My new SOA - need motivation

Ames

Thanks.

She's on jobseekers, but the money didn't go in last week like it was supposed to. She's been onto them and been told it will be there at the end of this week.

I have been a bit annoyed with her attitude to jobs, I saw one advertised in a cafe, but she said her knees play up and she can't waitress any more - but she's applying for jobs as a roadie. I also said she could use my address to sign up for the local job club here, but she doesn't want 'the kind of jobs that are offered to people on council estates'.

I tried the envelope approach a few months ago but OH laughed at me. I've got a few bank accounts for different things, but haven't been able to save anything in them. That's why I want to sort out how much I should save for each category from now on, so that I can actually do it!

I've also got three piggy banks for different luxuries, £2s for a holiday abroad, 20ps for clothes when I've lost the 7 stone I need to, and any bits of change for a new tv cos mine's on the point of death.

I'm all organised with the saving methods, it's just getting hold of the money to put in them!

Thanks for all the tips.

As for the family, dad's finally getting annoyed with her borrowing off him all the time, at one point it was about a grand a month! Although in most ways she's the golden girl and I'm the black sheep.

Still waiting for her response about cutting the food budget, but she wont be up yet to have read it.

Ames

I've just applied online for a water meter, so hopefully my bills there will go down.

Still in two minds about the sky, I know I should cut the package down but I'd rather not. Might leave it a month or two to see how the new financial regime is going!

Trying to find cheap contents insurance, but quotes are coming in stupidly high. I need to get a leaflet for the council scheme and apply for that.

Chased up my bus pass application (which it turns out wasn't an application despite what social services told me), hopfully that can save me a little bit of money in petrol.

Can't think of anything else that I can sort out today.

kizandcorez

Ames wrote: »

I've just applied online for a water meter, so hopefully my bills there will go down.

Still in two minds about the sky, I know I should cut the package down but I'd rather not. Might leave it a month or two to see how the new financial regime is going!

Trying to find cheap contents insurance, but quotes are coming in stupidly high. I need to get a leaflet for the council scheme and apply for that.

Chased up my bus pass application (which it turns out wasn't an application despite what social services told me), hopfully that can save me a little bit of money in petrol.

Can't think of anything else that I can sort out today.

Why not ring sky tell them you cant justify paying that amount as you dont watch it to often they might offer you a deal or why not tell them your thinking of moving to virgin as they have a good deal on at the moment usually they will try there best to keep you as a customer and offer you a great deal for a coulpe of months

edinburgher

Why not ring sky tell them you cant justify paying that amount as you dont watch it to often

Good idea, but you may still want to consider cancelling it to save money. Sky are (in my experience) actually quite good about cancellations - they're the only company whose broadband service I've stopped using who didn't charge me for the privilege.

Ames

Thing is, I do watch it a lot. There are times when I can't get out of the house, so it's really good to be able to watch a movie to take me out of myself a bit. I know, I'm just making excuses.

The water meter's been fitted, 22 hours after I requested one! I tried to send a nice email to them praising them for it but the form and link are down. That should save me £200 a year.

Sister hasn't replied to me about the reduction in her food money. If I'm right to assume that means she's ok with it then it goes to show she really has been taking me for a ride and telling fibs to me about what she needs. I actually worked out how much I *need* to feed myself and it's lower than I thought, so I might challenge myself to save money there once things have settled down.

david_hellier

Ames wrote: »

Thanks spiderjohn.

I'll have to do a spending diary to work out the £100. Off the top of my head, this month I spent a tenner on going to the cinema, had a couple of starbucks' while waiting for people in town, spent about a fiver on stationery to try and get the piles of paperwork sorted, dipped into it for extra food when I saw loads of whoopsies to fill the freezer with, a fiver on books, a fiver on some reduced costume jewellery, a new bin and teatowels, some plants for the garden...

It's all been little things really, but they've all added up. I need to be stricter with myself about what I really need.

Another way of using a spending diary is to allocate a weekly amount to yourself per week, from your budget after all essentials have been deducted. Using receipts, deduct as you spend through the week. Try to get to the end of the week leaving some over to carry forward to the next week. This has the effect of keeping your overdraft down and avoids overspend.

