New DFW - Now my diary!!!

natsplatnat

Hi Emms!

You are not alone!! For some reason by taking control of my spending I thought that I would start to see huge amounts of free cash literally throwing themselves against my mountain of debt. But its not happening! I knew it was going to be a long slog, but I honestly didn't think that it would be this slow. :mad:

Once your car tax is paid for, you will have a little extra spare (even if you divide the cost by 12 and stick that away each month for next year) and before you know it you will be back on track, steaming ahead as before!!:j

Chin up lovey - we knew that it wouldn't always be plain sailing and at the moment the wind has dropped from our sails a little and progress has stagnated ever so slightly. The wind will pick up soon and we'll be cruising at top speed to the land of DF'ness!! I'll see you there!! (there better be some chilled bubbly or I won't be a happy Nats!)

LittleEmms

Hi CWM!!

Good to see you back to, Happy New Year to you!!

I did have a lovely break thanks – was not happy to come back to work! How about you – did you have a good one???

I’m not too down (just I think usually I’m so upbeat!) … but more than anything disappointed in myself on the CC scenario)… you’re probably right – I only had the LBM in November and expecting miracles through the festive period maybe was a bit hopeful – I’ve watched too many Christmas movies !!

Ok pressies – no friends in there – just family, and adopted family (who have been there more for me than own family) ….. only friend I do buy for, I buy for her two girls, 4 year old this year & soon to be 1 year old…., who is my god daughter. This particular friend is great though and insisted I don’t buy for them for xmas as she knows how big my family is and is understanding that I’m poor! And they get loads at xmas anyway!!

March for example; brother, step-sister, god-daughter, adopted sister (explained above), and now b/f’s son. The other bad month is June – other Brother, god-daughters sister, newphew, now the b/f (should have asked when his bday was before dating!!! :rotfl:

So in amongst putting aside for those bdays – I have to attempt to put aside for next Xmas… then I don’t see me having any spare cash to even throw at debts!! …..

Great idea on one challenge at a time!! I’m definitely starting with the car tax – I’ve got one of those post office stamp saver books and going to divide up my car tax amount over 6 months and start from end of February. As said – I do have half of the money (which is £50 btw!! Car tax is £100 for 6 months )

Oh to be the product of extended families, and the one in the middle :rolleyes:

I think I need to be a bit better at cutting down on them and going to explain why!! If they don’t understand then tough – I really don’t care… I’m getting to that point now!

Thanks Nats

Its quite nice to know I’m not the only feeling it too, I think I did expect drastic reductions, but like you said its going to take a while… and I suppose I’ve done the most important thing by making sure I’ve stopped the “getting more in debt” attitude….

It is just a bit tough when I see other people have already managed to throw £4k at their debts and I can’t throw any.. but I am single and do have a mortgage, etc on my own and not the best income!! Time to give myself a break I reckon!!

Thanks both of you for popping in and cheering me up!!

And to Retro for your comments – all appreciated!! xx

LittleEmms

Ok so big bad slap to self... didn't go library on Saturday - long story but good reason not to go ...... Am going tomorrow night (tues) as they're open until 7pm.

Got my mortgage letter, fixed rate runs out soon - need to hop over to mortgage boards and get some advice... (this place is a world of yoda's - full of wise-ones!)

Have just sat and worked out February's money. Given myself less budget on food and petrol again as I've worked out that I can afford to do that.

Still not going to be able to make as much of a dent next month into debt, but I have my (big) birthday night out and car tax to get (I've put half of money away. I still am scared I'll run out again However as I said - I'm no longer over spending, which means I may not yet be on the up slope, but am not on a downward one either.

I do think I have February and March off council tax though. Going to chuck that at debts me think, in fact I'm going to put a reminder in my calendar now!!

Hope you're all well!!

LittleEmms

Oh...... and I was good, a friend text asking to go out for food on saturday - cheap dinner and I offered to cook instead... as food is cheap at the pub near me... but then wine... then more wine... She actually admited she's skint too but was trying to ignore it!

So proud of me - last year I would have said stuff and Over drafted it... (:rotfl: at overdrafed - so not a word!!)

