New DFW - Now my diary!!!

Numpty_Monkey

:kisses3:Hope it goes Ok at the Docs

urg123

Hi Little Emms

Everyone's covered the comments I would have made.

Other ways to up your income:

• Sell your books and CDs on Amazon's Marketplace
• Ebay (I really should talk about this as I still haven't got round to it!)
• Mystery shopping
• Have you got a spare room - what about taking in a lodger! It has its moments but has increased my income and it all goes on debt repayment

Just a few ideas for you.

Hope you make speedy recovery.

URG x x

moanymoany

Hi Little Ems. Get on to the challenges - make £10 a day - even if you start of with making £2.50 a day until you get into it, that's about £75 a month - a nice chunk to pay off your debts. Years ago my friend stuffed envelopes!

There is the grocery challenge. There are also the 'live on X amount a month' threads on OS. I'm not suggesting you do that BUT they are full of fantastic ideas.

Ask for the book about the woman who lived on £1 a day as a christmas pressie - that is full of ideas of how to live cheaply!

The lodger idea is good, I did that. You can make £4,000 a year without paying tax. If you choose wisely and lay down the ground rules it can work well. Don't get into providing food!

Once you get started reading the challenge threads you will start to see ways you can do these things. The, when you get a month into them you will see more and more ways. AND, the best thing is the posters actually tell how they do what they do, so you can do the same.

Your debts are big enough but not huge compared to some. The first things I would get rid of are the credit card then the overdraft.

What I would do RIGHT NOW is pay off the credit card - £180 and then live on what's left. That's £30 (the payment you would have made) and £70 (what's left from your living budget). £100 to feed one person can be done healthily, I can feed me and the dh on it if I have to!



Christmas? Tell everyone it's on a budget for you this year!!!!

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1318253 make £10 a day

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1129333 living on £20 a month (great ideas here.)

moanymoany

Snippet about the woman who lived on £1 a day, this didn't include her rent or bills, it was all the non-essential stuff that eats away the cash.

Out went her mobile phone and clothes shopping, replaced by trips to jumble sales and foraging for berries in hedgerows.

She visited book launches and lectures that had free buffets and scoured supermarkets for discounted food close to its sell-by date.

Shampoo at 27p a litre and bars of soap for 6p each took the place of designer toiletries.

She rode a bike instead of getting the bus and had a holiday in France by hitchhiking across the Channel.

By walking more and keeping her eyes on the ground, she even picked up 117 pounds in loose change.

Kelly knew that, despite her tight budget, she still had far more than millions of people around the world. But her experiment still changed her view of money and possessions.

She reflected on how she used to waste 25 pounds a week on coffee and once yearned for new shoes and bags which seldom brought her the happiness she expected.

“The experience has changed my philosophy on life,” she told the Scotsman.

LittleEmms

Hi Guys,

Thanks for well wishes, Doctors is today. Hopefully nothing too serious!!

DF -

Yes definitely ringing about overpayments, although I may wait for a bit as I need to clear the other stuff first and don't worry! Won't let them know about me being in trouble and since my last lesson - they won't be selling me anything!!! (I had too much faith in people before!) :rolleyes:

Deep in debt - the Internet is included with Sky package, but I did originally take out extra MB for working from home at my old job - which costs me £5 a month extra. I am sure I don't use it - is there anyway I can find out?? Then I can tell them to remove the extra bandwith and obviously cost!

To all on groceries - I'm 100% sure this is going to be reduced. That was me being very honest about what I spent last month. I use to shop once a month and top up stuff. But I found this wasn't working for me. All those "topping ups" cost me a fortune and I wasn't watching the budget. (Obviously don't have a large freezer in my little starter home!) I am now going to fortnightly and started with a fortnightly plan, which also means I don't waste food by it going off (a real annoyance of mine!)

Same on packed lunches, that started the day after LBM. Went to supermarket and got food for lunch and am keeping to it!!! Saves a fortune!! I've also given up the every other day latte - Demotivator scared the carp out of me!!!

