making sense of finances so that I stop buying stuff!! SOA

Horace

Sheba - I am sorry if you feel aggrieved but as Lillian has said, I was only using the word shopaholic because you said yourself that you must stop buying stuff and stop being addicted to handbags, shoes and clothes. The idea of being a personal shopper for someone else (apparently its good money) would probably cure you of your addiction.

People offer constructive criticism and advice when a person posts their SOA especially when they have asked for help. We look at ways in which you can not only cut down but get rid of but you yourself have said that although you want help, you don't want to change so what is the point of your SOA?

Its never too late to re-train and do something else regardless of whether or not you have a degree.

As for your son and his rent £120 seems quite cheap to me - maybe you need to up it to £150 depending on what he earns of course, plus this will stop you borrowing money from him.

Also re your credit card - try transferring to a 0% balance transfer card (you will find details on this site and when you sign up to receive Martin's Moneysaving email). That way you won't have to pay interest on the debt - just don't spend on the card because you will get hammered for interest (I know, because I made a late payment - only by one day and I got stung:eek: ).

Good luck in your job search and your quest to become debt free.

sheba

Hey Horace, no worries- I think I just made an error by putting the letters SOA in my thread title- I really only put it up for myself to reflect on and so I could show Hubby where we are at at this moment and so that when I am next tempted to spend I would'nt, whereas by calling attention to my SOA people thought I wanted the usual full and frank review- which was not the case (I never asked for anyones help in other than seeing if service bills were inordinately high and posed the idea that some one could give me a heads up in how to get a professional job- never had a job where you don't already know the employer and get in by way of informal interview)

Re: credit card- don't currently pay any interest as I clear the Egg card monthly (and put all purchases on it- to get cashback- they owe me £178+ at mo, woo hoo!) and other card is 0% - son's 'debt' is money I borrowed from an account I set up for him which he knows nowt about- and the interset on it is appaling at mo- so very little loss to him- will prob give him more back anyway (so owe 'him' £1010 then )

Sons rent- have told both my boys that rent will go up annually till (if they are still at home) they pay there full and equal share of the household bills at age 25 (shriek!)- so that they are not inhibited to move out, as from seeing other boys/man grow up I see that if they can get Mum's home cooking for £30 a week they'll be there for life !! lol - but hes on £200 a week before tax at age 18 and is running his own car so sometimes feel hard to take (extra) money off him- but gonna review it- not gone up for a while.

Thanks again for your help- I think I was a bit touchy earlier and did what I always do- paint myself out worse than I am, and get upset when people take me for my word- not very good blogger obviously!! But it's all well that ends well, so have a great evening!!

sheba

So just for myself, today I will:

Take advantage of seeing Mum for shopping by doing a 'good shop', adhearing to list and using nectar points off, and then won't have to struggle on Bus on Friday- saves money and potential shoulder pain!!

clean bathroom (whilst muttering under breath about living with a house full of men/neanderthals.)

clear ironing pile (whilst watching Mary Queen of Shops and shouting at people who don't take advice of industry experts)

whoop, holler and give myself a high five when I see empty Ironing basket!!

Cook tea- am thinking Sausage/Mash Veg? Jacket Pots? will seek inspiration whilst shopping.

start to get into mind frame of sorting loft out for ebay on thurs/fri and updating CV registering for at least 2 employment agencies thurs/fri.

Price compare breakdown cover and take out cover today.

think thats about it for today- ooo and tell other thread that I lost 2lbs of the 28lbs I want to offload- woo-hoo!!- the wonder of makng myself eat breakfast!!

so off for said breakfast and tidy up before mother comes round

Naarwich

sheba wrote: »

clean bathroom (whilst muttering under breath about living with a house full of men/neanderthals.).

Hey...us men on the forum will take offence to that comment!!

sheba wrote: »

ooo and tell other thread that I lost 2lbs of the 28lbs I want to offload- woo-hoo!!- the wonder of makng myself eat breakfast!!

so off for said breakfast and tidy up before mother comes round

I've also been trying to lose a little bit of weight and really do think the breakfast is the key to it all to kick start the metabolism. I deinitely need to start getting up 5 minutes earlier to get myself in the routine of regularly eating a bowl of cereal before I leave the house!

St0lli

Hi Sheba and welcome!

I'm still not sure why there are no repayment amounts in your unsecured debts section of the SOA?

I realise they are on 0% but don't you still have to make monthly repayments or have I missed something?

tallyhoh

I think I have finally cracked the clothes question. I sell my old stuff & money goes into paypal account. Then I use that money to buy new stuff when I need/want it. Than you sell that stuff on when fed up of it................

sheba

Hey Naarwich, St0lli, tallyhoh,

Welcome to my whitterings and attempt to get myself back on track in everyway- weight, motivation, finances and a career.

to answer your points in order- N- don't mean to label ALL men- just mine!! Have always said to hubby if I were to have an affair- I uld hide any love letters in the middle of toilet roll- one place he'd never find it!!! and can't believe what breakfast has done for regulating my eating and stopping me feel hungry- it's been a real eye opener!!

