Road To Financial Recovery

FootyFanDan

Another weekend drawing to a close. It has been a good week on the finance front, although petrol came in more expensive this week as I had a few unexpected work site visits that I hadn't factored in. This will come back in expenses at some point. I have a few site visits again this week which again will make more impact on the fuel, I maybe need to have a little reserve fund built up for this. 

Weekly budget resets tomorrow so will add funds to the petrol & food shopping. We normally have to add to the bus travel / school meals weekly, but we have already accounted for that this week.  am in a position where at the moment everything is boring finance wise lol but I am getting into a pattern now so finding trusting the budget it a bit more.We do have one more big expense that is due in the middle of the month - my partner and lil one always visit family in Scotland in the summer holidays so have train tickets to budget for this, we do currently have a little bit saved to this already. 

I have made an extra payment to the CC, I didn't like odd number haha. Balance was £1477.75 following my payments this month so far, so paid £77.75 so it was a round number . Although this will go up again in next few days when statement comes in and interest is added, but really happy that I have managed to pay extra on this and knocked the balance down some, balance down by £242 so far and hoping to over pay more through the month

FootyFanDan

Happy Monday all, 

A nice steady day to ease into the working week, although mine will be mainly travel this week. I have a visit to Teeside tomorrow, a 8am meeting time so a lovely early start yay haha. Wednesday & Thursday are south Yorkshire ones so way more friendly set off time 🤣

Food shop has been completed and is under budget by a fair bit, although I suspect will end up having missed something off. Petrol has been topped up, although again suspect another top up might be needed. I have also allocated out the travel tickets to Scotland earlier than planned, had enough spare over from wage and although its nice seeing a bigger number in my bank I would rather pay it now than fritter the money away and struggle in the month to cover it. All bills are paid and enough to cover any over spend on petrol until next payday.

There are a few small expenses I need to pay out but these will be planned

- A proper lunchbox / bag. I am currently using carrier bags but then food is spoiling or not as fresh so i then go spend money buying more. I have seen one on Amazon for about £12 so that will be on my list

- Also looking to stock up on more coffee stuff, we do have a coffee pods machine and I have a travel cup so would make sense to use this rather than cost a fortune daily. I did get into a pattern of making it on a morning but then fell off this so need to get back on it.

- I need to buy a few new bits of clothes for work, I have got rid of alot of old clothing that just didn't fit so need to update wardrobe over next few months.

hope everyone had a good monday

alt80

Sounds like everything is going well for you mate. 100% the right thing to pay for Scotland now rather than struggle later.

FootyFanDan

alt80 said:

Sounds like everything is going well for you mate. 100% the right thing to pay for Scotland now rather than struggle later.

It certainly doesn't always feel like it! lol

FootyFanDan

Argh! 1 step forwards and then one back. CC statement date has arrived and feeling positive about the overpayment didn't last long as soon as that interest is added! It is so deflating, but it has further increased my determination to get it gone. I am going to try keep making payments no matter how small to get this cleared ASAP and this is my new number one focus, every spare penny I have will go to clearing this stupid thing....Oh and is anyone else fed up of rain yet....where is summer

Rant over!!  
Hope everyone is doing good. I can't believe Friday is on the horizon already, tomorrow should be a fairly relaxed day. This week has involved so much motorway miles, so an admin day will be good. I am starting to slowly grow in confidence in new role, and slowly getting over initial concerns.

FootyFanDan

There will be some spends this weekend as I plan to start the decoration of the living room, nothing too extreme but some paint, materials. We are here for the long term and I think we are both feeling that we haven't really done much to begin making it feel like an home. This will be a slow progress but I keep putting it off, so no more doing that. I will be making an small overpayment to CC in the morning to wipe out the interest that has been added on. I am looking forward to seeing how much these small payments add up over the month.

alt80

Ha ikwyacf mate but you are doing the right thing which in the longer run will be better for you. Unfortunately, I think you need to try to use the interest as motivation, as you say. Nothing you can do now really apart from to clear ASAP so you pay less in the long run. 

I can't quite believe it's Friday already, as for summer, it seems to have been another dismal one. Great to hear you're settling into the new role though and that your confidence is starting to grow. 

Actually think you’re doing the right thing getting started on the house, there’s nothing like making it yours. I’m made up for you that the uncertainty isn’t there anymore as it was with your old place. Time to make it a home for your family. 

FootyFanDan

alt80 said:

Ha ikwyacf mate but you are doing the right thing which in the longer run will be better for you. Unfortunately, I think you need to try to use the interest as motivation, as you say. Nothing you can do now really apart from to clear ASAP so you pay less in the long run. 

I can't quite believe it's Friday already, as for summer, it seems to have been another dismal one. Great to hear you're settling into the new role though and that your confidence is starting to grow. 

Actually think you’re doing the right thing getting started on the house, there’s nothing like making it yours. I’m made up for you that the uncertainty isn’t there anymore as it was with your old place. Time to make it a home for your family. 

yeah, the security we have now is great. There is alot of things we need to do over time to bring it up to modern and the kitchen is smaller than we would have liked but it was a sacrifice we were prepared to make. 

I am hoping to keep making progress in work mate, I have some really good days and then some days thinking about the old job and the ppl there and stuff. I think with a clear mind and a little less stubbornness on my side the old work situation could have been worked through. The new place has good ppl, but its just different. I am getting to pick up new things and learn so for me that is good. I read it can take about 6 to 12 months to proper adjust to a new job so we have some way to go yet lol

CC clearance is my focus now as it really was a sinking feeling.

Hope you are managing to keep well.

alt80

Everywhere has compromises mate, doesn’t matter its size, attachment, location etc it’ll have some compromises. When you look back once you’ve modernised it to how you want, you’ll be proud of your work mate 100% guarantee it. Plenty of photos now, during and after. It is harder to keep to a schedule on your own place than when you’ve got the pressure of bridging finance, haha. So it doesn’t matter if it takes a while longer than you first thought, you’ll get there so long as you keep chipping away. 

You will get there with the job and if it is not right after giving it a good try, you will have other opportunities that arise. I have old staff who keep in touch, some it’s the odd message but one comes round to the office fairly regularly. Could be my industry tbf we all talk to each other anyway ha. Idk how amicable things were or not but if things were okay, no reason you can’t keep in touch. 

You’re doing great, have a nice weekend.

FootyFanDan

alt80 said:

Everywhere has compromises mate, doesn’t matter its size, attachment, location etc it’ll have some compromises. When you look back once you’ve modernised it to how you want, you’ll be proud of your work mate 100% guarantee it. Plenty of photos now, during and after. It is harder to keep to a schedule on your own place than when you’ve got the pressure of bridging finance, haha. So it doesn’t matter if it takes a while longer than you first thought, you’ll get there so long as you keep chipping away. 

You will get there with the job and if it is not right after giving it a good try, you will have other opportunities that arise. I have old staff who keep in touch, some it’s the odd message but one comes round to the office fairly regularly. Could be my industry tbf we all talk to each other anyway ha. Idk how amicable things were or not but if things were okay, no reason you can’t keep in touch. 

You’re doing great, have a nice weekend.

to be fair I get on really well with a lot of ppl in my old company and I left on good terms. One of my former colleagues has been given one of my old roles but hasn't really got the person to train them and the upper management don't really know as I was left to it, they reached out for help so I popped in we had takeaway in office with a few others and a catch up and hopefully they feel a bit more at ease now. My old manager reaches out every so often to check in so yeah it was amicable despite my reasons for leaving.

You are right, I think its just a mindset thing, I really want to making it our own.