rags to riches (hopefully), my diary.

ragstoricheswannabe

O.k, this is yet another diary but it is hopefully gonna motivate me to go from rags to riches ( well it works for slimming clubs...)

My plan: get my debt down by the time my fixed rate mortgage runs out next
november,
clear all my debt and overdraft,
live within my means so not in debt and can save for things i want in future.

Have been following martins advice and have gone through all my bills changing to the better deal and am now shopping at aldi to reduce my shoppping bill, did this before i started maternity leave as knew a drop in my wage was on its way (whose idea was it to make us live on so little??:mad: )

So here is my SOA:

Monthly Income: £2237.00

Monthly Outgoings: £2135.32

Personal loan = £173.80
Joint Life Ins = £22.33
Sky/broadband = £32.00
BT phone = £15.00
Council tax =£115.00
Water =£33.07
Dentist =£16.50
TV License =£11.61
Mortgage =£865.01
Gas & Elec =£56.00
Mobiles *3 =£160.00 (18mth contract on 2)
Childcare =£180.00
Food =£200.00
Debt payments =£100.00
Kids savings =£5.00 (pays for things needed through year)
My savings =£50.00 (pays for car tax, ins etc & emergancies)
Petrol =£100.00

My partner and i have a joint account, everything in and everything out so this soa is for things we both need to pay. We have 3 mobiles as my partner was conned into thinking having two would reduce his bills (dam salesman!!) but one is coming to the end of the contract so gonna persuade him to change it to pay as u go. Still use childcare even though on mat leave as i have found a very good childminder and will be sending both kids when go back to work and would have to pay a retention fee thats not much less than what i pay if i use the place.

Have joined several survey sites and one click(?) website (I dont fully get it though) in the hope of making some extra cash as at home and can do it when little one is asleep and big bro is in nursery.

I have been trawling through the old style forum to pick up ideas of how to save the pennies and entering comps to win (think i am jinxed there though as never win...)

So here my journey begins............. wish me luck!

ragstoricheswannabe.
xxxxxxx

mumps

Good luck, hopefully things will get easier when your maternity leave ends.

ragstoricheswannabe

thanks mumps, have got a plan of sorts for when i go back to work but thats not untill next year, april possibly and if i carry on the i have been then will be more in debt, not got the hang of living within my means. need to learn how to budget and stick to it (and find a way to make oh stick to it as well)

ragstoricheswannabe

plan for today: take little one for his second injections_pale_
ring up gas supplier and get the £96 overspend back and put it
towards the £140 i owe on my electric
pay some money off next and cc.

I applyed for an egg card (0% intrest till feb2010) last week so should hopefully recieve it this week.

Trying hard to work out how to survive xmas with 2 kids. little one is only 3 mths old so not so bad but bigger little one is coming up 4 so not so easy. Why r all the toys £30 of more??

Have know idea on how we are gonna get out the overdraft though.........

ragstoricheswannabe

:eek: have just found that i have been stupid and changed to a new gas & elec supply thats not cheaper!!!! (must of been a blonde moment.....:rolleyes: .) so in a month am changing back.
Have had quite a productive morning, moved the £96 over from my gas to elec account so am now in credit and changed my phone providers saving me £4 a month and they are giving me £30 off my elec for trying them!!!! Also getting a loyalty card from them that gives me a discount in argos and homebase! great for xmas next year and the sales for which i will get toys for xmas next year........

:T Have had a brainwave with regards to xmas pressies!! the little ones always get the grandparents pressies but this year think we are gonna make them at little cost. my idea was to get some plain white teatowels and some fabric paint and my bigger little one can decorate them! ditto for the xmas cards (we only send ones to close family and friends) so instead of costing £10 each, it will work out prob less than £2 each!!! bargin.

My next mission is to get the oh to stop buying coffee from garages and service stations. (he is a truck driver) Have got him the flask, latte stuff in satchets and some sugar and sweetners in packets (thank u supermarket cafe) but he conviently forgets it everyday:mad: . any advice or tricks??!!

right, am off to my mums as she is taking me out for lunch!! very dfw!!

Pips_Mum

:hello:Hi ragstoricheswannabe:hello:

I am also on maternity leave and my SOA looks very similar to yours, hopefully we can manage to be debt free together but its very hard when there is not much money coming in
My OH conveniently forgets to take packed lunch to work with him so I understand the flask thing to!!:mad:

There are several crafty for Christmas threads on here, have a look on those to see easy, cheap things the littlies can make for Grandparents.

Good Luck!

crazyhazy

Another one on maternity leave, how old are your babies? My little one is 8 weeks and my big one just turned 2. Good luck with clearing your debts, we're starting to tackle ours now in the hope we'll be able to move in a couple of years.

ragstoricheswannabe

Hi pips mum and crazyhazy. my little ones are 12 weeks and 3 years (4 in dec).

We all seem to be in very similar situation, i hope we can all encourage each other and stay motivated.

Fell off the wagon already today and made the mistake of going to the supermarket with my mum "for a look". £59 later i had bought things i am still trying to persuade myself that i needed.
On the plus though my egg card arrived today so at least £2000 of cc will be 0%.

Am off now to write to cow and gate, there hungary baby milk has made my little one poorly and severly constipated!:mad: wonder if they will send me some money off coupons??

Pips_Mum

Ragstoricheswannabe - Oh dear shame little one is poorly but yay hopefully you will get some vouchers to spend on another product.
Good news about the EGG card too, I rang MBNA and they have let me have a 0% offer added to my credit card so that will help me out too.
Easy to slip off the waggon, dont beat yourself up about it.
Crazyhazy - This is my first baby and it is due to arrive on Christmas day!! Benn really poorly so had to go on maternity leave earlier than I would have liked too but hey ho these things happen.

Trying to sort our debts out as I get 6 months full pay from my work but after that I either HAVE TO go back to work or we would struggle hugely, trying to clear as much as poss by time money runs out!!

ragstoricheswannabe

how lucky that you get 6 months full pay!! i got the usual 6 weeks on 90% of wage then on to the £117 a week which is so much less than what i got when working.

ragstoricheswannabe

Got a result from cow and gate!:j they are sorry to hear about my troubles with their hungary baby milk, gave me good advice and will post me some coupons for when we start weaning!! i have never complained etc when unhappy with a product untill i read it somewhere on here........ think i will be more forward (but nice with it) in future.

Went and had a reading with a clarevoyant today, it was interesting. she got my personality down to a tea and told me things about me that she couldnt pick up on signals etc. the tarot cards apparently say that i shouldn't put all my effort into paying my debts off as next year will be good where money is concerned............ (i can here everyone screaming at the screen:D )

Off xmas shopping tomorrow, going to do it all with cash to stop me overspending, the money in savings is my total budget for everyones pressies, a total of £300!

wish me luck...........think i will need it!