Floozie's Lightbulb Diary

Intergalactic_Floozie

Awwww - thanks guys, I know I've made a good achievement really, it just didn't feel like it at the time. Thanks so much. I've been talking to a work colleague about the cost of living etc..and she told me she's got her food budget down to £40 per week by going shopping 2-3 times per week (she can do this as she only works part time) but it's made me think that my idea of forcing myself to go shopping on a Wednesday evening and Saturday or Sunday is a good one.

Days to payday: 31
Not too sure about bank balance: £623.51
Money in purse: £49.66
Grand Total: £673.17

Money spent since last update: £53.50
£52.50 - petrol
£1.00 to DS1 for bus fare

Grocery budget: £280.00 / £0.00 spent / £280.00 remaining
Petrol Budget: £110.00 / £52.50 spent / £57.50 remaining
My bus fare budget: £39 / £39.00 spent / £39.00 remaining (money in purse ready to add to card tomorrow)
Everything else budget: £297.67 / £1.00 spent / £296.67 remaining.

Does anyone have any advice on how I can PAD. I really want to get this credit card debt down.

I plan on - as of tomorrow - only taking my HSBC card out with me so if I want anything, I will have to pay with that (ie using cash).

I'm going to have a £1000 emergency / car money fund in a savings account linked to my bills account.

Then £100 'unexpected everyday things' account in a savings account linked to my current account.

Intergalactic_Floozie

Oh no, I've just been going through my e-mails and there is one from a broker reminding me that my two year discounted deal is up, and I should get in touch with them if I want to switch to another product. I looked at my old paperwork and it says I am paying 0.34% above the baserate, and after two years it changes to 1% above the baserate so I could be looking at an extra £100 per month. I feel sick.

EDIT: I phoned EDF who I have my fuel account with to see if they could lower my DDs any. She has reduced the gas by £20 and the electricity by £5. I could also cancel Weightwatchers (£17.95 per month), DS1's mobile phone (£11.74) and possibly £5 by not paying any interest on my Bills Account cos I cleared the overdraft so that's potential savings of £60 there

Fire_Fox

Impressed you have lost a stone and really pleased you can feel it in the fit of your clothes, will give you even more motivation! :T

moo2moo

Calm down dear. There are plenty of great mortgage deals out there. Panic not. Phone your broker and see what they can come up with. Just because it automatically goes to 1% above base rate doesn't mean you can't do something about it.

Also, whilst I'm firmly positioned on my high horse, I have to ask if ditching Weight Watchers and wot not long term is really worth it? OK you can drop your eleccy bill a bit and your gas bill a bit but the next time the prices increase rather than having a safety buffer you'll be panicking. You're doing incredibly well with your weight but are you ready to go it alone? Lecture over. The oven has beeped. I'm off to cram my face with an assortment of flapjack, hob nobs and cakes.

Verbatim

Well done Floozie.and gl with the broker and finding a good new deal. you've done fabulously well to get to the end of the month with a surplus and in December too!

Intergalactic_Floozie

Days to payday: 30
Not too sure about bank balance: £623.51 (this seems correct)
Money in purse: £46.57
Grand Total: £670.08

Money spent since last update: £3.09
£3.00 - bus fare (went to top my card up at the station only to discover their computers were down - GRRR)
£0.09 - Long story but I spent £10.09 on some brandy and lemonade for my mum, and she insisted on giving me a tenner back, so I only spent 9p

Grocery budget: £280.00 / £0.00 spent / £280.00 remaining
Petrol Budget: £110.00 / £52.50 spent / £57.50 remaining
My bus fare budget: £39 / £3.00 spent / £36.00 remaining (money in purse ready to add to card tomorrow)
Everything else budget: £297.67 / £1.09 spent / £296.58 remaining

My parents got burgled today (10:20am), luckily my brother was in bed and disturbed the culprit who unfortunately got away, but fortunately it was empty handed. He smashed a large double-glazed pane to get in, so my poor parents have had to sit there with the wind howling through the house through this hole as the police asked them not to touch it until forensics came out (they've just come out now) and they have to pay a £75 excess to the insurance company for having it boarded up. The bloody scumbags. (Burglars, not the insurance company, although now I mention it....). As my mum was near hysterical I thought the best way to calm her down was with brandy, so I spent £10.09 on brandy and lemonade, but once she'd calmed down she insisted on paying me back.

Damn cable bill came today (boohoo) and I forgot we'd paid for the David Haye fight a few weeks ago, so that's £15 more than I was budgeting for. Oh well! Cest la Vie.

