Our Journey from Debtdom to Freedom

hazeldreams · 16 August 2015 at 9:01AM

Morning All!

6 whole days since I last posted on here! That's testament how mega, mega busy this week has been and why I feel like I've gone ten rounds with Mike Tyson!!

Things on the whole are going well. Still within plan on grocery budget which has been my main focus this week. The freezers are stocked to bursting and the weekly shop literally consists of the fresh stuff, milk, eggs etc. I know we'll come in on plan for this this month, ideally I'd like to come in £38 under (10% down on our usual spend) but as its the first month I wont worry too much if it doesn't happen.

My spending hasn't been as good as it could've been however. I've had a couple of birthday celebrations for friends and a family day out last week which in total has resulted in spends of roughly £100 which I hadn't planned for. On the positive side though, rather than raking myself over the hot coals for this (which I'd normally do!) I've actually stopped myself by putting things into perspective; the celebrations and day out were on the whole frugally done; where we could have saved more and cut corners, we've learnt for next time and most importantly; we really, really enjoyed ourselves!

With the extra spends and not having listed anything on ebay yet, the chance of us hitting £2000 paid off this month is looking slim, but I still feel this will be achievable some months and on average over the year I'm hoping we exceed this figure.

Things are a little tight for the last two weeks of the month, but we've been here before so I know we'll be ok.

Tons and tons to do today, and I love a good list to tick off so here goes;

-finish off school uniform shopping
-finish off clearing out wardrobes to find ebay stuff to sell
-do top up food shop
-clean out fridge/freezer cupboards in kitchen
-find time to get out for a lovely walk with the kiddiwinks in the sunshine!!! (ought to put this one first really so it gets done and I'm not too tired at the end of the day!)

Anyway less chat more haste! Best get on with it!

Have a lovely day peeps!

hazeldreams · 19 August 2015 at 9:57PM

Evening peeps!

Hope everyone is well and you're winning with the debt-busting!

Things are slow and steady over here...plodding along with the small DFW things everyday:

-taking lunch to work everyday without fail
-charging mobile phone at work
-not using tumble dryer
-walk to train station (rather than paying bus fare)
-still under budget on grocery front (not by much though!):T

I'm finding that reminding myself of these little things is keeping me motivated especially as our DFD seems so very far away still.

I've also managed to tick some stuff off my list!
[STRIKE]-finish off school uniform shopping[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE] -finish off clearing out wardrobes to find eBay stuff to sell[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]-clean out fridge/freezer cupboards in kitchen[/STRIKE]
:T

New list!:rotfl:
-Get everything listed on eBay I've found this Sunday at the very latest!
-start clearing area in back garden for our own veg plot (we've been inspired by the neighbours!)

Other than that this weekend will be another busy one with friends here on Saturday for lunch - looking forward to it but with a big cook up planned I'll be exhausted afterwards!

brizzledfw · 19 August 2015 at 10:14PM

Have a great weekend and definitely do the Bay of E. We have raised loads recently..kids old toys have sold well and we also have quite a few bids on some furniture. I also love the feeling of space and calm when stuff we don't need or want anymore goes. We have also free cycled some things which gives the same result ( although nowt in way of income

!)

Fingers crossed for you on sales and debt pay downs generally

hazeldreams · 21 August 2015 at 7:02AM

Thanks brizzled! Definitely the last weekend I have the opportunity to flog some old school clothes etc...so this is my one and only mission on Sunday - eBaying is such a bore for me - it seems to take forever but worth sticking with nonetheless for the monetary reward, and as you say the feeling of calm when the clutter is gone!

The next 10 days are going to be extremely tight - we're talking the tightest I can remember within the last 2 years at least. MOTs, services, holidays, day trips, school uniform and birthdays have taken their toll and any unexpected surprise bills this month will really knock us over. However, we have paid all our utility bills, have enough food to last another month so essentials are taken care of at least.

