2025 - Reset, Refocus, Remortgage!!!!

Sarahwithlove

Taking_back_control said:

@Sarahwithlove, it what’s been made so far! I’m really pleasantly surprised as I’ve procrastinated over listing for so long. That said, after the first 24 hours things have slowed significantly, I guess that first day is the golden window! 

Wow that's a good start. I need to get cracking with mine again. My cousin is bringing me some coat hangers tomorrow hopefully so that I can hang the last of it up and start taking pictures. 

Taking_back_control

@Sarahwithlove I am very surprised at how quickly / well things have sold. I’ve made another £45 yesterday too! Will definitely help with the cost of servicing the car.

In other news - food shop yesterday came in at £35ish less than it usually does. Still higher than I’d like, but when you consider £15 was spent on face cream (on offer from £30 to £15 - I only buy 2-3 a year!) and £5 on football stickers I’d bribed DS with, it’s not a bad saving. I also get 3% cashback by using a Giftcard scheme via work and currently have £12 sat in that account ready for next Christmas! 

I’ve also started drawing out £10 cash every Monday and putting it in money wallets ready for Christmas. I’m hoping that alongside the £3.50 ish a week cashback I’m receiving on food shop (which can be exchanged for giftcards) I shouldn’t have to worry to much about funding pressie shopping.

Cooked up a big batch of veggie chilli yesterday - enough for 1 meal a week over the coming month. And also sliced and bagged up some peppers and onions that were going over and chucked them in the freezer ready to make soup for work later in the week. 

Right best go and get the animals fed - have a great Sunday. 

pink_fluffy_sparkles

Following to cheer you along xxx 

Sarahwithlove

Well done on the vinted sales! 

Sounds like you didn't actually spend all that much on groceries when you take off all the non food items. 

_Dolly_Rocker_

Well done on the sales! I really need to dig out stuff and start listing it. 

Taking_back_control

Morning! 

Been up an hour already - elderly dog woke me wanting to go out, and that was it - brain is alert and full of things that need doing 😩.

Nice non spendy (other than food shop) weekend here.  Just totalled up the Vinted sales and I’m at £190 for the month so far! So happy with that - I wouldn’t have expected stuff to sell as well in January. Packaged up and sent the remainder on the way yesterday.

Did a 4 mile run yesterday- felt surprisingly good considering it had been a week since I’d last run. I’ve got a bit of niggle and took the decision to rest last week to let in heal rather than aggravate it - seems to be working. 

No work yesterday so spent the day pottering round the house. Ton of laundry cleared (electricity bill won’t be thanking me!) and a just a general get on top of things day. 

Redirected £50 of the Vinted sales to the debt. Waiting until OH car has had its service to see how much more can go that way, but felt good to make the extra payment. 

As it stands the only debts we’re currently paying interest on are CC1 - £155.38 (Xmas overspend 🤦‍♀️) and £55 Next card (DS school shoes) - would be good to pay both of these off using Vinted sales ahead of the next statement date.

Withdrew my weekly £10 and stashed it in my money wallets. I’ve got them set up so that each person / family group I buy for have their own labelled with a budgeted amount for gifts. Giftcard cashback is also up at £12.
 

I’m quite stats driven, so think at the end of each month I’ll do myself a monthly report on where I am with it all. Will have ponder later in what this can look like.

Have a great day all 😊

Taking_back_control

Morning,
So pay day has been and gone. I’ve totalled up payments for the month and they’ve come in at £570. Was hoping for closer to £700 but we’ve had a few car related spanner’s thrown in the works 😞 OH service bill was £1100 and mine now needs approx £750 throwing at it. Annoyed doesn’t come close, but we are where we are. Needless to say the Vinted sales have been put to good use. Need to get listing more before my car goes in.

3 days in work this week. Hoping to get back on top of the house in my 2 days off. It’s so much better than it was, but still not at the point where I can sit back and “enjoy” it rather than seeing all the faults and housework / DIY that needs doing. We are getting there though.

Running is going better. Did my longest run in 2.5 years last week and it actually felt pretty comfortable- fitness is creeping back and weight is creeping down (albeit slowly!). 13lb lost so far.

Plan for this week:
1. List on Vinted 
2. Meal plan and shopping list
3. House clean and tidy.
4. Sort airing cupboard
5. Renewal quotes for car insurance
6. 10 mile long run plus 2 x 4.5miles 

Cara_

You're doing really well with the Vinted sales and payments to the debt. The debt repayments might not have been as much as you had wanted but it is January and the car service was a large bill that has been covered. 

Well done on the running and weight loss. I think it's better to lose weight slowly as you are making changes to life your style and in the long run, you are more likely to keep it off.

A great start to the year.

Cara

Taking_back_control

February has been awful so far. Logging back in, in the hope it will help get me back on track and help me find some motivation as it’s seriously lacking at the moment.

Firstly, we lost my beloved pooch at the beginning of the month, after nearly 17 years together. I’m absolutely devastated, but feel blessed that we had so long with him and he was in relatively good health until the end. Missing him so much. 

Then, my car has needed £750 worth of repairs. Add this to the £800 vet bills and £1050 car repairs for OHs car last month and I’m well and truly tearing my hair out! 

There’s been around £300 added to the cc but other than that I’ve been robbing Peter (aka sinking funds) to pay Paul. Anyway - we go again……

Slightly better news is on the horizon. I’ll be getting a pay rise from April - amount isn’t confirmed as yet but should equate to at least an extra £50 a month. The company bonus will also be paid April / May time - again won’t be a massive amount (think it was about £600 last year), but even so, every little helps.

Need to get back on the Vinted wagon too - I’ve just lost all motivation for it right now, but need to dust myself off and get back on track.

I’m now half way through my marathon training and up to 11 miles. Touch wood training is going well and up to now my body is handling the increased mileage. Due to cover half marathon distance at some point this week 😬

_Dolly_Rocker_

Oh I am so sorry for your loss. They are just such a massive part of your life. I've got 2, my first pets, who are only 2 and 3 and I worry about losing them already. 

17 years - wow - just shows how much care and love you gave them for them to have such a long life. 

Oh cars - don't even get me started on mine!

Yay to the pay rise in April.

Oh god I can't even run at all, just imagine Pheobe from friends but 100 times worse - that's me!