Back to try again..

Good evening,

I come on here to read the diaries pretty much every day, such inspiring people on here! I did have a very short lived diary last year but have come back now as a new member to start afresh.

We are on a DMP and have been since February 2016. Our debt when we started were just under £30000 and as of this month is just under £18000. I am hoping one day soon we may be brave enough to go self managed.

A bit about us. DH and myself both work. DH is full time and my hours are varied part time hours. We have two beautiful children, DS 14 and DD 5.

As I said I one day hope to go self managed. To be fair, I am a bit of a wimp and like the one payment we make but also do not like that we cannot make overpayments if we wish..

Budgeting wise, I have always tried my best at this. DH on the other hand has taken a long time to get his head around it all, so for many years I have just been playing catch up on what he has spent and re jigging things as we go along. But, at the beginning of the year I tried a different budgeting technique that has worked so well and DH has stuck to and has admitted is easy! So much so, that the last few months we have saved money and had money left in the bank at the end of each month.

My plan is to continue to save and at some point go self managed and start over paying our debts and get it paid of sooner and to get on with our life without debt.

Please join my journey if you wish.

Robin. X
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Comments

  • Robin09
    Robin09 Posts: 596
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    Hello,

    Sunday is our shopping day. We have a budget of £75 a week to get everything including toiletries, cleaning products etc. I know this is a lot and I am trying to get it down. Today's delivery came to £71.45. I know it would be cheaper to go to the cheaper shops but we do not have any close by so would cost quite a bit in time and petrol. I also cannot think of nothing worse than taking a trolley into a shop to get so much stuff. We pay monthly for delivery.

    Today has been hot hot hot. I was walking around the house seeing what I could wash as didn't have enough to do a full load, but no luck.

    Spends today (this is from my weekly amount of £20)
    * £2.50 - given to DS as he was off out to the pool with his friends. (he took lunch and drinks with him)
    * £1 - 5 books for DD from car boot
    * £1 - summer dress for DD from car boot

    The car boot was the 1st we have been to this year, we are not usually in that direction but as we was dropping DS off we thought we would have a little look around.

    My £20 weekly money is working well. It mainly goes on the DC but I am happy with how well it has been working. If I run out, that's it until the following week. But usually I have 1 or 2 pounds that I put into my money tin.

    The other week I got an online voucher code for arg0s from a survey site. 3 of my nephews have birthdays this week. Have budgeted for all. Today I used the voucher code to order 1 of their presents and have put the £10 budgeted into the school uniform pot, this now stands at £155. We do not have a arg0s nearby but my mum is away this weekend so I checked where she was and ordered it for her to pick up tomorrow :).
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  • Robin09
    Robin09 Posts: 596
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    Good morning,

    Another hot day today. I have the day off so have polished and hoovered the whole house, cleaned the bathroom and mopped the floors and hung a load of washing out. Watered and tidied the garden. So now sat in the shade with a coffee. Will have time for a nice walk now this afternoon before picking DD up from after school club.

    Our debts - I realised I made a mistake in my first post and our total now is just below £19000 not £18000 as I stated. These are the estimates, we haven't rang any of them lately to get an exact figure..

    ° HSBC (now Cabot Financial) £12,199.63
    ° Barclaycard £2,733.82
    ° MBNA (now Pra Group) £2,311.12
    ° Tesco (now Robinson Way) £588.31
    ° Lloyds (now Wescot) £420.77
    ° Halifax (now Moorcroft) £393.18
    ° Next £114.34

    Total - £18,761.17

    Our incomings on a basic month -
    Wage 1 - £1400
    Wage 2 - £100
    Child Benefit - £136
    Child Tax - £300
    = £1936

    Outgoings -
    Rent - £558
    Council Tax - £162 (10 months)
    Shopping - £300
    Petrol - £100
    DMP - £210
    Gas/Elec - £111
    Car insurance - £35.88
    Car tax - £24.50
    Water - £31.90
    Mobiles - £30 (mine, DH and DS's)
    Phoneline - £24
    Scouts - £14
    Prescription card - £10.40
    Sky - £27.11 (TV and Internet)
    TV licence - £12.37
    Netflix - £5
    Contents insurance - £7.97
    Petrol - £50
    Food delivery - £6.99
    = 1721.12

    Our wages are on occasion this low, but usually we have more.
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  • Robin09
    Robin09 Posts: 596
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    Was a no spend day today. Didn't go out for a walk as the heat was just to much. DD came home with a lost button off her school summer dress, managed to find an old shirt of DH's and used the buttons from there so they all match. Only three more weeks until the summer holidays.
    Did a couple of surveys, I only have my phone so most I cannot do but I have had a few vouchers and cash payouts throughout the year.
    Hoping for another NSD tomorrow.
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  • Robin09
    Robin09 Posts: 596
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    So much cooler and a lovely breeze today, shame I do not have a full load again to get out on the washing line today.

