I wrote out a long entry, but I forgot to copy it and I lost it. Anyway, here's some goals.

Financial

1. Beginning February, pay 125 to 0% card. (also check how many months I didn't pay 125 - I think it's 5)

2. Continue to track spending. Review once a week, since I seem to lose enthusiasm as time goes on after payday.

3. Save for Christmas - adding in saving at butchers and asda too. Ideally, I'd love for all of Christmas spending to come from saved money. (Money usually budgeted for food could go to debt. That would be amazing)

Health

Have 1-2 Complan a day, as per dietitian's request.

I think that's all.

The catalogue is sitting at 95.50. There's only one more payday left for this year, so it will be gone early January. Then I'll put that money towards my credit card.

There's 18 months left on my loan.

Went shopping this morning. Spent 51.xx although 9.99 was a Christmas present and 5.98 was on thermal socks, so not too bad actually. I've meal planned for the week.

On Monday I'm going to start wrapping what I have in so far.

Kids are going to see Santa at the end of the month, although I paid for it last pay.

It was payday on Friday. I paid 71 to my only credit card - the new 0% offer. If I want it cleared in 25 months, I have to pay 126 each month, so I'm 55 short, not good. Once the catalogue is clear - it's at 195 now after Friday's pay3, I got the figure wrong - I can use that money.

I downloaded all of Swagbucks' mobile apps. The plan is to redeem for PayPal gift cards then put that towards hubby's credit card. It's taking ages though. I have redee0one 10PP so far. I actually think I'm going to need a separate phone, just to run the apps.

I transferred my remaining credit card debt to another 0% deal. Hopefully it'll be gone in 25 months when the deal is up. I can try, anyway.

We're in the process of switching utility suppliers. Should be sorted by next week. I'm hoping this will save us some money.

The catalogue is at 205. It should be gone by Christmas (fingers crossed)

Payoff catalogue #1: 75.02 remaining
Send payment to catalogue 2: 440.xx

Hopefully by August this will be gone and I can focus on my credit cards. I'll start with the smaller balance first, which is cc1. Then, finally, credit card 2, which has 2k on it.

The interest free period for cc1 finishes next month. However, the catalogues are higher interests and smaller balances, so I'm choosing to focus on them first.

Hopefully I'll be debt free by the end of 2019.

I deposited the cheque from my utility company. It was for 9.53. I paid the same amount to the catalogue, the balance is now 75.02.Once this is gone, I'll put that payment towards the other catalogue. Then, finally, towards my credit cards when both catalogues are gone.

I went into M&S for a look, and left 20.80 lighter. I only had one bag. This is me who was trying not to spend a lot on food shopping this pay. I got us a Summer meal for two for 7.00 and we really enjoyed it. I guess a treat is fine once in a while.

Not much to report as I've only just paid the catalogues. I paid 147 to the smaller balance. Catalogue Debt is now 819.06. I'm looking forward to getting rid of this!

Well my Monday morning is officially going well: I just signed on to check hubby's catalogue payments for next pay (they always update about now) and one catalogue is in the three hundreds!! I never expected that! It's obviously because I just paid off the final ever Buy Now Pay Later item, and they've deducted the interest that was already added to the account. I'm so happy. It's a couple of hundred less to pay off.

In other news, I have to come up with a meal plan for the rest of the week. Yesterday I had to buy milk and I ended up spending 7.xx on reduced stuff too (including salmon for 1.25 and a cheesecake for 62p). We're having soup or leftover lentil casserole for lunch.

I just found out about this yesterday from Debt-free-by-33, so, unlike her, I haven't really had time to prep but I'll be giving it my best shot.

I've got a couple of challenges, namely a joint kids birthday party so I'll need to get a gift, eating out (spent 99.xx this month although that does include treating my mum on Christmas Eve and eating out in Edinburgh when we were there) and I desperately need to buy a washing machine filter.

