Aligning the Stars

redofromstart · 13 March 2018 at 6:08PM

Pink french fancies for me today (50p a pack in Asda, whoops).

Feel rather sick now

enthusiasticsaver · 13 March 2018 at 6:14PM

I would concentrate on getting rid of that overdraft first before the EF or save a small EF like say £300. If you are paying £20 per month towards the overdraft that is £240 over the year. Crazy. Passing on the overseas hen trip makes sense. I cannot understand this trend to pay a small fortune on hen dos these days. When we got married it was all we could do to get together enough money for the wedding and honeymoon so finding extra money for overseas hen dos just sounds like extra stress and quite unfair on friends. Luckily my DD opted for a weekend of activities for her hen weekend as they were buying a house and paying towards the wedding. It was a treasure activity trail around our local city which is on the coast so beautiful anyway, afternoon tea and an evening of games and films and drinks at home. The following day we did bowling and lunch out. Probably £100 per head overall so not really cheap but a lot cheaper than a weekend away.

Starmummy · 14 March 2018 at 4:53PM

Good afternoon readers

Well I braved a phone call with my friend and told her I couldn't afford to go. She was completely understanding. She said that she had to invite me as she would hate to think I wasn't wanted, even though she had her suspicions I wouldn't be able to afford it. So we will plan a mini-hen at home just before the wedding instead.

Got some amazing yellow sticker bargains in the C00p on the way home from my swim last night. However, i didn't factor in how I was going to carry home 6 pints of milk, 2 sacks of king Edwards, 2 loaves of bread, pizza, quiche, 3 packets of Mr Stars favourite biscuits and various salad and fruit bits the 1.5 mile uphill walk home (complete with soggy swim kit in my backpack) :rotfl:
at £11.23 I just couldn't resist and now I don't have to visit the shops until the weekend.

Meal plan for the rest of the week
Wed - Quiche, new potatoes and salad
Thur - Blue cheese and butternut squash risotto.
Fri - Sausage, mash onion gravy and french beans
Sat - homemade lentil and bacon soup & homemade bread.

still no BT card paperwork so still waiting to be able to get rid of my OD. looks like i'll have £70 left of my £90 personal spends this month. £20 extra to CC2 and £50 into a pot towards my weekend away in July. I won't transfer until nearer the end of the month though. I've also managed to transfer £100 into an EF and £50 into a car expenses account. It makes me feel so happy finally being in control of things.

Take care
SM

Toni'sfriend · 14 March 2018 at 6:44PM

Well done on the YS (and even more for carrying it all up the hill).
That's a really good meal plan. I'd really like to try and make my own bread but I'm a bit nervous of doing so. Can't bake so goodness knows how bread would turn out. The risotto sounds gorgeous,
Now that's what you call a lovely friend. I also can't understand this trend for spending huge amounts of money on foreign hen nights. I bet you enjoy your mini hen at home even more than you would going away. Apart from the expense it'll be so much more relaxing.
Oh, and I'm so glad someone else can finish a whole packet of jaffa cakes in one go. I thought it was my guilty secret.

redofromstart · 14 March 2018 at 6:52PM

I also like the sound of the risotto.

Luckily I don't like jaffa cakes!

Starmummy · 15 March 2018 at 12:09PM

Thanks Toni's Friend and Redo
My risotto's are a favourite of Mr Star's, apparently I have the nack with them. I guess it comes from the days of being a 'poor single parent' rice is cheap and filling and you can pretty much flavour them with any fridge gravel.

Yesterday was a NSD. I'm planning to have another today, but will need to spend a few pennies tomorrow (out of the joint account) for cleaning cloths, frozen berries, oats and bread.

I need to think of ideas for Mr Star's birthday, he isn't really one for presents or "stuff" he would rather have experiences so I will have to get my thinking cap on. We will be going out to lunch on Sunday as a late mothers day/early birthday lunch (budgeted from the joint account). i'm really looking forward to it.

I have transferred over the £20.68 to CC2...which now sits below £1850:T
I get so much pleasure seeing those figures go down.

Take care
SM

Starmummy · 17 March 2018 at 6:45PM

Afternoon all,

How's your weekend so far. I have the joy of being in the coldest part of the country this weekend...can't moan too much it's usually one of the mildest and driest. I am totally sick of the sight of snow though.

