There is always tomorrow

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Other matters this week that have now been dealt with and caught up are:
Horses are less hairy and currently sunbathing in this lovely weather.  
Batch cooking 3 currys in the freezer along with 6 homemade fishcakes, storage tub of biscuits, cakes and welshcakes ready for munching this week.
Vinted has slowed down but I have held off buying any new stock as I didn't want to increase the debt.
Also the buy to let is not happening - the way I feel right now I want to go live off grid without any large fat cats having access to my money and my life. I want to be more in control of myself, my choices and my life as a whole.

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DH and I fancied bacon and egg for tea last night.  I fancied mushrooms and sometimes this time of year the wild ones are growing in the fields.  I went to have a look but nothing there at all, hopefully there will be some this year at some time. 
Blackberries are coming along nicely but DH does not like them, although DS does so DIL picks them usually and freezes them.
Shopping is going ok, this weeks was £57.54 so keeping under the £60 nicely.  I am having to cook a lot on the weekends though but it is worth it, food tastes nicer and I know exactly what I am putting in it. DH has another special little pizza tonight and I am having fish cakes, both with chips I expect.
We have a horrid weed called ragwort in the fields and it is poisonous to horses, for years we have tried to eradicate it but the smallholding next door seems to grow it happily.  Anyway I am currently trying a potion found online to kill it.  There were two in the front garden so I mixed a small amount and put it on them last night. Result....brown withered leaves this morning, apparently it takes 7 days and the root is dead as well.  Best thing is the cost is minimal compared to the agri weedkillers.  Oh I also potted up some runners from strawberry plants.  Ours are ancient and don't give out much fruit, I think I will have around 8 fresh plants, so may do some more if these take.
I joined the local library yesterday, it felt good! I borrowed a book related to the training I will be undertaking for work in September that saved me some money.  Libraries are soooooo quiet, very therapeutic.

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I've worked out as far as I can the extra payments needed this month.  I need car insurance, car mot, travel insurance and euros. In all an extra £581.  If I aim for raising an additional £600 that would feel good.  It is a lot of money but it is important for me to be honest and not behave like the ostrich I usually am. To be honest, I wanted to aim for £595 to make me feel better, but in reality even £595 is not enough, so £600 is the bare minimum.  
I have a few ideas of how to raise some money but £600 is really going to tax me!  If I am again honest, I can't see us getting anywhere near it but I am going to try, very hard! 

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Busy day today, had a lovely walk with family in the local woodland park, rained a lot but so what it's only water.
Spent the afternoon shopping with DH, we seem to go about twice a year so it's nice when we do. DH needed new sandals for the holiday, last pair he bought was in 2005 so he's had his moneys worth out of them. 
I bought some slimming world meals, I've eaten a burger already and that was lovely!  I came home at 3.30 starving and devoured a bake pot, burger and salad then had some grapes. I was 1lb down this morning and tbh I was surprised as I felt I ate lots yesterday.
I've cleaned the kitchen and done the dishes but the housework thingy today is going to have to wait till tomorrow.
Tesco due later, wish they had already been , just want tea and then want to get to sleep so bed early for me tonight. 

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Wish September was already here moneywise, so I can start putting pots away so I don't ever have expenses that are unplanned without adequate savings to cover them.  I keep telling myself I'm doing good and things are going to get better.

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So September is a few days away. I decided to keep away from here for a couple of months as things were only getting worse and didn't want to feel accountable for the lack of improvement when I was trapped and unable to do anything.
Fresh start as I said, there is always tomorrow.
1. I start university this September and as a result finances have changed.
2. I have a new job starting in October this will bring in added funds but is part time and flexible just to increase the debt payments.
3. I have prolific surveys as well have always managed to get at least £50 a month without even trying so sods law this time there wont be any surveys available.  Any money earned will go to the pots or debt.
September is the first month we are able to transfer money into pots in readiness for need rather than chasing our tails to find money once it's in effect been spent.  
DH wants to go on holiday in November and is with me on the budget. Whatever we have said in the holiday pot is what we have and that is it. We have both agreed whatever DH earns in addition to the budgeted amount I am expecting will go towards the holiday.  Obviously we will still be frugal and wont spent over and above our usual if we manage to save that much. Equally we wont spend any more than what is in the pot regardless.
All pots are set up and ready to be filled. I have a buffer pot which will be my emergency fund for now. Holidays, horses, insurance, car, shopping, one for me and one for DH, savings and a birthdays and Christmas pot.  

It is our children's birthdays this month, they will have £100 each, DD has already had hers and have put DS's ready for him so no need to think any further on that one.
Shopping budget for September is £260.23, any left over will stay in the account for next month and if there is any left over then will be transferred to the buffer account or any other account that seems to need it, probably the debt. If I transfer over after the first month I will inevitably need more shopping so I would rather be safe and wait a clear month before moving it over.
Hopefully no car expenses this month, mot and insurance are done, diesel tank is full and tax is monthly and budgeted for. We do however (forgot about this damn!) have RAC breakdown to think about, runs out today actually! Will discuss this with DH tonight. Just saw a breakdown company Start rescue good reviews starting at £28 per a year, sounds to good to be true, RAC is usually around the £200.
Horses feet are trimmed, hay and straw in the barn will last around a fortnight if they come in and we have feed for about a week. I've budgeted for £100 to go to their account on 17th Sept and then the recurring transfer on 1st of each month thereafter. That one will be tight.  Might have to rob Peter to pay Paul but I WILL NOT INCREASE DEBT it can be borrowed from holiday or other fund and will have to pay it back.
House insurance is due in January and there wont be the full amount in the pot, there will however be enough in savings so it will be another Peter to pay Paul situation but again this is fine as it wont increase the debt.
Each month and year that passes it will get easier.  Once the pots begin to fill monthly as per the budget there will be enough in the holiday, horses, house insurance etc. to cover themselves. I need to avoid debt at all cost. This then means any extra we earn can go directly to the debt,
So September I am aiming to pay the normal loan payment as it is on a low interest rate and over pay the credit card. Payment to credit card will be £400.  This is a £250 over-payment. I am here for the long hall but that's ok as long as the debt keeps on going down.
Frugal things I do and will keep doing.
Make bread daily. Cakes and biscuits when I can (I can't do it all the time I haven't got it in me). 

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I don't get out enough, I do all my shopping online and have it delivered. I stick to the same things week after week and my bill is growing. I'm going to pop to my local Lidl in my lunch hour twice a week and possibly on the weekend instead.  I'm going to be good, I will stick to my list unless there is something discounted that we use and will need very soon i.e. that week or next week.  It gets me out of the house and I get to see the discounts as well.  Plus Lidl offer free bakery items once you spend a certain amount. Anyway I will be going to University two days a week so might do a shop on one of those days and save on the diesel.  
I am taking soup and a homemade roll with me on my learning days to save money, although they do a fab tuna and red onion baguette in the canteen! I've already bought my books and pens etc. so no more expense in that area.  The car is very good on diesel so wont cost me much at all and the university is in the local college so only a few miles down the road.
I have £8.25 in my prolific as of today.

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Shocking how things can change overnight. I woke up to a notification from my bank warning me about going overdrawn. I wont lie I felt sick, what have I forgotten now!? Turns out it was a DD that went through to the CC that I had cancelled but obviously not in time, no warning it was not going to cancel though. Anyway on top of the payment I made yesterday the additional (cancelled) DD has put me overdrawn.  Not a lot I can do really. If I take money from my plum pots they wont clear in time so will be overdrawn overnight and my wages are due in tomorrow so again will have to remain overdrawn overnight. Just had to resign myself I will have to pay one nights interest (not cool). 
On a better note, I was going into town today at lunchtime to do my little top up shop, to get me out and about and also to make sure I don't miss discounts but I am going tomorrow as well to meet a friend. I don't want to go twice so checked the cupboards last night and the only thing that I can't wait for is butter.  I found two blocks of unsalted butter that I didn't get round to using for cake icing so I whisked them up with some salt and put the mix in a tub. DH says it tastes fine.  Not only have I used the two blocks of butter but have saved on one lot of diesel. Winner.
My electricity company emailed to offer me a £5 discount if I signed up to receive points, uhhh yeahh, so £5 off the electricity bill this month.  It's on a fixed so no increase in October thank goodness.

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Another little win to report.  I signed up for a course which was absolute rubbish so cancelled it. They are still taking payments from my account despite lots of complaints. I have also complained to my CC company who told me it is not their business (in so many words). I am ringing them again at lunchtime to ask for a refund. I have also cancelled the card, as a result I have had emails from a few other companies telling me they can't take this months payment....GOOD! One of which is Purdy and Figg, I ordered as a treat a few month ago and they set it on an auto renew without my permission, I have tried and tried to cancel it, but they are not listening. No response to any emails I have sent.  This morning they emailed to say I can't have any more items due to lack of card details. WIN!  To be honest if I have learned anything from this, is how easy it is to buy on a CC, especially one linked to subscriptions. Out of sight out of mind. I am not doing it anymore, the CC will not be used, if I don't have it in a pot we go without or if it is desperate/urgent I borrow from another pot. It's going to be hard but I am serious about this. The debt has to go, my money needs to be my money from now on.  Worst thing is I don't even feel like I have anything to show for the debt, just a load of rubbish that I don't have anymore.  I tend to jump to the end of problems with a fix and then breathe a sigh of relief, I hate the grey/in between bit. I am going to have to get used to the in between bit as I can't get to the end of the debt road overnight.

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The breakdown cover has been sorted. DH thinks it's the type of thing you don't need until you do need it. So I renewed with RAC. I went through topcashback and had (obviously still waiting) £40 back. The breakdown for the year with the option for them to take us wherever we need to go was £140 so £100 after the cashback - hope it tracks now.  Paid for it out of the bank so more overdrawn until tomorrow but at least not on the  CC where it will be forgotten, allowed and ignored. Prolific is up to £11.29.