Back in control...now to stay there!

A question about : Back in control...now to stay there!

I'm starting a new diary as I felt my old was was demotivating me and I didn't enjoy posting in it. I do like being accountable to something though, so find a diary helps me keep focused on my goals and stop me boring DH with my ramblings!

I have only got 7 months to go until my loan is cleared in full and it will be the first time I have had not had a loan since I was 18 (so 15 years!). I have got to the point of almost clearing it several times over the years, but then always managed to find some reason or another for extending it. Dread to think how much interest I have paid over the last 15 years really so I really can't wait until that last payment goes out and it's all done forever.

As the loan is ticking over, and I have paid nearly all the interest on it already, it makes no sense to clear it early. So I am on a mission to get my savings up as much as possible while it's being paid off, and try to make sutre that next year I have got small saving pots for all the things I normally just pay for when they crop up...birthdays, xmas, car tax, mot etc.

Me and DH are also saving up for a mortgage deposit and we hope to be in a position in about 3 years to buy our own home for the first time.

As it's payday today, I have updated YNAB to see where I stand for the month, moved over my share of money into the joint bill account, and moved over various amounts into my savings account. I only have one actual savings account, but track it on YNAB as though it's in separate pots so I know what I have for everything at any given point. It actually feels really good to have some money already building towards Christmas, car tax and an emergency fund, as well as the deposit.

A bit about me. I have a husband, a crazy toddler and I am expecting a new baby in January. I have currently got Ј600 saved for maternity leave, and this will be Ј1000 when the leave actually starts after Christmas. I'm lucky that I get both statutory and occupational maternity pay, so there will be no point over the 9 months I am off work where I don't have an income, but it is obviously quite reduced once the occupational pay stops after 4 months.

Aim is to try and make it through the 9 months without touching the saved Ј1000 much, and whatever is left will be divereted into the mortgage savings fund. That is sitting at Ј3000, but DH has almost the same amount in his savings account too.

That's it in a (not so small) nutshell.

Best answers:

