Burlesque Babe's Re-building life but back in debt diary

Burlesque_Babe

lots to do today.

Need to get ingredients for Monday. I haven't got around to cashing the receipt from last week with the finance officer :rolleyes: Oh well, it will be 2 lots of petty cash to get next week.

Then am going to get some of the currency I need from the post office. OH owes me £150 for his half of the accommodation. In the past he has never wanted to give me cash, or a cheque, or anything so it's in one lump (ie get out of paying as long as possible) and I've always ended up using his CC gradually to pay it back but it's always on stuff like shopping - which is for both of us anyway! Even then he moans - how much are you spending? What is this on my CC - even though I tell him 'I am going to be spending approx £x of the holiday money on food' . So this time I have asked him to get me £150 worth of euros. He squirmed a bit -can't I give you a cheque? But I've said no - I don't go to town, a cheque is just hassle to me when i'll be just then withdrawing it straight out and changing to euros. So he is going to get me £150 worth when he gets his own.

He better had do - he never gets his until the last minute and I don't want to be doing an emergency dash to the PO on the day we go.

Shopping comes tomorrow (his monthly contribution shop) and I am determined to use up odds and ends today. Last meat in the freezer is a tub of yellow stickered ribs. I've coated them in a jar of lime and chilli sauce which was languishing in the fridge. Somerfield are doing nacho plus sauces for £1.65 so I bought one of the packs, so we'll have that with the ribs and I'll do him some wedges. Might be a bit fatty for me, foods with fat in are giving me grief at the moment with pain behind my shoulder blade, but I'll just have a little bit.

ZTD

Top of shoulder blade or the bottom?

Burlesque_Babe

hmmmmm....kind of behind it generally. Bottom I guess - it's gallbladder symptoms, I get them when I eat healthily and then eat something with a high amount of fat in. I've had it for years on and off.

Burlesque_Babe

Had my pay slip through the post, I'll be getting £957 on Monday. I did 3 weeks in August in my new afternoon job, and after a quick calculation, it seems my guesstimate of 1150 for a full month was correct. I'll also have about £50 teaching from September so at the end of October, I should clear 1200. Plus 107 WTC, so I will be happy with around £1300 for November.

Need to plan October though because it isn't quite a full month's money and it will be a bit tight, although the best income since May 07 (is it really that long ago that I left my old job?!)

So

Income

Office 2 jobs : 957
WTC: 107

Total: 1064

Bills: 1044

As I am away 10 nights, I haven't budgeted for petrol as I have half a tank, that will do me until the end of October. Enough food for approx 14 days comes tomorrow from OH's contribution and I have plenty of storecupboard stuff so I shouldn't have to spend any more until towards the end of the month.

All the CC's will be paid off (said through reluctant but sadly accepting gritted teeth) so nothing to be paid there.

So, not counting the little bit of AQA I've managed to do this month, I will have £20 for the month..........cue apathetic 'yayyyyy'. :rolleyes:

However, if i cancel my £8 game rental for the wii that is £28. I don't have anything planned for the rest of October so the £28 will have to do as food money. Holiday spending money is already covered and accounted for and there's every chance I will have some left over to change back.

After this month I won't have overdraft charges of £14 per month, so November will be that bit better again.

If I do a bit more AQA (only done around £20 this month - whoops) today and tomorrow, I will have a little bit more to see me through October.

Can't see October being a month to be able to put any savings back, but it will be a month when I am debt free, not using a CC, not having to plunder savings and perhaps even having a little bit of money left over after the bills, so maybe I might be able to save a tiny amount .

LouiseJ

Glad to see the tide is turning for you BB, things can only improve from this point.

Burlesque_Babe

well, I think it is Lou. Lots of things are slowly coming together in lots of areas, some in fits and starts, but added together it's all positive.

So much so.......I'm going to pay off another CC.

Burlesque_Babe

card: Fly Be £395.22

Paid in full.

1 card to go (the biggy _pale_ ) although it is the one on 0%. And then the overdraft.

Will have to wait until the rest of the money arrives though as I don't have enough to make another step forward.

Next job - do quarterly meter readings and submit them. I think my monthly DD of 68 is about right but it would be good if a bit could be shaved off.

claire0788

Your doing so well, the budget is clearly working for you.

I know you want to start saving again but in this day and age being debt free and being able to pay all your bills is a big positive thing.

Burlesque_Babe

done my readings and am now £46 in credit. I've emailed them to ask them to re-calculate my DD to see if I can reduce it for the quarter ahead. I don't think there will be much of a difference (if any) but they did once tell me that I can request a re-calculation as often as monthly, so I might as well.

Buffythedebtslayer

Hello Love

Congratulations on being on the way to being debt free! I know you don't like doing it with your savings but it will be a relief not to scrimp quite so much right?

I was thinking (in one of my many debtfree day dreams) that once everything is paid off I would give matched betting a proper go to get some savings behind me? I am too nervous to do it now incase I lose lots!! I know you did it a bit but perhaps you could have another look ? and do all the other free money things and put it in your savings?

xxxxx