Let's get this sorted then!

Rhyddid2026

Thanks both. No problem @itsthelittlethings, I used to be an all or nothing kind of person but I've made a real effort to be calmer and more consistent with this. It's paying off because I've been able to keep going for 14months, but sometimes I still get the urge to sell all my belongings, take on 14 jobs, leave the country, or do something equally ridiculous to pay it off quicker.

I did get a little spendy yesterday, but nothing too crazy. I ordered a raspberry red sweatshirt for work (so I'm not a floating head on Teams) and some new face cream because the one I've used for years is no longer available. I've been managing to find it in obscure places for about 2 years. I hope the new one is as good. My tortoise also needed a new bulb but that money was accounted for from my pots.

Today I stayed in bed until lunchtime. I bathed the dog, who then went back into the garden and got muddy within the hour. I've put a load of washing on. I've hung some of my shirts and tops up in the wardrobe. Used up some tasty (kibbeh, salad, and pitta) food for lunch (Christmas cheap veg cabbage is now all gone). I've downloaded some free books on audible. I had a good scrub in the shower, I've got deep conditioner on my hair, and plenty of moisturiser on my face. It will be good to give my face a good break from makeup this week. I have also dyed my half white eyebrow. I'm seeing today as prep for my week off, some TLC for me as well as the household. It's been nice to do little jobs that usually get pushed back because I have bigger more important or urgent jobs to do.

I've booked in to yoga at 9am tomorrow. I can't really moan about not getting a lie in when I stayed in bed til lunchtime today.

I'm waiting for my big shop to be delivered and then I'll be making a venison and pork mince Bolognese for the freezer.

I'm looking forward to changing my signature tomorrow with my monthly update.

Rhyddid2026

I did a couple of hours work so that I don't have to turn my laptop on all week.

Massive batch of Bolognese is cooling ready to be bagged and frozen. I hope I like it, I've made 2.5 litres!😂

Dogs have been walked. The old dog is still limping so the meds haven't made much difference. I'll phone the vet for more tomorrow.

No big jobs have been started. Maybe tomorrow 😁

Rhyddid2026

My maths was obviously off on Thursday evening when I planned what money was being sent where. I appear to be over my overdraft limit this morning. Luckily I hadn't booked the chimney sweep so I've put that money back in to my current account. I'll book it in for April or I'll take it out of the house fund. I also hadn't considered that I might have to pay the optician today when I go for my long overdue check up.

It's a good job I hadn't planned anything too exciting/expensive for my week off.

I did my weekly finances this morning and my total debt came to 27,003. Absolutely not! For some reason one of my DDs for a credit card hasn't gone out yet, but I couldn't possibly leave that awful number in my signature for a month, so I've made an extra payment of a fiver to my loan. Phew! I did try to pay it off a credit card but the bank wasn't allowing it for some reason.

My emergency fund is back up to £1,500 but that includes an extra 100 that I put into premium bonds instead of paying it off my credit card. I'm going to include those chunks of potential overpayment in my emergency fund until May or June. If I haven't needed it in an emergency then I will pay it off my credit card before the 0%ends. I'm keeping track of the amount on my debt repayment document. I need £1,750 in my emergency fund to cover a month of essential outgoings so that's my next goal. That number should come down eventually though, as my debts reduce.

So the five milestones I've met this year are:

1st milestone – debts plus student loan under 60k ✔️

2nd milestone - get EF back up to £1,000 ✔️

3rd milestone – get NatWest 2 under 5k ✔️

4th milestone - Increase pension payments to 10% ✔️

5th milestone – 1st D overdraft down to £100✔️

next goal - 6th milestone - EF £1,750 = one month’s essential expenses

My credit card debt is now well under 16k, and my overall debt now starts with a 26 instead of a 36. I need to remember these achievements every time I start to fret that I should be doing more. Which is currently at least 17 times a day.

Rhyddid2026

The opticians only cost me a fiver, yey!

I filled up with fuel while I was out.