Still no further forward with hitting the target of £2000 paid off the debt, fingers crossed some ebay sales before the end of the month will put a dent in the £300 deficit. We need £266.59 to hit 19% paid off and £1014 to hit 20% -ebaying will be highly unlikely to deliver these figures in their entirety, but its a target nonetheless we can work towards over the next 10 days, but with ebaying and payments in September I'm looking forward to colouring the extra 1.5 squares off my 100 square and taking small steps nearer to 0 and our DFD!

Happy Friday all!

brizzledfw · 23 August 2015 at 8:08AM

Gentle nag.. ie. Your conscience speaking!!

Done the Bay of E yet??

Also just reading your SOA again and maybe it's all sorted now.. But is that HMRC bill finally off the scene?

Just started raining here agin...ugh

Xx

hazeldreams · 23 August 2015 at 9:02AM

brizzledfw wrote: »

Gentle nag.. ie. Your conscience speaking!!
Done the Bay of E yet??

Also just reading your SOA again and maybe it's all sorted now.. But is that HMRC bill finally off the scene?

Just started raining here agin...ugh

Xx

Morning!

Thank you brizzled for being my conscience! No bay of E not yet completed but its second on my list of must do's today! First we're off out for a long family walk over the gorgeous countryside we're lucky to back on to as yesterdays family plans were side tracked by the unexpected arrival of family for an impromptu visit! (A very welcome distraction though, I might add!) It did mean however that I had to run to the shops to cater for the specific dietary needs of the guests in order to cook lunch and now I fear that I may have blown the August GC! About to update YNAB to see the extent of the damage!

Once we're back from our walk (rain not due here until midday) I'll be lost to the listings! Urgh! A necessary evil though....

Thank you brizzled, you've also prompted me to add the completion of a new SOA to the list. Yes I've cleared the HMRC bill and now only pay £199 for insurances, a lot has changed and are expenses aren't quite as large on the necessities any longer. Nonetheless, I'm sure you lovely lot could still suggest improvements.

On the grocery front I really need to look into bulk buying ...pasta, rice, bread flour etc...as buying this every week is definitely not cost effective! This week I noticed I paid £2.36 for 5kg of potatoes from A**I when I know I can get 25kg for £5 from the local farm...I just need to get my act together and work out how to save a little from the grocery budget every month to pay out in bulk for these things to bring the averages down over the year. I should be in a position to do that this month as I've still got lots of meat and fish to use up in the freezer so fingers crossed.;)

Do any of you lovely peeps have any suggestions where I can bulk buy pasta, bread flour and rice?...it has to be brown though (cant eat white!):rotfl:

brizzledfw · 23 August 2015 at 9:34AM

Hi hazel..

Really pleased re HMRC!

Re bulk buys..so we have a sack of flour in our larder for bread, pizzas etc. we bought from our local Italian wholesaler. We buy sacks of potatoes from our local farms so agree that's a good way to go. Our local suppliers have a box scheme and so deliver which is fab. Quarter pig ( already butchered thank goodness!) coming next week..you get the drift. Supermarkets are definitely an ad hoc trip in our house, not a regular visit which cuts down on impulse buys for sure.

We also have a local co-operative Harvest/Essential who sell retail but also sell to groups on a wholesale basis. If you could find an equivalent and set up a buying club with friends ( they won't do for us as it would affect their retail business as we are too near the city centre) reckon that's best for bulk buys of staples.

We also buy staples eg. Foil and loo rolls in bulk. Then store in loft! :rotfl:

Need to get a shimmy on now so let me know if you need more info .

hazeldreams · 23 August 2015 at 9:46AM

Statement of Affairs and Personal Balance Sheet

Household Information
Number of adults in household........... 2
Number of children in household......... 2
Number of cars owned.................... 1

Monthly Income Details
Monthly income after tax................ 3129
Partners monthly income after tax....... 1350
Benefits................................ 0
Other income............................ 595
Total monthly income.................... 5074