• Happy new diary. Congrats on nearly getting there and being so determined this time.
  Have you done an SOA now that you are nearly at the end, just to ensure that hasn't been any slippage in how you are spending?
  chev
• Well I have not done very well in updating this since I started it! Manic few weeks at work, illness for me and DS, OH away on courses and me finishing off uni work as kind of put a stop to most of my free time. Back on track again now though, and have some more spare time.
  I've had another payday since my last post, so another payment to the loan has gone. 6 more and counting, and it's under the Ј1000 mark for the first time ever Can't wait for the day it is finally paid off and closed.
  Savings are ticking along nicely too, although I did have to spend Ј200 on a new laptop as mine blew up 3 weeks ago. It was a few years old though and had seen better days, so I knew it would eventually. I can't not have one as I am 4 years into a 6 year OU degree and we don't have a desktop PC to use.
  Chev...I haven't done an SOA as such yet, but I know to the penny what comes in and out of my accounts as I use YNAB religiously. I will do one, but we are waiting to move house in the next couple of months which will affect how much rent etc we pay so will wait until we know for sure and then post it up for you all to pull apart!!
• I function better when I have a list to work from, so this is what I am hoping to achieve in the next couple of days.
  * Claim refund from Mr T for biscuits damaged on food delivery
  * Check online banking and update YNAB
  * Organise meal planner for rest of week
  * 1 load of washing and onto airer
  * Put dry washing away
  * NSD x 2 (NSD today, just need to have one tomorrow too)
  * Take photos of stuff to sell on FB selling page
  * Advertise stuff to sell on FB selling page
  * Hoover & polish downstairs
  * Declutter living room and hall
  * Transfer odd amount in account to emergency fund savings
  * Chase up Open University about my course
  * Work from home so no petrol spends
  That'll keep my busy!
• I have achieved a few things off the list, so will make an effort to finish them off tomorrow.
  Why does it always feel so long between paydays?
  Decided I am going to join the virtual sealed pot challenge in December when the new one starts. Will also be joining the save Ј1 per day challenge on 1st January. Those savings will be for xmas next year and the VSP ones will probably go to my mortgage fund. Just want to get started now!!
• Woohoo, off work now until next Thursday so planning on cracking on with a few things this weekend and into next week.
  Still haven't taken photos of the baby bits I need to sell, but hubby is going to do that for me this weekend so we can get them advertised. Think I will only make about Ј30 max, but it's all cash into the pot and stuff I would have just binned otherwise.
  The Ј1 per day challenge is actually starting in December so I have signed up and have my shiny new number...20. Will be making a monthly payment into my savings account instead of Ј1 coins into a pot every day as I can do it on payday and I don't carry cash very often to have change.
  Internet banking all checked today and YNAB updated. Looking forward to next week when I can transfer some more money into my emergency fund. Managed a NSD today, but did use petrol driving into the office this morning. Had to spend yesterday though...Ј2 into a colleagues collection at work.
  Lots of housework to do this weekend as I am in nesting mode and want to get really sorted out. Not sure hubby will be pleased, but it's tough haha. Want things sorted out in case this baby arrives earlier than planned like my son did. Hoping to pack my hospital bag this weekend too, just so it is on standby.
  Have a nice weekend everyone.
• Just lost two long posts :/ So frustrating!
  Lots to do today so about to go and get DH out of bed (lazy sod lol) and get started on the paperwork pile on the office desk. It's mostly his stuff anyway, he's the king of clutter!
  Just checked bank accounts and have Ј50.01 to last 12 days until I get paid now. That is just for me though as I have money in separate account for remaining food, bills and petrol. Will be a no spend weekend, so if I can make it a few more days of no spending, I will transfer Ј25 of it into my xmas pot next week. Anything left then on payday will be transferred over too.
  Loving seeing all my pots going up on YNAB and knowing that when the loan finishes in May, I will be debt free for the first time in 15 odd years and have lots of different savings for things. Feels great to be in control of my money for once, instead of living hand to mouth and having a healthy 2 weeks after payday and then a struggle until pay goes in again!
• Finally got around to listing a load of stuff on the local sales and wants page. Could probably still find a load more stuff to declutter and sell, but it's a start. Will bung whatever I make into the MOT pot as that's due in April and I think we will need new tyres before we book it so even more expense.
  Hubby is going to sort out the paperwork for me tomorrow morning, so that can be ticked off the list then too.
• Well, Ј20 made so far on the stuff I advertised earlier, plus I joined Topcashback and referred DH to join, so that's gained me Ј7.50 too. Have also asked my mum to sign up so hopefully she will which will be another Ј7.50. Not sure when TPB pay out, but it's Ј7.50 I didn't have earlier today and another Ј20 from my sales.
  Will add it into the MOT fund when the last couple of bits are collected tomorrow. Fingers crossed, I'll sell some more bits in the meantime.
• 1 more item sold last night after I logged off so another Ј2.50 into the pot. Only small amounts but it all adds up in the end.
  Today is sorting out day. The paperwork pile has to go so DH will have to get busy with it otherwise I am just binning the lot!
  Have made a couple of dollars on Bubblews since last night too. It's very slow going, but assume it will pick up a bit once I have made some more connections on there. Even if it takes a month to get $50, it's still money I wouldn't have had otherwise so not too worried on the time it takes at the mo.
• Well, someone just been to pick up another one of my sold items so Ј5 more into the pot.
  Hubby has finally done the paperwork pile...wahooooooooo! I deep cleaned the kitchen too, which wasn't planned but just kind of happened after I decided to clean the oven. I blame nesting as this baby is due in a few weeks. Need to go and cook dinner now though and hate using the kitchen after it's just been cleaned!
• Morning Diary and MSErs
  Up at 7am with the little man. Milk and nappy done so just catching up on here for 30 mins before we have breakfast.
  Got 3 more items being collected today so should give me another Ј7 to go into my pot, bringing it up to Ј22. Not bad for getting rid of stuff that is junk to me. Some things have had no interest so I'll bump them up on the site again later today and see if they go too.
  I am in a more determined mood today after deep cleaning the kitchen yesterday so am planning on tackling the bathroom and toilet today. They aren't horrible or anything, but now I am so heavily pregnant, I tend to just give them a quick going over instead of a deep clean so they need to be done properly really.
