My DFW diary ... well... among other things !

stingylolo

Hi there
I don't expect anyone to be really interested, but I thought I would try and stick to doing my own diary on here.
Basically, I owe money to various CCs, but I am still on top of it. I thought this year would be the year I start seriously paying it back.
I hate debts, but with a young child and bills and money that you spend without thinking, you end up maxing up your card quite quickly !
So I have worked out my budget. I can tighten the belt, still eat, and start repaying. Goal is that by the end of next year (but hopefully before) I will be debt free -- well that's unless I end up buying a house, but hey that's another matter !

So I have joined a few groups on here. For example:
the NSD group -- that's just great -- will make me think twice about spending money on things I don't really need, just to add one NSD to my total !
The £2 club -- saving my £2 coins, but also got a jar for £1 coins and one for the small change. Saving the pennies for the charity at Carnival time, and the 5p coins in another jar (well that's my hubbie's) but don't know what that one is for. Will make a decision when it's full. Basically, when I need to buy something I will draw a note from the cashpoint, break it, and save the change. Did that in the past, total mounted up quite quickly ! Don't know what I am saving for yet though
Doing the Grocery Challenge too. Hubby and I always have had separate bank accounts, and because I am French and I couldn't register to pay the bills when I arrived, we took to me giving him my allowance on payday for the bills, and I spend all the shopping money. At the moment that's about £300 a month. So here is my first target for January, will see if I can get it down by the end of the year ! Starting the weight losing club at work on Wednesday, so hopefully if I stop spending on junk I should save a bit of money... but then I would like to try and cook more, because we've been living on processed food since DS was born two years ago, and I miss my veggies ! I am going to try and buy from the local greengrocers more often, because we do bulk shopping once a fortnight, and end up having a lot of waste of fresh items.
So that's me joining the Lose Half a Stone in January thread too ! Will see how that one goes too !
Final aim this year --that the website starts making profits ! At the moment I keep re-investing to expand my stock, but I am hoping that next year we will start drawing money out of it (Thanks Martin for your advice -- will keep 1/3 of profits on the side for the lovely taxman, that will save from having nasty last minute surprises !)
Oh yea, and my last thing: like last year, I am back to saving money earnt through surveys etc... for Christmas (although I have stopped playing lottery with work syndicate). Last year we got more than £250 in vouchers and spending money, well enough for presents for everyone, apart from hubby's because he has expensive tastes ! No I just found something I thought he'd really like and it wasn't cheap !

Right -- think that's it now... sorry I've been carried away, but little one is asleep, hubby is having a nap, and I felt like talking (and I am the right chatterbox :rolleyes: )

Wish me luck !

Captain_Cuddlepuss

Good luck!

I need to follow your example and join a few challenges, need to pick these carefully though to make sure I commit to them. I currently save £2 coins in a Terramundi and it is very nearly full so am looking forward to cracking it open. I will replace it with another one or a similar sealed pot so that the temptation to break into it is taken away from me - are your pots sealed?

Fire_Fox

Hello and welcome!

stingylolo

Captain_Cuddlepuss wrote: »

Good luck!

Are your pots sealed?

No, they're not sealed, but I managed not to dip in last year's jar that was containing the lottery wins, so hopefully I won't dip into those either !

stingylolo

Big day today, my first day in my new <cough> life... Been eating sensibly, and didn't spend unnecessary money in the shop when getting milk and cake for the little one... still forgot to buy the tomato sauce I have been meaning to buy for the last 3 days though ! Tomorrow is a NSD hopefully, so it will have to wait a bit longer I am afraid !
Got the M&S CC statement today... DOOH £3800 to pay back ! Lucky it's a smaller interest one, and it's got a lot of the business bills on it that get repaid really quickly... hopefully I just need to do some careful planning.

stingylolo

First weigh in today -- 13st 5lbs... ouch, limited the damage but I am quite a long way from getting back into my slim clothes !
Glad I have had another NSD today, that's three out of twelve, will see if I outdo my target !

Damita

Good luck, well done on your NSD

stingylolo

Good day today -- rang customer services about my photos badly printed (about 15 in the 110 I ordered) and now I am getting a whole new set ! Feeling quite bad about it but when girl rang and left message she'd done it, so they can't go to waste ! With half price membership offer and the staff discount I got them for just over £2 -- BARGAIN !!

Went into town today and bought my breadmaker !! Got it with a voucher from Debenhams (thought I would redeem quick quick before nasty surprise of them going bankrupt -- you never know nowadays !) it's got loads of buttons, options, and recipes I can't way to try !

So not an NSD today, cos I ended up buying other things and overspending my voucher by £2.10 ! Also bought milk and gazette, did manage not to get tempted by other things in the shop, however hubby did get a chocolate bar (a BIG one -- thanks for your help Honey -- am trying to lose weight here ! X)

Anyway -- got to pack a massive order today -- someome from Rumania has discovered me and seems to be using me as a wholesaler ! How cool is that !

stingylolo

Didn't do much today, so got my 4th NSD ! Went on the scale as well it seems I have shifted a couple of pounds ! DS has been absolutely lovely today, had a really good day all round !

stingylolo

5th NSD on sight after spending £100 on shopping yesterday (Ouch) but we've got enough cakes and crisps and flour and yoghurts for the next 3 months lol.
Don't feel like doing anything today, weather is awful, so if I don't go out and spend then I can save... got stuff to add on the website too so hopefully more sales in return.
Got to finish my registration forms for the Royal Pharmaceutical Society -- cost for registering is over £250... thank goodness the company will pay it back !

stingylolo

Well it's been a few days been very good with my spending... just got a bit left it will be tight before the end of the month but we should make it. Bread machine is going really well and am sure we are already saving on the bread etc... little one is loving it so really it's good all round !
The saving jars are doing well, got my two first £2 coins (struggled for that!) but it looks like I have about £20 in £1s and a few more pounds in silvers... whooppeeee !
Up to NSD 7, just 5 before the end of the month, it's doable ! Weight wise, lost 3lbs, so it's not bad there either ! It is surprising how easy it is !