Other than that, I'm going to do my best to have an Uber Frugal Month

I need to make these more specific, but right now, I'm thinking:

1. Payoff BOTH catalogues (1303.50) - I'll be ECSTATIC!! even though they're not in my name

2. Continue to pay credit cards and get another balance transfer

3. Save up for a holiday

4.Cash only Christmas (and birthdays too)

Also, work out how to kit us all out for two weddings next year. And buy J his first bed.

It's been over a month now, I think, that I've been withdrawing cash for shopping. I think it's working out.

Speaking of cash ruling, it's my answer to everything when hubby suggests we need something. "We need to save up for it"

My phone has gone AWOL. It's been a week. I know I lost it at home but I can't find it anywhere. I'm ready to give up.

Told hubby I want to be done with one of the catalogues by this time next year - really I meant halfway through the year, ideally both will be gone by December 2017 - so I can focus on my credit card debt. Both 0% offers end next year.

I think this is my first update this month. I never leave it this long normally. Things have been busy.

I've been spending a lot of time the past six weeks or so, working on a hobby, I guess you could call it that? I'm being optimistic and hoping that I can turn it into a career within the next year or so. I need to do some studying first, amongst other things.

I cancelled Amazon prime yesterday. I barely used it during the free trial. I barely had time to watch my usual programmes never mind adding more to my list.

Hubby joined something, I'm not sure exactly what it is. Anyway, every month he gets a 5GBP Amazon voucher. So that is sitting in my Amazon account now. It's something to do with tv or something. If I can make myself do a swag bucks survey I could get another voucher, for ten pounds I think.

Got the kids Halloween costumes. Spent less than a tenner.

I have one more BNPL item left to pay off. The catalogue keep trying to tempt hubby with offers but they're so bad. Also, he's not allowed to. He's banned.

I need to pay for nursery photos soon. We never got them last year, we just kept the little copy that they gave us.

I think that's all.

Yesterday was payday. Nothing exciting. I paid both catalogues and the last of one of the Bnpl items - a hoover- that hubby bought this year. Just one more item to pay off now.

I've updated my sidebar. I'm hoping that by June 2017 most of the catalogue debt will be gone, and I can put that money towards my credit card. Hopefully I qualify for another 0% card, but I'm not counting on it, just in case.

Husband switched bank accounts a few months ago. We were both rewarded 100. I've transferred mine to savings (holiday fund). Need to sort hubby's PIN before we can transfer to my bank, then to savings. He's lost it. I told him that I'm really going to have to save if we want to go *anywhere* in February. Nothing will be going on a credit card (only if hell freezes over, or pigs fly).

SG's is a great consumer. She keeps asking for every single toy she sees. I told her we'll be writing a list for Santa. J, thankfully, is none the wiser.

I've had to change the amount I put into savings. Well, as of Saturday it will change. I've decreased it by 18gbp; I'm now saving thirty pounds each pay period (Four-weekly) I still dream of paying back the money I withdrew this year - that's why I increased it in the first place - and having five hundred pounds in it, but hopefully next year.

Paying Hubby's credit card each month has added to the budget (thirty something pounds). I hate withdrawing from savings so I thought it made sense to decrease it.

In other news, hubby's birthday is fast approaching. When I got him the tv from my rewards in April/May, I said no presents on his birthday since that is a big enough gift. As it turns out, I've bought him a game he wanted and a book. I'll be making a cheesecake too. I'm going to get SG to help bake the cheesecake and blow up some balloons. We might get a takeaway, I'll see.

From now on I'll reward myself at certain milestones (not sure when). I'll need to think of something that doesn't involve money - or a lot of it.

I'm also going to start breaking my goals into smaller steps and just focus on that. Aside from debt repayment, I want to get a new job and gain weight.

Ok, I think that's all. Just short and sweet to get this on paper, so to speak.

I'm on my phone, so excuse the typos.

I picked SG up from nursery today and she told me that her feet were hurting her. After I dropped her off at home, I went to tesco to pick up an emergency pair of trainers for her. I found a pair half a size bigger than she was wearing, on sale for two pound.

I've been using the Notes app on my iPhone to keep track of spending. It seems to be working.

