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Archive for December, 2010

revised 2011 goals

December 30th, 2010 at 03:24 pm

Originally I had a long list of what I wanted to achieve in 2011. However, after taking a look at my list, I deided to narrow it down to these goals:

1) Clear credit card 1
2) Clear credit card 2
3) Increase regular savings
4) Start car maintenance fund
5) Save for a cash-only Christmas

I think goals 1 and 5 will be the easiest to complete. Goals 2 and 3 will be the most challenging, I think. Once CC1 is gone, the money will be put to CC2.

I want to increase my regular savings to either £25 monthly or every 4 weeks when I get paid. I know £25 isn't a lot but it's better than the £5 auto-savings I currently have set up.

As for the car maintenance fund, well that will start after I have dealt with my current car problems.

Dec 2010, 2011 goals

December 26th, 2010 at 03:28 pm

Well I didn't manage to complete my goals for this month. Or my goals for this year actually. I'm going to have another think about my 2011 goals.

So Christmas is over now. We went to my mum's. Dinner with in-laws today.

Tyre still isn't fixed. We can't get it off the car. Also I just paid my road tax today. How ironic.

xmas shopping done

December 18th, 2010 at 09:19 am

I finished my Christmas shopping yesterday. I spent £98 on the last of it. It was all paid for with cash so I have met my goal of a cash-only Christmas. I budgeted £150 for it so the leftover money will probably go towards a new tyre.

We're having a lazy day today. I'm going to start wrapping some presents soon.

We've been invited to the pub tonight, although I'm not too sure if we're going, it all depends on the weather. If we do end up going we'll only have a few drinks each since we're working in the morning.

Aargh!!

December 15th, 2010 at 08:30 pm

I am so stressed!! When i was driving to work this morning my steering felt a bit funny. However the roads have been icy so I just put it down to that and the snow. When I finished work i took my mum home. Well on the way home my tyres were making a noise. I could see in the wing mirror that my tyre at the back was flat and it looked as though it was coming off! It's usually a short drive home so I thought it would be ok. I got caught in a queue of traffic and there was an accident. When I got to my mum's I had a good look at the tyre and it is coming off. My mum thought someone had slashed it because of how bad it is. Hubby's mum seen the car when I went round, she said I nevaer should have drove it. I'm not sure how it happened but I think - this is my theory anyway - that while my car was sitting in the car park for two weeks during all of this bad weather, I've gotten a flat tyre. Then driving the car and having alloy wheels has made it worse. I'm going to have to get a new tyre. My spare has a leak in the alloy, which I was planning on getting fixed soon so I can't put that on the car (mechanic said something a while ago about how i can't put any weight on the tyre until the leak is fixed) So I'm going to have to order a new tyre and get the leak in my spare fixed. And I'm working tomorrow. I don't know how I'm going to do this.

Ok I'm going to calmly think about what I'm going to do. My next post should make more sense.

xmas vouchers update

December 14th, 2010 at 06:59 pm

I found out what happened today. The company has told hubby's mum that they didn't receive the payments - either all or some of it, I'm not too sure. So, although we gave her the money, they didn't receive it. The reason for this? She has been overdrawn, gotten bank charges and the payments haven't been made. She apologised to us since it is her fault. So how am I going to finish my xmas shopping? Well when I get paid instead of giving MIL "rent" (£160) I've only to give her £10 and use the rest of the money for xmas shopping. Ideally I want to spend less than £150 so I am writing a list of what I need to get. It's not a long list either.

I was reimbursed a few days ago through my health plan for contact lenses I bought a few months ago (£22) so I added that to savings.

next year's budget

December 9th, 2010 at 12:29 pm

I started using an application "Budget Brain" I have two budgets stored on it. One is my current one, the other is what I want to do.

In my first budget I am paying £248.04 towards debt, and only £5 to savings.

Budget 2 I am paying £275.12 towards debt; £48.75 savings and I added £20 for going out. I increased payments to CCs and savings in this budget. I am hoping to follow this budget next year. The only problem with this budget is that it leaves me with a £3 underspend each month. However if it means that I get to clear debt and save then it is worth it. After all, I will have budgeted for everything that i need anyway, right?



why aren't they here yet?

December 8th, 2010 at 07:54 pm

My Christmas high street vouchers, that is. You put money aside every month specifically for xmas and you have nothing to show for it. It's 17 days till xmas. I'd like them now. I have a list of what I still have to get yet I haven't got the money to buy it. This better not happen next year.

I'm really not in the mood this year. I haven't got my vouchers, it's freezing (it was -17 this morning) and my xmas night out is on Saturday. I really am not in the mood to go.

I hope I can increase savings next year. VAT is increasing to 20% so my phone bill and Love Film subscription will inreaase.

I don't know what's wrong with me. I'm looking at my 2010 goals and I didn't complete them all (I ADDED to the catalogue when I was meant to clear it, I'm crazy!)My savings have GOT to increase next year.

Back to square one

December 3rd, 2010 at 05:35 pm

Just when I think we've got a plan...

Hubby found out last night that MIL hasn't been putting the money towards what he's been asking her to. Also she doesn't know her credit card balances. Since it's his debt hubby is going to start taking over the credit card payments. At least this way he will know how much he has paid.

We're still going to apply for a loan next year. I hate having this hanging over us.

Sometimes I feel as though she wants us here forever. The other day she found out her payday is the same as ours. She wasn't happy, she'd rather the money went in on different days. Well she won't be getting our money forever.

This isn't going to ruin my goals. I'm still going to save for the things I said. I'll still clear my debt.