Let's get this sorted then!

Rhyddid2026

Thanks everyone. I don't think any of my real life friends appreciate the beauty of the graph 😂
@FootyFanDan maybe my diary should come with a sidenote - no need to worry about my mental health I'm just being very honest about the emotions that come with this 😆

Rhyddid2026

Not much to report today. We had ice after yesterday's snow, and then more snow on top of that this morning. I wasn't sure I was going to be able to safely get off my hill. Thankfully some neighbours got the grit out. A year ago I bought tickets to see a show with family today. They went for food afterwards but I came straight home (MSE and worried about getting back up the hill after dark). 
I've coloured in my first square on the debt tracker I've printed, for paying as much as possible off CC2 (NW2) by July.  The DD should be going out tomorrow too, so I'll be able to colour off a few more. I have increased the DD for this card, and decreased the DD for a card with longer 0% as the minimum payment has reduced. So I still pay the same amount off credit cards each month, but split it differently. With the DDs only I should get it down to 4,700, but my tracker aims to get it down to 4,360 so I am hoping to pay an extra 340 off it through second job, pay rise, and any spare pennies. The 0% ends in July. That should be doable! Obviously the more I pay off it the better, but that seemed like a sensible goal. And £20 a square seemed like a good amount to keep me motivated. 
I found a pair of new boots still in the box, in the cupboard over the stairs. They are now in the spare bedroom with the other stuff waiting for me to get on Vntd.

BrimfulofSascha

It's been so good to catch up after a six week hiatus!

Do you know what is most impressive about your debt pay off graph? how linear it is. You might have dipped into your EF but (unlike me) you haven't at any point added to your debt.
£8k is a huge amount of debt to have shifted. My year end progression was the sae in the end.

It's also lovely seeing you recognise the other progress you have made, such as your post-covid health, the decluttering.

And congratulations on the job! change is uncomfortable, that's why they call them growing pains. You're going to smash it.

Proud of you lovely.

L&L
Sascha

Rhyddid2026

Aw thank you @BrimfulofSascha ! I think a little bit got added on in the first few weeks when I did a balance transfer, but apart from that I haven't added to it. I don't think. I always used to have more of an all or nothing mentality so it's been a real challenge to make slow consistent progress, financially and with my health and my home. It is a much healthier way to do things all round though. I'm hoping the slow progress means it's more sustainable. So I have to remind myself of that when I want to do drastic things for the dopamine hit! Ha! 

The good news is.... my boss replied to my email this morning so now I have it all in writing. I feel like I can now officially announce and celebrate my new role. There are still lots to figure out, but he's generally letting me do what I think best, as long as it aligns with what the money people want. I start 4 weeks today. 

A DD came out today for my credit card, so I got to colour in a few more squares of the tracker. 

I was out at a work meeting for lunch today so no potatoes used yet, I'll have to think of a way to have some for tea. I quite fancy potato salad, so I could make enough for the next couple of days. It feels a bit cold for potato salad but the fire is lit so I'll see how I feel in an hour. 

Cara_

That's great news about your job.

doingitanyway

I'm glad you now have formal confirmation re the job!

jwil

Great news about the job!

Rhyddid2026

The potato salad was lovely and was very welcome for lunch yesterday when I was in near back to back meetings all day. 
I'm thinking fish n chips for tea, with home made chips to use up a potato. I don't think I've ever made homemade chips in the air fryer. Should be straightforward. 
When trying to sort out the tax and shut down and old business I accidently logged on to my personal MHRC info, and found that I was due a refund of almost £350. I asked for that back straight away and it's already showing as about to enter my account. I am thinking of paying £150 off a credit card, spending £150 on the kitchen tiles I've been trying to get for months (got £200 saved in a pot already), and then spending £50 on a massage because I haven't had one for at least a year and my shoulders are up around my ears and I sound like a glow stick when I move. That seems like a good compromise, a bit for past present and future me. 
I have dug out my dress for the wedding on Friday, haven't tried it on yet though. I know it's not a traditional wedding (and small, and in January) but I am still feeling odd for wearing red and considering wearing boots. It's like my grandmother's voice is in my head with all those old fashioned rules about what is acceptable. 

doingitanyway

Yay for the unexpected windfall!

Rhyddid2026

Air fryer chips were good! Will definitely make them again. I always used to make chips, I have no idea why I started buying frozen. I am almost at the end of my first bag of Christmas potatoes.
I did spend some money on seeds today, it was a stressy couple of days in work, I wanted a cheap treat, and some seeds I've been trying to buy for 2 or 3 years were available (Mr Bethel's purple podded peas). I also bought lettuce to grown for the tortoise, and some welsh bunching onion (perennial) seeds. I have had a bunching onion for a few years but whilst it grows every year it's never duplicated and the bulbils it produced last year didn't really grow. I'm going to sow the seeds in the bed where leeks usually are.
I've also tried to set up the credit card I'm focused on repaying as a bill payment from my bank account so I can pay small amounts regularly. They don't make it easy as they want you to pay through their own app. I'm waiting to make sure the 92p trial amount shows as successful.