Learning to budget to make future adventures happen

abba1772 · 10 March 2017 at 2:12PM

Your doing amazing with this loan can't believe it'll be gone by next month xx

JoJoC · 10 March 2017 at 2:19PM

Wow - that's amazing! You're slaying that debt

VelvetFreak · 11 March 2017 at 2:01PM

Hello Crunchy :j

Have read your whole diary. My goodness you are doing well. That debt will be gone in no time.:A

louby40 · 12 March 2017 at 4:17PM

Great debt busting! Well done

doingitanyway · 12 March 2017 at 6:15PM

Wow, seriously impressive

crunch_time · 17 March 2017 at 8:11AM

Morning all!

Pay day today. I got paid less than I predicted as I got deducted a days pay for the day I had to take off because the children were ill. I have also been deducted money for child care vouchers. I should reap the return of this later this month. I have also budgeted for extra spending and petrol money for April since its the Easter hols and I don't want to be caught short with no money to even get in the car. I get paid 2 days after we go back anyway.

For now it has meant that I have only paid off £200 of the debt today.

This £200 was put towards the loan s we are sooooo desperate to be rid of this now, the minimum payment is the largest It has gone down to around £1500.

I'm now toying with the idea of taking out a 0% credit card to cover both husbands credit cards so we won't be charged any interest. We can then take our time with it over the summer and start setting up proper budgets again which is much needed after this almost 'all or nothing approach' which has helped us get to where we are now but is not sustainable going forwards.

Got to remind myself that we are definitely getting there and I'm going to focus on one debt at a time.

Right, food shopping today so must make a list and stick to it!!

Have lovely Fridays all!

Crunchy xx

crunch_time · 23 March 2017 at 10:46AM

Morning all

I cant believe another week has nearly flown by. Its been full of tantrums and meltdowns - mine and the kids - and a husband working away a lot. Is it the Easter Holidays yet?!! Just one week to go.....

Husband gets paid a week tomorrow so its horns pulled in until then!! Also got to start making frugal plans for the Easter hols.

Crunchy xx

doingitanyway · 23 March 2017 at 10:57AM

You have changed at least one member of the 'clueless' public. I am much less judgemental when I see children going into meltdown

Re your debt. You ARE getting there, although I appreciate it might not feel like it all the time. I like to think of it as a wiggly line instead of an arrow if that makes sense?

Wishing you a good day

crunch_time · 25 March 2017 at 9:46AM

Morning all

So my kids are watching trolls, husband has gone for a run, I realised yesterday I started this diary 5 months ago so I'm going to do a quick reflection of where we were and where we are now.

Recent events have made me feel like there is no time like the present and that every day counts and i must make the most of life and be grateful for what i have. Lets start with the positives...

Positives
- we started the diary with about £13-£14k of loan and credit card. Five months later it is now £4697!!!!!!!
- I have a credit card but don't have a card for it and it is at £0!!!!!!
- We were very good with the windfalls and didn't spend it on 'stuff' but paid down the debt
- Since the windfalls we have approached a mortgage adviser and now know how much we can afford for the next house purchase and it is affordable and realistic - once the debt has been paid off and we have saved a nice cushion of money.

Things to work on
- The 'chuck everything at the debt and don't spend anything unless we have to' approach is really wearing me down now.
- Husband and i have been very busy at work these last few weeks and less conscious about top up shops and budgeting which has eaten into the money left for debt payments.
- My house needs a good spring clean - i keep buying stuff like cleaning products and I'm sure that I'm duplicating them.
- I'm also drowning in stuff that needs to be taken to the tip/charity shop/tree of gum or fleabay and need to get a wriggle on with this - a cluttered house if a cluttered mind.

So, now its Spring, I'm declaring from now on a refresh for the final push to clear this debt by the summer once and for all.

The plan

- Big Spring clean and tidy - hard to do with a 2 year old and 4 year old in tow but I'm sure I can make a start and finish it by the end of the Easter hols. I'm going to focus on the loft, office, kitchen cupboards, under the stairs and the shed.
- The loan is going to run for a few months whilst i focus on the credit card debt again. Its currently £1500 roughly and the minimum payment of £275 so rounded up to £300 for the time being the payments will look like...

1st April - £1200
1st May - £900
1st June - £600
1st July - £300
1st August - £0!!!!!!

- We also have £650 to pay off for our summer holiday before the end of June so will need to budget for that. But my plan is to clear all of it by the beginning of the summer holidays.

Husband gets paid next week so its a case of getting through the week and then we can start a fresh. Right, better go and make some plans and some lists!!!

Happy weekends everyone.

Crunchy has here groove back!!

Crunch xx

crunch_time · 25 March 2017 at 2:54PM

I'm back for a quick update.

Done some planning and sorting and decided to simplify our finances one and for all. Husband and I talk about living off his salary completely and paying back debt with mine (after childcare) and then saving it once the debt has been paid off. I'm going to make this a reality once and for all.

I'm going to pretend I don't earn anything and we live of husbands. When my money comes in it can go straight until the childcare money sits until i get the childcare bills through and then i can pay down credit cards whilst the loan goes down.

I have also sorted out my old pram today to put on tree of gum so hopefully get some money for that soon. We also need to sort out new car insurance for April. Lots of bills to pay and things to think about.

Crunchy xx

Learning to budget to make future adventures happen

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