Buying a little piece of Middle England; Manifesting my way to mortgage free.

debtfreewannabe321

First day back at work done! It was a mental health training day. If I passed the exam I should be a mental health first aider now. I could not stop yawning and found it a struggle to keep my eyes open- a bad combo of bad night sleep and nightmares about tsunamis (???!!) and also air con drying my eyes out in the room. So hopefully I did ok on the test. We had half hour and I was done in about five minutes 🤷🏻‍♀️ either it was very easy or I messed up somewhere 🤣 we finished an hour early because the trainer realised we all dealt with all of these scenarios day in day out already in our jobs and come across each and every problem already. Even those of us only there a couple of months!

I've come home and whilst I still had my shoes on, and before I sat down,  I took the car out (friend from work kindly brought me in and back from work) and popped to Mr T. Got essentials including loo rolls and washing up liquid. Spent £34 - managed to get YS GF bread so picked up two! And also YS vegan kebab meat that the kids like so that was picked up cheap for two meals. Also got ys sausages and something else.....umm... Yoghurts! Expensive ones the kids like for 60p! So four bigs bags of stuff for that price and fingers crossed it should last us till month reset. I will save the bangers and mash for my birthday meal with some beans 🤣 it was the only one I vaguely fancied out of the meals I bought. I went in with no meal plan in mind *tut* I hear you say...but I find it easier sometimes to go in with no meal plan when I'm on a very strict budget and see what offers are on and then design meals on the spot in the shops 🤣 doesn't work for everyone but I find it useful when on an end of month budget. I picked up fruit for the week that was also on offer. And I swapped the usual ecover washing up liquid for one called surcare? Half the price so hopefully it's ok. 

DP I think has already paid the £90 cash into his Bank this morning. So I will ask him where he's paid it to. Any debt is fine with me as an OP. He's on a call so I'll have to be patient before I can colour any squares in on my new 'debt repayment' colour card 🤣 which consists of two CC (I drew around the cc) and I've divvied them up into squares to pay them down. The c-loan is also on there ready to inspire me to get rid of all of this so we can start our new action plan! ---
We are both inspired now because my exh has consistently told our children that HE pays for our mortgage and that the house is his. Kids realise otherwise now however we thought it would be very fun to actually use HIS money now to do just that whilst we still have it and so every time he says it to the kids and they then parrot it back we can feel smug that yes he does pay it rather than me getting irritated and annoyed with him 🤣🤣🤣 

Work tomorrow then a day off..I'm still struggling with energy and tiredness. I really hope the Drs will help with my hormones (or whatever is wrong with me) because lack of sleep and energy is really getting quite depressing! 

Right kids are back and with friends so I will go feed them snacks!

slm6002

Lol did you know my XH has also paid for all of my renovations and building work, oh and the car lol.  I have managed really well on the £10 per week that I get from him 

debtfreewannabe321

@slm6002 🤣🤣🤣 yep that's the one......ex used all the same lines. Are they given a playbook?? 🤣

debtfreewannabe321

Morning all, I've got all sorts of anxiety today. About my birthday, family, work.... I didn't sleep well again last night and I'm like a zombie today barely functioning. My friend is picking me up from home this morning - I tried to cancel but she had already left sadly. I don't think I can listen to much more of her moaning without saying something. She seems to attract disaster everywhere she goes (we are what we think)...I'm too tired for it. I will make excuses and walk home later if DP can't collect me. Only a short day so hopefully it will pass quickly.
I've emailed my manager about my Friday as I want it changed and haven't heard anything. 
Right best go get ready for work as she will be here in a mo. 

debtfreewannabe321

Managed a NSD today. Nearly gave in but didn't. I was literally in the lunch queue and turned around after changing my mind. Ate the pack up I brought in. 
Difficult day at work and a lot of messing around with where I was supposed to be. But it's done until Thursday so I'll be grateful for that. 

DP made the OP on the loan. It stands at £384 now.

CrazyBee787

Well done on the No spending you are doing an excellent job and I don't know about you but when you get a few you want a few more, I find the No spend thread fun because after each milestone you get a moving emoji, off to a start, 5 no spend days and 10 no spend days etc. It has really helped me change into a no spend person. However when I do spend I seem to make up for lost time, never mind I am not going to give myself a hard time I needed some new clothes for interviewing, which I have one coming up, although I am not overexcited about it. I am more keen on a temp role coming up or the credit control job I would like. 

I feel quite positive but I don't know why, like things are going to get easier soon, I don't understand but it I'll take it, It might be the sunshine have you had sun where you are it is not particularly warm but it still gives me a little lift! 

Anyhow I look forward to reading when you have nailed that carpet loan, well done for attacking, it is good to attack things one at a time, that way you put everything behind it, what will be your next thing to attack or is it too soon to ask? It is always nice to get there first then say what next!?