Sharon - Washing machine insurance, it's 6 years old now, and I have had the insurance use out of it once... am I being silly? or ripped off?? Am I better off saving that towards a new one (incase of breakage) rather than waste it on a policy i might not use?

I will look into insurances.. and maybe the misselling thing. I did quote my genetic disorder as I have too, and I know it won't cover me on that, but also covers me if I have an accident or something. Am I being stupid here? Its a very independent one (didn't take with mortgage or anything) but I was limited who would cover me because of existing condition. :rolleyes:

Water meter fitted September 2006 dropped from £26 to £17. But I know this is still high... how can I challenge? I also think that heating problems last year - which meant the system was drained and filled a few times probably didn't help on water consumption!!

Gas & Elec - I was on £44 a month with British Gas!!! :eek: They put it up on recent increases. I took gas over to Southern elec just last month as then I have dual fuel discount - Hopefully electricity will go down and I'm being a lot more careful round the house now.

Haircut - yes this is friends sister. £45 every two months, including colour as the grey is on its way!! :rolleyes: Think I can stretch this to every 3 months though and that's my test this month! That or ask a friend to do the colour bit.

Christmas is on a budget. I'm being very frugal and going for a minimum present per person - if they don't like it - tough in my opinion... I can show them my SOA and see if they can find where I can get money from. I think its time I was honest with a few people.

Still more to reply to, but off to the doctors now. Thanks again for all your advice!! Still very eager to hear more!!

Emms

LittleEmms

Hi Guys

More responses to your questions and a lot more questions no doubt for you guys!!! My questions will be in blue!!

Numpty – You’re right I never have the £76 surplus, and lately its been the car that creeps up with something wrong with it. I love my little car and I guess its better the devil you know. But for now, I don’t have a choice really.

As for credit card, need to ring bank about taking out my ISA money – can’t do it online… then I’m paying that bad boy straight off.:dance: Then I’ll only have £30 left on it, which when I get my work expenses through I can clear that with it. After all £35 of credit card was for petrol when I had trips to make last month for work.

(Need to check contract and talk to work about expenses as I think this may be a problem going forward) Any tips on this? Its my 3 month probation review next week.


DancingFairy, Deep in Debt, Urg123, Moanymoany

As before – Definitely getting the food bill down, and will make use of the boards for menu planning and batch cooking. I have a slow cooker, so no excuses, just need to learn what goes well in them and a few more recipes!! Anyone know any good slow cooker recipes?

Definitely gonna look at what I can ebay/ amazon. Have a few dresses that aren’t out of fashion, but I’ve only worn them a few times and don’t wear them anymore. Need to be strict on my wardrobe and throw some stuff out!!

Unfortunately on the lodger – AHHH IF ONLY!! :rolleyes: I have a little one bed starter home and it means that I would have to go live in my shed (bit cold right now:eek: ) or move into my loft – bit spidery and cold and has some junk in it. So it’s a great idea and I would do it if I had a spare room – I would even move into a box room if I had one!! :cool:

Everyone (thankyou)
Yes to getting on these challenges and once I‘ve cleared overdraft and credit card, I can throw the money I've been paying them into savings towards hopefully overpaying the loan.

Am I right I should get myself together an emergency fund for house/ car first? before attempting the loan overpayments?

Thanks again Guys!!!
Really, really appreciate it all!! :beer:
xx

ElizabethJH

Ooo there's a slow cooker thread here -

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=43570

I love my slow cooker - just throw any veg and meat you've got in it with water and a cheapo oxo cube and put on for 8/10 hours and you can make a stew out of anything!!!

LittleEmms

ElizabethJH wrote: »

Ooo there's a slow cooker thread here -

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=43570

I love my slow cooker - just throw any veg and meat you've got in it with water and a cheapo oxo cube and put on for 8/10 hours and you can make a stew out of anything!!!

Thankyou!! Will have good nose around that thread tonight!!

LittleEmms

shameless bump:p

natsplatnat

Morning LittleEmms!

You seem to be doing well and seem full of positivity!!

Just thought I would drop by your diary as you had been to mine!!!

Have a good day!

Nat:beer: