Dear Diary - help me be Debt Free

Aussieonabudget

Congratulations - thats fantastic news!

Keeping_Positive

Congratulations thats brilliant, Hope you are feeling well.

in_debt_again_but_dealing_with_it

Yay babies! I have 4 my oldest is nearly 21 and youngest 6 and I'd happily have another and I'm 43 - eek!! Sorry for the thread hi-jack you don't even know me - lol!

Congratulations lots of good luck and baby glue!

IDA
x

Lucifa73

All welcome - I like to be hijacked. It makes me feel loved:p and I think my diary might expand beyond NSDs to baby budgetting and advice so I'll need as many experts as I can get my hands on!!!

Due date around 11 Feb apparently. I've got an appointment with a midwife at 2 today - I really wanted to talk to someone 'official' before I go on holiday.

And whoever suggested ginger biscuits as an aide to morning sickness - thanks!!! I'd been feeling queasy for three days and just tthought I'd eaten something dodge. 2 ginger crunch creams and I'm feeling much more settled...

Lucifa73

That's us just back from 2 weeks of being at Mum and Dads. They are delighted with the Bean news and spent the entire time spoling me rotten. I barely washed a pot the whole time I was away.

Mum got carried away and I think between us we have every new born knitting pattern published since 1973!!! Mum's making the shawl for bringing Bean home and I've managed some mittens and bootees (Mum fixed my tension problem so I'm going great guns now!) They've also offered to buy us the pushchair/car seat combo thingy which is fab and there will no doubt be the 'odd little thing', espescially if its a granddaughter this time around!

Being with Mum and Dad on holiday meant it was realtively low spend wise. Need to get on the banking sites and update my numbers but we should be okay this month and might even get a little something put into the joint savings towards Bean stuff/house deposit.

I really need to crack this Money Saving thing in order to maximise maternity leave otherwise I'll be practically straight back to work which isn't great.

Anyway, enough of my ramblings for now. Will be back on when I've done my sums again.

Luc xxx

kika

Just found thread, congratulations! Good news and I'm glad you've been spoilt. I find the old style forum addictive and love the recipes.

Lucifa73

Have had a bit of a rough weekend (migraines with no medication are NOT fun. I still feel woozy and the migraine actually lifted Friday night) healthwise but the Hubbles has been fantastically supportive. I think I almost fell off my chair when the midwife started talking about domestic abuse as I can't really imagine anything more unlikely in him;) . Still its better that they address these things in case it encourages those who are suffering to come forwar so they can get help.

On a more MSE note, the debts have not got worse following the break, although neither have they got better as I had a little holiday splurge (mostly baby related - wool, needles etc.) and I need to pay for a couple of things for exam preparation.

I have spoken to our mortgage provider and they have advised that we will be entitled to a 6 month payment holiday while I am on maternity leave. I realise the interest will add on to the back of the mortgage but at least we won't have to resort to credit cards to survive and we'll be able to continue to pay off existing cards/loans while I'm on SMP so once I go back to work we'll be a bit closer to saving for a deposit for a new house.

I was really pleased to come in so low on the June grocery challenge and hope to do the same, if not better, this month. I take it as a good omen that I got farmers market bargains yesterday. Enough tomatoes and peppers to make a good passata for tea tonight with some left over for the end of the week. I still need to go through cupboards/freezer to see what I've got but should have a good basis for a low spend month. August might be a bit more expensive as I'll need to restock some things (pasta, rice, meat) but the healthy eating plan is definitely cheaper than the convenience plan and as I am a little overweight I don't want to gain any more in early pregnancy ( i dream that the Bean will consume my flab...).

Soon we'll be trading in the car for a nicer and cheaper one which will reduce, if not entirely eliminate, the finance on that. We want to get a reliable family car that won't need replacing any time soon. Hubbles is hoping to sell the car for a little more than is owed on the finance to give a decent deposit, along with his savings. We might have to take £1k to £2k on finance but nothing like what we're paying for now.

Anyway, that's enough of a ramble for today.

Luc x

Lucifa73

Oh how the small things can make your day!!!

I've just looked at my budgetting spreadsheet for this month. After all remaining planned expenditure between now and next payday I should have £200 left in my account:j That means I can clear my holiday CC spends. Or I could chuck the whole lot at the HBoS overdraft which has a much higher rate of interest... Which should I do??? Either way that's the first month I've had money left over at the end of the month to chuck at debt and that's despite going on holiday. Okay it was at the 'Rents but we still had the odd cream tea (it would be rude not to in Cornwall:p ) and bits and bobs.

I'm dead pleased with myself:p :j :T :A

Lucifa73

Fell slightly off the wagon this morning. Its wet and miserable so couldn't resist dropping into Pret for a nice warm pretzel AND a lemon and orange muffin:o . So tasty though and my tum's settled after the train commute which is leaving me feeling a bit green at the gills presently.

Got quite annoyed last night. A threat of legal action came thorugh last night from the factors saying I hadn't paid the buildings insurance premium. I dug out the original bill and had noted on the face of it that I paid using their online facility. I need to check bank statement to make sure it did actually come off. Even if it didn't I'm still pi&&ed off because their system told me payment had been accepted. Either way I will be having words!!!

Lucifa73

Online banking is fab! Confirmed the payment had cleared our account and got straight on the phone to the factors. Got a miserable old trout on the phone who read out a standard apology statement. Apparently there's a problem with the system and the letters have gone out in error. Its just the latest in a long litany of mismanagement by this firm. If it were up to me we would be looking for new factors...:mad: