Skint and fat, it can only get better........

curly_cabbage

Hi
I am 37 and have approx 15 years until i retire but, I have been with my CCard in one hand and head firmly stuck in the sand tricking myself that everything is fine.

So i have popped my head out of the sand and cut the card up and put my husband's in a the safe for emergencies. I have gone through all our accounts and worked out the debt and feel really sick to the bone.

I knew it was bad but, when you have sand in yours eye's it wasn't so bad. After going through my bank and C-card statment's our money is going in supermarket shopping spree's. We seem to buying what we fancy for our meals rather than using what in the cupboards, what cap's the manic food shopping is i am paying for a monthly pass at weight watchers because I need to lose weight as at 5'2" and 15.5 stone my health is at risk, but i don't keep to it beacuse i've been to the supermarket and brought what i fancied using the credit card to cheer me up because i'm over weight and my clothes look tight and well the circle continues.......

I am very lucky i have a job and a reasonable income it's just being eaten up by c-card and loan repayments.


Today it stop's
I am going to plege to myself and i have to keep to it as i can't go on like this.

I have set the following target's:

• [STRIKE]Cancel the weight watcher membership (Should end late July[/STRIKE]) done 22.6.09 :T
• Shop only once a fortnight with a list and cash budget
• lose 1 stone by 22 August 2009 (Going on hoilday to Blackpool)
• Pay all spare cash off C Card & loan
• Keep accounts upto date - Daily if required
• Find new ways to save and cut back.
• Aim for 20 NSD's per calender month - added 23.6.09
• Aim for 4 NAD's per week - added 23.6.09 :beer: LOL

Here we go, wish me luck.................................

Sorry if this a bit long and not much intrest but, it's just i need to put this out there so i can't put it off later or start another day, it has to be now

ClootiesMum

Best of luck. I can't offer any advice as I'm not black belt MSE enough for that but I've already found that putting something in writing in MSE land embarrasses you into action - for me this is a good thing - hope it works for you too.

CM

larmy16

Good luck with losing a stone by August! It took me six months to get 10lbs off and I have a very active lifestyle but I am quite a bit older than you.

Very good list of things to do, by the way.

curly_cabbage

Thanks for you post, i agree with The "embarrasses you in to action" bit, that's excatly what i need

CC

Lurker1972

ClootiesMum wrote: »

Best of luck. I can't offer any advice as I'm not black belt MSE enough for that but I've already found that putting something in writing in MSE land embarrasses you into action - for me this is a good thing - hope it works for you too.

CM

I second that!!

I think I've got more sorted since posting here which has got to be a good thing....the clever peoples will be along soon & suggest you post SOA & give other ideas as to where you maybe overpaying

if you've not tried it yet, look in to quidco for insurance renewals, in my first year of it I earnt about £200......am sure I did something useful with it.....

Karen_30

Hi,

Just wanted to wish you lots of luck - you sound super determined so I am sure you will do it!

K x

boredofbeingathome

Good luck, love the title......could have written that one myself.

curly_cabbage

Thanks for the supportive comments you you all. well i can tick off one thing from my list and that is the weight watchers membership, call and cancelled my monthly pass and it ill run out on 9.7.09.

Still at work so i'll print out my bank statment so i can check the balances and keep track of those.

Not been any where near a superamrket so nothing spent. Going to do a stock take of whats in the frezzer and cupboards so i can see what we have to make into meals and what i need to complete a meal.

Once i know what i have in stock i'll produce a meal planner for the next couple of weeks. I know that will keep to spending down as know what to cook is where i normally fall down.

Had to make a couple of 0870 call's today so brought all the paperwork & numbers with me and called from work so they are all sorted at no cost to me.

CC

Sorry if you find some spelling mistakes but i can't get the spell check thingy to work, it's the blonde in me..........

curly_cabbage

Well another productive day, BT account was in credit for £19.57, requested credit for that which should be with me no later than next Tuesday and reduced D/Debit to to better figure which should save £18 per month. Add that to £17.95 from cancelling Weight Watchers monthly pass i now have an extre £35.95 each month to put towards paying off the debt mill-stone i have around my neck.

Yesterday i did the stock take of the frezzer and store cupboard and had lots of goodies i had forgotten about. Plenty of food to complete at least 20 meals and worked out what i need to add to make another 12 meals.

Going to make the menu plans tonight for the few weeks so that i know what to get out of the frezzer in the morning and stop the last minute dash to the supermarket/takeawy because thers's nothing to eat................

I am finding that keeping this diary is very therapeutic and nice to chart what I have achived so far in the long 3 days i have been writting it LOL.......

I have spotted somthing else that could do with being part of my chellenge and thats the wine in the evenings, so i intend to have a minimum of 4 NAD's (No Alcohol day's) per week as currently i have a glass or two each evening which can't be doing the weight loss or liver any good.

CC

MrsPorridge

Hi Curly, just read through your diary - you sound very much like me re the supermarket shopping and the weight loss!

I've managed to curb to some extent my supermarket shopping habits. I now meal plan for a month (at the beginning I used to plan 7 meals and times it by 4). I do one big monthly shop the weekend of pay day and then spend the Saturday afternoon batch cooking as much as I can and freezing into individual portions (which suits our family better). I still lapse now and again but I'm not as bad as I was in the beginning. I now spend around £200 per month on food for 3 of us whereas before I would just go mad and probably spend more than double that.

By doing that I think it has also to some extent helped in my weight loss efforts.

I joined WW online for 3 months - I'm about halfway through and so far have lost 7lbs. I will cancel my membeership before it ends as I am finding I don't use the online calculator at all (except to put my weight in once a week). I have got a book and I write down everything I eat in there to keep a track of the points and I find that really helpful.

If you haven't already done so check out the old style boards for their tips on grocery shopping and also their ideas for low cost meals.

Best of luck.

curly_cabbage

Hi Mrs Porridge

I think i'll be wondering over to the grocery chellenge shortly as those O/Ser's have great tips. well done with your weight loss so far keep up the good work.

CC