I've tackled one of my big outstanding tasks (thanks to all the gentle naggers on the March Forward thread).

I've planted out the pansies and violas.

I went to yoga and had a nap.

BrimfulofSascha

Hey RHyd.

It's been nice catching up on your diary. I've been so inconsistent with updating. I need to come back.

Sorry to hear about Blod. My daughter would love a duck but I'm not sure the cats would agree.

I know it doesn't always feel like when you're living in it but your life sounds so lovely (except the work stress) Gardening, a menagerie of animals, lovely open fires, yoga. what bliss.

Well done on upping your pension, the 25% milestone, and being so close to a full month emergancy fund. I hope you appreciate how much financial literacy you have gained in this process.

sending love

S

Rhyddid2026

My ducks chase the neighbours cats out of the garden @BrimfulofSascha ! I really want to get another two white ducks, I'm trying to resist but the garden is just too quiet.

Today I have had a lazy day, and I have been mostly content when I haven't been communicating with other people 😂 I think I just need to be a hermit in my little hermit house with my little hermit animals.

I had a lie in, and had some nice food at home, listened to an audiobook while I did some gardening. It's nice to feel like I'm early with prepping the garden.

Annoyingly none of my credit card direct debits have come out, even though they are with two different companies. I am not sure what's going on, but I can't do much tonight as the app for the bank account they come out of is down. The first one is officially due on 5th so I have a day or two to sort it. I want to see those numbers drop though!!

Dakota_Rose

I too am happiest when hermiting 😂

Rhyddid2026

I chickened out of waiting, cancelled all the DDs and made manual payments. I'll set them back up in the next couple of days.

Rhyddid2026

I went out to lovely calming acupuncture yesterday and came back to destruction from the dog. She ate a months worth of supplements that had been delivered. I had quite a bit of cleaning up to do. She hasn't scavenged for a couple of years but used to be really bad. On Monday she chewed a plastic holder of stanley knives. She often reacts to my stress levels or my hormone levels. I shouldn't be too stressed as I'm off work for the week. I've made a doctors appointment to discuss transferring my private prescription of hormones to the NHS. I might have to pay for one last private consultation to get them adjusted first though.

Luckily I was able to access and online vet and reassured that she just needed to be kept an eye on and they shouldn't harm her other than an upset tummy.

I am housesitting today so I haven managed to get a very overdue task done, and as usual something I put off for 6 months has taken me 2 hours.

Nothing much to report regarding finances, other than I stupidly ordered a takeaway last night, despite having plenty of food in, because when I am stressed/upset I eat. It's been my lunch today and will be my tea tonight too, so although it was an impulsive spend it will feed me for 3 meals. It's better than some other forms of stress relief I guess!

Don't suppose anyone knows how long it would usually take to get paid when you do guest lecturing? Bit of a long shot, but I did some at the end of Jan and start of Feb and expected to be paid by the end of February. I suppose if they waited til I'd done them all to submit to payroll it might be the end of March. I'll email them at some point.

Rhyddid2026

I managed to get plenty of rest and a few things done on my week off. The highlight was probably the bubble bath I had when I was housesitting. There have been many highs and lows, but I have survived it and am in a better place than I was a week ago. Some boundaries have also been put in place, if only in my own head so far.

I got 4 big or very overdue things done. I'm hopeful that this will clear the path for me to have some fun and enjoyment in the coming months. I can't remember the last time I did a proper belly laugh, or my eyes were sparkling. A bit of that has to be factored in to 2026 plans.

A pair of cheap (£6) black Levi jeans from vntd don't fit well so will be relisted or sent to the charity shop, but the more expensive pair that I bought last week (£28 new with tags) fit beautifully, although are maybe an inch too long. Easily fixed and still a bargain. They've had a rinse and I'll be wearing them when I go out for food this evening.

Finances are done for the week. I need to work on some more cash coming in, so I need to chase the wages from the additional work I did at the end of January and I need to list some stuff on vntd. I have a load of things in the spare bedroom just waiting for photos to be taken. I might do a couple now.