£2,576.79 to clear by March

DD265

Husband is settling into his new job. Things are a little all over the place in terms of hours during the training, and I'm not sure when his formal shift pattern is expected to start. It means having one-person food options readily available and ideally we'll get properly back into batch cooking. The challenge with that is our cats are now eating food that arrives/is stored frozen, and we get the biggest quantity delivered for the cost savings so it takes up two full freezer drawers.

His first pay will be 20th November, so we do indeed have a gap. I want to put that pay towards December, like I do my own, meaning we have to keep things low key in November. I am due that bonus (though as I previously explained, I have plans for it!), and my husband has asked to sell what he can of this years holiday because he doesn't feel like there's any opportunity to take it during his training period, so that could be an extra few hundred.

The cat insurance renews this month and it's gone up significantly; from £86 to £102 for the pair. We have pre-existing conditions so can't shop around, and our boys are only 9. We have claimed for one of them 3-4 times, so we've had reasonable value for money. I don't think it's sensible to cancel now given our existing credit card debt and lack of savings, but we'll definitely be reassessing at renewal in 2026!

DD265

Husband was paid last week; ended up being just over £3150 so substantially more than expected. I did have to route some into the budget for November and also covered a couple of 'exceptional' expenses; £400 of hotel booking for work (should be repaid for that next week as my expenses claim has already been approved) and the £300 to get some artwork framed. In this case, it's a triptych (one image split into 3 prints) where I bought the digital files as I wanted a bigger size, got them printed, and they're with the framer. This is only our second artwork purchase because we only buy things we both love. I also got a ballpark from the framer before I pulled the trigger on having the files printed and I thought it would be more!

The rest of my husband's salary went through to the December budget, as will the expenses reimbursement. The way things are looking, I expect to have about £320 "spare" plus whatever the bonus payment works out to be, so I'm hoping it's a reasonable amount for a decent gaming laptop. I can trust my husband to be reasonable with what he buys at least, whereas I'd be more inclined to upgrade just because. Anything left over will go towards a Lego set that comes out at the end of this month (I'd wait, but I want the limited edition gift with purchase) and should there be anything left after that, into the pot towards a new set of tyres.

I got my car serviced the week before last, because husband thought he could smell burning oil. I realised it'd had a couple of specific bits done and a once over, but not a proper service. They couldn't find any issues, and just made me aware that two of the tyres are beginning to crack a bit - I was aiming to replace the whole set before spring/MOT anyway but the tyres alone are about £160 each. It looks like the CrossClimate 2 are being replaced by the 3, so there are some stock issues. I'd rather get the 3 because then if I have to replace one in short order (I've genuinely had tyres fitted one day and a non-repairable puncture the next!) I know they'll match.

Waiting for pay day...

Humdinger1

Dear @DD265 gosh, you've been through a lot this year! I've subscribed and am following with interest.   Congratulations on all the debt you've cleared and still more getting to LBM. Now that things have settled, might it be worth doing an SOA? I don't have it to hand but several other regulars do.  I think it perhaps offers a different way of looking at things than YNAB.  Onwards and upwards love Humdinger 

DD265

@Humdinger1 it is a while since I've done a SOA, although the way I break down my budget categories is somewhat similar as I knew about the SOA from MSE before I got into YNAB. I might do one for January when we should both have had our normal pay at the end of December; this month mine has included a hefty bonus and my husband's included the holiday he'd sold back to them and something about an extra week's pay due to their exact start date.

As said above I have indeed been paid and it is my biggest bonus to date. It doesn't necessarily mean I've worked harder (although I have) as it's based on the hours that we can bill to customers vs 'internal work', but considering this time last year I was trying to pysch myself up to return to work for just 2 hours a day, it's something I'm proud of.

Husband has a healthy budget for a gaming laptop; I've explained that if the peripherals can wait then it would be my preference to do so, but we'll definitely make sure it has a protective case and insurance. If he does choose to spend the top end of the budget, I know it'll be because that laptop is genuinely the best one for him, but he wasn't expecting remotely near the budget I gave him (or to get a laptop so soon at all).

