Another Debt Free Diary :)

ElizabethJH

Statement of Affairs and Personal Balance Sheet

Monthly Income Details
Monthly income after tax................ 1180
Partners monthly income after tax....... 0
Benefits................................ 0
Other income............................ 80
Total monthly income.................... 1260

Monthly Expense Details
Mortgage................................ 0
Secured loan repayments................. 0
Rent.................................... 270
Management charge (leasehold property).. 0
Council tax............................. 120
Electricity............................. 22
Gas..................................... 8
Oil..................................... 0
Water rates............................. 36
Telephone (land line)................... 10
Mobile phone............................ 35
TV Licence.............................. 11
Satellite/Cable TV...................... 0
Internet Services....................... 11
Groceries etc. ......................... 80
Clothing................................ 20
Petrol/diesel........................... 0
Road tax................................ 0
Car Insurance........................... 0
Car maintenance (including MOT)......... 0
Car parking............................. 0
Other travel............................ 50
Childcare/nursery....................... 0
Other child related expenses............ 0
Medical (prescriptions, dentist etc).... 10
Pet insurance/vet bills................. 0
Buildings insurance..................... 0
Contents insurance...................... 0
Life assurance ......................... 0
Other insurance......................... 0
Presents (birthday, christmas etc)...... 20
Haircuts................................ 0
Entertainment........................... 100
Holiday................................. 100
Emergency fund.......................... 0
Total monthly expenses.................. 903

Assets
Cash.................................... 0
House value (Gross)..................... 0
Shares and bonds........................ 0
Car(s).................................. 0
Other assets............................ 0
Total Assets............................ 0

No Secured Debt

Unsecured Debts
Description....................Debt......Monthly...APR
Barclaycard....................1518.9....34........19.9
Abbey..........................1877.78...125.......24
Vanquis........................76.23.....5.........41.19
Overdraft......................1500......10........10
Bank of Mom and Dad............950.......30........0
House of Fraser................100.......15........26
Total unsecured debts..........6022.91...219.......-

Monthly Budget Summary
Total monthly income.................... 1,260
Expenses (including secured debts)....... 903
Available for debt repayments........... 357
Monthly UNsecured debt repayments....... 219
Surplus(deficit if negative)............ 138

Personal Balance Sheet Summary
Total assets (things you own)........... 0
Total Secured debt...................... -0
Total Unsecured debt.................... -6,022.91
Net Assets.............................. -6,022.91

Created using the SOA calculator at https://www.makesenseofcards.com.
Reproduced on Moneysavingexpert with permission.[/font

Ok - so this looks better then I thought. I guess my problem is imminent payments. I owe the council £132 immediately. Also I am £150 over my Abbey card balance which needs paying.

I have taken out pay day loans which have come out this month which has left me with no money whatsoever. I am also in my "reserve" (I bank with Barclays) this is over my overdraft of £250 and I get charged £22 every 5 days for it.

The trouble being I have already committed myself to a weekend in Berlin on the 5th December (Need £60 for accommodation and probably about £100 spending) and also a week in France at January - Ferry and accommodation paud for just need spending probably about £100 again.

I have no money and am up to my full reserve this month I need money in my account for Monday else I will be charged for being over my reserve daily so I am going to take a pay day Loan of £100 to cover that (Direct Debit for Train Pass £50 and £50 as I need to pay £10 for Work Team Xmas meal, can't get out of that, and general spending until payday 25th November.)

I know I'm not in a lot of debt and I know that it seems I have surplus cash - but everything above is because I budget so much and I'm not really sure how much I spend so am going to keep a diary just to see the areas I can cut back. I want this to be the final end of my debts I have paid them off before and respent... it's not like I have any assets to show for them either! I'm 26 and I work 7 days a week (The extra £80 is bar work though this can be more) I want to get these debts down as quickly as possible and am looking for ideas and help and support to get me through. I tend to spend money when I'm a bit down and say yes to things as I have the money available and don't think about the outcome (E.g get £10 flights because cheap then think about hostel/spending money)

I hope to update this diary daily with my positives and negatives just so I have something to motivate me and any help would be appreciated :T

Thanks.. this has been a vicous cycle since I was 18 and I just want to be in a normal situation like my friends without this constant worry at the back of my mind

ElizabethJH

PS I have paid off a £1500 Capital 1 card a month ago so I am trying

ElizabethJH

Now I've got the sob story out of the way I'll start Day 1 with a round up of recent Positives and Negatives

Positives
Earnt £85 on Quidco should get paid at start of December
Charge phone and Ipod at work to save Electricity
Waited until the 25th October until I turned my heating on
Am £100 in Credit on Both Electric and Gas (This means my payments won't go up over winter not that I have surplus)
Got vouchers at work which I used for a love film subscription which keeps me entertained at home.
Have a lovely boyfriend who likes to pay for me to eat out occassionally

Negatives
Spent about £100 on clothes/false eyelashes/straightners etc in the past
month (I convinced myself I deserved this due to not buying any all summer)
Am not working this weekend which means I will be going out on Saturday Night - probably shouldn't but I don't get a night off and I want to make the most of it! (positive I've got a spare half price taxi docket from work)
Have booked Berlin and France within the last few months.
Allowed Friend to stay for a week and a half who then didn't pay
Lent friend £2K who then disppeared

ElizabethJH

Update - allowed myself £30 for the weekend (as I'm not working for once!) after Friday the BF came home, Breakfast I used leftovers in the fridge to make omelettes, then skipped lunch to save money and waited until I got to his Mom's for a free dinner (she loves feeding people up) Went out spent £25 in total including entrance and taxi's... then Sunday walked some rescue greyhounds in the morning, picked up some bread and milk and spent the rest of the day cleaning with my Mom. (She brought me over loads of cleaning products) Also spoke about the BF moving into my place would save me about £150 in rent and bills a month!!

