Running out of Time, Space and Money!

nomoney1010 · 20 April 2016 at 8:24AM

Thanks Labratty - we did apply for the 6 months exception of council tax, but apparently we don't qualify as there is still furniture in the house?! It has to be totally empty before they will give it and the place we're living just now is just too small to hold everything so we've had to leave some of the bigger things there. Annoying though :mad: we could clear it into storage I guess, but paying for this would probably offset any savings from the council tax.

I've had a quiet few days - we've just about managed to keep on top of the shortfall so far - from having lots of NSDs and shopping very frugally - ie not shopping at all! The cupboards are pretty bare now!

I sold my first two lots of items on eBay - they finished last night and the night before, totalling £24.18 and £26.21 :j so pleased with that!
They haven't all paid yet, but when they do I'll move the money from my PayPal account and that should tide us over until payday next week.
I have more items finishing on eBay this week and have been spurred on by the above success to get more listed this morning. Whatever else I make this month from it can go straight towards debt number 1 :money:

Have a lovely day everyone

nomoney1010 · 21 April 2016 at 8:29AM

Sold another lot of items on eBay last night - haven't counted up the total yet, but it was fairly high - so exciting watching the bids go up at the end!

I've been lazy as I've worked 3 nights in a row this week so haven't listed any fresh items to finish next week

which is silly as I'm doing well with it bringing in extra money... I'm off tonight so my aim is to sit down and list 20 things...

In other good news, the customer liked my freelance piece last night, I was paid £30 and she'd like me to do another for her next week! :j If it goes well there's a chance it may be an ongoing, if slightly erratic, thing.

In not so good news, payday is a week today, this is always the loooongest week

need to pop to the supermarket today and pick up a few bits - even the freezer is almost bare this month!

we'll scrape by though and I'm determined to be in a better position next month. I think we can be if I push on with the eBaying and can get a couple more freelance jobs...

So, aims today are:
eBay 20 things
only spend what I have in my purse in the supermarket
Go a walk with DS to take advantage of the nice weather

Have a lovely day everyone!

nomoney1010 · 25 April 2016 at 7:18AM

So I'm home from my weekends work, managed not to spend huge amounts, I mostly spend on food while I'm away - service stations are SO expensive... Must get better at packing food to take with me! :mad:

I had a few more items finish on eBay, haven't done the official count up for the weekend yet, but am hoping it will balance out my spends from the weekend above.
Most of the buyers from last week have paid and their parcels posted, so I can officially pay my first £100 towards debt number 1 today - sadly excited by this!

On the countdown to payday now, only 3 days to go!

Bobarella · 25 April 2016 at 9:55PM

Hope the 3 days go quick for you. And yes services are hellishly expensive.

OrrAvenue · 26 April 2016 at 1:17AM

Good luck! :T

I believe my debt was partly because I was unorganised aswell! The other part was because I was a shopaholic

I feel I started making progress when I started taking food and drink EVERYWHERE with me - even if I wasn't hungry or didn't want a coffee :rotfl: !

I also got rid of my smaller debts first even though they were lower rates. When you are unorganised this helps having less things to manage each month! I call it the "human factor" - we know what we should do but what will actually work for my type of personality! :money:

Keep going for the small victories - I will all add up!

nomoney1010 · 26 April 2016 at 9:12AM

Thanks Boborella and OrrAvenue
I get so annoyed with myself because I'm so unorganised with everything. I know what I need to do but just never seem to get around to doing it...

and then when I need something it's either not ready or not in the place it should be! :mad:

I need a huge declutter and organise, I need to be much more organised and make more use of lists, and I need to plan ahead and stop being so lazy!

See, I know all this, but regardless, it's 9:03 and I'm writing this while lying on top of my bed, instead of getting up and dealing with the things I need to do today! :mad: and rest assured, when I go back to bed tonight, my list of things to do will still be as long as my arm... :rotfl:

Must work on my willpower....