I was also able to order my dream Lego set, and the December budget is fully funded barring £200 of non-essentials - any left over from the laptop pot will cover those first and then go in the tyre pot or a tradesman job we want to get done. It feels good to be properly back on track!

DD265

Husband doesn't have his laptop yet - it's on back order - but we spent £1850 (or thereabouts) and that included putting additional storage into the laptop. I'd allotted £2400, so I've managed to fully fund the budget and the tradesman job. Nothing in the tyre pot; I had about £2.50 left over then so put it into next month's budget instead. We have £330 in the car maintenance pot at the moment (I add £200 a month) so its likely the tyres will be done in January/February. My next bonus isn't until the end of March, but we should have some surplus in the budget and I'll be getting expenses back from work; the hotel/food is obviously money I've paid out, but the 'profit' from the mileage portion can go towards tyres etc.

I've just sorted the breakdown renewal for next year; we're with the AA, as I prefer to have one of the own-fleet providers, and it jumped by about 25%. Managed to get it £2 cheaper than the current price so happy with that.

Last weekend we visited a couple of artisan Christmas markets. I'd set aside some spending money, mostly to buy gifts, and managed to stay comfortably within that. There were some beautiful pieces of artwork I could've happily brought home, but they were out of our budget. On the subject of artwork, the prints we had framed are on our wall and they look fabulous. The next piece on my list to get framed is a watercolour done by a family member, but it needs some repairs to the paper first ideally. I've found some restorers online, and in the new year I'll see if I can get some ballparks - they all seem to work with big institutions so I'm a little worried that I'll be out of my league. This piece has no monetary value but it is highly sentimental.

We have no plans this weekend; just chores and errands really. Next weekend we have a family meal and I'm getting my hair done, but more importantly, on Thursday I break up for Christmas and I don't go back to work until the 5th. I really need the break because I feel like I've been burning the candle at both ends and on all sides. Financially aside from the drives to see family and the meal, it should be a quiet one.

DD265

Merry Christmas, I hope it was a good one.

Ours has been bittersweet, but mostly positive. Lots of good food, pleasant company, some great presents exchanged (one of the favourites being the cheapest, naturally) and the journeys weren't bad either.

In between I was painting the shelves the builder put up in the office, and this afternoon we've put the desks back in place. Husband will apply the wax in a week once the paint is 100% dry, then our Lego can go on display. It's currently split between the conservatory and the loft, and very much in the way! Longer term we're going to rearrange and downsize our desks, then put a single sofa bed in there. I'm hoping to get this done in 2026, but as usual there are various other priorities and debt repayments to consider.

On the subject of which, the smaller credit card will be paid off no later than July. Once we've settled in to my husband's new takehome pay, I'll see about increasing repayments if we're consistently having money 'spare'. And the bigger credit card will drop under £10k in January (the one that's being paid back at £500 a month). That's interest free until July 2027, but at the moment I'm not able to throw anything else at it. The middling credit card - the one that I use for my work hotel expenses and last month was husband's laptop - is having the statement balance paid off every month so whilst it's not dropping to £0 balance any time soon, I have the money set aside for all the repayments. I have a fourth credit card which does have a £0 balance, so if we book a 2026 holiday, I'll use that card (again paying off in full without interest) purely to have a recent transaction; one of my husband's credit cards was closed a few weeks ago because he hadn't used it. Once we've paid off the longer term balances, I will rethink whether we actually need all four cards, but for now, it's good to have options for balance transfers if I need them etc. Husband has two remaining credit cards but given the limits (£2-3k vs my £12k minimum) they serve no real purpose these days.

Husband is working the next 4 days, so I'll have some time to myself. I have some more chores I'd like to get done but also plenty of downtime planned because I'm approaching halfway through my time off, and there'll be no easing in period when I go back to work on the 5th. 

DD265

I have had a go at doing an SOA. It was difficult to map to YNAB but looking at the totals, I'd say its within £200 of reality so I've not done too badly. I usually anticipate £400-500 surplus when I allocate the budget, and that might cover overspending from the previous month (looking at you, Christmas presents) or go towards discretionary spends or projects that we want to do.

