My Just say NO! diary

mammamia2

Hi

well this is probably not the best time to start a DFW journey being that it is 2 days before the school summer holidays start but my debts and the way i waste the pennies and my inability to just say NO and resist the flashing lights and magnetic powers of shops any shops has been bothering me recently as i could do so much more with my money and probably start to seriously reduce my debt . I get paid on friday so could not think of a better time , so here goes ...............

I did have a diary a few months ago but I got lazy and it is probably now in MSE oblivion . I will keep up with this one ,time to grow up and be sensible and clear this debt before I am 58 ! which is the age i will be if i keep making the same payments I am now . Must point out I have 30 years before i am 58:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

I am on a dmp with payplan and have been for a good few years . Basically I had a great, well paid job and a lazy boyfriend who i [STRIKE]supported [/STRIKE] treated to what ever he wanted ,I also did some emotional spending to cheer me up when i was going through a tough time and at a time when i was poorley and in and out of hospital . I got my first loan for my first ever car when i passed my test ,i was offered the money as a loan from my parents but i wanted to be all grown up and went to the banks instead , this loan just got bigger and bigger .it was cool I lived at home and on paper i could afford it except I spent my wages before i paid my loans :mad: . all was sorting itself out and started to pay on time and the right amounts bank charges were less and less I got a new car .would have been debt free years ago BUT I got pregnant .

Knowing that my life was soon to be a bit hectic and my boyfriend was a lazy waste of space i made up my mind that i would not return to work after my baby was born . Could not really do the type of job i did and be a mum . I confessed all to my parents about my financial situation and they paid most not all of my loans and cards for me in full and for that and many other things i will be forever gratefull .

I contacted payplan who sorted it all out for me and reduced my payments when i was recieving income support .

7 Years later and here I am. now working part time in a dead end job ,Still single (well sort of )and now oweing

11,000 - marks and sparks loan ,first direct
370-mum
210- rent arrears ( from when i recently changed my job and my pay and housing ben all over the place )

AS i said not a good time to start due to school holidays so my aim is to have money to do some cool things with the girl . It is achievable to do what i want days out etc just need to be more sensible when it comes to spending .

well if you are still reading thank you I admire you for getting this far . Cant tell you how good it feels to write it all down , Never actually thought about how i got into debt just that i was in debt ,

well after all that i am worn out so off to bed for me
bye

savingholmes

Hi mammamia- well done for making a start - it is tricky to be dealing with debt on your own... or as a family for that matter. You can find support here... if you look for it....and make an effort

mammamia2

WOW my desicion to start a diary must have been the right thing to do even if it is not a good time for me with the school holidays and the girl to entertain .

Because .........
had a refund cheque through the post from British gas , My electric acount was £95 in credit while I owe £61 on the gas so they sent me a cheque from electric account so that I can use it to pay gas account so I have £34 extra ,:j

Also on the door mat was an unexpected letter from the CSA informing me that In September I should recieve £40 more , He without fail will create and hit the roof but hey ho :j

Also got my wage slip today and have been paid £60 more than I have budgeted for :j

and finally renewed my car breakdown cover through quidco and earned £25 :j

kirstenc

crikey, it looks like everything has fallen into place to give you a kick start lol

I dont know much about the payplan things but I can certainly understand your situation lol it does seem very grown up getting a loan, but getting out of debt on your own terms must be a hundred times more exhilerating (even paying 20 quid extra on mine makes a difference to may day!!)

Im the same as you, started a diary, gave up, now back with a vengenace!!

Good luck hun, you sound really positive so im sure you will do fine!!:D

mammamia2

Im off on a camping holiday tomorrow . So excited !!! need a few days away if only to escape my neighbour from hell (story for another day )

Have decided that for the next few weeks my priority will be having fun with the girl days out at the weekends and stuff . This is because in my last job i had to work weekends and never really got to spend much time with her and have noticed how much she has grown up . I now work during the week and have weekends free so going to make the most of it :beer:

I have a budget of £300 for the next four weeks which i think is plenty considering that the girl is going away with the grandparents for one of those weeks . Any spare money from this will go towards paying off mum ,after all the 11,000 debt will still be there after the school holidays.:o

Also noticed that the car is due for road tax at the end of August so think the £35.00 spare money from British gas will go towards this .

I have just filled the car up with petrol so we are all ready for our trip tomorrow. total of £45.93 and i need to get some small bits for our camping trip which should come to £15.00 so the unexpected £60 on my wages has all gone :mad: :mad: Although my friend will give me some money towards the cost of petrol , Not sure what to do with it though pay mum or put it away for school uniform in september :rolleyes:


Anyway thats me done I have £100 in my purse to last untill friday and that is money for our 4 day camping trip , food things to do etc ,hope this will be enough but i am going with a friend so the cost will be halved so I should be fine .

Fire_Fox

mammamia2 wrote: »

WOW my desicion to start a diary must have been the right thing to do even if it is not a good time for me with the school holidays and the girl to entertain .

