My Diary v3.0

A question about : My Diary v3.0

Hi All!!

Well, here it is... My Diary v3.0

My previous diaries (don't panic, there are only 2!) can be found here....

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/....php?t=1303349

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/....php?t=2961314

Today, my signature looks like this...

LBM ,- Wed 19th Nov 2008 Ј19,225
JAN 11: ONLY 170 0X Ј100 PAYMENTS TO GO *bank of OH @ 0%*
*A WORK IN PROGRESS!*
*2014 cashback pending Ј78.98, PAID Ј138.35*
(2011=Ј137.30, 12=Ј66.39. 13=Ј102.61)
Iceland fund Ј458.12/ 1000 EBAY Ј205.50

And I should be jumping up and down with joy as it shows that I have made my last payment of 170 x Ј100 to my darling OH (he lent me the money interest free to clear my debts!!).

But.... actually, that should be But (coz its a big but) here I am starting a new diary on the DFW diary forum.

And that is because over the duration of my last diary (starting November 2011) I have re-borrowed Ј6862.26 from my darling OH! To be honest, he is sooo useless with money, that I could tell him tonight that I made my last payment to him today and he wouldn't have a clue whether that was right or not! (But he does know I have re-borrowed this amount.)

But that is not an option. Bless him, he even said a few months ago that I don't need to pay him back any more. But, this is my debt, I spent the money, and I will repay it... in full!

So, I am going to continue doing what I have been doing. Repaying Ј100 a week for the next 69 weeks. By my reckoning that puts my last (and I do mean last) payment as the 30th October 2015!!! GULP!

I do have a little plan though (from my previous diaries, you will note that I like a plan!). I am currently setting aside money for a trip to Iceland next year for OH's 50th birthday. Ј10 a week as a definite, an extra Ј10 a month from the reduction in my car insurance premium, all cashback earned and some account rounding-down. Target for this is Ј1000 by December. I am pretty much on track for this.

So, once this is done I am going to keep setting this money aside to bring my debt-free date forward. Minimum Ј10 a week, starting next year!

Oh, and I still running several spreadsheets! I honestly could not live without them!

So, there is my sin confessed - you have got me for a bit longer!

Feel free to pop in and keep me company! Nats x

Best answers:

• So, I have just received confirmation of Ј40 to be paid from Q.co!! YAY! Will update signature once I have received it (spreadsheet already tweaked in anticipation!)
  This will wing its way to the Iceland fund, keeping me pretty much on track for my target for the year.
  I am still more than gutted that I am still in debt - and I know that I am also very lucky to be in a position where I can a) afford Ј100 a week in repayments, and b) I have a wonderful OH who has been in a position to help me out!
  I know a large majority of this last (and I mean last) amount of debt is down to us both living beyond our means! I am usually pretty good at saying no to things and balancing out the pennies, but that gets sooo draining and boring after a while and I do agree to do something that I know I really can't afford. It seems wrong to completely deprive OH of some fun things. I do try to do them cost effectively though wherever possible. Got to love a voucher or two!
  It has been a long journey this debt-busting thing - and I know the next 69 weeks are going to seem like ever! But, these are the last 69 weeks that I will be in debt for! I took what seemed like forever to get to a point where I felt vaguely in control and had a fairly balanced grasp on my money. I would be lost without my spreadsheets, and even now I will bore anyone who dares ask about the usefulness!
  OH, bless him and love him loads doesn't really help too much. His favourite phrase is "we need to do a budget and stick to it!" Erm, "hello" I have a budget (of sorts)!!! I do try from time to time to sit down and work through a joint budget, but he has no interest in figures and although he likes the idea of knowing everything is budgeted, cannot stick to one for toffee.
  I left him at a supermarket checkout yesterday with a voucher for Ј5 free fruit / veg. When we got home, I asked if the voucher had gone through ok and the reply I got was a sheepish grin. He couldn't find it when he went to pay. Honestly in 5ft he had lost it. Stood in the kitchen he put his hands in his pockets to make his point.... and pulled out the voucher!! Can you see what I am up against???!! x
  I run the house-hold account and, courtesy of my spreadsheet, I know exactly what is due and when. It is all covered by DD's and ticks over nicely. I do (still) need to sort out my V1g1n package as it is costing us a small fortune. I never seem to have the time to do it though! Poor excuse and I really should try better!
  I am still plan making - I love a good plan.... the good news is that version 3 or even 4 is usually viable!
  I am not going to revisit my SOA - I know where I am going wrong, and I am quite happy that my bills (apart from V1rg1n) are all as good as they can be - and I love a bit of Q.co!!
  So, that is me.... ramble over. I am off home to sort out the credit card bill and get that paid (early, just to make sure it is there!) Oh, the life I lead! lol
• A whole 5p added to my Q.co Opinions balance. New total Ј9.30!!
  Not exactly setting the world alight - but will be added to the Iceland fund when I finally reach cashout amount!
• Thanks pickle me - it's nice to know I am not alone with the whole OH thing. He is getting better - just very, very slowly!!!
  Another Ј5.23 winging its way to me from Q.co!
• Q.co money has arrived safely in my bank - despite a message from them saying that they had declined the Ј40 cashback as they could not be sure that I had followed the link from them to the supplier. Oh well, I have the money!!
  Wanted to do a boot fair at the weekend, but the weather forecast was a bit hit n miss and it did drizzle in the morning and then thunderstormed in the afternoon (so they weren't wrong!) This weekend coming was looking better - until an hour ago when a severe weather warning came up for rain and storms. I am never going to clear my house out / make some money for holiday at this rate!
  Had best stick some more stuff on ebay instead!!
• Morning All!
  Well, it is definitely going to be a hot one - car read 24'c on the way into work at half seven this morning!
  Weather for the weekend is looking a bit dodgy.... all depends what time these bloomin' storms roll in. We have a bit of a unique weather system where I am - we can either miss everything - or have the best/worst of it! Not usually much inbetween.
  Weekly money has been paid to OH and I have transferred Ј10.68 to the Iceland fund.
  Not a lot else to report. If we don't bootfair this weekend, I will definitely be listing some items on fleabay.
  Have fun in the sun everyone!!
  Nats x
• Weather looked unsettled for Sunday, and it did shower a little, so managed to get the grand total of 4 items on fleabay. Every little helps!
• Fleabay items all ready to be posted today... about Ј36.00 + postage.
  Another Ј19.88 due from Q.co too!
  Still no bootfair done - really need to get one in in the next couple of weeks!! :O(
• Ha you can't lose me, wev've been together years
  Nice to find you honey, keep going I'll be back to chat soon x
• OBNW!! Helloooooo! Glad to see you've surfaced - was starting to feel a bit lonely on my new diary! How is my little neoprene clad goddess?
  Ok, so.... this Sunday is "bootfair Sunday!" It is the only chance we are going to have before September (get us and our busy lives!! lol)... so fingers crossed for loads of lovely sunshine please! x
• Not been diving in a while but trip booked going in 88 days
  Have you made a fortune this morning? or got well and truly soaked
  My life is exciting too, I've been to the garden centre to buy an extra dustbin due to a distressing maggot situation
  All going well here still debt free but losing the will to live on paying off my morgage early as salary too low (but I love my job) and DD3 her other half and irrestistable grandson live with me and I can't resist treating them whilst they save for their own place
  However they may be taking a gamble with some of their savings and buying a coffee shop hope it goes through sounds exciting and might be a little earner and then I can make cakes and not have to eat them
  Bought any exciting shoes lately?
• Erm, well.......
  Sunday was a complete wash out - knew it would be by Saturday afternoon, so at least I saved myself the effort of getting as far as packing the car. Who knows when we will be able to do one - life it too busy for my liking!
  Ended up spending the day car-hunting for OH. Am all 'car-ed' out now!
  Just had notification that Ј17.48 is available to be withdrawn from Q.co - so I have requested that!
  No OBNW, no new shoes recently.... I am not classing a Ј3 pair of Primani pumps as 'exciting'!!!
  Life is sooo busy, yet soooo dull! At least I am down to 64 payments to go!! lol
• Q.co confirmation this morning that there is Ј4.66 available to be paid to me.... I have withdrawn that. Only thing is my Q.co balance is looking a bit poor now, need to have a good look through and see what I can do to boost it back up! All these extra pennies really do make a difference!
  Had a letter from the tax man on Saturday - my tax code has gone up a little... I think this will make pennies difference to my weekly wage - but I would rather have them than him!
  Have claimed 3 x hours overtime for last week - work is just ridiculously busy and I feel like I live there (despite having this weekend off!)
  Right, I suppose I had better crack on at work - or it will be another late finish for me!
  Nats x
• Morning All!
  Apologies - I have been a bit lax on the diary-writing front. Naughty me!
  The thing is.... I am totally fed up with the debt busting. It is pretty much under control and I am now down to 59 weeks to go!! Almost back to a year left! I cannot wait, but there really isn't a lot more I can do!
  Since my last post, I have had 2 further tax code changes... one saying it had gone up a bit more (yay!) and then yesterday a letter to say they have re-calculated my shortfall from a previous year, and it is more than they estimated, so my tax code will drop a little and then from next April I will clear the difference.
  Looking at my payslip today, it would appear that I am now Ј1 a week better off.... thank you Mr Taxman!
  And that really is about as exciting as my life gets! Oh, I did buy my first Christmas present yesterday - It was a bargain too good to miss!
• First Christmas present delivered to me yesterday!
  Managed to bootfair at the weekend - took about Ј140, so not too bad! Money to go towards holiday spends....fly off 2 weeks today.
  Worked last Saturday as overtime, so will get that this Friday.
  Have house-sat for 3 nights - should get that at the end of the week too!
  That's all folks!! x
• Morning All!
  Money arrived and duly been moved around as necessary.
  Renewed our contents Insurance last night - saved about Ј136!! Possibly a slightly lower level of cover than before, but running through all the criteria we were probably over-covered to start with! It was such a good deal that I paid for it in one go, so that is 1 DD less coming out of the house-hold account.
  11 sleeps to go 'til holiday! It's all paid for, so just need to gather the money together for spends!
  Have a good weekend all! x
• Iceland already?
• No! Turkey!!
  And bloomin' lovely and well deserved it was too! This is day 2 back at work and I am still trying to get back in to the swing of things!
  Oh, and I now have flight delay claim number 2 under way... thanks to a near 6 hour delay on the way home!! If successful, it will virtually cover the cost the holiday (excluding spends).... which will be nice!
  Right, I am off to try and be more productive today than I was yesterday!!
  Nats xxx
• Morning All!!
  A crisp autumn day here today! Just hoping it stays dry for the weekend, need to get out in the garden for a last tidy up before winter.
  Slowly settling back into the old work routine - it has been hard going though! lol
  Have been through my banking this morning and everything is doing what it should!
  Last night I managed to get some bits photographed ready for a fleabay listing session this weekend. 1, I need to de-clutter (again) and 2, we could always do with some extra pennies! Oh, the joy - I can barely wait!!
  Ј2.33 due to me from Q.co too. YAY!
  Right, I must do some work - just keep plodding... just keep plodding!