LittleEmms

Hi Guys

List for today;

Cancel washing machine insurance (DONE ALREADY!)

Go to Library tonight - council tax claim - paperwork with me!! yay!!

Sort out birthday night out - deposits from people (made a start)

Get some veg for stew & tomorrows dinner from market grocers (save pennies!)

Get a few toiletries (now I struggle to work out if these should come from food shopping money a month or take out of my weekly allowance? - what does anyone else do??)

Start planning next weeks evenings as this weeks are all gone! :eek:

determinedtodothis

Hey Hey

Well done you! I took me a while to learn the word "no" but what i have found is that if you tell people why you don't want to go out spending you tend to find they are all in the same boat and haven't had their LBM yet!

I have a mate who i thought was floating along quite well and she told me she is 4k in to an over draft!!! i didn't even realise they went that deep! she was really egging me on to have a night out and i said no and cooked in stead with a film and thats when she admitted it and said that she didn't actually mind staying in as much as she thought, i talk to her about this site but she seemed pretty reluctant to make the sacrifices which is a shame still Its quite nice to know your not the only one struggling i thought i was the only one out of my friends and admittedly even better to know your doing something about it when they are just waiting to win the lottery

LittleEmms

You're so right DTDT - I know that she's not well off, infact one of the few friends who gets that I'm not well off!! But as she replied, she only suggested it to get out of the house. I will say to her that we'll def go out in a month or so.

Can't believe how cheap the veg is at the market grocers!! and carrying the bag back to work was a bit of exercise for me!!

Still puzzled on the toiletries dilemma!

natsplatnat

Hi Emms!:j

Easier to slide into debt than to claw your way out!! I know how you feel - but we are getting there and hopefully once we get one chunk out of the way, it will speed up a bit!!

How about this for toiletries......

All essentials, soap, toothpaste etc (all though that is all that is really essential) comes out of the grocery budget and everything else (nice smelly shower gel, bubble bath, shampoo, make-up remover etc) comes out your weekly allowance?

Despite my above suggestion, I lump the whole lot on the grocery budget!!! :rotfl:

Will try and get back later - soooo busy its not fair!!

LittleEmms

Well hello – we’re there ...... almost halfway through the week (well at lunchtime )

Firstly on my list from yesterday;

I did go to the library – YAY!!! But wasted a bit of time – BOOOO… (ooo its like January panto ) …..

Tried taking a back road I didn’t know to avoid rush hour traffic – got a bit confused (not lost) but didn’t have my A-Z with me either – just google maps printed… so didn’t get there until 6.20pm. This only left me with 40 mins before library shut. I then realised (upon telephone person’s wrong advice) I’m looking in the wrong local paper archives :doh: I now have to go back Saturday as the archives I need weren’t there last night and I have to book in for microfilm…

Got the toiletries – cheap as possible!

Nats –

Good idea on the essential toiletries from grocery… think I need to make another list separating the two… (does anyone else find being a DFW you end up with list upon list )

You’re right Nats – I feel I need to join some of the challenges on here I think. I like the NSD and the grocery one … now gotta go find them!! …. I think I’ve got my personal challenge though of having no C/C and an emergency fund by the end of this year and going to attempt to make a dent in OD too… off (thanks to CWM… or Laura as I can now call her!! YAY)

DFW things I’ve done/ to do today

1. Made my lunch

2. Beef stew in slow cooker (me & b/f fed this evening) and two more dinners

3. Hopefully a NSD

4. Call Sky – reduce broadband cost (I’m out of contract today! )

5. Check bank online (make sure all good there)

6. Work out birthdays & putting aside correct money each month.

7. (Healthy) Drink at least 5 large glasses of water at work (1 down already – and one trip to the ladies :rotfl:)

Laters alligators

natsplatnat

You are soooo organised! Today I managed to make sandwiches and come to work. Thats about it for today! lol
Bought some cigarettes today so that spare extra £6 is now almost all gone. Only 1 day til payday though and nothing needed, so will make it up this week!

Have a great day!!!