A debt free wannabee diary of a 16 year old!

junior_j

I have seen everyone elses little diaries to do with money , thought i would have a bash!

I have no income at the moment , i get paid if i baby sit for either my Godson and his brothers or a child of friends of mine.

I am currently looking for a job and now i am out of college do u a long story of reasons.. (nothing negative on my part all about grades ect)

I currently owe 11 pounds to some one (A close friend) so even though its only 11 pounds she is happy for me to pay a bit here or there lol!

I am a sealed pot challenge person and have already started trying to put my odd coins in there. I have 80pounds in my parents bank account! But i only use a certain amount of money from their account a month ive already spent 60pounds this month on presents and stuff (did have 140 in their account thats why i only have 80 now)

I am generally okay with money but really dont want to loose control of money!

Wow this was long lol!

Jess x

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edinburgher

Hey there!

If you're looking for a job, now may be an ideal time to get a temporary Christmas contract with some of your local shops etc. Even though you don't have much experience to date, they may be desperate for extra hands at this time of year Not an insult to your abilities, but I remember that first part-time job taking a few months for me to find.

Also, if you enjoy the baby sitting, why not ask relatives/friends to recommend you to their friends and assorted families? I'm sure that a trustworthy babysitter is always in demand and it's a job with cash payments and perks (well, free food).

I'd take some of that money you have in your parents' bank account and pay back your friend. Borrowing money from friends and relatives is not the best idea, as it can cause tension between you. If it came down to it, I'd rather be in debt to my parents than a pal. As your savings are higher than your debts you have a surplus, so no reason not to pay it back.

Welcome to the boards..

sarahs999

Hi Junior J and welcome. Great that you're taking your debts seriously so young! But I echo what the other poster said. PAy the debt first, then get the 'presents and stuff'. Then you won't have it hanging over your head and you'llknow how much money you've 'really' got. It's a really good habit to get into.

slig

Hi Jess! Why don't you use some money from the £80 you have in your parent's account to pay back your friend? It might make you feel better.

I wish I'd found this site when I was 16... think how rich I'd be now .

Good luck with the job hunt. If you are living at home, make the most of all the excess income you will have once you get a job, and start paying into a savings account regularly, and don't get into the habit of buying stuff you don't need. The money you save now will be really useful later on when you move out or if you go to uni.

junior_j

Yeah its not as easy as just taking it out the account though i leant it to them so they pay me back as and when! Also the money i owe is for chrismtas present *bits* for my parents lol! So im kinda keeping it quiet , my friend knows she will have the money within the week anyway!

Yeah my aim is to get at least a christmas job! I used to work a couple of hours a week doing od bits when i was like 13 but of course with school and things you dont get a permanant thing or what ever , i quite enjoy working and learning new things! To learn new things whilst working and being paid for it sounds good too me. My mum and dad would expect a small amount of money for keep... but would probably let me have a month or two free of keep just to enjoy my money!

Thanks for replying! x

miggy

Hi there,
First jobs can be difficult to get, mostly because you don't have a record of employment. Having said that, you have a lot going for you, such as you are able to learn the employer's way of doing things rather than having other ideas carried over from other jobs. Also you have shown by your babysiting that you are trustworthy and can take responsibility.
I have a 17 year old and this time last year he had just started a Saturday job after ages of nothing. He then got a cleaning job as well, which he still has, though he gave up the Saturday job. Now he has a supermarket job too and a car of his own... it's hard work for him but I am proud of him because he has done all this. What I'm trying to say is that findng that job isn't easy (you could try asking the people you babysit for if they know of anything - they might be able to put in a good word for you) but you will get there.
You could also try voluntary work if you can do it without interfering with any benefits you might be on. This will build your skills and always impresses employers!
Focus on paying off that debt, if necessary tell family/friends that you won't be giving them so much this Christmas because you aren't working. You could be creative and give them homemade sweets or something (there are recipes on here somewhere). Also be creative with clothes, makeup etc. Perhaps organise a swap party type thing with friends where you take in the things you never wear and come home with something someone else never used! It could be laugh and save you all money. It's funny how one person's unwanted item is perfect for someone else, and as no-one ever thinks they have enough money, you would be doing everyone a favour.
Just a few ideas to use or ignore as you please, but lots of good wishes and I hope your MSE journey is a long & happy one! :money:

junior_j

Thanks miggy and every body else!

I have just finished 150 hours of volenteer work at a daycare centre! In june i was a au pair for an American family who were staying in Austria which earnt me £620.00 in 9 days money was used on clothes/prezzies for others/days out ect , then i saved up 140 in my parents account which is slowly going down,

I am not into designer labels or make up.. so i always save money there. I probably spend way to much on crap like junk food and arcades ect. Need to learn there lol!

I am paying half the debt off today anyway

Going to the shops later will see if i can pick up some application forms!
Jess x

doodledo_2

Hi Jess, lovely to see someone your age with their head screwed on about money. I wish I had found this place when I was 16.

Good luck with the job hunting

ragstoricheswannabe

hiya jess, welcome to the boards! Wish i had found this site at 16, instead i found catalouges (lied about my age) and store cards (not good, took me abount 2 years to clear the debt)

with regards to getting a job, could you not start with a saturday job? these usually have extra hours going around this time and once they know you are reliable and a hard worker, can usually negotiate more contracted hours.

check out the special occasions board with regards to xmas pressies, some good ideas. also check out the cashback sites...........................

good luck with it all
rags to riches wannabe
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

slig

junior_j wrote: »

Yeah its not as easy as just taking it out the account though i leant it to them so they pay me back as and when! Also the money i owe is for chrismtas present *bits* for my parents lol! So im kinda keeping it quiet , my friend knows she will have the money within the week anyway!

Well if you'll have the money within the week then I wouldn't worry about it too much.

But are you saying you lent the money to your parents? It seems a bit unfair if you have to borrow money from your friend because your parents have borrowed from you. Could you approach them and ask about having the money transferred into your own bank account? Obviously I don't know the circumstances of this, but if for some reason they can't pay the whole amount to you straight away, then I would ask for the £11 and give it to your friend sooner. It's not unreasonable for you to be wanting to do some Christmas shopping at this time of year, and you don't have to say it's for them!

It sounds like you're ready to take full control of your finances, so unless there is a valid reason you can't, I would get your £80 back and put it in your own savings account.

abbecer

Well done for being so sensible at such a young age. Lots of people older than you don't have your maturity!! Good luck with clearing your debt.

Rebecca x