Learning to budget to make future adventures happen

reality_check · 6 July 2017 at 9:33AM

I think you are making the best move with the mortgage now, can be such a hassle when someone is self employed, I am going on experience with my ex husband, and think it is even harder now!

I love the saving idea as oppose to paying off debt. I would like to try it but worried I will spend it! I have (just) cracked the not using my overdraft or credit card for spending, but don't know how good I will be with money in the bank....

Your new line of work sounds interesting, I wish I had other skills to utilise because the cost of childcare terrifiies me!! :eek: x x

crunch_time · 6 July 2017 at 1:09PM

Thanks reality_check. I'm really scared but I'm trying to feel the fear and do it anyway. It would be the most sensible thing to do a nd we would only go for houses where we can afford the morthly payment on just husbands salary whilst I get my freelancing set up.

Husband said we have been approved for a mortgage for £340k through our bank which is a frightening number indeed. I definitely don't want that much!!

We are off to look at house in one of the next villages in a little while. It is a new build but individually designed and is very appealing since it doesn't need anything doing to it. There are also a couple to view tomorrow. Our house is now in the market but no board yet outside.

Saving up is defiantly changing the way I look at money. It's in a separate account so I can't spend it and I am liking seeing the pot go up. I also like seeing the debt coming down it's just about keeping the balance.

Another a l d I shop done today -£58. I need a few other bits from other shops and meat from the butchers but this is awesome savings!!

Very exciting times!!

Crunchy xx

crunch_time · 6 July 2017 at 5:29PM

We absolutely loved the house! It is perfect for us and exactly the right amount of house for us. We won't 'over house' ourselves. We have put a provisional offer in but of course can't be formally accepted until we have sold ours. Hopefully that will be soon!! We have a viewing tomorrow.

Trying to be positive!! Xx

crunch_time · 7 July 2017 at 8:14AM

Quick update as got to get in the shower to do school run.

£100 min payment for my credit card has come out so I'm £100 down for my savings but also £100 down on the debt.

Just under 2 weeks until pay day!!

Crunchy xx

crunch_time · 8 July 2017 at 3:04PM

Just typed my title and I'm realising my challenge of getting to £5k in just 8 weeks time might be a little far fetched now we are trying to sell the house. I shall keep on plodding and see how far we get.

I just nipped to Mr S and bought some toiletries and much needed stuff for our holidays this year - towels and rash vests etc. I had over budgeted for fuel this month so the money I'm not spending on that has gone on these necessary spends. So I'm holding at just over £1k at the moment with about 11 days until payday. On pay day I should be able to pop £700 into the pot and then husbands pay day will see another £500 go in so I will be over the £2k mark then. We then have our first holiday - a weekend away so we will need a little spending money for that. But this savings thing is definitely working for me - I don't want to buy anything!!

I also need to get an EPC done for our house - not sure how much that will cost. Must investigate.

Husband has just gone to get a few pots of paint to touch up some areas. The viewing we had booked has been postponed until next week. Nothing yet has come through.

I've decided I can't obviously quit my job until we have exchanged contracts so I've got to plod on for the time being and make the most of the money coming into my account every month and be careful what I do with it.

We spent all the rest of our spending money for the month apart from £20 on a pub dinner last night - it has been a stressful week and was much needed.

Right - I had better get on and do some jobs while i have a child free house!!

Crunchy xx

crunch_time · 9 July 2017 at 4:02PM

Had to buy a printer as we have to scan and print stuff for a potential house move. We have coped without one now for over 3 years so the time was right. We also bought some bits and bobs to repot plants. With this and some other small spends the pot now stands at £871.

The EPC will be £84 so that will need to come out soon. Money soon disappears doesn't it.

Roll on pay day!

Crunchy xx

crunch_time · 13 July 2017 at 7:38AM

Morning!

6 days till payday!!