Enjoy your evening, have you any plans for your day tomorrow? Enjoy XX

debtfreewannabe321

They can be addictive! I usually get around 15 I reckon every month. I used to track them religiously years ago but I'm so forgetful I forget what number I'm up to now. But I usually use my card and take around £20 out in cash a month so just by looking at my purse - the money I have around £6 left and my banking app tells me I've only spent on around 10 days which is ok as we had half term. I'm good at keeping lots of buys I need and doing them all together so I keep more NSD and also I sometimes change my mind if I think about a purchase long enough and find something else at home instead of something cheaper. 
Glad you're feeling positive 😊 I'm hoping I will be back to normal soon. I have deleted a rant 😁😉 no one needs to hear my woes. I'm grateful for lots so I'll leave it at that. ❤️

Good luck with your interview @CrazyBee787

debtfreewannabe321

Ps we made it to the end of those budget meals. I did all of them EXCEPT the chickpea salad one (fattoush maybe) everyone over the day asked what was for dinner and EVERYONE rolled their eyes at 'salad' followed by omg we'll starve 🤷🏻‍♀️🙈 first world problems. So I didn't make it I did something else although can't remember what now. Just something from the cupboard....

The courgette and pea pasta was this evening. Quick and easy to cook. DD did a grand job of finding every single bit of tiny courgette in hers. Credit where credit is due considering the entire dinner was green that was some dedication. Everyone else ate it.
I think their fave overall was the curries which is in my usual recipe repertoire anyway 🤷🏻‍♀️🤣. Was nice to try some new recipes though. I may have a look through some more recipes and just do one new one a week...

debtfreewannabe321

Right-O it is the eve of my birthday, I think I have stopped crying, for now I feel only women would understand me doing this. Hormonal ones at that....
...anyway.
Tis my day off
It's raining and pouring and a little reflective of my mood this last week. It feels cozy sat in bed still listening to it and being grateful for a warm cup of tea. 
I've asked DP not to buy me anything for tomorrow, am hoping he listens, but I'm doubtful. We have theatre tickets in the evening, I have a dinner planned (that we will make) and said we could get a take out on the weekend on our day off. And he's not paid until the day after! 

I have been running numbers over and over, as you do, well as you lot may do but most normal people look at me like I am mad if I say I am tweaking my budget again, for the 15th time that month YNAB on the phone is a little obsessive sometimes. C-Loan OP from the chair and footstool should process by the end of the week. 

SO new budget for payday. New plan. New goals for just this one month.
INCOME:- £4160 (ish I kinda round down a little on all) 

OUTGOING: 
(I shall just lump together and all are slightly rounded up)
BILLS: ones that cannot be changed £1472
POCKET MONEY: £460 (for all 4 of us)
GROCERIES: £700 (if we want take out it will come from here next month)
MOP: £60 (i've set up a standing order and it was such a faff with the references etc I don't want to cancel it for one month)
CLOTHES: £30 (I need to build this up)
YEARLY BILLS/ subs: £115
XMAS/ BIRTHDAYS: £100

OUGOING: £2937

Difference being: +£1223

So £1223 left for debt repayments:
C-Loan: £390 (rounding all figures up in case)
CC mine: £320 (already paid)
CC DP: £1000 (he has already received £700 towards this from the dental insurance plan he has at work so just £300 from our money).
Total £1010. 

I am stopping all other pots for now- EF, ski, driving lessons, home maintenance, etc...
DP & I have scoured our subscriptions and cut out 6 small ones that had snuck in and that we weren't using very much. They all added up to nearly £100! Which is handy because we have just added DS to DP's work dental plan. When we were in the dentist last week they asked why I hadn't already put him through for orthodontists, I said, but isn't that your job to recommend and do that? He is nearly 16. The waiting list round here is 2-3 years. DD waited 4 years and will be almost 17 when she gets her brace next month. I fear DS will miss the boat and so we have put him on the plan which adds (or takes away from DP wages however you want to look at it ) £40 to bills per month. So I will try and get him booked in very soon for private orthodontist and perhaps he will end up only being a few months behind DD in getting one fitted. 

We should still have some money left to pay across to the EF or wherever else we decide it's needed or wanted. Then effectively we are consumer debt free (again grrr) and next month will have that money spare (this is including the snowball money I was using to pay the debt down) and we can go ahead and start our plans to top up savings, finally get a holiday and pay down mortgage. I have it at the back of my mind that the biggest part of our mortgage (as we have two) is on 2.49% and that will be up for renewal in 2027.....so I would really like to get it down somewhat to a more manageable number if the interest rate doubles. 
I *needed* a psychological boost. And I think this will do it. Getting rid of something that we pay for and yet get no enjoyment from anymore (aye that CARPET loan). 

DP is paying across the £700 this morning as it has cleared so on his pay day I have divvied up who is paying what to where. I am paying from my money the CC (mine), food, PM for me and kids, yearly pots, MOP, clothes and xmas. DP will pay into the bills account, make a separate payment to c loan, cc (his) and pay himself PM. There should be some spare money floating about but until bills start  coming out I like to keep it spare in case I forgot anything!

2 days until we can start this plan.......

CrazyBee787

Glad to see that carpet loan is going this month, I am sure you'll be glad to see the back of that! Just think all the money can be devoted to something else going forward! well done on reducing unneeded subscriptions, £100 that is quite a saving! Just a thought if you want take out it might be worth waiting until the end of the month, then you will know if you have enough left over?! 

Have you any thoughts on holiday, where would you like to go, somewhere warm I hope?!