Ames

I tried that this month, but ended up overspending. I had a wobble when I decided to throw OH out and so went on a mini comfort spending spree. I think I'm going to try and run both systems in tandem, double the motivation then! Thanks for reminding me about that way too.

edinburgher

I had a wobble when I decided to throw OH out and so went on a mini comfort spending spree.

That's to be expected and you'd need to be made of stone not to feel a bit out of sorts in relation to a breakup. The weekly budgeting thing is definitely worth another go though.

Ames

I spoke to my sister tonight, at first she was like 'if it's all you can afford then I've got no choice' about me cutting her down to £25 a week. Later on though she was saying how she wasn't looking forward to it because she's struggling and cutting meals out at £30, and she just wont be able to manage if I cut it further. I explained that I recently worked out that if I switched from berries to apples I could easily eat for less than £2 a day, she said 'yeah, eating junk'. I explained that I was getting my five a day, and the right proportions of carbs, protein etc. She asked me to send her the menu because she doesn't see how it's possible. I've just sent it to her, so I'm expecting lots of 'yeah but I don't like...'. But tough, it can be done and it'll do her good to learn.

I'm also annoyed about the jobs, I keep seeing things and mentioning them to her, and her answer is always 'yeah but'. She also doesn't seem to be applying for anything less than £18k, so when she's calmed down over the food I need to try and talk to her about that.

Otherwise things are going good though, I'm geared up to a new start from Tuesday (when I next get my benefits). I'm going for £20 a week for food, and I've got a separate purse for that. I'm going to keep a spending diary, and give myself an allowance each week which I'm going to stick to. I've also started buying a bit of food each week for Leeds festival, to reduce the amount I need in one go and we're going to try and flaunt the new rules and use the old gas cooker which they say isn't allowed anymore. The tent's big enough to use it inside though so they'll never know!

Also, the water meter was fitted 22 hours after I requested it, which I'm delighted about. According to their website I'll save £200 a year, and that's without doing little things like turning the water off when I'm brushing my teeth, so I'm sure I can get it down.

I've also phoned the benefits up to sort out changing my claim from a couple to just me, it's going to take a few weeks to get the new higher rate sorted out, but there'll be backpay so it'll be ok, the sofa and bed will just have to wait a couple of weeks that's all.

I've got a load of stuff to sell, and I'm trying to work out how best to do it, car boot ebay or amazon. I'm going to go to the car boot on sunday if I'm well enough to check out their prices. I was going to go for £1 each 3 for £2.50 on books, dvds and cds, but according to the ebay board that's too much and I'll be lucky to get 50p each. Which means that to make back the cost of the stall I need to sell at least 30 books, which seems a gamble, and that's without buying a table to use.

I *thing* that's all the stuff that's been done so far. Sorry that this appears to be turning into a diary, I'll give it a little while to see if it carries on and then get it moved if it does.

Ah, just had a reply from sis, apparantly my diet is really bad for me. It's totally in line with all the leaflets I've been given about healthy eating, and my health trainer says it's fine and I'm doing really well, but sister knows best, eh. I think I'm fighting a losing battle here, but I'll keep trying.

gfplux

Hello again Ames,
You have been given lots of great advise and it is super to see you are making some progress.
I have nothing more to add about your sister.

Getting back to your SOA. Did you fill it out using http://www.makesenseofcards.com/soacalc.html as it does not seam to be in that format. If you use that format it helps you remember things you spend money on as it is listed. You can also add lines of spending that are different to other peoples (like food for sister)

I assume the benefits are paid directly into a bank. Please correct me if I am wrong.
Total up all your bills that you are paying annually or quarterly such as TV licence, Car road tax, Car, Buildings and Contents insurance, Car maintenance, Holiday and Emergency funds, etc.(Only you know the full list) that you show monthly in your SOA. Then open a savings account and pay in that amount monthly by standing order. Then when those bills come along you have the money for them. Having money in separate purses or envelopes can be very tempting!


If you reposted your SOA in the suggested format we could help in working out how much that is.


Good Luck