I'm not sure we can remortgage because DH is earning so much less than he was previously so not sure we earn enough between us now. Also doesn't help that we're paying so much in loans when compared to what we earn. I'm beginning to think that I just need to concentrate on my budgeting skills and living within my means for the next two years til two of the loans are paid off. I'll give it a few months and see....just live for the moment right now.

And as for WW to be honest I 'think' I could do okay at home, I've got the books and the calculators, and could arrange something with one of my work colleagues regarding a weekly weigh-in. I'll have to see. Of course - once I've lost another three stone, the meetings will be free anyway!!!

emmie26

Been having a rapid read of your diary, you are right we are in similar positions, I'll start to do a diary of what I'm spending, you are so organised doing it every day on here. Don't panic too much about the mortgage I would try and remortgage and see what happens you have nothing to loose and everything to gain, I think there are some good deals out there you just have to have a good look.

Intergalactic_Floozie

emmie26 wrote: »

Been having a rapid read of your diary, you are right we are in similar positions, I'll start to do a diary of what I'm spending, you are so organised doing it every day on here. Don't panic too much about the mortgage I would try and remortgage and see what happens you have nothing to loose and everything to gain, I think there are some good deals out there you just have to have a good look.

I've only just got organised after having head in sand for few months! I find it easy to come on here and count the pennies at 4pm every day, than I do writing everything down in a book! Good luck

Intergalactic_Floozie

Days to payday: 29
Not too sure about bank balance: £610.82
Money in purse: £33.93
Grand Total: £644.75

Money spent since last update: £25.33
£3.00 - bus fare
£6.91 - groceries
£5.78 - biscuits
£9.64 - drinks in the pub this afternoon

Grocery budget: £280.00 / £6.91 spent / £273.09 remaining
Petrol Budget: £110.00 / £52.50 spent / £57.50 remaining
My bus fare budget: £39 / £6.00 spent / £33.00 remaining (money in purse ready to add to card tomorrow)
Everything else budget: £297.67 / £16.51 spent / £281.16 remaining

Intergalactic_Floozie

Days to payday: 28
Definitely sure about bank balance now: £610.82
Money in purse: £28.63
Grand Total: £639.45

Money spent since last update: £5.30
£3.00 bus fare
£1.90 - sausage and egg breakfast butty (omnomnom)
£0.40 - seems to have vamooshed...

Grocery budget: £280.00 / £6.91 spent / £273.09 remaining
Petrol Budget: £110.00 / £52.50 spent / £57.50 remaining
My bus fare budget: £39 / £9.00 spent / £30.00 remaining
Everything else budget: £297.67 / £18.61 spent / £278.86 remaining


Have calmed down considerably now, but was in a massive tantrum as it's taken me 1hr 13m to get home on a 2 mile journey thanks to buses blobbing and traffic on the roads. Had I known it would take me this long I would have set off walking and got home in less time. GRRRRRRR. I've had to have a 100g bar of toblerone to calm me down (it worked).

Had a go at home made toad in the hole the other day and it went down really well with the family. It was so quick and easy (and cheap to make). I can tell this will become a regular at floozie towers.

I didn't have to make an evening meal last night. I had a mahoosive curry in the afternoon (courtesy of the bosses) then went for a few drinks (courtesy of my budget). DS2 had a Christmas party at school (so party food), then my mum picked him up while I was out (a full dinner) then he went to another party (more party food). She also fed DS1 and DH had had a massive dinner at work so didn't want anything (which was good as I was a bit squiffy so it may not have been advisable for me to be near a naked flame). That's it now, my Xmas do's are all over and done with.

I've got some chicken drummers in the fridge so the kids can have those with chips. DH is out with his old work (them gits who made him redundant - despite being in the paper this week saying the recession is over for them, and they've just got a multi million pound contract)....anyway - mustn;t be bitter - I've had a massive butty (and bar of tolberone) so I probably wont need any tea. (It all saves on grocery bills)

I think like 90% of the UK we got snow yesterday afternoon and today, it looks lovely but it's crap to travel in (and not to mention cold). I've had to put my fire on. EDF will be having my guts for garters having just 'kindly' reduced my direct debits. DS1's school was closed (although he was only going to have a half day today anyway) and he's out sledging at the moment. DS2 got to school today only to discover it's another non-uniform day and he's gone in his uniform (whoops). Footy training is cancelled for tonight, so that's £6 on training saved, and £1 for DS1's bus fares (see, silver lining and all that)....