Monthly Expense Details
Mortgage................................ 356.4
Secured/HP loan repayments.............. 575
Rent.................................... 0
Management charge (leasehold property).. 0
Council tax............................. 137
Electricity............................. 110
Gas..................................... 0
Oil..................................... 0
Water rates............................. 48.56
Telephone (land line)................... 0
Mobile phone............................ 22
TV Licence.............................. 12.12
Satellite/Cable TV...................... 90
Internet Services....................... 0
Groceries etc. ......................... 449.6
Clothing................................ 93
Petrol/diesel........................... 108
Road tax................................ 0
Car Insurance........................... 25
Car maintenance (including MOT)......... 120
Car parking............................. 0
Other travel............................ 0
Childcare/nursery....................... 0
Other child related expenses............ 400
Medical (prescriptions, dentist etc).... 60
Pet insurance/vet bills................. 0
Buildings insurance..................... 7.5
Contents insurance...................... 7.5
Life assurance ......................... 199.1
Other insurance......................... 0
Presents (birthday, christmas etc)...... 171.25
Haircuts................................ 25
Entertainment........................... 400
Holiday................................. 88
Emergency fund.......................... 75
Total monthly expenses.................. 3580.03

Assets
Cash.................................... 0
House value (Gross)..................... 215000
Shares and bonds........................ 0
Car(s).................................. 0
Other assets............................ 155000
Total Assets............................ 370000

Secured & HP Debts
Description....................Debt......Monthly...APR
Mortgage...................... 167071...(356.4)....2.59
Secured Debt.................. 146574...(575)......4.7
Total secured & HP debts...... 313645....-.........-

Unsecured Debts
Description....................Debt......Monthly...APR
CC1............................1252.68...29.12.....12.9
CC2............................7853.84...176.7.....0
CC3............................8650.11...194.6.....0
LOAN 2.........................20648.....353.6.....5.1
LOAN 1.........................22447.....285.1.....6.8
Total unsecured debts..........60851.63..1039.12...-

Monthly Budget Summary
Total monthly income.................... 5,074
Expenses (including HP & secured debts). 3,580.03
Available for debt repayments........... 1,493.97
Monthly UNsecured debt repayments....... 1,039.12
Amount left after debt repayments....... 454.85

Personal Balance Sheet Summary
Total assets (things you own)........... 370,000
Total HP & Secured debt................. -313,645
Total Unsecured debt.................... -60,851.63
Net Assets.............................. -4,496.63

Created using the SOA calculator at https://www.stoozing.com.
Reproduced on Moneysavingexpert with permission, using other browser.

Igamogam · 23 August 2015 at 3:22PM

hazeldreams wrote: »

Morning!

Do any of you lovely peeps have any suggestions where I can bulk buy pasta, bread flour and rice?...it has to be brown though (cant eat white!):rotfl:

Have you looked at Appr0ved F00ds?

hazeldreams · 23 August 2015 at 3:34PM

brizzledfw wrote: »

Hi hazel..

Really pleased re HMRC!

Re bulk buys..so we have a sack of flour in our larder for bread, pizzas etc. we bought from our local Italian wholesaler. We buy sacks of potatoes from our local farms so agree that's a good way to go. Our local suppliers have a box scheme and so deliver which is fab. Quarter pig ( already butchered thank goodness!) coming next week..you get the drift. Supermarkets are definitely an ad hoc trip in our house, not a regular visit which cuts down on impulse buys for sure.

We also have a local co-operative Harvest/Essential who sell retail but also sell to groups on a wholesale basis. If you could find an equivalent and set up a buying club with friends ( they won't do for us as it would affect their retail business as we are too near the city centre) reckon that's best for bulk buys of staples.

We also buy staples eg. Foil and loo rolls in bulk. Then store in loft! :rotfl:

Need to get a shimmy on now so let me know if you need more info .

Great, thanks for the tips brizzled. Just need to find a bread flour supplier and I guess I could use Costco for bulk buying loo roll, foil, sandwich bags etc. Supermarket shopping is still a weekly evil for us...I really need to start thinking differently about the whole grocery thing..such a big change for us, I'll probably have to do it one step at a time....Ill add it to my to do list to start investigating!

Our Journey from Debtdom to Freedom

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