A few notes...

The credit cards I'm repaying at £500 and £200pm respectively. The smaller is interest free until July 2026 and the bigger is interest free until July 2027. I didn't include the Virgin credit card which is where the work expenses go, what with those netting off against repayments from work. Yes the laptop purchase is on there and I guess the cash for that is in our "cash" total, but that was paid through a bonus not regular guaranteed income. Similarly I haven't included expense reimbursement or bonuses in the income, because they are highly variable and not guaranteed.

Electricity total includes gas. Subscriptions like Netflix etc went in the Entertainment pot. We so rarely pay for parking that it comes out of the entertainment budget also. The other travel is when I get the park and ride into the office, about once a month. The discretionary spending includes fun money, clothes, hobbies. Fitness is a combination of swimming pool membership and personal training/physio. Medical was surprisingly high; I have a prescription (not enough to warrant a PPC) but we both have twice yearly dental checkups - husband is private - plus the hygienist. Cat insurance/vet is £100 of insurance and savings for vet, then the other cat costs are food, litter, equipment and we have money set aside for a week's worth of cat sitting. Misc savings is a bit for trades, DIY, carpet cleaner etc. Other insurance is medical and income protection. Buildings insurance includes contents. I did include holiday, but that will be covered by a bonus. Therapy I'm not actively doing right now, but very likely to start it up again within the next few months.

Our actual emergency fund is sat at £900 - adding £100 a month minimum after wiping it (and the rest) on the replacement car.

Statement of Affairs and Personal Balance Sheet

Household Information

Number of adults in household........... 2

Number of children in household......... 0

Number of cars owned.................... 2

Monthly Income Details

Monthly income after tax................ 4211.88

Partners monthly income after tax....... 2027.18

Benefits................................ 0

Other income............................ 0

Total monthly income.................... 6239.06

Monthly Expense Details

Mortgage................................ 907

Secured/HP loan repayments.............. 318

Rent.................................... 0

Management charge (leasehold property).. 0

Council tax............................. 179

Electricity............................. 150

Gas..................................... 0

Oil..................................... 0

Water rates............................. 34.85

Telephone (land line)................... 0

Mobile phone............................ 34.6

TV Licence.............................. 15.03

Satellite/Cable TV...................... 0

Internet Services....................... 31.99

Groceries etc. ......................... 520

Clothing................................ 25

Petrol/diesel........................... 150

Road tax................................ 40

Car Insurance........................... 90

Car maintenance (including MOT)......... 150

Car parking............................. 0

Other travel............................ 5.5

Childcare/nursery....................... 0

Other child related expenses............ 0

Medical (prescriptions, dentist etc).... 75

Pet insurance/vet bills................. 150

Buildings insurance..................... 18.83

Contents insurance...................... 0

Life assurance ......................... 35.27

Other insurance......................... 76.38

Presents (birthday, christmas etc)...... 100

Haircuts................................ 112.42

Entertainment........................... 112.63

Holiday................................. 120

Emergency fund.......................... 100

Cat costs............................... 192.26

Misc Savings............................ 150

Therapy................................. 86.75

Fitness................................. 123.25

Cleaner................................. 122.5

Discretionary Spending.................. 713.07

Total monthly expenses.................. 4939.33

Assets

Cash.................................... 12601

House value (Gross)..................... 205000

Shares and bonds........................ 0

Car(s).................................. 8000

Other assets............................ 0

Total Assets............................ 225601

Secured & HP Debts

Description....................Debt......Monthly...APR

Mortgage...................... 122031...(907)......5.72

PCP............................17675....(318)......2.99

Total secured & HP debts...... 139706....-.........- 

Unsecured Debts

Description....................Debt......Monthly...APR

Lloyds.........................10300.....258.......0

MBNA...........................1600......25........0

Total unsecured debts..........11900.....283.......-

Monthly Budget Summary[/b]

Total monthly income.................... 6,239.06

Expenses (including HP & secured debts). 4,939.33

Available for debt repayments........... 1,299.73

Monthly UNsecured debt repayments....... 283

Amount left after debt repayments....... 1,016.73

Personal Balance Sheet Summary

Total assets (things you own)........... 225,601

Total HP & Secured debt................. -139,706

Total Unsecured debt.................... -11,900

Net Assets.............................. 73,995

Created using the SOA calculator at www.LemonFool.co.uk.