S- no amounts cos I forgot!! I will update later but pay £10 a month off MBNA- thats the woefully inadequate minimum and theorectically pay egg off every month with the cash saved from not spending cash on food-hols-clothes etc. So I put all spending on card- (as long as its free to do so- and put cash to one side and pay off everymonth- all to get cashback). At mo have have a whopping 1,842.17 due on 16th Feb (other 450- is unbilled spending- next month's bill) and probably have about £200 towards that but will steal from other saving pots to clear and avoid interest- then SPEND LESS till get back on track. Hope to clear my debt to son/self by pulling spending back into control- no min payment due obviously.

T- At the mo I don't really have any old clothes- before last year I could never justify buying myself stuff- but then thought it ridiculous that I go out in clothes I felt horrible in- so spent money on updating my wardrobe to have a proper grown up selection of clothes- but now have enough- so thought ENOUGH- would love to lose enough weight to need to sell on my stuff- can but hope :rotfl:

Thanks for your interest- I imagine this will be a very humdrum thread- me outlining what I intend to do daily and doing it- thats all (and stopping increasing debt and send it the other way I hope!!)

Thanks again
E

Flower08

sheba wrote: »

clean bathroom (whilst muttering under breath about living with a house full of men/neanderthals.)

You dont fancy coming to clean mine do you? :rotfl:

I think i am going to go on strike! See how long it takes for OH to decide the place needs tidying!!

Horace

Sheba your diary posting has made me laugh today. My chap doesnt live with me thank god, but when he visits he turns the place upside down and has even started to bring me his washing so I am wondering if they have launderettes in South London? Why he has to bring it to me in Birmingham I don't know:mad: When he is here, he expects his dinner on the table which annoys the hell out of me if he has commandeered my laptop or he is yakking to his chums on the phone - so now I dish up the dinner and let it go cold and woebetide if he turns around and says that its nice when it is in fact stone cold. I am wondering if this is a man thing?

One thing with CVs is to tailor them to each job that you apply for. Always have a good read of any job descriptions and see if any skills that you have picked up from something totally unrelated fit (if you see what I mean?).

Ironing - what's that? I try not to do any, as I give everything a good shake when it comes out of the washing machine. I do have a pile of clean clothes in the washing basket so any help with ironing would be appreciated:rotfl:

Why not join the make £10 a day challenge? This will get you making 'free' money and I admit that I was skeptical at first but since I have been doing it I have either reached my target or exceeded it. It can be great fun. Mind you, if you hang around MSE long enough you will become addicted:rotfl:

Hope you have a good day and that your neanderthals realise the error of their ways.

sheba

so just a quick post to tick off the successful and less successful elements of todays itinerary:

clean bathroom (whilst muttering under breath about living with a house full of men/neanderthals.)- yep done and then thEy all came home and started 'de'cleaning it for me- bless em- WHY do they fling so much water around when showering? WHY?

clear ironing pile (whilst watching Mary Queen of Shops and shouting at people who don't take advice of industry experts) yep done- and did not even need to shout at telly as they humbly took all advice offered (just so you know I am just the same when the folk on Property Ladder fail to listen to Dame Sarah Beeny

whoop, holler and give myself a high five when I see empty Ironing basket!! oh yeah, you better believe I did- this only happens occassionally like a comet orbiting so I whooped it out- and no washing till tomorrow eve- so no more ironing generated till friday- can I get a 'hell yeah'

Cook tea- am thinking Sausage/Mash Veg? Jacket Pots? will seek inspiration whilst shopping.- ending up having 1st option and it was YUM

start to get into mind frame of sorting loft out for ebay on thurs/fri and updating CV registering for at least 2 employment agencies thurs/fri. I think I am- planning ebay sort out tomorrow-and career (?) on Friday

Price compare breakdown cover and take out cover today.- that was a whoopsie but tomorrow is another day!!

think thats about it for today- ooo and tell other thread that I lost 2lbs of the 28lbs I want to offload- woo-hoo!!- the wonder of makng myself eat breakfast!!- just about to.

So thats that then- a quick thanks to everyone for their offers of extra Ironing/Cleaning - you're all too kind but I think I might pass on that one- thanks all the same.

Gonna add checking out the £10 a day thread to my list for tomorrow but gotta say at mo- seems impossible (well not impossible- but as the mighty Meloaf says- 'I won't do that' and would probably have to do a BOGOF offer to get any interest anyway!!) but we will see- would be fabarooney if I could.

'til tomorrow then nighty night Sheba