Another Debt Free Diary :)

SazM030306

Well done Elizabeth you're doing well so far. I'm surprised no one else has replied to your posts! Didn't want you talking away to yourself
Any chance you could cancel your mobile phone and go on a £10 per month PAYG? Everything else I think is quite reasonable, the only other thing is to up your income, though you are already working 7 days!
Good luck and keep up the good work.
Saz x

ElizabethJH

Thanks Saz!

I have been thinking about my mobile, I'm tied in for another 6 months before I can cancel I think... I should really check that out. I would be worried that I wouldn't be able to get another contract phone due to my credit rating.. and also that I would overspend on a PAYG (I get unlimited texts and calls for £35) But I guess if I'm serious then I wouldn't, another excuse!! I will double check how long I have left on my contract!

I am applying to try and get a new job with a bit more money.. In fact I have an interview with an agency this afternoon If I'm honest also the £80 I've put for my second weekend job will likely be more like £200 if I worked every weekend, but because sometimes I don't and sometimes the hours are short etc I didn't want to over estimate!

Thanks for reading

hypno06

Ok, I am going to get a bit tough now.....sorry!

You HAVE to address the reasons why you are spending like this - although it is clear on paper that you should have a surplus each month, if you are at the point where you are taking payday loans out again and again, and are at your reserve maximum so incurring fees, you are a lot further "out" than the SOA shows.

So, you must sort out why you feel you cannot say no, and why you feel that you can justify spending money that you cannot afford, because until you do that, you will be taking one step forward, two steps back.

Eg there is little point in making £10 on daily clicks if you then spend £20 that you cannot afford - you are still increasing your debt, just not as quickly!

You CAN do this, if your head is in the right place - and that means absolutely and completely determined, and with all "spending issues" addressed.

PercyPig

Hi Elizabeth - just wanted to say hello and your diary is great - I like diaries with lots of postivity!

Re your mobile, it might be worth giving them a ring when your contract is nearly up, say you don't want to leave but £35 is too much - could they offer a cheaper tariff. Worth a go.

Also - hope you have a lovely time in Berlin. I went last year and loved it, they really know how to do Christmas in Germany :xmastree: (unfortunately holidays are my major weakness and probably the reason behind 90% of my debt).

Percy

ElizabethJH

Hynpo - you are exactly right, I've got myself in and out of debt consistently for the past 8 years. It always creeps back and each time I learn a new way to get that extra cash.. pay day loans are a new thing I discovered earlier on in the year. My finances are a mess and they could have been sorted a lot sooner, if I'd have taken them more seriously earlier on. My attitude has changed for 2 reasons. 1 To make my Mom happy 2 Because when my BF buys a house in a years time I would like to be in a position to contribute equally to the household (wouldn't get myself on the mortgage though that'd just bring his rates up) In the past year I have worked really hard, and then I've spent hard as well. Not on clothes, going out etc but holidaying is my weakness. If I could stop this then I would have a big surplus each month which I could put towards getting the debts off.

I know that really I should cancel the holidays, but I don't have it in me to let down people. I do however know that I will be saying no in future. I have already said no to free accommodation in a ski lodge in Austria in February (still would have to pay flights and spending) and I will say no to any other offer that comes my way. I shouldn't be in debt looking at my SOA, however I have only been on the wage of £18K for the past 6 mths, before that it was £15K and before that less and less.

I hope I can prove that I'm serious about this in a couple of months by saying that if not my debts are down then they're all in order and I'm not being charged late fees or taking pay day loans to get me by.

Right now I know there's nothing big I can do that's going to help me straight away so I'm going to concentrate on the little things to get me in the right frame of mind.

Thanks so much for the advice

ElizabethJH

PS Percy - Holidays are the worst weakness to have, but hopefully if we come to the end of our debt free journey then we'll actually be able to enjoy them guilt free!! :beer:

hypno06

OK, so one step at a time.

Why not set yourself the challenge of not incurring the need for a payday loan in December and/or not to incur a bank charge for December.

After many years of £000's in bank charges, August was the first month I had no bank charges, and I was then determined to follow suit in September, then it became a challenge for October......So I have now had three bank charge free months! This really makes a difference to my budgets because previously £100+ every month was going straight to the bank in fees.

November has been tight, and I have been extremely close to the wire, BUT, I get paid on Friday and unless I have miscalculated somewhere (not impossible!) I will have my 4th Bank charge free month :T

Once you have got out of that viscious circle, you can then start hammering down the debt seriously.

So.....do you accept the challenge

ElizabethJH

Most definitely accepted.. I know it's something that if I put my mind to it I can do.. and not having those bank charges lifts a great cloud. Feeling that the money I earn from my extra job just goes on paying them off!!

Right I'm off to my interview now... petrified but be ok once I get there!!

Thanks :j

ElizabethJH

Ok so last night £15 spent - starter, main and half a bottle of wine... really good to see my friend - told her about qype and mystery shopping which I'm going to send her the links for today. So it was a fairly expensive night really but got value for money the food was lovely and I can write a review on Qype about it!! Another bit of luck, my Mom is going to pay the council tax though I have to pay her back by Christmas, this isn't just to be added to the bill I owe her, but is to stop the bailiffs!

Well I have another night out tonight.. and I'm not going to lie it's going to cost me about another £15, so that's £60 on Entertainment since the weekend!! This really is the last of it though... am organising video nights, or BOGOF cinema nights now instead... it's very important for me to stay in touch with my friends but I'll just have to do it on the cheap!!

Anyhow hope you're all having a great day.. I felt a bit down when I got home last night went to bed for 9.30 but I've woke up feeling positive and ready to push through!!

I have £50 in my bank account (£40 after tonight) to last me until 25th November... I'm working this weekend but any cash will go straight onto.. I'm not sure getting me right up to date with council tax I think....

ElizabethJH

Oh and another thing, the job I was going for at the agency was already gone and they didn't have anything that paid enough for me to consider moving, but I'm on the books and the interview went really well and the fact they didn't try and fob me off with any old job like most agencies has made me feel quite confident that sometime in the future they might have something