Running around in circles again

SO

Pretty good day today. I got weighed in (though I don't know how much I weigh, I know I've gained so I'll find out next week when I go); work is over for the week; I've spent a grand total of £2.80 and I'm curled up at home watching craft supply hauls on YouTube as a substitute for doing craft shopping. Even if it is my birthday on Sunday.

I've even input my spend into YNAB straight away *pats self on the head*. I know it's when I stop doing the little things like that that I spiral out of control so..yep. Oh and my pension forecast came through; it's going pleasingly well! I can't help but fantasise about what I can do with my money when I'm free of debt.

So, I suppose I should get a bit more into the debt, shouldn't I? I currently owe £2550 on interest free for 25 months, being paid back at £100 p/m. I also owe my mother £6200 (this is a joint one between my husband and I). £200 of that is our agreed interest payment, as I don't want to feel like I'm taking advantage. This paid out the finance we took out for some home improvements (finance was taken out as they give a substantial discount for doing so, and the loan was pre-arranged with mother). I know it sounds silly but this is the one that I'm most likely to overpay. I want to get that money back to her ASAP and I know the credit card will take care of itself on direct debit. I figure as well that if I overpay as must as I can, if SHTF Mum will understand if I need to take a payment holiday and I won't feel bad for doing it. My DH and I pay £100 each a month to this one.

The rest of the above number is the mortgage, which isn't unreasonable for a three bedroom house close to town with a huge garden. We're only hoping to have one child so we should never have to move.

Goodness work has taken it's toll on me this week. I'm going to sign off here and have a snooze I think...can't spend money when I'm asleep!

Tata

Well, all scheduled debt payments have gone out, leaving me at £76318.00. That's a tidy £425 to my debts for this month but it's feeling like a paltry amount. I overpaid mum by £100 but I have spent so much money this month. I really need to be realistic about this - I have spend hundreds on 'fun stuff' and I don't have the funds or the position to be doing it.

I had done something very un-MSE to fund my diet and guilt trip myself into sticking to it so the faster I can get into the groove and get myself settled, the faster that will be done with. Also, the better I stick to my diet, the less money I fritter away on junk food and binge eating. Weigh in is tomorrow so I'm hoping for a good week to boost my flagging spirits.

12 days until payday.

So I decided to go with a healthy emergency fund rather than screaming-hair-on-fire-debt-attack.

I've got £200/£1000 so far, and I'll be paying the minimum on the Virgin debt to help me get this funded faster. We've got our holiday in just over a week; our two days away is paid already so I just need to eek out my remaining holiday fund to cover the rest. I did splash out for the full breakfast while we're away, thinking that we'll fill up and smuggle some fruit out for snacks.

Other plans for holiday include going to a photography exhibition at the coast at a National Trust property; paddleboarding lessons (this is probably the most extravagant one) and lots and lots of cycling.

I got my student loan statement this morning...I paid a WHOLE TEN POUNDS off the capital LAST YEAR. Wow. I haven't included the loan in my debt figure as I haven't really decided how I'm going to deal with it. I know the debts I'm included are my priority; paying mum back is important to me and I don't want to take advantage of her generosity. The virgin debt is important for obvious reasons...it's on my credit report and it needs paying. And the mortgage is our ticket to freedom and an easier life. I love my work but I hate being forced to work; without the burden of the mortgage our house bills are so, so low. With that gone, if the worst were to happen with either of us, we would cope so easily. Even if both of us were out of work, we could manage.

My mini plan for this week is to Spend No Money. Groceries are paid for and I have a full-ish tank of petrol so no spending required. Short term plan for next payday (20 days to go!) is to stash £250 to the emergency fund. The medium term plan (now-end of year) is to fully fund my emergency fund. The long-ish term plan (next 12 months) is to clear the amount of the Virgin debt.

Seems sensibibble?

So things have been hard recently. I lost the closest thing to a functional, normal grandparent I ever had, and I found out I'm not going to be able to conceive naturally.

So I did what I do best - spent like I was rich, didn't check my bank account and whacked a holiday on my credit card. Oh and I binge ate like there's no tomorrow.

On the bright side, the emergency fund is sitting pretty at £700; I'm planning to have that fully funded by the end of January if not before. As I was going through my budget I was getting genuinely frightened that I wouldn't be able to make my commitments this month. I've just about scraped through, but I'm going to have to live like a hermit until payday (23 days to go...). I've already told Mr MM that I have no money to spare and we'll have to stick to free things to do together. I'm ill at the moment so nothing much is being spent at least.

I tried to pre-empt some spending. So I'm always hankering for diet coke, and usually go to the village shop and spend however much alongside the coke. So I bought a 24 pack yesterday and have stashed it in our excessively cold conservatory. It's been bliss drinking it!

I did say to myself that I'm going to put the spare money that would have gone to council tax to the emergency fund; however if I can fully fund before that point, I'm excited to put that money to my debt.

I have to make 2018 my year. I can't stand the thought of it being as awful as every other year.