Another Debt Free Diary :)

PercyPig

Hi :wave:

Wow that sounds like quite a weekend you have planned, sounds fab :beer: I have £55 to last me until next Friday (when its FINALLY pay day, I hate getting paid early for Chrimbo) and I have plenty of food in for next week's meals. I do have a night out on Saturday for a meal and drinks with friends but its only to the local pub and pizza place so am hoping I will finish the month with money to spare. Thanks to this wonderful website and lovely people like you to inspire me, this is the first time in many many years that I have ended up with cash to spare at the end of the month. I know its not technically 'cash to spare' as I still have my huge debt but you know what I mean! I still have cash left in my monthly food/entertainment budget and its all thanks to the fact that I budgeted sensibily this month and have kept a spending diary.

Percy

retrocircles

Excellent plan! It's good to set regular goals, step by step. It's also good to regularly do your SOA like you have. We don't realise how circumstances change quite frequently!

I'm inspired!

ElizabethJH

Just paid off HOF and updated Sig

ElizabethJH

Ooo and £1.85 PAD to MBMA and £40 to Barclaycard... just so I know what I've done thought I better write it here

natsplatnat

Well done hun - you're really steaming along!!!

Good to see the back of the HOF card!! Gotta do some work - but I'll be back laters!!

ElizabethJH

Hey well it's time for my lunchtime check in

Won't be checking in the weekend as my laptop charger has broke and so the battery has died boo!! Going to try and nick a spare one before I fork out for a new one though... so asking around first!!

percy - know what you mean about money left at the month!! I had about £6 which ok isn't a lot but so much better then being in the red!! No more bank charges for us!!

retrocircles - just checked out your £10 a day amount WOW! You'll have to let me know how you did that! I've done Quidco and I do lightspeed surveys (when my computer isn't broke) but I just can't get anywhere need that... think I need to check out that thread this month! Think I'll go do it now in fact!

Right I'll no doubt be checking in again later... I'm heading out for drinks after work.. but getting buy one get one free cocktails so going to try and make 2 last me all night!! I'll have to let you all know Monday if I get by on £32.50 this weekend eek!!

ElizabethJH

Well I made it through the weekend but I went over budget by £10! Means that I will have to only allow myself £22.50 for next week. It was unavoidable though what with trying to do so much in the weekend there was no way I could of spent any less! And that's with the OH paying for beer festival and buying me a chinese last night!!

I have also spent £13 of my clothes budget - £8 on two dresses from a charity shop and £5 on buy one get one free foundation... but I don't feel guilty as that was budgeted for! Oh well hopefully this weekend will be cheaper.. I have a friends hen party but I have £22 to spend so that's all I'll be able to spend I should manage that without too much trouble... going to try and work Saturday Night as well so should be making some money at least!!

I have cancelled a night out in Brighton that I had semi planned for later this month... said it'll be better after next pay day and I've also got out of the wedding on Valentine's!! OH still wants to see me on the evening though... I'm not really into all that sort of thing... I mean I'd enjoy it but not when I could be working and making money instead!?

Right then of the £10 I have over spent this weekend I acutally still have £6 left so that'll have to be the budget for the week.... if I am careful then I'll have more towards the hen party... really wish I could just work the whole of this weekend, I've been out past two weeks and I've had enough of it all to be honest!! I want to make money not spend it!

phillipsdj

Hi Elizabeth,I've just read through every post of your diary and I just wanted to say congratulations! You are doing amazingly well so far, keep up the good work!Cheers,

looktothefuture

Technically then you only went £4.00 over your weekly budget!:T Well done!

I agree with Nats, you are looking really organised (unlike me who, as you know, is in the process of moving and can't find anything but my handbag in my house... my handbag has become my account holder, odd screw keeper and bits and bobs saver! And it weighs a TON now!! ) and you are beginining to see the change in your finances! :j

xxx

ElizabethJH

I am feeling organised thanks but to be honest I feel like now I'm organised I should be trying harder to earn more! I could of worked Saturday Night but had already planned a night out - which I probably shouldn't have done..! But I still have the rest of the month to say yes to shifts so I think I've had enough treats for getting myself organised and now need to work hard!!

I spent £5 at lunch.. but I needed to get lunch stuff.. think I did well though got a whole chicken for £2.25 which I will use for Sandwich meat.. will also make a stock out of the bones so I can make some soups for dinners! I also got Sausages whoopsied for 35p which I will again pre cook and have in sandwiches, brought 12 brown rolls for £1.20, 12 packs of crisps for 46p and half price Ragu Sauce 66p - I have pasta so could get 3 lunches out of that as well! I think that's sorted me for the next couple of weeks lunch wise as I have some bread at home as well!!

So ok it wasn't stuff that I'd necessarily planned on buying but I think long term it'll work out ok... maybe I need to work more on a monthly basis then weekly with my spending? £32.50 x 4 = £130 for food/entertainment. £41 spent at the weekend and today = £89 left for the month. I might also see if I can make the remainder of this week a no spend. I have left over chinese for dinner tonight... going to my sisters with OH for dinner tmw and then I have Potato curry in the freezer for the next two days and then it's Friday and Hen Party so I'll have to spend again... but that's my challenge 3 NSD in a row

Ok what a ramble haha! I'm off to check up on your diaries whilst I'm still on lunch