I finally added another ten pound to my Asda Christmas savings card. This should cover the cost of what we spend at the butchers in December - hopefully.

It turns out that my mum actually didn't have a stroke, at least according to her specialist. She is getting an mri soon to confirm or find out more.

Spoke to a random guy at work today. His partner works in the same place as me too. He was telling me that every two years they take their entire blended family to Florida, costing them 9k. He suggested I do this in the future with the kids (we were talking about holidays) I said that we'll take the kids to England first since they've been nowhere.

I think that's all.

I'm not impressed. This year is going in far too quickly.

Things are going ok here. I sold one of J's old playmats for 17gbp.i had given up on it ever selling, but I bumped the post up yesterday and somebody commented and picked it up the same day.

We're meeting my cousin and her kids at soft play later. It will be 9gbp entry total for the kids. I'll be packing lunch.

Catalogue debt is now sitting at 2177.66. Next month it'll be under 2k. Progress. Also, my loan will be under 7k next week.

I seen my mum this week. I think she has abandoned her idea of saving up now that I'm not involved. I'm leaving her to do it.

I've got two different savings funds to keep track of now. I was going to write it down in a notebook, but thought I'd keep track on here too. They're in the same savings account.

EF:

125.11
+19.50

________
144.61

Holiday Fund: 40.00

Tota savings: 184.61

During the first few months of the year when we were struggling, I withdrew money from the EF. Slowly trying to replace that.

I was feeling upbeat until I checked my credit card statement this morning: I got a late payment fee! I can't believe I let this happen! Apparently it only takes that to ruin my mood. I'm getting over it now.

I paid both of hubby's catalogues yesterday. Minimum payments are about 160.xx now in total. I also paid 30 to one of hubby's buy now pay later items. I'll be so happy the day that I can stop using that phrase.

I took SG shopping for a princess outfit for the birthday party that's coming up. While there I also bought her a few other things. Next on the list is a little present for the birthday girl. I'm thinking crafts,something small.

I've increased my weekly savings deposits. I owe money to my emergency fund so this will help to pay it back.

I tried to add money to my Christmas savings card but the till wouldn't accept the transaction; if this happens again I'll just put the cash aside.

The loan went into my bank a few days ago. I paid off all of my catalogue, over a grand to each of hubby's catalogues, all of hubby's credit card balance, my bank of Scotland card and the balance on a kids catalogue I got when SG was a baby. I also paid off two buy now pay later items that were going on hubby's catalogue in a few months.

My loan payments start in a month.

I have to revise my goals and come up with a plan to get out of debt. I also have to cancel my catalogue since I don't want my 10k limit just sitting there, open to fraud. I also need to make sure we never order from Husband's catalogue.

After my payments to the catalogue, we had enough rewards to get an early birthday present for hubby: a new tv. There's enough left for me to pick something too, I just don't know what yet. We won't be out of pocket since they are all covered with rewards.

I made a payment to the catalogues this morning, then I added up my total debt: 6901.21. Finally under 7k. I would be more happy if hubby didn't have about the equivalent to his name, but I'm working on it.

As it stands, hubby has 5526.85 of catalogue debt, plus two thousand on his credit card.

The only good news I can take from this is that debt is GOING DOWN!!!

I can't wait until the day I can say:

GOODBYE EVIL COMPANIES, MY MONEY'S ALL MINE NOW!!!!

A girl can dream.

I've decided I'd like to get my emergency fund to 520 by December. With automatic deposits it will be at 487 so I'll need to find extra at some point.

I'd also like to get rid of credit card one and get the catalogue to 2k.

Lofty goals? Maybe. It'll be a challenge.

I cashed a cheque for 4.96 that's been in my bag. Using this for expenses and I have ten pounds of mum survey rewards that should be in my account soon.

I'm actually still working on what I want my goals to be this year. I know I work better when I have something I want to achieve. I will probably only make one or two financial goals to make it manageable. I'd ideally like to come up with some ideas before the end of the month.