Problem I have is council tax - got a letter saying they're sending bailiffs around. Now I've spoken to them on the phone, in person, written complaint letters, I want to pay the full amount I owe on council tax but I just don't want to pay the charges that keep piling up! I'm paying £50 to the bailiffs and £67 a month to keep my normal account up to date and this was agreed but they're still sending these letters!? The thing is they are ignoring my letters that I send - When I've asked why they haven't responded they say the letters have been marked with no action required... is there anyone I can complain to about the Council Tax people as they are just ignoring me and piling on Charges which I'm never going to be able to pay off!! I really just want to get the account up to date but I have to pay my other cards as well and well ok so I affored the £30 to go out this weekend but I don't want to keep throwing money at charges! Anyhow I'm thoroughly depressed and I think a direct debit went back unpaid today which is going to mean a charge no doubt so I'm going to get a pay day loan to get that paid...

ElizabethJH

Well just been reading up on previous posts on the council tax and feeling a lot less down about it now! Just got to stick with trying to pay what I can off. Am going to be working next weekend so will put any money I earn off that straight onto my council tax bill! Going to concentrate on the little things!! Talking of which my friend has just given me loads of beauty products empty packaging - I told her I was planning on making bath salts and lip balms etc to give people for Christmas and she's got loads for me! 8 days until Pay Day - need to try and get a second hand double bed (so the BF can move in) and my Mom is giving me money so I can buy so bedding and sheets etc for Christmas...

Really glad I've joined this site it's making me feel so much better already.. I'm sure I'm going to do this

ElizabethJH

Another "little" thing!
Just found a recipe that I have all the ingredients for for tonight!!

ElizabethJH

Can anyone tell me how to make money by clicking on websites? I've read this in a few forums.. also a good mystery shopping website Thanks!

ElizabethJH

My update from yesterday...
Have signed up for Qype and planning on doing the 50 reviews in the next couple of days to get my Amazon Voucher... does anyone know how many you need to do to get the Ipod? I have completed 1 so far.
Have signed up for Various other survey sites where I can claim vouchers.. need to validate them tonight they're all in my inbox at home!
Am going at lunch to hand in my Team's Xmas Lunch booking, there's an offer on the place I've organise where the organiser gets a £20 voucher to use in 2009
Have arranged to meet my friend for dinner tonight.. are using the buy one get one free cafe rouge vouchers though and am allowing myself a £10.
Handing in 2 boxes for Operation Christmas Child which I filled at the pound shop (got to get my karma!)
I'm looking into doing some flyering on weeknights £20 for 3 hours work and free entrance to club afterwards, depends whether anyone else who drives will do it with me else Taxi would cancel out money...
Ate breakfast at home - and drinking free tea from machine.
Anyhow I'm feeling a lot better that I've got some little things to do that should help with Christmas Presents... Hope everyone else is feeling good today!

ElizabethJH

Just sent a letter to Abbey Credit Card with £10 cheque for my statements so I claim the charges back... can't really afford to send any more cheques this month but will do one a month.. fingers crossed

Lemon_Tree

hello and welcome to the site.
well done for tackling your problems head on.

Probably a question you don't want to hear but are you really unnable to get out of the two trips that you have booked? If you're in arrears with Council tax and over your overdraft they are in effect going to costs you all those charges and interest along with all the normal costs associated with the trips, especially if you haven't paid for them yet.

On a positive note at least you are keeping track of everything here.

I know it's hard to say no to family and friends over trips, meals out etc, heavens we're all heading into the season where people think we're barhumbugs because we can't go to endless Christmas parties, but sometimes once you've said 'no' once it gets easier for the next time.

Once again good luck and i'll pop back (if i'm still welcome lol) to see how you're doing.

ElizabethJH

Hi thanks so much for replying!

Well I did try and get out of the trip to France, but because it's a group booking I would have had to pay anyhow, if I can't afford it then nearer the time I just won't go - I'm hoping that I can pay off my council tax on the 25th November pay day though and if that's the case then I'll be breathing a lot easier.

With Berlin - again you're right I could cancel this I've only pay flight and deposit on accommodation... the thing with this trip is it's been booked with my BF who keeps going on about how much he's looking forward to it.. if I said I couldn't afford it well.. he'd pay!! But he's so generous with me with the little things then that would be taking advantage. I think if I can get through these two months and just try and come out of it positive then I will really be able to start seeing the debts come down after.

Then again I could put a million excuses about why I don't say no to people down here... I think my problem is saying no!!

The good thing is I have told my friends my situation properly now.. and moving forward I would be saying no.. I just don't want to be the kind of friend to let people down when I've already commited!!

Thanks so much for the support and hopefully I'll take the advice in the future!