Get a grip woman!
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MIA for nearly a fortnight. Sorry. I knew this month and next would be really hard.
So far this month we have spent (over our normal)- Heating oil (500l) £198.19
- Chimney sweep £45
- Boiler Service £123.24 - the expansion vessel needs replacing - they will order it and call to arrange
- Dishwasher repair £59 callout - he diagnosed it is the heating pump but that the machine is under warranty so we have to go back to the shop today. £59 spent because no checks made before calling him out. Not happy.
- VED for the commuting car £115
- Insurance - on the credit card for next month
- Same car repairs and service on the credit card for next month
- Holiday credit card (part 1) £878.32
- Insurance premium for the cancelled policy was taken by DD and still not refunded £352.95
- Plusnet new contract for 24 months with 12 months line rental up front and persuaded them to throw in TV, evening and weekend calls and fixed price BB for the whole 24 months £197.88
No wonder we are overdrawn on the account awaiting the insurance premium refundSave £12k in 2024 - #2 target is £5000 only £798.34 so far
OS Grocery Challenge 2024 25.04% spent or £754.10/£3,000 annual
I also Reverse Meal Plan on that thread and grow much of our own premium price fruit and veg, joining in on the Grow your own thread
My Debt Free Diary Get a grip Woman2 -
Credit card statements for next month are starting to look seriously scary. I refuse to stagger the payments and pay interest so we will live on rice and beans if necessary.
And the electricity bill DD has just been increased from £120 to £136 because they go by their estimates instead of my readings....Save £12k in 2024 - #2 target is £5000 only £798.34 so far
OS Grocery Challenge 2024 25.04% spent or £754.10/£3,000 annual
I also Reverse Meal Plan on that thread and grow much of our own premium price fruit and veg, joining in on the Grow your own thread
My Debt Free Diary Get a grip Woman2 -
It's a lot going out in one month but its not exactly Mumm champagne and Beluga caviar - there's some good bargaining skills in there too, with PlusNet
Hope you can have a breather this weekend in such a busy month.2023: the year I get to buy a car2 -
Thanks KC, I was feeling happier about Plusnet - Husband did it last year and he does not push for a deal, so we were looking at £48 a month for the next six months, until the £85 penalty lapsed for the last BB deal. Watch out for out of step elements. I was moaning about that to the operator when he said, "I can do that" and on went the discussion - picking out unlimited BB, Line Rental, call packages and TV/recording box
I've just bottled a glut of pears from my friend's tree that she gave me on Friday. Waiting to go and volunteer in the Village Bar in a few minutes so pottering around on here.
Husband and cousin are clearing the split tree (last Sunday's gale). It was a beautiful variegated maple but it has had it now so just "harvesting" wood to burn next year when it has seasoned. I am sure there will be a dump-run after lunch too..Save £12k in 2024 - #2 target is £5000 only £798.34 so far
OS Grocery Challenge 2024 25.04% spent or £754.10/£3,000 annual
I also Reverse Meal Plan on that thread and grow much of our own premium price fruit and veg, joining in on the Grow your own thread
My Debt Free Diary Get a grip Woman2 -
DEBTS[/B]
[STRIKE]£110,621[/STRIKE] £103,327.83 (£7,293.17 paid so far) - Mortgage
[STRIKE]£3,476[/STRIKE] £0 (£3,476)- DH's car - paid off on 21st Aug 17
[STRIKE]£8,755.54[/STRIKE] £5,173.74 (£3,581.80) - Barclays 0% Finance for double glazing
Total [STRIKE]£122,852.54[/STRIKE] £108,501.57 - that is £14,350.97 or 11.68% paid off so far.
SAVINGS
£13,101.18 - this exceeds our emergency fund aim - I am going to let this increase a bit more and then I might pay a lump off the mortgage, to see it under £100k by Christmas or I might move some into my ISA
£12,344.82 (was £12,549.27 last month) S&S ISA with Fidelity International (original £10,000 5 years ago, no further capital added)
£6,099.08 DH's S&S ISA with Charles Stanley Direct]
£3,141.28 2 year Bond with Skipton BS @ 4% Finishes in early 2018 - I might use this lump to reduce the mortgage instead
£10,947.52 7 year bond with Skipton BS - matures Oct 20
[STRIKE]£38,630.43[/STRIKE] £45,633.88 Total actual cashable savings
Shortfall -£62,867.69 (all debts)
We have decided to take our house off the market, let two friends of Son's move in to that house for six months and pay some money for lodging and we will do up the garden and freshen things up ready to put that house on the market next spring. If the derelict is available when that has sold we could make a cash offer and then doing the work becomes the part dependent on our house sale, not the purchase. Son may be better placed (financially) to live with friends or he might have to move home.
If the derelict has gone, it was not meant for us and we will look to develop the building in the garden into an annexe so Son can live there but his money won't be used, it will be ours so his will be invested.
