We’d like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum.

This is to keep it a safe and useful space for MoneySaving discussions. Threads that are – or become – political in nature may be removed in line with the Forum’s rules. Thank you for your understanding.

📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!

Floozie's Lightbulb Diary

1679111242

Comments

  • Week 3 Budget

    Groceries / Petrol
    Budgeted: £67.92
    Actual: £64.54

    Still a lot more than I would like, I also had quite a well stocked freezer whereas next week I don't!

    Personal:
    Budgeted: £40.10 (this includes bits of winnings from bets)
    Actual: £25.08

    My money went on SW Subs (have decided not to go any more), A bottle of wine for DH (that he never paid me back for), Saturday's newspaper, £5 for pools subscription), £1.50 on a bet at local bookies, £9.60 on online betting, a first class stamp, usual 2 magazines and usual lottery subs.

    Other:
    Budgeted: £53.95
    Actual: £41.80

    Blooming kids bankrupted me again!!! £15 for DS1's football registration (which I should have paid in September - whoops), £8 on 2 x football sessions, £1.00 for DS1 bus fare to his mates, then £1 he asked me for so he could buy something at school at lunchtime, £7.82 on an electric toothbrush for DS1, £2.08 on 2 x birthday cards, £2.00 on another collection at work (someone retiring through ill health), £4.90 on a birthday cake for DS2 who was 6 yesterday,

    He is having a party at an indoor play centre, I've invited 10 kids so it will cost me £69.90, I paid a £20 deposit when I booked it, and managed to put £90 away from my last month's wage, so the other £49.90 will come out of that and I gave him £20 in a card (he has enough to buy a large birthday present along with grandparents money).

    However I had to pay for Tina Turner ticket which was £95 (yikes). "thankfully?" Natwest kindly increased my overdraft by £600 a few weeks ago(which I didn't ask for) so I have just taken it out of that and paid for it as I was being pestered for the money. I really need to try and build up an "emergency / luxury Other" stash so I can afford to meet emergency expenses
    Start Date: 27/11/2010
    Padding: Day 42
    Target £8000
    Amount: £562.23
  • Me again! Just worrying as I couldn't remember receiving an MBNA CC statement so rang them to get an automated balance. The balance is now £179.59 but it says the minimum payment of £90.84 is due on 18th Feb - how the chuff did this happen? And I haven't budgeted for it. How can I owe them £90.84?

    It says last payment was £7700 (ie the loan money) on 15th Jan - January's payment wasn't due until 17th January.

    I can't ring them either as they wont talk to me as the account is in hubby's name...
    Start Date: 27/11/2010
    Padding: Day 42
    Target £8000
    Amount: £562.23
  • Huh - found out why the MBNA payment is so much - they are now charging interest (so, £85.84) + £5.00 minimum! He said the estimated interest next month will only be £2 though. I suppose it's fair enough, at least you pay off the interest plus a bit of the balance if they do it this way. Doesn't make me so keen to want to balance transfer to them again though!
    Start Date: 27/11/2010
    Padding: Day 42
    Target £8000
    Amount: £562.23
  • HOORAY!! Had a letter today from mortgage company and mortgage has been reduced (again) from 2.34% to 1.84% reducing March's mortgage payment by £20.22 - YESSSSS! Let's hope these low rates stick around for another few months yet. Although I do feel sorry for the savers who are losing out.

    Won £32 (ish - give or take a few pence) on one of my football bets (I had expected more!) but it's not to be sniffed at! I have withdrawn it into my bank account however it might take a few days to come but it will be going off the overdraft...

    Also DH has had a letter from Natwest offering him a 0% for thirteen months credit card so might get him to apply for that, it's be good if we could get all our credit card debt onto 0%
    Start Date: 27/11/2010
    Padding: Day 42
    Target £8000
    Amount: £562.23
  • Damn - think I have been thwarted! DH applied online and it accepted him and gave him a limit of £2200. However I have a feeling that Royal bank of Scotland do the Tesco cards, and all of our credit card debt is on Tesco cards so I wont be able to balance transfer ARRGGGH can anyone think of a way around it?
    Start Date: 27/11/2010
    Padding: Day 42
    Target £8000
    Amount: £562.23
  • natsplatnat
    natsplatnat Posts: 3,033 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Combo Breaker
    Would they allow you to BT to your current account? I know some cards do and some don't. If they do, then (quickly) use the money to pay the Tesco card.