Well BT cc paperwork came and the MT has been actioned to clear my overdraft.
It's only now i've started down this road that I've realised how unaware I am with all things money.
I've banked with the same bank since I was 15 under the impression that loyalty pays. But looking around and I'm considering switching my current account to First direct for the introductory £125 (more debt slaying) but also for the 0% overdraft. I don't plan on using an overdraft going forward but if i do need to dip into it for an unexpected bill i'd rather not get a monthly charge.

Question is should I do this now given that this month I've opened a new credit card, done a BT and a MT? will that look bad on my credit file?
Also how easy is it? Do they move DD and SO's? should I wait until after pay day (at the end of the month) to make sure my pay goes in the new account.
So many question.

Also does anyone bank with First direct? I've heard good things but I do most of my banking through my mobile app. can i do this with first direct and if so can i link up any first direct savings accounts on the same app?

and when they switch over accounts they will they close my Barclays account or will that remain open?

I'm learning so much and realising how much I don't know.

Take care SM

redofromstart · 17 March 2018 at 9:03PM

I think the switching services work really well, and they do it all for you apparently but I haven't done it myself. I've heard lots of good things about FD and they do a good rate on a regular saver.

rawr_ · 17 March 2018 at 11:06PM

Hi Starmummy! I wanted to just say how well I think you are doing so far, and will be hitting subscribe to your thread.

I'm not sure whether it will affect your credit profile, but it is really easy to do - they change over all of the DD's over for you. I think Standing Orders you have to do yourself? When I changed from Santand*r to Hal!fax a couple of years ago, they said that my Santand*r account would still be 'live' for a year or so and forward anything onto my new account with Hal!fax, incase any standing orders or payments were made to that account. This gave me some peace of mind. As for waiting until after payday - I think it takes a few days for the account to set up and transfer over the DD's, but even if you were paid into your old account, this should forward to your new one. I would just give your employer your new bank details as soon as you know them.

Good luck with your journey, I'll be following!

Starmummy · 19 March 2018 at 12:52PM

Happy Monday folks.

I hope you all had lovely weekends. Ours was pretty quiet compared to weekends of late. Starchild swims for the county so we had to take her to the pool early on Saturday and Sunday. I did a food shop in MrW (can walk so only buy what i can carry and save on petrol costs). Scrubbed the whole house, including deep cleaning the bathroom and cleaning the fridge and freezer. I still need to clean the cooker but I'm putting that horrid job off for now:rotfl:
Then yesterday we had a late Mother's day meal out at a local pub that's recently been completely redone. The food and service was amazing and the pub has been done really nicely. It wasn't cheap at £75 but that included two courses for the three of us, wine and beers and all spends this weekend were budgeted from the joint account. We still have a really healthy balance in there so we can pay for the carpet that gets fitted in our bedroom this week. MrStar says he would pay for it but I feel the need to make a contribution rather than all my salary going on debt paying and childcare which makes me feel pretty useless.

I got up early this morning and walked to the swimming pool before work. It was an icy start at -2 degrees but I managed to swim 1k in 25 minutes so chuffed with myself as I've let my swimming slip this past month. I'm looking forward to getting my running shoes on when the clocks change. I'd quite like to drop the insulation I seem to have gained over winter. I don't weigh myself so I am not looking to lose any pounds I just want to feel a little less groggy. I still fit in my skinny jeans, just about ,and my clothes fitting and my ability to run for a bus without going beetroot tend to be my yardsticks rather than a number on the scales.

No news on debt figures as we are at the boring part of the month. All payments have gone out so no changes until payday. Not that i'm waiting for it as I finally feel in control of my finances and I know that I'm on the right track.

MrStar is trying to sabotage my effort. I Know it isn't malicious and I do understand his point. Together we earn a very very good wage, live in a decent house in an expensive area that has a lot of equity in it. WE can afford nice holidays and nice clothes and nice meals out. But, if we take Mr Star out of the equation I can't. Not with my present debt repayments. I want to start living again but I am only willing to do that when it's my money I'm spending and not the banks. So Mr Star...YES I am sure that I don't want to spend £500 on my best friends hen do, and YES Mr Star I'm sure those work shirts you spotted in TKMa** were lovely and great value and would look great on me...but my purse is staying shut!

Aligning the Stars

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