Reproduced on Moneysavingexpert with permission, using other browser.

DD265

Some of the obvious changes we could make would be no more cleaner (over my dead body) and no more personal training (over my broken body). The cleaner particularly vastly improves our quality of life and I would give up so many things before stopping that. The personal training I will admit I am not quite as attached to, but he's a physio and my body often has niggles so I do view our sessions as money well spent. I never increased to two sessions a week - I'd planned to, when I made my final student loan repayment, then husband left his job and that whole saga started - but now I have no intention of increasing the number of PT sessions.

Where I do want to be more mindful in 2026 is discretionary spending; the pot that includes takeaways, day trips, hobbies, clothes and general unnecessary expenditure. We find it very easy to justify fast food or a takeway, and even a weekly trip to Greggs for two of us is £10 a pop. Similarly nipping into the corner shop usually results in buying more than the specific thing, often at inflated prices. Clothes are a fun one because I have OK-to-wear-around-the-cats gear (between the claws and white hairs...), fitness gear which does overlap quite a bit with allotment gear, and I-need-to-look-presentable-for-work gear which has mostly been my focus in the latter half of 2025. However my wardrobe is now full to bursting and I have enough of everything, so with one exception*, it will be replacements only going forward and one-in-one-out.

*I bought a really nice jumper from TK Maxx at the start of the month. Wore it once - merino wool - and promptly felted it in the washing machine despite washing at 30C. If I can find another, I will pick it up. I have £30 on a gift card for TK Maxx so hopefully the stars will align. And I won't machine wash the replacement!

The other thing I want to work on, well two closely linked things. The first is the amount of time I spend planning to buy things, and the second is how as soon as we have money, I have a backlog of purchases which I struggle not to make immediately. Any tips for both of those are more than welcome

Humdinger1

Well done @DD265.  Putting an SOA together is a big job.  Do you have that amount of cash spare at the end of each month? Humdinger 

DD265

@Humdinger1 it's hard to say because the premise of YNAB is that every penny has a job, so it all gets allocated in the budget and that makes it difficult to see what was 'leftover'. But it feels reasonable, with the caveat that we usually have plans for it already so it's not strictly left over; big car maintenance jobs (the monthly budget should cover these - and it would've if I wasn't having to repeat them on a "new" car), big home maintenance jobs, exceptional purchases etc.

On the subject of which - the office shelves were fully painted then waxed and the Lego is in situ. Thankfully we have room to expand the modular buildings; for now the extra space is taken over with other sets. They do look good. My car has a new set of tyres; I got a brilliant deal from National getting all four tyres for £600 fitted, vs £720 just to buy the tyres elsewhere, so these didn't actually need any extra money putting aside, although the car maintenance pot is now empty. They were fitted on the 2nd and I was grateful for them this week, as I was travelling for work and naturally driving home into the severe weather warning, although I managed to leave early enough to dodge the snow.

And we've booked a holiday to Zante, paying only the deposit but again the boxing day sales came up trumps and we managed to stack a blue light discount as well. When we aligned the time we could get off from work, we've ended up booking the last full week of June so of course it costs more than it would've when we wanted to go at the start of the month, and we've noticed the across-the-board price increases too as it's the most we've ever paid for a holiday. We have to pay the balance by mid-April, so spare cash between now and then will go to it, and whatevers left to pay will be covered by my bonus at the end of March. This will be the first holiday we go on that is fully paid for before we travel which is a step in the right direction.

Appreciate that not going on holiday at all to focus on debt repayments would be the sensible thing, but I need a break away from home and the pressures of being productive all the time. 5 days back at work last week felt like 5 months! Going away in the UK is nice enough, but it's still full of decision making and planning, whereas an all inclusive overseas has very few decisions which can all be made in the moment; what do I want to eat from the buffet, am I enjoying this book or shall I pick another one?