I had done really well with eBay last week and made a lot more than I expected. :j you'd think that would motivate me to get more of this pile of clutter listed on the site, but I haven't managed to do any at all this week... Working tonight but will hopefully get a couple of things on tonight, if I'm organised enough to get a few pictures before I leave, while its light.
Out of the buyers I've had so far, all have been lovely, except one. She was a nightmare from the start, sending 4 or 5 messages a day and nothing I was doing suited her. The length of posting time, the way the item was being packaged, the courier I was using to send - even though it was all clearly written in the listing :mad:
Anyway, I ended up just cancelling the transaction and refunded her as I felt she would never be happy regardless of what I done, and she has left me negative feedback anyway

probably my own fault but still annoying. It ruins the rest of the good transactions!

In other news, I have handed in another piece of freelance work, should hear tomorrow if they have accepted it, which will be another £30 off the debt hopefully!
Working away again this weekend and it will be an expensive one as I'm away two nights instead of the usual one, so must budget for that...

Two more days till payday! :j:j

nomoney1010 · 27 April 2016 at 9:29AM

Loan 6500 - now 6320
Student loan 9200
Family 550 - now 1070
Family 75
Council tax 360 - now 0

OD 1 500 - now 380
OD 2 250

Total - 17295 :mad:

So, the council tax bill was becoming a worry and it was looking likely that charges were going to be added, so I borrowed some more from a family member to cover it. Not ideal but at least no more interest being added.
They aren't in a rush to have the money back but I'd rather pay it as soon as possible.

Next aim to reduce is OD 2 as I am charged for using this overdraft. I think I can clear it in the next 2 months if I put all my excess money in. Fingers crossed.

Payday tomorrow!

nomoney1010 · 27 April 2016 at 9:49AM

Have just been over on the boost your income page reading about online survey sites. People seem to make a little bit of extra cash using these, I'm wondering if I could do the same while LO is napping and throw anything I make at the debts...
The problem is that there seems to be so many sites to choose from and mixed reviews for most of them.
I think I will join a few and keep a note of which ones earn the most money and then stick with them... Hmm I can feel a spreadsheet forming!

nomoney1010 · 1 May 2016 at 7:14PM

Back home from the weekends work away - done well and spent less than I had budgeted so have popped the extra money in a tin and will decide where best to put it. Think I may leave it in case it's needed to cover the shortfall before pay day this month, and if it's not then use it toward the debt payments.

I'm away again next weekend, but close enough I can come home overnight and then drive back up the next morning, so at least no hotel bill to pay! Looking forward to July when I will get my travel expenses

I must be good and put them in a seperate account this year so as not to have this problem again!

While I was away I signed up to a few survey sites, just to test the water. A couple of them have been offering me surveys but I tend to be screened out after a couple of questions. One Poll seem to be the best so far, but I'll persevere with them all for a while and see what happens.
I've made a spreadsheet noting the amount I'm making in each site so I'm going to join as many sites as possible and keep an eye on it for a few months, then only stick with the sites that are worth my while :money:
It's slightly tedious, but all extra money, even if it brings my debt free date forward by a week it'll be worth it

Have also been reading other threads on the boost your income page and have added matched betting to my list to have a look at. It sounds hugely complicated and will probably go right over my head, but I'm up for giving anything a try!

nomoney1010 · 4 May 2016 at 8:48AM

Not much to report today - just plodding along really.
Had 2 NSDs in a row, and today is looking like on too. Done the grocery shop online, came out much cheaper than normal - I guess because I didn't have offers tempting me on every aisle!
Although I am working away this weekend, spending should be pretty minimal as I can come home in the middle, so no hotel stay, and I've added things to the grocery shop that I can take with me to eat. So hopefully just petrol to budget for.

Still plodding on with the survey sites, all the payouts are a long way off though! It's inspiring when you read about all the people who have reached and received the £40 or £50 payout though, fingers crossed I'll make it too! That would be a nice little overpayment on the debt.

I have one little bit of freelance work to be paid for - £30 - will hopefully receive that today. I'm putting he extras in a tin at the moment and once I have £100 I will use it to pay a chunk off one of the debts.

Running out of Time, Space and Money!

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