    Just a thought!! ;)
    start = Wed 19th Nov 2008 £21,225
    end = Mon 28th Sept 2015 DEBT FREE!
    I love a good plan - it may not work.... but I love a good plan!
  • I've been thinking about this HARD, I'll get DH to ring them tomorrow but if they wont, I will get him to BT everything to MBNA (which now has a spare £11k on it) then BT that to the two new RBS cards. I know it will add money onto the existing balances but I'm currently paying around around £100 interest per month between the two tesco cards and my HSBC one so it will save me some money.
    Start Date: 27/11/2010
    Padding: Day 42
    Target £8000
    Amount: £562.23
  • Start of another month!

    Have paid £120 off HSBC overdraft and also £32 which I won on the football through the week. Total balance now is £130.23 plus whatever my interest charges for this month will be. This means that it will be paid off next month, can't wait!!!

    Got a bumper wage today, somehow had miscalculated by £70! I got back pay and overtime can't understand how I had miscalculated by so little LOL. Anyway money is going to be a bit less tight this month but I still wish to try and stick to my £145 per week budget.

    I've paid Additions and British Gas today also, so next month they will be paid off.

    I managed to stick to a spending diary for a whole month! Everything I spent went onto my spreadsheet.

    Groceries total = £298.49
    Personal Total = £89.93
    Other Total = £179.40
    Grand Total = £567.82
    Budgeted Total = £568.76
    Underspent by = £0.94

    However I did win a little bit of money here and there, and I lent my brother £54 ages ago and I finally got it back off him! (well, I lent him £55 but I'm not quibbling over a quid).

    It was also an expensive month for birthday's. Both DH and youngest DS were in February, my friend's little girl had a birthday and then there was several cards to buy and collections at work to the tune of nearly £60. DS2 had a party but I had put some money away last month to pay for that.

    Bad news in that DH's car has broken down. He managed to drive it to a local garage where they did that 'air sucking through teeth while shaking head' gesture. Apparently he needs a new clutch, which is very expensive for a Mondeo, and the engine is misfiring but they don't know why. We've left it at the garage and the only way I can afford to pay for it is by putting it on a credit card but hopefully one of the new ones will come before Tuesday so we can put it on 0% at least. Same thing, DH's car insurance is also due and he has to stay put with current insurers while the claim is going through and they've come back with over £500. I'm in two minds whether to just pay in installments for that until the claim goes through. Bloody cars!

    Talking of new credit card bloody Halifax credit card have declined my £20 cashback claim from Quidco, the cheeky blighters so I have put in a claim for that.

    I've also got some personal money left over so I am going to treat myself to a new blouse or top for work. I've not bought any clothes at all last month so I deserve it!!
    Start Date: 27/11/2010
    Padding: Day 42
    Target £8000
    Amount: £562.23
  • Oooh letter today from Natwest saying they will be doing the balance transfer to Tesco! I wish the RBS card would hurry up and arrive hopefully before our car is fixed!
    Start Date: 27/11/2010
    Padding: Day 42
    Target £8000
    Amount: £562.23
  • Had quite a good day at the bookies yesterday! My balance at the bookies was £6.16p in credit (although a loss because I had loaded £10 up at the start of the week). (-3.84)

    Paddy Power gave me a free £10 bet which I put on Bradford City to win Wycombe (they did - which netted me £10 stake back plus £3.75). (+9.91)

    It then unlocked a free £20 bet, which I put on Chelsea to win. They did win however for some reason it didn't give me my stake back, so I just got £6.67 back. (+16.58)

    I'd also used £5.94 of the initial remaining £6.16 to place a doubles bet and I've won £14.16 from that. (£24.80 up).

    I joined Bet365 as they were matching stakes up to a certain level so I put £10 of my own money on chelsea to win (which they did) netting me £10 stake back + 3.34 and I expected a £10 bet to be unlocked but it said I hadn't qualified for it or met the terms and conditions and can't understand why...Anyway I have put £10 on Manchester United to win today to see if that unlocked my free bet but yet again it hasn't, it just tells me I haven't qualified yet - GRRRR. Well, whatever the outcome today, I am withdrawing whatever's left.
    Start Date: 27/11/2010
    Padding: Day 42
    Target £8000
    Amount: £562.23
This discussion has been closed.
Meet your Ambassadors

🚀 Getting Started

Hi new member!

Our Getting Started Guide will help you get the most out of the Forum

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 352.1K Banking & Borrowing
  • 253.6K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 454.2K Spending & Discounts
  • 245.1K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 600.7K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 177.5K Life & Family
  • 258.9K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 16.1K Discuss & Feedback
  • 37.6K Read-Only Boards

Is this how you want to be seen?

We see you are using a default avatar. It takes only a few seconds to pick a picture.