So husband has an interview next week for the BIG job with the super big money. They aren't interviewing anyone else? I don't know what that means but I'm taking it as positive. I've gone through a period of not wanting him to do it as he would be traveling to London every day unless he can negotiate days at home. But now I'm planning on leaving teaching it makes sense.

We had a viewing planned for the house for Monday but they cancelled. We had another one yesterday and they seem tomlikenit but said they will be looking at other houses. We have another planned for today and the couple seem keen apparently so we shall see. It's a real pain having to keep the house tidy with kids but hey ho it's all for a good cause.

Work has been really draining and pretty rubbish with tempers flaring up upsetting people. Can't wait to leave. I realised yesterday I don't even really like the people I'm working with and haven't made any friends so I'm not attached at all. I can't wait to be more creative.

Ooh and it's 3 weeks tomorrow until our first holiday weekend at the parks of centre. We can't wait! It will definitely be good to get a break!!

Over and out for now!! Must check the bank accounts later xx

crunch_time · 15 July 2017 at 8:31AM

Morning diary

Having a BBQ with friends today so just need to get meat from the butchers so a little spend there. I got teachers cards yesterday but we will need to make some biscuits tomorrow so a small spend there too.

3 viewings but no offers yet on the house. Someone will want it. I have decided to slush down the debt a little according to our budget for the following categories so we get into good habits. We heard back from our mortgage adviser and have some rough figures for affordability.

Car maintenance - we should be saving £100 a month for this. So I used £100 from the pot to pay down some of the car excess from months ago. Only £50 left now which will be cleared when husband gets paid and the £50 can go into the car maintenance pot.

Clothes - We budget £100 a month but have overspent in this area in the last few months so I used £100 to pay this down a bit. £290 left on the credit cards for this now so shall slush it down at £100 a month.

Birthday and Christmas - we should be saving £100 a month for this but haven't so I paid off what was left of spends in this area on the husbands card and there is £97 on my card to pay off when I get paid then we can start saving up for Christmas/winter birthdays.

Because I like round numbers I have rounded the savings down to the nearest £100 and then slushed the rest off other pieces of debt on my itemised spreadsheet.

So this means that the savings pot is now down to £500 but the debt is down to £5227.

In the next few weeks it will dip down to below £5k as the minimum payments come out and i carry on with the plan above.

Reason for doing this?

I don't like the idea that we could potentially use this money for other purchases coming up in our new life we are planning when we need to get a grip with the current and pay off the past again. And I'm really good at slushing and I like making myself feel poorer than I am so i don't invent things i 'need.'

Phew, I think that's it!!

Looking forward to pay day next week!! I'm going to scrap my 12 week challenge as I'm not going to meet it and things have changed now we are moving anyway. - Signature updated!

Crunchy xx

crunch_time · 20 July 2017 at 10:54AM

Morning debt-free wannabes!!

I'm officially on summer holidays!! Woohoo! And it was day day yesterday. Although I was paid £100 less than normal because of money deducted for taking time off to look after sick children.

I've popped £100 into my long term savings account, £50 into swimming, paid off the remaining bits of DS's birthday off my credit card - £100, and i bought a book and a £10 meal for two to kick off my summer hols. I then paid a few bits off my credit card just because I wanted to and I don't like having them sitting there.

I need to transfer the rest into the short term savings account but I'm going to wait until husband gets paid next Friday to see what his pay rise is like.

In house selling news we lowered the asking price to reflect similar houses we are competing with and we have 3 viewings lined up for Saturday which is awesome!!

Husband had his job interview on Tuesday which went well. They do have some more people to interview but he seems to think they like him so we shall see.

My DD is refusing to nap so i had better go and see what she is up to.

Crunch x

crunch_time · 20 July 2017 at 10:56AM

Ooh forgot to say my debt is now under £5k again at £4928 so feel very happy about that.

I'm liking the balance of paying it off but also having savings and not cutting ourselves to the bone to pay off debt. It seems to be working.

Crunchy xx

Learning to budget to make future adventures happen

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