. and wild as in out of control not wild flowers!) ivy/russian vine/brambles which are such a pain. Lots growing over to next door I need to curb as it’s attached itself to their shed roof 😬. Anyway apart from garden and walking the dog, not much else on the agenda. 

Trying to make groceries last and so far doing well (for me) this month & avoiding takeaways massively this year. Really fancied one earlier but then checked financial situation and restrained, also had done batch cook of bolognaise so turned some of that into a chilli to slightly get my rice/spice fix!

Each month I’m logging groceries/takeaway and debt payments all in the same row on a spreadsheet! I’ve backdated it to 2020! Month by month. It’s astonishing but also really helpful in keeping me focused and accountable. Also colouring in the number square - in line with 100 steps to be debt free is really satisfying!

At £2778 debt left now. Owwwwww so near and yet so far it seems! House stuff/building work that is essential is costing a lot. The car MOT etc will be a wedge. 💸

However! Even if I just stay on my standard monthly payment I’ll be done in December. 6 months to go! When I first started my DMP I could only afford £100pm payment and it would have taken me 13 years to clear! (Which creditors were very displeased about and said was not going to work) but.. That was 4 years ago, now made it up to £455pm payments and just 6months to go! Really want to then build up emergency fund and save. Also have a bit of a pat on the back and relax- but not too much! I don’t want to spend that £455 per month (well it’s been more than that this year pm as I’ve been overpaying), I want to save it and buffer for all the things that crop up. I want a holiday fund too! Maybe that will be UK next year and perhaps abroad the year after?! Dreaming?! I need a new bathroom floor as mine is rotten so I’d say dreaming about the holiday thing! But it’s a motivation at least. 

Speaking of dreams I am going back to sleep, second sitting 🤪🥳 ramblings done ✔️ 
ahhhhh holidays 😴 💭 🛌 😆

BudgetingBelinda

Walked dog and tackled/tackling the garden ivy. Peaked too soon I feel 😅😅 just gonna have a tidy up and do another 30mins of garden and then chill! 

lucielle

Cheering you on!!
L

debtfreewannabe321

That's fantastic on the OP for the DMP. You will have so much spare money to budget and your savings will be up in no time!