Learning to budget to make future adventures happen

crunch_time · 11 May 2017 at 11:06AM

Morning diary,

Beautiful day here! Washing on the line, patio doors open!! I'm doing some sorting and filing whilst DD naps. I've just updated the banking and everything looks good although the food budget looks a little low.

Husband and I are going to make a conscious effort not to spend any money during the week so no top up shops basically. I've started online shopping again so DD and I don't have to traipse around a supermarket on our days off together and I can be more present at home and spend more quality time together.

In other money news, I have been unhappy with DS swimming lessons for a couple of months now. We had to change providers as they closed the pool we were going to. I realised that he actually spends half the class waiting for his turn (they did everything together in the old class) and then the other children are much more advanced than him so he is struggling with the things they do. I cant bear the thought of still going there till the end of the summer term so I emailed the teachers and they wont give me a refund but for what money we are left in credit he can have some private lessons or do a swimming activity in the summer. So to keep things ticking over, I'm going to have to budget for all of us to go swimming once a week and ill teach him (I have swam at squad level in my youth). Husband and I have talked about weekly family swimming before but we wanted to save money. Now we have the kick up the backside to finally do it. It will cost us about £40 a month. We really need to start upping some budgets now we have paid off the loan so we don't run the risk of putting things on credit anymore and racking up new debt. I need to have a little play around with the budget. This should be a gradual thing I think.

Anyway, need to get on with my shopping order before DD wakes up!

Have lovely days ya'll!!
Crunchy xx

crunch_time · 12 May 2017 at 11:38AM

Morning all!!

We've decided to try and be debt free by the end of the summer term!!! It's 2 weeks till half term and then a week off of course and then it's a 7 week term so 10 weeks till debt free ness!! The date we are aiming for is 28th July.

Both of us have 3 pay days each in that time so it should be easily doable but we have our holiday to pay for as well which is £650.

I absolutely cannot wait!! I can nearly imagine the freedom!!

The magnum in the loft is calling my name! It wants to be popped!!

Crunchy xx

Moneywhizz · 12 May 2017 at 1:53PM

How exciting. Just think of being able to choose each month how you are going to use all the money that has been going to,pay off debt. Whether it is saving, spending, travelling, or moving house, you have so much to look forward to. You have done so well. Good luck for these future adventures.

abba1772 · 12 May 2017 at 6:01PM

You can do it x

OrangeFairy · 13 May 2017 at 9:27AM

Hi Crunchy,

You are doing so well! Congrats on clearing off the loan and for concentrating on getting rid of the card - it is a great feeling when it is finally gone!

Swimming as a family once a week sound perfect - we want to start doing similar and perhaps badminton with the kids as we all enjoy it.

Keep it up!

OF x

crunch_time · 17 May 2017 at 7:57PM

Evening all

Another working week done for me!! Hated my job on Monday and then mildly entertained it by today. It's funny how I can be so up and down about it day by day. It's a means to an end. I work to live now not the other way around anymore. I've got to keep remembering that.

Husband and I have made a list of things we have been putting off buying since we went hammer and tongs at the loan and still need to do we will probably have a month off debt paying off whilst we pay for them. There may be some small payments we can make to chip away at it.

I shall keep you posted.

Pay day on Friday but I need to pay the balance for our holiday cottage in the summer so that will swallow most of that up.

Crunchy xx

crunch_time · 19 May 2017 at 7:26AM

Morning all!

Payday today! As i said before i couldn't really do much with the money except save £550 into my savings for childcare. It should be significantly less than this as we should have £350 of childcare vouchers to come off our bill but I always err on the side of caution. I won't get the bills in until the half term week. Any money left will go on the cottage holiday. We are going away this weekend to a national attraction which the children are very excited about. We told them last night and they are currently watching youtube videos of the rides bless them. We will need money for two meals out, spending money for tomorrow and then lunch on Sunday for the trip home. We are staying in a Hotel Friday and Saturday nights with breakfast included. I've told husband we have GOT to keep it cheap and cheerful. No starters or desserts or steak and if the kids can share a meal all the better. Id like to spend less than £100. We are taking a picnic for tomorrow lunchtime.

When we are back I can siphon money out of my account for the cottage holiday. Hoping for £300 which is nearly half. Then we can gather the rest when husband gets paid a week today.

Phew so that's the plan for the next week!!

Hope everyone has lovely weekends!!

Crunchy xx

mummytogirls · 19 May 2017 at 4:25PM

Enjoy your weekend away Crunchy xx

abba1772 · 19 May 2017 at 8:45PM

Have a lovely weekend xx

crunch_time · 21 May 2017 at 9:00AM

Morning all

We had a lovely day yesterday thank you!! It rained a little but we hardly noticed and the kids had a wonderful time. We are all pretty tired though. And spent at least an extra £100. I need to be more realistic with my budgeting for trips like this.

Not going so well today though. Already started the day with a blazing row with hubby much to the interest of the people in the next room I'm sure!! We are not used to all sleeping in the same room and dd took an hour to get to sleep on Friday with husband and I sitting at opposite ends of the room. In the dark. In silence. Whilst she drops off. Same thing happened last night but then she woke up screaming every 2 hours needing a cuddle etc. So on rising this morning at 6.30am the first thing I did was make a cup of tea and get back into bed and read the news on my phone to gradually wake up whilst the kids played with their toys and watched CBeebies. husband however sees this as a prime opportunity to talk about what we are doing today and is dismayed with one word answers and the wrong answers to the question 'where is the phone charger' ( the answers btw were 'I'm not sure. I think I put it in a bag but I'm not sure which one. I.e perfectly acceptable).

He storms out of bed in a huff that I'm not listening to him and berates me for things I did yesterday (which I'm not really aware of as issues) so an hour of ailing, crying and arguing takes place mainly about communication. Although he was sort of apologrtic in the end, I refused to go downstairs to breakfast with him and am sitting in our room drinking the nasty coffee and waiting for my face to calm down from crying.

I love him dearly but he can be such an !!! at times and starts things up at really stupid times. We do need to learn to communicate better. I think we need more date nights which should be more easier to do these days since I won't feel guilty about how much debt we are in.

I really enjoyed yesterday and it made me think of all of the other adventures I want to take my children on but it also made me think of all the things I want and should do with MY life and I should not be afraid of pursuing them. I'm not putting off things until they are grown up - life's too short. Uh oh - they are back. Will carry on with this later

Crunchy xx

Learning to budget to make future adventures happen

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