Last year I was so focused on building up my emergency fund and paying down debt, so I don't want to lose momentum this year. My goals will probably be pretty similar to last year I think. As long as I'm aiming towards something, which I think is the point. I definitely know my Big Picture Goal: be debt free. I'm years away from this though. Also have a hefty emergency fund. One step at a time though.

340.00 Beginning Balance
+10.00 Four-weekly deposit
+_2.00 weekly deposit

_________________

352.00 New Balance

It's bittersweet though because it will be getting used soon. Such a pity.

It's been a while since I've taken a proper good look at my debt. Ugh. I hate it. I spent a while earlier working out some numbers.

Four paydays until my massive bnpl item from last year will be added. I keep on paying 200 each pay to my actual bill, so it will be 800 less by then.

111 left to pay of J's cot and mattress. I have until April to pay this.

Last week I just paid the minimum to BoS. I checked my budget this morning and I had budgeted 90, so I sent an extra 42 to make it up.

I set up faster payment via my bank for the new credit card. If I paid 106.30 every month I would have it paid off in 26 months. Nothing has been put to it yet.

21 months left to payoff Tesco credit card before the interest-free period is up. Balance now is 1555. I'd have to pay 74.04 to get it paid off by then.

I would love to pay it all off, obviously. I need to find a way to pay extra to the 0% cards so I'm not carrying that debt over when it ends.

The catalogue is the biggest problem though. If I wasn't paying that I'd have extra to pay to the credit cards. Also, I still have to get rid of the remaining BOS balance.

Right now I pay 300 each pay to debt, roughly.

Catalogue: 200 + 15 bnpl payment
BoS: 70 (although 90 this pay)
Tesco: 30 (35 today though)

I need to add Nationwide's credit card payment on to this too.

Hmm. I didn't actually solve anything.

I can't believe it's the first of August tomorrow. July was definetly a quick month!

I don't think I posted about this the last time I updated, but a few weeks ago dh got a letter saying that his catalogues were merging. He is essentially paying the same company twice. Want to give them all of your money? I hate it. It gets worse... the icing on the cake is that he told me he couldn't remember one of his account numbers (he usually signs in with his email) so he was late with the payment. Did you check the shredding pile (huge bag!) No. He knows that every time we get mail - if it isn't junk, that goes straight to recycling - it will be in the beside the shredding. He came back a few minutes later with a statement.

Dh is still at me to get a best friend. Sure, I'll just magic one up. I think he forgets that you can't just become friends with people overnight. He's got a few group of friends, some of the newer ones work in the same place as us. Unfortunately, unless I suddenly become interested in gaming, I can't claim them as my own. Whenever I see them, they'll ask "How's [Dh] getting on with x game?" I don't know; aren't you playing the same game? Honestly. "Tell him I'll be online later" Ok, but you've probably already told him.

Then there's one of his oldest friends, who is completely not interested in gaming or anything else for that matter. We get on well. In fact, I remember meeting him for lunch when I was on maternity leave with SG and during my last maternity leave, he could always be relied on to ask how I was getting on with the *three* kids. Not good, want to take one of them off my hands? He has recently set up house, so I foresee a wedding in the future.

I spent a while this morning thinking about how much to pay to cc#1. I decided on 39.09 because the number it's at right now - 1629.09 - is bugging me.

Why didn't I put any of that energy into cc#2? I'm still hoping I will be able to do a balance transfer soon. I had to get in touch with Nationwide again because I still haven't received the paperwork. The woman was worried because it's been sent twice, but I never get it. If I don't get it within the next 3-5 working days I've to go into the branch.

If I do have to go into the branch, I'll get dh's birthday card while I'm there since I have to walk past the shop anyway. He told me what he wanted me to get him, but I ordered him something online from the kids yesterday. I saved 20%, or 4.58, so that is counted as a snowflake. It's going straight to my emergency fund.

Here's my snowflakes for this month:

8.25 Approved Food discount
3.50 Tesco coupon
2.50 Opinion Outpost rewards
15.00 Swagbucks rewards (paying myself back)
3.00 MySurvey rewards
4.58 20% discount savings

Total: 36.83

This is my best month yet! Of course, it helps that I paid myself back for Swagbucks a few months ago.

My total snowflakes YTD are now sitting at 165.07.

I think it's safe to say that July shaped up to be a good month.

I realised I haven't posted about my goals recently.

As of today, I have 227.40 in my Emergency Fund. This means that I have to add 122.60 to reach my goal of 350.

Credit card debt is sitting at 4635.22. Bank of Scotland is almost under 3k, sitting at 3006.13. If I get accepted for Nationwide's new credit card, which is offering me 0% on balance transfers for 26 months I think, I will transfer about 1000 I think.

Bank of Scotland's minimum payment is now at 56.xx. If I do get accepted for Nationwide, I will ideally work out a payment plan to get it paid off within the interest-free period (Ideally, Tesco too but I've only been paying the minimum, or just a bit more, to that)

Catalogue debt is slowly decreasing too. Minimum payment is still in the hundreds though, currently at 133.xx. At its highest I'm sure it was 180, maybe closer to 190. I am also working on paying off J's cot and mattress.

Come December though the BNPL items I couldn't afford to pay off will be added. I'm not looking forward to that, although with my extra payments it won't be as bad.

I think I'm pretty close to achieving my snowflakes goal of 150, so I may have made that too low. However, having the first three months of the year off definetly helped that.

I bought SG a new top, two pairs of leggings and slippers in the sale yesterday. That was less than ten pounds in total. She absolutely loves them, although I will now have to get another pair of slippers for nursery since these are her only pair in her new size.

I am still doing my best to meal plan. I'm sometimes finding they're not going exactly to plan because we have more leftovers than I thought. I've been waiting until we actually run out of an item before buying another, so this is helping to stop us having to throw out food because we haven't managed to eat it in time.

I'm still tracking spending too. Next pay, or in the near future, I need to set up an entertainment and misc category. They're both not in the budget yet I've bought things that can count as misc and when we go bowling next week that will be entertainment.

Dh phoned me when he was on his way home from work yesterday. He told me he had the letter from the council with him that said we had overpaid, and that he was going to go into the office to speak to someone about it. I didn't think there was any point but he wanted to try.

When he came home, he told me the person he'd spoken to had phoned someone to discuss the debt. She told him we can repay it back at 11.10/wk. I will probably still use snowflakes for it - when they are redeemed and in my account - because it wasn't in the budget. I now need to add a column in my spreadsheet for this. I don't want to drag this out too long, but at least it is kinder to the budget.

I think I need to do save for birthdays too. I save for Christmas each pay, so birthdays should be saved for too. I think my problem is that I don't want to try to save for too much and then fail.

I'm not sure that I'll meet my emergency fund goal this year, especially as I'm diverting snowflakes. But I will try my best.

It's official; Dh is sick of me talking about debt and how much I hate it. I told him I'd love to be debt free by the time J starts school - so four years from now - he think we'll still owe double figures to the catalogues. Ideally, I would personally love for all of my debt to be gone in two years.

I complained to my bank about not being able to use my card online. They passed me on to the card care department, who told me that they had noticed fradulent activity on my account (a charge to my mobile phone) I told them that I didn't carry out that transaction. They also told me that a new card was sent out to me on 21/4 but I never got it. I'm waiting on them sorting that out now.

I checked out prices for bowling. Dh and I have agreed that we'll go next Monday for their 50% off deal.

I'm still tracking spending. I forgot how eye-opening it is. It's clear that I don't budget for everything, so I need to fix that. I'm also still meal planning. Today I'm going to make up some soup using some not so pretty vegetables that are in the fridge.

I found my credit card statement. I pay 22.95% for cc#2, 39.9% for my catalogue. I am now going to focus my attention on the catalogue while paying a little extra to cc#2. I usually hate to revise my goals but I think this will be worth it.

Snowflakes will still be divided 70/30, only to the catalogue instead.

Thank you to everyone for making me see sense.