Its worth a go isn't it?

Swinstie73

Hey Itsarandom, don't worry about falling off the bandwagon, it happens! My DFD was supposed to be Sept 2010, then I extended it til Mar 2011, now I'm hoping for Dec 2010. Life happens inbetween and we all still need to enjoy ourselves once in a while, ok maybe a little bit of restraint helps as well, but life is too short to beat yourself up about it. At least your new DFD will give you a bit of breathing space (and please buy yourself a few new togs - can't go around naked now can you)!!

Itsarandom

For the sake of everyone's eyesight - most definitely buying a few pairs of decent trousers Don't want to blind everyone by walking around naked :eek:

I guess I am annoyed as I knew that I had to buy some more jeans/combats/trousers at some point in the near future (they were all falling apart!!) but instead of thinking about it, I bought a new game cause thats more fun!

I even had the chance to buy jeans cheaply recently and instead figured that I would hold off for now cause I spent money on Games... :mad:

I just blew off steam and money by convincing myself I was doing so well, then realised I am not really doing as well as I hoped!

Just need to get back on track and refocus and keep reminding myself why I need to do this!

beanielou

Good to see you as was wondering where you ok so am glad you are apart from our old friend the debt.
We've all done it so dont beat yourself up.
Just draw a line & move on.
Take care x

Itsarandom

Thanks everyone for the support and encouragement.


I have to think of this like when I quit smoking - I didn't quit first time, but had varying degrees of success along the way until I got to where I am today - an ex-smoker.

Just did some quick calculations and realised my average over the last two months has been approximately 275 - when it should be at least 100 quid higher than that!

This month isn't getting any better- trying to find jeans/combats that I would be comfortable in is seemingly getting harder and harder... this is what I get however for not having bought any new clothes last year except for work! Am going to see if I can work out a way of extending the life of my trousers for at least a month or two... I also have a pair of jeans lying around in a cupboard that are about 3 inches too long for me... going to see about getting them taken up by my mum this weekend.

I am also back to travelling a lot more down south - OH is back at uni and he did most of the journeys during his summer hols and christmas as well. Luckily if I book far enough in advance it is usually between 11.10-17 return - and its only twice per month. 3-yr railcard was the best purchase I have ever made.

Just feeling a bit deflated about knowing unless something amazing happens I am missing my goal. Won't stop trying but I have to accept the new goal is September 2010 unless I radically change my lifestyle (no enterainment budget, no visiting OH, nada!) and I am not willing to do that. Does that mean my lightbulb isn't fully lit and therefore, why the slip? I dunno.

I won't stop trying - that is for sure... but I have to accept that its going to be September 2010, cuts for August 2010 and Radical cuts for July 2010.

beanielou

Honestly its not long til Sept.
Dont put so much pressure on yourself

Itsarandom

I think its because I know every month longer it takes me to clear my debts - the less money we have to put towards a house... less quality of a home we will have... etc...etc...

Its not just myself I let down - in some ways its my OH. I haven't told him yet I have fallen off target... At the moment he thinks July 2010 we are getting somewhere together and I know he will be disappointed.

Today hasn't been too good either money-wise - I dunno what is up with me but mornings have become the bane of my money-saving.

I used to get up at 6.30am and feel refreshed - no matter what time I went to bed! Now it seems I struggle to get out of bed by 7.30am just to give myself enough time to have a shower, throw some clothes on and get to work by train, just!

Then at that point you feel you let yourself down because that is an instant expenditure for the day.

Am walking home in the evenings- more to remind myself that it is never as bad as i remember it being, building back up into travelling back and forth to work and gotta figure out why I am not waking up on time anymore... or even vaguely near it!

Even up 40 minutes earlier (so 6.45ish/6.50) would give me time to get ready and walk to work... but no matter what time i go to sleep.. it means I am not getting up tomorrow until I am on the verge of being late. I suspect it is the sunrise/sunset that is hampering me more than anything... but I coped with that before now.

either way - walking home tonight again and hopefully my brain will go "yeah, lets start getting up a bit earlier now..."

Itsarandom

Right - wallowing in self-pity won't get this ball rolling, nor giving myself cheap excuses of "well i already took the train... buying breakfast/lunch/dinner from the shops won't make a difference..."

I am writing off this week for behaving at work - because I have quite plainly failed this week. The month has a fairly easy goal... but at least it is a goal. I still need to find a few more pairs of jeans/combats cheaply somewhere...

I have about 290 left to my name and have a minimum of 22 quid still to spend (second guitar lesson). so I will have 18 quid leftover to spend, however I want. The 250 WILL go into debt-busting which means I have used 300 this month (with min payments) towards my debt.

Next month I am cancelling some websites I opened up... they were a hopeful idea to get some training but I don't need both plus i am very sure i can find a cheaper package. They cost me about 9 quid a month.

I am cancelling my charity donation - it is 3 quid... but it is three quid I don't need to spend.

I am, as of march, changing my role within a group I am in - which means for three months I don't have to pay membership - that is 9 quid a month saved. Between these three activites I have saved 21 quid - pretty much a guitar lesson!

I have a new SOA as of today. Lots of things on it that have spawned in the few weeks I have been stuck in my rut. Amazing how quickly you can fall off target and get into habits.

Itsarandom

Another thought:

Time to back up the coins I have lying around and put that away as well. I already put the other 45 quid towards debts... still keeping up my penny jar... just no longer for a holiday!

linz

Itsarandom wrote: »

I still need to find a few more pairs of jeans/combats cheaply somewhere...QUOTE]

Try your local charity shops! I recently got a fab pair of Fat Face combats for £2

Itsarandom

Hey Linz! I do try charity shops - but never really find anything my size - always above or below it seems!! Sods law of course!

So this month I have decided is going to be referred to as a "slinky". It shouldn't keep falling down and down down like it does... but there it goes!!

My Radio silence is because I have been up north with the OH who has been very nice and treated me quite a lot at the weekend but it doesn't solve the problem. I didn't buy anything on the train - that was my resolve finally have some kind of swan song I think..

Where it has gone wrong:
OH back at uni - so I am travelling more north and hadn't prepared myself for that.
BUY CARP ON THE TRAIN - I have discovered I have been spending easily 15+ quid per return trip on the actual train!! :eek:
Travelling/eating at work - either disorganisation of me in the morning or my complete inability to wake up has resulted in a very poor performance this month - resulting in a massive increase in travel costs and eating costs. Considering at the beginning of January i purposedly bought bike lights so I could cycle!!!
Clothes - Everything has just started falling apart at once plus all those old clothes I had been storing for when the wonders of all the cycling i was doing meant I could fit into them again... that didn't work, helped if i had been cycling! :wall:
A lot of shiny new games have been out and my resolve has died. I bought a stupid number of games...doh.

There are other lots of little things I have done that are stupid - but these three together have been the biggest money sinks this month. at the moment am on about 16-20 quid on clothes, easily 40+ on games (that was buying two!!) and from eating at work (thus visiting asda) is a further 25+ on food. Carp food at that.

Silliest thing is I should be getting more money in - because I am no longer spending 25 quid a month on an old broadband bill - I haven't been having my ritual once a week takeaway and instead swapped it for little shopping treats instead (frozen pizza = £1-3, Dominos = £10+!). I think this is why I stand at least a little chance of completing my mini-goal of less than 2800... rather than complete fail!

The trick is to find where I have gone wrong, the why its gone wrong, and how to stop it happening in future. I am a bit pedantic in taking my mistakes and ripping them down to the raw basics, because I don't like disappointing myself!

But people who have commented here are right as well - I screwed up one month - the world doesn't stop spinning and nobody looks at me with digusted eyes but me!

Get over it, move on and most importantly - LEARN FROM IT! Next month will be more successful! Has to be!!