  My plan of action for today is:
  Check online banking DONE
  Update YNAB and spreadsheet DONE
  Breakfast, dinner and tea from stores (all meal-planned last week) DONE
  Write this weeks meal planner
  Order weekly food shop to come tomorrow
  NSD DONE
  NPD (No petrol day!) DONE
  Load of washing DONE
  Washing on to airer to dry DONE
  Put stuff already dried on airer away DONE
  DH to hoover tonight
  Polish living room DONE
  Phone up RAF to report bathroom light issues DONE
  Chase up OU re: course DONE...no news yet
  Read some more diaries/challenges on here DONE
  I realise that's a massive list and probably a bit over optimistic, but some of it can tick over to tomorrow if I don't have time. Want to try and capitalise on this sudden burst of energy I've had as they are few and far between at the moment!
• What a mad day today has been. Achieved almost everything on my list. Will do the meal planner and order my food shopping tonight after I've put DS to bed.
  Also deep cleaned the bathroom and toilet, straightened the bedrooms, polished the whole house and cleared all the remaining washing. Just need to hoover the house and mop the kitchen floor, and put the rubbish bin out for collection tomorrow morning, but that is hubby's job after dinner!
  Roast dinner that I didn't cook yesterday is cooking away nicely and I have built up a huge appetite for it now after doing all the housework.
  Always feel so much better when the house is immaculate and I can just relax.
  Only 1 of my items has been collected so far though (Ј2.50) so hoping the others are still coming tonight. The other 2 items only sold for Ј4.50 total but it all counts and is better cluttering up someone elses house than mine. Found a couple of other bits I can sell when I was straightening up so they have been added to the pile and I will try and photograph and list them either tomorrow or Wednesday.
  Off to finish dinner off and relax for a bit as I am totally pooped now.
• Hubby hoovered downstairs after dinner and he will mop the kitchen floor and hoover upsatairs for me tonight. Bins out and waiting to be collected and food shopping due to arrive later today. Have just written up the meal planner on the blackboard in the kitchen for the next 7 days.
  Really pleased that I got all of yesterdays jobs done, plus more I hadn't intended to do. Today I just need to change the cat litter and put 1 load of washing on that hubby had 'forgotten' about in his bag from his work course last week. Then me and DS are going to spend the day chilling out and I am going to have a nice long soak in the bath when he goes down for a nap.
  Bank account checked and all tallying with YNAB. Hubby transferred me Ј20 yesterday that he owed me, so thinking of moving that, plus Ј30 over into my car tax/MOT savings, leaving just Ј20.01 in my account. It's 10 days until payday, but I am staying home all day today and tomorrow meaning 2 x NSD so will really only need to last for 8 days. I have already kept money aside for fuel I need to put in later this week and next week, and keep grocercy budget in a different account too.
  If I can be really strict with myself, I will hopefully still have most (if not all) of the last Ј20 to transfer the night before payday, but we'll see!!! Not over stretching as I find it more demoralising taking money back out of savings.
• Sod it, I've done it.
  Ј20.01 to last for the next 8 days with all bills, food and fuel accounted for. Should be doable...Ј2.50 per day really.
  Just noticed interest was added to my esaver yesterday too, so moved that over into my emergency fund...another Ј1.18 into the pot.
  Sig updated
• Well done. Real commitment shown there.
• Thanks INOD. I'm determined to start 2015 positively with little savings pots for everything as it's the year I finally become debt free! Don't want to undo all my hard work by not having any money saved for the less frequent costs like tax etc as I normally just panic when they are due!
• Kitty litter all emptied and changed, washing done and on airer and dried clothes put away. Off to start dinner in a bit, using up the leftover chicken in a pie from the roast I made last night.
  Had a NSD and someone else just collected another item I sold. It was supposed to be for Ј2.50 but because she didn't turn up yesterday and just appeared at the door unannounced today, she gave me Ј3 instead. One more item being picked up tomorrow at 11am and that puts me up to Ј22.50. Have bumped up my other items but they aren't showing any interest at all sadly.
  Still no news from OU about my course. I will give it a couple more days and phone them again. Hate being told a time frame for something and then watching it pass by with no news!
• Emptied my terramundi pot today as I hate the things. It was a gift a couple of years ago which I only started using a couple of months ago, but I hate not knowing how much is in them and like to count it up periodically. Eventually managed to get the money out using a knife, but it took ages. Ј37 in Ј1 coins, so I have added them to a pot with a lid and advertised the terramundi on the local selling pages. May as well see if I can get some cash for it. Also started a Ј2 pot and a 50p, but only have one of each coin in them at the mo.
  Also decided I want to do the save Ј1 per corresponding week number from Jan, but I can't really afford that much as I am also going to be doing the Ј1 per day challenge too. Decided I will save 20p per week number instead, which should mean Ј275.60 saved at the end of next year. Less likely to miss the smaller amounts and it will be easier to do when my occupational maternity pay stops and I go onto SMP only. Not sure what it will be for yet, as the Ј1 per day is for xmas 2015. May put it towards a new bed as me and hubby could really do with a new one.
  Really am loving seeing all these little savings pots add up. It's nice to know I have got Ј567.65 saved up for next years one-off bills, plus the Ј3000 I have in the mortgage deposit fund. Just need my loan to end now...6 payments and counting
• Been into work today so had to use petrol...booooo! I need to put some more in tomorrow as the light came on just as I got home and will be in the office again tomorrow.
  Was a NSD though, and planning on tomorrow being a NSD too. Payday next Friday and still have my Ј20.01 in the bank, so really hoping to move this into another savings pot next thursday night.
  Sold another 2 items on my selling page too, so another Ј13 made. Ј10 needs to be put into my son's account as it's his and the other Ј3 can go into my Ј1 pot making it up to Ј40.
  My manager has offered me some overtime today too. I have agreed to work 30 extra hours over the next 4 weeks (so basically 7.5 hours extra a week, which is one full time day). They will let me do it from home in the evenings as I have full access to work servers etc, so should hopefully be an extra Ј250 or so in my December pay packet. That will go straight into the MOT/Service fund though, and means I won't have to find the extra from my wages.
  Feel like things are quite positive money wise at the mo (touches wood!!)