    A few hours at work this morning. Nothing much to do at home, so having a sit down with a coffee before I start our picnic. After school we are going with friends to the local stream. It is DD's most favourite place to go. Trying to get in a few more visits before the school holidays as it is a big tourist spot and gets so busy. Sometimes we have the place to ourselves during term time. So picnic tea there before DS goes to Scouts this evening. Have all the stuff here for picnic so a NSD again today.

    DMP payment went today so another £210 off the total. Transferred £10 over to the savings account, have added this to the school uniform 'pot'
    Since April I have managed to get the saving account to over £450, save £375/£500 for DS's trip and buy my new phone. I know this may be seen as a want and not a need but we do not have a computer and I need a phone to be able to check banks etc, I did not get an overly expensive one, it cost £149 but it works well and that's all I need. Hoping to be able to put at least another £100 over into savings before the end of this month.
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  • dustydigger
    dustydigger Posts: 1,507
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    :)Hi Robin,its good to see you are doing well with the savings,and that the DMP lifts some of the load from your back. Slow and steady will get there in the end
  • beanielou
    beanielou Posts: 89,835
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    Happy shiny new diary :)
    I am a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on Mortgage Free Wannabe & Local Money Saving Scotland & Disability Money Matters. If you need any help on those boards, do let me know.Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any post you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button , or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com. All views are my own & not the official line of Money Saving Expert.

    Lou~ Debt free Wanabe No 55 DF 03/14.**Credit card debt free 30/06/10~** MFW. Finally mortgage free O2/ 2021****
    "A large income is the best recipe for happiness I ever heard of" Jane Austen in Mansfield Park.

    ***Fall down seven times,stand up eight*** ~~Japanese proverb.
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    One debt remaining. Home improvement loan.
  • Robin09
    Robin09 Posts: 596
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    Good morning,

    Hello Dustydigger and Beanielou, many thanks for dropping in on my diary. Hope you both have a lovely day.

    dustydigger, it has been from lurking on your diary over the months, that I finally found a budget that works for us. Breaking it down into weeks and not monthly, so thank you! No more hanging around waiting for payday to come around again. Myself and DH have been together for 16 years and this is the first budget he has stuck to. Seeing the savings finally taking shape has been amazing. Mostly pleased about the trip money for DS.

    Had to change shift today as had a letter yesterday to say I was due a gas check today, bit late notice but never mind. Of course I missed him whilst out for the 10 minutes on the school run but thankfully he came back and was a lovely man who got the job done and tidied up after himself.

    I woke this morning feeling dreadful, coughing up lots of green gunk and my ears and throat hurting so I am glad not to be going into work today.

    Spends today
    * £2.50 for DDs movie night at school.

    Also had a letter to say the school would like raffle prizes plus money for tickets but will do that next week.

    Have taken some paracetamol and going to have a sit down and rest and hopefully I will feel a bit better soon. I do hope so as have a busy weekend coming up.
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  • Robin09
    Robin09 Posts: 596
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    Couple more spends today..

    * 69p menthol throat sweets
    * £11.45 Explorer shirt
    * £1.20 drink

    Have paid for the shirt from the school uniform pot. It is second hand but from the photos and description looks in very good condition and new ones go for £25+ in size DS needs. The price includes postage so was happy with that.

    A friend asked if we wanted to meet at the park after school. Don't feel 100% but wanted to see her before they were off home for the holidays...
    Our DMP has never been a secret with any of my family and friends and they are aware I like to find free things or bargain days out with the children. This friend also knows of our situation but is constantly asking us to go on big days out or dinners with the children. I frequently turn her down because of this. Today's plan was a run around the park, but when we got there they were already eating in the cafe. DD had already had a drink and snack on the way and DH was getting dinner sorted. Ended up buying DD another little drink just so we could sit in the cafe. I really do like this friend but also her DS gets what he wants most of the time and brags a lot to my DD. Bragging is not a good trait for a 5 year old I do not think. I also do not want my DD to start thinking she's hard done by. As we left today she did say 'he wasn't very friendly today' :( don't think friendship should be this hard.

    Rant over, sorry.
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  • Robin09
    Robin09 Posts: 596
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    Feel like I'm swallowing razor blades today so not much productive stuff going on..

    Checked bank and budgets. All are where they should be. Going to sit down and price up school uniforms and see how much more we will need in that 'pot'

    Hoping to feel better by the weekend.
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  • Robin09
    Robin09 Posts: 596
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    Must look as bad as I feel today as they tried to send me home from work but agreed I could stay if I stayed away from them all :rotfl:

    Spendy day. Have taken money out for 2 DN's birthdays, money out for the coming week and posted other nephews present and card, I rarely do this but this is the first time we will not be seeing him on his birthday as we are going to an event this weekend. All budgeted so that is good.
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