Aligning the Stars

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  • enthusiasticsaver
    enthusiasticsaver Posts: 15,446
    First Anniversary First Post Name Dropper I've been Money Tipped!
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    Well done for clearing so much debt and moving to 0% a lot of the debt. Getting below £15k is a great boost. As you say once the debt is gone saving will be easy especially if these are shared goals so you and Mr Star can both save together.

    I think you are doing the right thing in not doing expensive hen trips away. These seem to be a common theme on here. Fine if it is affordable but I can't help thinking brides to be put a lot of pressure on their friends when they opt for expensive hen weekends.
    I’m a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the Debt free Wannabe, Budgeting and Banking and Savings and Investment boards. If you need any help on these boards, do let me know. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts 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 and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.
  • Starmummy
    Starmummy Posts: 537 Forumite
    Happy Monday Lovlies :j

    So I'm back from sunny Spain. It was a very frugal break away. We stayed in a Villa near family for "mates rates" so flights, accommodation and spending money for the week was only £820 for the three of us. and this was all paid from the joint account due to the past three months of underspending our joint budget.
    Felling lovely and relaxed and tanned.

    There was a bit of drama before we went away. Mr Star's car blew up. It's not worth repairing and due to me putting off the MOT on my car we have no car at the moment. Thankfully we can walk/cycle to work and school and my car goes in for MOT tomorrow.:(

    The broken car shall be replaced with a similar cheap old workhorse in the next week or so. Mr Star will pay for this from his savings. so not entirely disastrous. It only cost him £1400 3 years ago anyway so we well and truly got our monies worth.

    In more fantastically brilliant news my debt is under £15k! :beer: £14,851.24 to be precise. Unless my MOT is a very expensive one I should be down to £14.3k by the month end and in the £13's next month. it suddenly seems completely manageable and nowhere near as frightening.

    I'm not really missing spending money at all. I've purchased the odd birthday gift this past month and had lunch with a friend but these are things that give me total Joy, rather than past behaviour of spending hoping it made me feel better when in fact it made me feel worse because I couldn't afford it. My next planned spends are a day out with one of my closest friends before she moves 4 hours away...and then the spending money for my birthday weekend away with the same friend in July and Some Birthday gifts for my siblings and my niece.

    I hope you areall well.
    Take care
    SM
    x
    debt consolidated 16/8/18 £9,788.01/£12,618.12 :( (Total debt at LBM 1st Jan '18 c..£19.5k)
    EF/FIT savings £97.24 Other Savings £12.17 House Deposit £4,762.64/£20,000 23.8% :D
  • Starmummy
    Starmummy Posts: 537 Forumite
    So my little car is in for it's MOT today.
    I take it to a family friend so I know he won't rip me off but there are already mumbles of "brakes need doing" ....money gods please be kind
    debt consolidated 16/8/18 £9,788.01/£12,618.12 :( (Total debt at LBM 1st Jan '18 c..£19.5k)
    EF/FIT savings £97.24 Other Savings £12.17 House Deposit £4,762.64/£20,000 23.8% :D
  • Starmummy
    Starmummy Posts: 537 Forumite
    By some total miracle it passed. there is an advisory on the brakes but there's no hurry to get them dome.
    My mechanic friend is a total angel. The MOT, plus fixing a fault with the blowers and the ABS and airbag sensors cost me just £99. this means I can still afford to put £50 in an emergency fund and £50 into a motoring expenses account. I have £26.32 left in my personal spends account until payday in 3 weeks but no planned spends left.

    Feeling in control for once.
    debt consolidated 16/8/18 £9,788.01/£12,618.12 :( (Total debt at LBM 1st Jan '18 c..£19.5k)
    EF/FIT savings £97.24 Other Savings £12.17 House Deposit £4,762.64/£20,000 23.8% :D
  • Whoo! Good stuff :)
  • Starmummy
    Starmummy Posts: 537 Forumite
    Thanks for popping by my lovelies.

    I'm working from home today given that it's the school holidays and Star child has an early erupting tooth which means a trip to the dentist to get the milk tooth removed. She told me this morning that she loves going to the dentist. I appear this opinion will change somewhat this afternoon.

    So cracking on with work, blasting through the holiday laundry, doing a small food shop, doing some personal admin.
    The WFH days are always the busiest.

    Also on my to do list is to look into ordering some plug plants for the hanging baskets and some lavender for the front garden to replace the old stuff that is now 90% woody.
    I must also look at getting blackout blinds for the sash windows in the two front bedrooms. I was hoping to get Roman blinds but struggling to get anything for the drop (that I wouldn't have to take a small mortgage to pay for) any advise on where best to go for blinds, or plants for that matter, would be much appreciated.

    Take care
    SM
    debt consolidated 16/8/18 £9,788.01/£12,618.12 :( (Total debt at LBM 1st Jan '18 c..£19.5k)
    EF/FIT savings £97.24 Other Savings £12.17 House Deposit £4,762.64/£20,000 23.8% :D
  • redofromstart
    redofromstart Posts: 4,062
    First Anniversary Photogenic Name Dropper First Post
    Forumite
    Lavender I have seen side plate sized ones in B&M at £1.99 each or 3 for £5. I am waiting for the weather to improve before I replace my woody ones with those. I have had some plug ones but they are tiny.

    The blackout roll type blinds I have had from Dunelm before, their plain ones are reasonable. The kitchen ones have been up for at least five years without a problem. I have also seen them in Wilkos.

    HTH
  • Starmummy
    Starmummy Posts: 537 Forumite
    Thanks for the comments redo. you are a star.

    I looked at dunelm but I would prefer roman blinds and theirs just aren't long enough. We need a drop of 170cm.
    I have found a website that makes them to measure with blackout lining for £83, which seems good value but still a lot of money. I've ordered some free fabric samples and shall discuss with Mr Star later.
    Thanks for the tip on B&M there is a store opening up next door to my office this weekend so I shall check them out on a lunch break next week. that is really good value. I have found some plug plants on Am$zon 10 for £4.49, fuchsias and begonias so that should see to the hanging baskets and i can pay for them with leftover vouchers from Christmas.
    debt consolidated 16/8/18 £9,788.01/£12,618.12 :( (Total debt at LBM 1st Jan '18 c..£19.5k)
    EF/FIT savings £97.24 Other Savings £12.17 House Deposit £4,762.64/£20,000 23.8% :D
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