Lucifer needs advice

Lucifer

I have dabbled with this site for a few years now, and have adopted alot of tips that I have learned from you wise people. I am determined to get on top of my situation once and for all.

I have been keeping a manual spending diary, but would now like to do so on the pc. I don't want to pay for microsoft money (see I am learning) and was wondering if any of you technical people can either advise a free version or whether you have a spreadsheet on here somewhere so I can do spending diary, see proportions of what goes where etc etc.

I apologise if this is not appropriate, but I have about £30k of casual debt. I am chipping away slowly but need to be more canny. I got paid yesterday so thought today would be a perfect day to start...

Thanks

Bismarck

£30K of casual debt?

Is this a less serious sort? £30K is enough to cause most people more discomfort than casual suggests.

hypno06

try www.spendingdiary.com

it is free and should do exactly what you need!

Lucifer

I didn't mean that £30K was casual in that I am not concerned!!! I meant it in that it wasn't accrued as in student loans, mortgage etc etc. Of course it is a concern to me. I have done the age old consolidation trap on more than one occassion.

Sorry that you took my request for help as an insult!!

Lucifer

Thank you Hypno06 for your help and not judging me the way Bismarck obviously did - much appreciated!

Naomim

Hi Lucifer,

I have also been using the spending diary website but only for my grocery and lunches. However I spent my small bit of "ready" cash this month within 2 weeks with nothing to show for it so I am going to use it completely for everything next month. You can do little reports on it and it gives you different charts to show what your money goes on.

HTH

Naomi x

Lucifer

Thanks Naomim. I logged on today and backdated my spending to Friday. I was intending to just put in £20 cash etc, but have now decided you are right and will breakdown the cash into exactly what I have spent. It will be more time consuming, but will identify exactly where the cash is going. I am 35 and have decided I will be debt free by my 40th birthday. My loans I am currently ignoring as the last one will be gone in 3 years (yes I took out a 7 year loan in 2004!). My challenge is to pay off my credit cards. My car is 3 and a half years old (another wise move buying brand new - not), so if I take good care of it it should last till I am debt free and can save for a replacement.

brixham

Good for you Lucifer ! Life really will begin at 40. keep going and you will get there.
brixham

Burlesque_Babe

hi Lucifer

something I did whilst paying off my debt was to a simple meal planner in Word. I literally did a table of days of the week versus 3 meals a day and typed in meals I could do with ingredients I already had. When I ran out of ingredients, I started a shopping list and started filling the grid using as few ingredients as I could get away with buying. I printed the meal planner out and stuck it on the fridge and bought the food. As the week went by, I crossed the meals off.

It was rigid, but it meant I only bought what I really HAD to buy and I could see how the week was going by crossing the meals off and then starting to plan the following week by what I knew I would have leftover.

PS - 5 stone off - well done you!!!!

Lucifer

I have been spending about £500 on food a month, which sounds horrific just saying it. I am married to a farmer (who eats about 9 weetabix for breakfast), and although we have 2 children together (9 and 6) I have 4 stepchildren - 1 lives with us 100% and one who works full time on the farm and is a frequent visitor for meals. It is like and invasion at mealtimes. I have set myself a challenge of £300 for september. I already use the slowcooker alot and make my own bread (well the breadmaker does). I am looking on the old style boards (saw link on here Friday). Any other tips greatly appreciated. I think I cook quite well its just the quantities that are obscene. I always seem to have a housefull.

Burlesque_Babe

the Old Style threads are brilliant for meal planning and checking out what others are doing -some survive on paying so little it's amazing how much they stretch the food!