Because .........
had a refund cheque through the post from British gas , My electric acount was £95 in credit while I owe £61 on the gas so they sent me a cheque from electric account so that I can use it to pay gas account so I have £34 extra ,:j

Also on the door mat was an unexpected letter from the CSA informing me that In September I should recieve £40 more , He without fail will create and hit the roof but hey ho :j

Also got my wage slip today and have been paid £60 more than I have budgeted for :j

and finally renewed my car breakdown cover through quidco and earned £25 :j

How funny, I had a really amazing day yesterday with lots of financial surprises too, maybe lady luck was smiling on diaryland?

Primula

Good luck with your debt busting, hope you enjoyed your wee break away too.

mammamia2

Oh no I forgot to just say no . My camping trip was an expensive trip !!!:eek:

had a good time though even if the weather was not fantastic so cant moan . just a bit dissapointed that i had such good intentions and everything was looking good on the money front and now it looks pants :mad:

The friend I went with did not pay her way as much as she should have done for things like petrol and food to be honest I dont think she could afford to so that kind of put a spanner in the works a bit . Dont get me wrong she paid for pub drinks and her enterance to attractions but it was the little trips to the campsite shop for milk and stuff and our supermarket shops that added up to be expensive for me , Also petrol , but cant do much about it now .

Anyway going to have to re jig the finances , and it is not looking good
looks like i will only be able to pay half of the rent arrears when i really wanted to clear it all it has been dragging on for ages , also might have to start paying mum back the money i owe her next month she is quite happy to recieve £80 a month but I simply cant afford it this month .

Although this situation is not ideal I need the money to keep me going for the next three weeks and to entertain the girl . I will need to sort it all out to see exactly whats going on in the bank accounts but I cant face doing it today:o

On a good note I am going to stop smoking again ,have had a few no starters but going to try again .Brought my last packet yesterday so when they are gone that will be it . The girl will be pleased as it has been on her mind and she does not want mummy to look like the pictures on the packets and obviously does not want mummy to die because she will be on her own with no one to look after her . going to give it my best shot .

The girls dad is coming to see her tonight ,he could not make it before we went away he normally gives her some money for spending when we go away but I am wondering if he will give it to me as i have spet so much on taking her away but I doubt he will I can but try , he also owes me £35 but I probably wont see that again:mad:

anyway I have a car to unload and a tent to put away so I best get going

bye

mammamia2

Things are not looking good .

plucked up the courage to work out the rest of this months finances and i can just scrape through .

bit dissapointing really as i had some great ideas for me and the girl to do together but they will have to be put on hold till next month .

Next month will also be tight , as car tax is due and so is M.O.T ,school uniform ,rent arrears ,sisters and best friends birthdays which means nights out and presents and wages will be down by 2 days as I had to take some unpaid leave aaaarrrrggghhhh always something to pay out for .:rolleyes:

Anyway on the plus side my neighbour from hell has kindly /sarcasticly posted a note to say there will be loud music on saturday as she has a birthday to celebrate , She has loud music when she is not celebrating a birthday but I think the note may be because she had a visit and a letter from the enviromental heath people .

As I do not want to be listening to another ight of externely loud heavy metal music and screaming at her kids till 5am I have arranged to stay at my mums which means I do not have to budget or even cook dinner so a free meal for us

As predicted my girls dad did ot hand over the money he owes but he did buy a take away pizza for us. he is also taking daughter and me out at the weekend so he will pay for that .

Off to asda I must go but it is bit of a struggle to get the girl into action this morning oh the joys of school holidays and week 1 is not even over yet :D

have a good day all

mammamia2

this weeks budget /spending money has all gone ooooppps . :rolleyes:. spent it on a day out with the girl and the Ex ,we went to a zoo he normally pays for our little outings but had left his wallet at his house and did not have enough cash on him so being the nice person or foolish person payed for us all . Anyways seeing him later on he is treating all of us to the cinema so there is a chance a slim one but a chance non the less that i may even get some money back and even the money he owes from last week

I have set fridays as the day i withdraw the spending money from the bank so only another 5 days untill the purse is full again .

I have booked another camping trip for the end of August this time it will be just me and the girl so expenses should be minimal. And my dad went halves with me on the cost :j:j

Also was £10 under budget for the food shopping this week so in some areas it is good news and not a total disaster . But I do think shopping at asdas is cheaper than morrisons so I will switch back to asdas , I got lured in by the shiny newly refurbished morrisons

and I have paid £100 off of the rent arrears :j:j:j only another £110 to go

mammamia2

I thought this would be a good time as any to have a little catch up . I am currently listening to the neighbour from hell and her very loud music :mad::mad:I am really tired and just want to crawl into bed so exscuse any spelling mistakes .

All is going well and I am sticking to my little budget so I am pleased .

The ex has given me some money to decorate the girl's room so I have a little project to occupy me ,In fact I am really excited her room anoys me the most with all the toys and bits so it will be nice to have it all done .

It did not really need decorating but had to move the furniture around well the bed really so that the noise from neighbours music would not wake her. any way moving the bed made the room look a mess and gave her no room to play so it has had to have a major move around . Only thing is she has chosen blue for the walls and I do not like blue but if it means she will be happy, and there may be a chance she will keep it tidy and stay in her own bed all night then I am all for it ,:D

well at 3.00am and 2 hours of listening to loud heavy metal music its all quiet from next door thats my cue to go to bed .:T:T:j:j:j:T:T

sorry for talking utter nonsense not much else to do at this hour