Let's get this sorted then!

Rhyddid2026

In other news, the chimney sweep has been and he cost £10 less than I had put aside so that's a bit more in my bank to last til payday.

This whole putting money aside in advance thing is good innit!! I feel like I've been given £10 instead of the usual scrambling around for pennies and hoping I've got enough.

Who'd have thunk it!

MillQueen

Oh my god, LOOK AT THEM!!!! 😍 You are doing good at getting the debt under control and building the life you want for you and the feathery friends. They might feel about their box like humans feel about a house… it's not perfect but it's warm and has been there when they needed it. Will they graduate to a bigger box, or just roam free? Imagine living their lives of no debt to think about just quacking.

Rhyddid2026

Oops I found some seeds in my post box. Chinese cabbage, pineapple courgette, and red orach spinach.

The ducklings had a couple of hours out in the garden today. I put them in an outside dog crate so they could stay safe. They got into water for the first time, it was lovely to watch, like something switched on in them and they realised what fun water could be. They dunked and splashed and had an awesome time. Then they dried off in the sun and preened the few feathers that have come through.

I'll try to give them an hour or two outside every day now, so the others can get used to them. The ducks stayed close and took great interest. The chickens tried to peck them. In another 2 weeks they might be able to live outside but for now they'll be living in the downstairs bathroom.

Rhyddid2026

Weekly finances done.

I don't need to do my next balance transfer til the end of June, but I do need to make sure my credit score has bounced back up by December for the next transfer. I was going to look when I got back from holiday and do it some time in May, I've already got the old cards down to the goal amount (10k). I've just had a look and only one card will give me 0% transfer fee with a 10k limit, and they're offering £20 cashback if I do it by 28/04. It's only £20 and I wouldn't choose the card for that reason, but if there's only one card and it makes no other difference other than I'll get £20 if I do it this weekend then I might as well, right?

It's probably too late to stop the DD for the existing cards, which comes out around 2nd, but I could balance transfer all but £100 off each of them (the amount of my DD) and then the balance will be 0 next week ready to close. Am I missing/forgetting something?

I'm transferring 2 months early but the new card gives me 14 months interest free when I was only looking for 12, so that cancels it out.

🤔

Baileys_Babe

I can't think of anything you are missing 🤗

Rhyddid2026

Thanks @Baileys_Babe sometimes I just need to say/type it out loud and see if I notice anything as I'm typing, but it's good to get another person's view too. I don't want to do it impulsively and then regret it. Maybe I'll go cook my tea and do it once I've eaten.

Rhyddid2026

Barclaycard applied for and accepted. I only needed a 10k limit but they've given me 12k, very nice. I might think about transferring some of my LLoyds credit card on, but I've got 60days to decide. No rush.

So the plan is to do those transfers of the 2 Natwest credit cards now I've got them down to under 10k. That'll mean I have 2 credit cards instead of 3. I'll still pay £300 off them in total, I'll probably split it £100 off Lloyds and £200 off Barclaycard as it has the biggest balance. Although the LLoyds 0% ends in December so it might make more sense to try to clear as much of that as possible. We'll see.

Extra money for the next few months will go towards paying as much of the personal loan as possible as now I've got to my 2 CC goal, my focus can shift back to the highest interest (8.9% 😱). The payments are £205 a month but I pay at least £225. April 25 to April 26 I paid over 3k off it. I might set myself a 6 month goal and make myself a chart to colour in again.

ETA tracker made 😊 I'm going to aim to pay £2,000 off it by the end of October (while still slightly overpaying everything else).

PennysIntoPounds

Excellent MSEing 🥂

Though don't forget to add in a small amount to the budget to go to a treats/feeling like b*gger it pot

MillQueen

You are doing good with the credit card gymnastics of planning that, and 2 credit cards feels somehow psychologically more manageable, even if the amount is the same as 3, it just feels better.

It does makes sense to focus mostly on reducing the loan with the higher rate, I agree.

Rhyddid2026

Another absolutely bonkers week at work (and we're only halfway through Wednesday). I am looking forward to having friday off and the weekend away!

A relative gave me some money from an inheritance/house sale they had, so I was able to pay for my holiday accommodation and my medication before payday. Yey!

I have been told that payroll for my additional job at the end of Jan and start of Feb changed their processes and that's why I haven't been paid yet. They have said it will be processed ASAP, but can't give me any actual timelines.

I am feeling ancient from these hard weeks at work, so I've booked another day off mid May so I can enjoy a long weekend to try to recharge. My replacement/help should be starting on 18th.

My payslip for my main job came through this morning. I still can't figure out how the numbers are so different to the online calculators but I'm getting used to it. My pay went up with my payrise but my pension contributions didn't increase, which I don't understand as I'm contributing a percentage. I'll check with payroll when I have some energy. I also want to increase my contributions again, maybe to 12% because the employer puts 3% and 15% is a nice number. I would like to figure out why it didn't increase this month first though.

I'm not paying any extra off my debts this month, other than the increased amounts already set by DD. It's my birthday month and I want to spend some money on myself and my house so that I can feel like working this insane amount is benefitting me in some tangible way. I have already decided one of my treats to make life easier this month will be having my car cleaned. I have 2 dogs and the hoover just doesn't pick up enough of their hair. I turn up to every visit covered in white hair (and I dress predominantly in black) and it's really really getting to me now. It takes me a few hours to clean the inside of the car with a combination of hoover and rubber brush, and it's never actually free of dog hair. I'm calling in a professional. Also, yesterday, horror of horrors, I was on a training course and I could claim my lunch back, but because my car is so gross I had to walk to a supermarket for a meal deal instead of driving to M&S food hall!!! That was the final straw! 😂

I've just emptied the car out and given it a quick wipe in preparation. I've contacted a local business who comes to you to clean the car, and I've warned him that the carpets are meant to be black but are currently long piled white.

I'm also eating far too many carbs for someone who will be in a bikini in public in a few days time but I don't really care. I'm just trying to survive the week.

No new card from Barclays yet, but no rush as I'll be doing the balance transfers next week once the existing DDs have gone out.