Not so much debt, but lifestyle!

MessyMare

Hmm. I haven't done the figures yet, but it's looking like I only spent about £75 this weekend away, which I'm quite pleased with, meaning I *should* have money left over from this month's paypacket. I think I'm going to absorb it into my buffer (as I'm working a month in hand when my start date for the new job finally arrives), although it's tempting to use it to make an extra payment on my credit card so I can get that cleared off.

Just been speaking to someone I'm very close to who's struggling with a lot of debt and I've volunteered to help him. This could be interesting...

MessyMare

Payday, and horrible news...my last payslip is at the very least £75 light

*Vikki*

Good luck on your journey! I was at my highest debt of £16k (with my car loan and credit cards)

MessyMare

Lordy, it's been a long old time since I posted here. I've started a full time job, and due to my old job messing up my last paypacket, I'm now overdraft bound The stupid thing is, all I'm really buying it petrol. I have savings but they're tied up, although my overdraft is still interest free, which is nice, and a bit of a relief. The work is incredibly incredibly hard! Very tiring, I come home every night and I'm virtually straight into bed zonked out. Just telling myself to keep going, every week is another £200

I finally did myself a proper set of spreadsheets so I know where my money is at all times. I'm also starting to piggy bank budget...not for everything, but the main things I need to keep me going. Last night I opened an ING savings account to save for car maintenance and insurance. The deal with that one is that I'm going to save a fixed amount into it a month (£30) which should pay for my car insurance when it's due in eight months. After that, anything left in my account at the end of the month will be split between my savings accounts. I was also previously paying myself back by making my budget smaller for a big car repair and clothes. I'm still doing this, but the money will go in the car mainenance fund.

Next up comes the A+L current account I've just opened. Went through quidco and will hopefully get the £50 cashback for that. I know it needs £500 pcm in, so on payday I will transfer in £500, and when it hits the account, put £250 or so back into my main account. This will be my account for petrol. My mother is tremendously good with money and at the drop of the hat can give all the balances of her various bank and savings accounts to the nearest pound, so doesn't quite understand why I'm doing this (I think it seems like a lot of faff to her). I would just prefer to know that I've got the money there that I need to get to work, and that all the money left in my current account is mine to spend or save as I see fit.

So I added all my debts up. I must have been in denial previously, as they've actually reached a fair sum. I owe my mother a lot of money, more than either she or I expected. It's all down in its own little spreadsheet, and there's a formula in there to add it all up for me as I go along. Will be nice to see that reducing every month. To be honest, I was going to just wipe the slate clean with the money I owe myself with this new job, but I've realised that constantly wiping the slate clean is part of my problem! So at least if I save that money, it's there for when I really need it (MOT time! Tessa is going to need it...)

Anyway, I'm working from 3-11pm today, so must crawl off into the shower.

Colleen x

Snow_White_5

Hey well done on the spreadsheets. Did you ever try the oil cleansing method? Is it really for oily skin?
SW x

MessyMare

Snow_White wrote: »

Hey well done on the spreadsheets. Did you ever try the oil cleansing method? Is it really for oily skin?
SW x

Yes! When I'm awake enough to do it (getting in from work at midnight I just want to go to bed, specially when I have to get up again at 5:30am!) it works really well, makes my skin ever so soft (and cheap too! Less than £2 for a bottle of castor oil that will last for ages), and really sort of radiant, I guess. Need to keep at it though, I've slipped this week as I've just been too exhausted to even think most of the time!

Snow_White_5

Ooooh, you've sold it to me. Do you have a link, please?

Yes, it's hard not to just fall into bed with the mkeup still on, isn't it?

MessyMare

http://www.theoilcleansingmethod.com/

So far not so bad on the money front! Cutting down my petrol usage by staying at a friend's house (woohoo, free massage too!) so that's good. Will update on payday

MessyMare

Okay so it's before payday and I'm updating already, but who cares :P

Last night I went out for the first time in aaaaaaaaages! I took £10 and came back with change, so I think I had a good night for not too much (well, the fella from Bristol buying me drinks helped! Flirting- the MSE way to a cheaper night out ). My missing pay from Waitrose has also arrived (minus £20 tax, that had they have paid me correctly would be sitting pretty in my bank account about now), so that eases the purse strings a little. I've also got my phone bill through, so doing an accurate budget for next month is going to be one of the orders for the day.

So, the order for the day:

EBAY! Free listing days galore so I want to get as much up as possible.
Budget for next month, bearing in mind petrol will be less as I'm going on holiday (and also have sleep-ins at work)
Update spending spreadsheets
Sort out paperwork that is currently spread all over the living room
Tidy room
Change bed
Ring various friends to see if they are okay
Scratchies - done, 35p
Check online banking - done
Ring the tax office and Barclays