DMP freedom in 15 months!

charhen19 · 9 May 2019 at 11:50AM

Breakfast today - a leftover sausage and beans on toast. Lunch - day 2 of the pasta I made up the other night. Dinner - I have new potatoes and veg/beans so hoping to find something on yellow sticker at lunchtime. Otherwise it will be fish from the freezer - again! I don't mind eating the same meal days on end but feel sorry for my OH.

I need to get petrol on the way home - will go for £15.00 and hope it lasts ten days. I should only be driving to and from work 6 of those days so fingers crossed! Anything else I should be able to walk to.

charhen19 · 9 May 2019 at 11:54AM

How much does anyone reading pay for their gas/electric monthly? I always shop around for the best deal but think £89 a month for 2 people in a relatively small 3 bedroom house is still a lot.

I try to be really careful but maybe I'm missing something that eats electric. I VERY rarely use the tumble dryer (like maybe once a year) but I do use the washing machine a lot (daily, sometimes multiple times a day). Maybe I need to reassess my laundry habits.

NeverendingDMP · 9 May 2019 at 1:21PM

Not sure about the bill. We are a family of five in a 3 bed house with flat roof extension. We always get quoted 110/115 a month but experience has taught me out bill averages at 140 a month over the year for gas and electric. Our house isnt the most economical though.
When my smart meter worked i noticed the electric shower cost far more than i would have guessed. Otherwise the expensive stuff seemed to be kettles toasters microwaves hairdryers straightners etc. Our washing machine is on a lot and it did spike our energy consumption as did our old and knackered electric oven.
Things like only boiling half a kettle or do a full one then keep in a flask can help and they reckon cutting a minute or two of a shower saves a bit too. I saved a bit when i could see it on my meter but i reckon ive got lazy again now i cant see it so my bill might be up a bit.

Petrol wise ive just changed my car so have been watching what im using and im getting aprox 150 miles for 15 pounds. Dont know if that helps your plans any

Kitten868 · 9 May 2019 at 6:24PM

Hello there,

Definitely want to echo what NeverendingDMP said. You really should consider doing a CCA request on your accounts. It could be that they are unenforceable. Also any money you save should go in an f&f pot so you can get early settlement. I appreciate what you're saying about the ethics but I'm sure they've had plenty of interest out of you over the years.

I also think you should cancel the fee for your DMP. If you're made redundant the last thing you should worry about is servicing your debts. If it hit the fan you can pay £1 a month and focus on your bills.

You can definitely do this. Keep up the great work xxx

charhen19 · 10 May 2019 at 12:25PM

Thanks Neverending and kitten - lots to think about there.

I'm deffo going to look into cancelling that redundancy insurance and putting it towards the debt instead - I'll be calling them this afternoon.

I'm also going to try a lot harder with our gas/elec usage - would be nice to shave £10 off that monthly direct debit. I think our biggest culprit is the washing machine so I need to assess my routine/habits there and try to cut back to just one wash a day (would be an improvement) and then to giving the machine a day a week off!

charhen19 · 10 May 2019 at 12:29PM

Breakfast today was a packet of "breakfast biscuits" found lurking in my desk drawer. Lunch will be the last of the pasta - that worked out quite well really making a big batch up, might do this more often. Plus it takes the "staring into the cupboard wondering what to pack for lunch" out of it! Dinner will be chicken curry, rice and naan (from the freezer).

We'll be catching up on tv tonight and then lets see what tomorrow brings.

charhen19 · 10 May 2019 at 12:33PM

I have a very tiny freezer and it's all fuzzed up with ice inside so I'm trying to run down the contents so I can defrost it. It might lead to some funny meal combos next week but it will certainly help me in this challenge!

NeverendingDMP · 10 May 2019 at 4:02PM

Surprise teas are lots of fun x

charhen19 · 13 May 2019 at 11:16AM

Well another hectic weekend and now back to work today.

I managed to use up quite a few bits from the freezer - curry, bread rolls and bacon so I'm starting to see some space in there now thank goodness.

I was also able to give the washing machine a well deserved day off on Saturday which is a big achievement for our house! Need to do the towels today though. I'm loving this weather for pegging out laundry instead of it hanging around indoors.

7 days including today until payday - need to work out finances today and where I stand. Also need to meal plan.

charhen19 · 13 May 2019 at 1:06PM

I've now got the birthday card I needed. I may need petrol by the end of the week and need a few veggies from the supermarket to go with what we already have in stock.

I MUST remember to phone to pay a bill this afternoon - then I will know where I'm at.

I have nearly £9 in coop points so that will come in handy. Must also check nectar balance.

DMP freedom in 15 months!

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