On the 1st October I can turn the electric aga back on and start autumn/winter cooking. It makes the cottage so cosy. The date is self imposed - we turn it off after Easter and wait until October to turn it on. It means there is still no need to turn any heating on beyond the tiny heater in the bathroom that makes the mornings bearable!Save £12k in 2024 - #2 target is £5000 only £798.34 so far
OS Grocery Challenge 2024 25.04% spent or £754.10/£3,000 annual
I also Reverse Meal Plan on that thread and grow much of our own premium price fruit and veg, joining in on the Grow your own thread
My Debt Free Diary Get a grip Woman2 -
You're tracking your finances so well, I really admire that. Now that other people's probate money is out of my account, and not much more of the actual cash is to come, I'm really going to try hard at that.
Great plans on marketing and getting through the winter by renting out that house too, that'll give you some breathing space.2023: the year I get to buy a car2 -
Right. Targets for October -
- Live within our income - try to avoid any top-ups to bills account and running cost accounts in October
- Investigate how much it will cost to repair the wall scrape to the bodywork of my car that I acquired at the weekend - don't ask!
- Overpay the mortgage by at least a bit this month
- Do some fun things
- Continue with the deep clean at our other house
- Kon-Mari a drawer in my chest in my bedroom
- autumn pruning and tidy in garden
- lose at least 2 pounds to tip me under the next stone number on the scales
- process the apples and tomatoes before they rot
That will do! Here we goSave £12k in 2024 - #2 target is £5000 only £798.34 so far
OS Grocery Challenge 2024 25.04% spent or £754.10/£3,000 annual
I also Reverse Meal Plan on that thread and grow much of our own premium price fruit and veg, joining in on the Grow your own thread
My Debt Free Diary Get a grip Woman2 -
Targets for October -
- Live within our income - try to avoid any top-ups to bills account and running cost accounts in OctoberNot looking too good so far. After all the predicted payments I am £21.78 over-committed in the running costs account. I do have £38.35 uncommitted in the bills account that I was hoping to pay off the mortgage but I think I will need to transfer it to avoid bank charges for going overdrawn. I do have a week to go until the big CC bill is due to go (over £800 this month)
- Investigate how much it will cost to repair the wall scrape to the bodywork of my car that I acquired at the weekend - don't ask! Not done
- Overpay the mortgage by at least a bit this month not done
- Do some fun things Went for a lovely walk on Friday morning. Beautiful sunshine and marvellous views. Also went swimming Saturday morning but was still rather tired so it felt slightly chore-like and I didn't make the half mile I was hoping to repeat
- Continue with the deep clean at our other house not done yet
- Kon-Mari a drawer in my chest in my bedroom not done yet
- autumn pruning and tidy in gardengoing outside this morning to get going on this again
- lose at least 2 pounds to tip me under the next stone number on the scales scales showed me 0.8 pounds from this then I pigged out on cheese and crackers yesterday as felt quite odd and as though I needed carbs. Fasting until this evening to bring it back
- process the apples and tomatoes before they rot A must do for this afternoon - I can see a couple of tomatoes going over. I think I will whizz some raw and freeze in plastic bags and I will roast the really ripe ones and make roasted tomato sauce for jars - the apples will wait but I do plan an apple and (home-grown) raspberry dessert for this evening to go with our slow-roasted chicken
In other news I think I am hoarding again. I seem to have a very full larder at the moment - I think it is a winter carb thing but not entirely sure. Bought 6 bags of organic jumbo oats last week because they were on offer and I had more than my trolley-full in Waitflower vouchers - so had to buy some extra things. At least they will keep and they were not cake! - every storage jar has a bag of oats in it!Save £12k in 2024 - #2 target is £5000 only £798.34 so far
OS Grocery Challenge 2024 25.04% spent or £754.10/£3,000 annual
I also Reverse Meal Plan on that thread and grow much of our own premium price fruit and veg, joining in on the Grow your own thread
My Debt Free Diary Get a grip Woman1 -
Hey lovely, just caught up! Gosh you have a lot going on and a lot to juggle, my had goes off to you! Your plans sound good re houses, whatever works. Chin up my dear, you're doing amazingly.1
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Just thought I'd stop by and say hello - I admire your to-do lists, it's fantastic to see your goals especially using up the apples and tomatoes that are about to go off! Being inventive with leftover food is not my forte.
Hope your house plans all work out and enjoy that heating being on!CC1: £4481.14/ £5031.14 (12% paid off, £600) | CC2:£3307/ £3807 (14.4% paid off, £550) | Loan: £10,528.20/ £15,792.30((33% paid off, £5,264))
July debt total: £24,630.44 | New debt total: £18,316.34 | Total debt paid: £6,414.10 (26%)
*My debt busting and savings diary*1
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