I have literally no money!

DevonGirl

Me too - can totally relate to this. Constant worrying about money is making me soooo anxious. And I'm on a supposedly 'generous' DMP!!!

brokeinwales

Did you go and collect your recorded delivery? Was it from your landlady?

Afraid not :-( . I have now written her a letter threatening court action by the way, but as yet, no response at all. I was hoping I'd scare her into paying up immediately. The money she owes me would knock nearly 25% off my debts straight away!

Incesticide's post was very interesting - I like this "next challenge" idea...

Also, I hate my job!! I do it because i stupidly got a degree in it and the money has gone up but i still got into debt, and now i couldn't afford to quit and take the paycut required to do smething i might actually enjoy anyway! so I'm stuck! Stuck until at least i get debt free! then maybe with my new (i hope this comes soon! ) moneysmart attitude I may just be able to do it! who knows! fingers crossed!

I bet this is familiar sentiment to a fair few people. I hate how debt (or living hand to mouth) has to control our lives this way. I guess it's an incentive, but it's so bl**y frustrating!

Sometimes I feel like my answer to (excuse for??) everything is "I can't afford it"...

Daffykjs

I hate those four words for than any others!!

DevonGirl

brokeinwales wrote: »

I bet this is familiar sentiment to a fair few people. I hate how debt (or living hand to mouth) has to control our lives this way. I guess it's an incentive, but it's so bl**y frustrating!

Sometimes I feel like my answer to (excuse for??) everything is "I can't afford it"...

Hi BIW

Living hand to mouth is just about right! And although I haven't told any non-family about my debts, I think most of my friends must be catching on because I am constantly broke! I've told people that "I'm being strict because I've cut up my credit cards and am now slowly paying them off" but I think that it does become boring to hear that someone's broke all the time (and I get bored saying and being it!!) For me, I wouldn't mind if I managed to have a bit more fun, but despite being on a DMP and my debt going down v. slowly, it's hard to remain focused - I just seem to be working full time just to keep a roof over my head and food in my belly! Guess I'll just have to try harder at this budgeting malarky and remind myself that there are plenty of people worse off than me... (Thanks for listening to my rant... )

DG

TurnaroundSue

I have been debt free for 2 years now (became df at the age of 42) after being in debt for most of my adult life. At the beginning it was very hard to not go out and spend all the 'extra' money on the 'wants' and not the 'needs', however, I gave myself a small amount each month for treats and saved the rest. It was great to see those savings increase and have used some of them to go on holiday this year, so my aim now is to put back the savings I have used for the holiday and hopefully a bit more. I now have funds for the car expenses and another for birthdays, christmas etc also. It is a great weight off, but having said that I think because I spent so many years getting out of debt it has become part of my makeup now, which I think is a good thing as it ensures that even though I have money saved now, I will not go and blow it all and get back into that situation again. I am self employed so my money is never the same every month which is another reason to keep me on my toes when it comes to spending.

Good luck BIW, I have followed your thread from the start and I think it has been great to see how you have come along and how generous other have been. You have inspired many people with this thread and that in itself is something to be proud of.

brokeinwales

think most of my friends must be catching on because I am constantly broke! I've told people that "I'm being strict because I've cut up my credit cards and am now slowly paying them off" but I think that it does become boring to hear that someone's broke all the time

Yep. I sometimes feel like people don't believe me too.

A few years ago I had a friend who had a very well paid job as well as generous parents, and as she never had trouble with money, assumed no-one else did either. If someone told her they were too skint to do something, she would interpret as an excuse not to spend time with her, or as tightness, rather than careful money management.

it's hard to remain focused - I just seem to be working full time just to keep a roof over my head and food in my belly! Guess I'll just have to try harder at this budgeting malarky and remind myself that there are plenty of people worse off than me... (Thanks for listening to my rant... )

I think we all have that feeling - the whole feeling like you're treading water desperately and only just staying afloat. The problem with debts sometimes, is that you have days when you feel a bit depressed thinking that even once you've paid them all off you'll still only be at zero. It's like running a marathon to arrive at the starting block!

But - what can you do? It's better to be moving than just sinking further and further into the muck. Or at least I hope it is!

mooomin

brokeinwales wrote: »

Yep. I sometimes feel like people don't believe me too.

A few years ago I had a friend who had a very well paid job as well as generous parents, and as she never had trouble with money, assumed no-one else did either. If someone told her they were too skint to do something, she would interpret as an excuse not to spend time with her, or as tightness, rather than careful money management.

I have a friend at work who does this - she knows I talk about being "skint" all the time but when I do buy something expensive (Which I have saved for) she makes "I thought you were skint" type comments as though I was lying about it :rotfl:

I think we all have that feeling - the whole feeling like you're treading water desperately and only just staying afloat. The problem with debts sometimes, is that you have days when you feel a bit depressed thinking that even once you've paid them all off you'll still only be at zero. It's like running a marathon to arrive at the starting block! Better that than being miles away from the finishing line!!

But - what can you do? It's better to be moving than just sinking further and further into the muck. Or at least I hope it is!

I think you're sounding quite positive - keep posting and we'll see you right! If it wasn't for the support on this forum I think I would have quit debt-busting a long time ago.

BigMummaF

These must have been the most insightful posts of the entire board these past few days.
I am also another who struggles to justify spending on anything but complete essentials. Just today, I bought 3 packets of hobnobs in MrM's after walking past them four or five times I know No1 offspring will take their packet to work for the rest of the week & maybe into next & the other two are good at rationing when they know there's no more on offer but such heartache over 39p a packet :eek:
When it comes down to it, there are some times when the Noble Twink just doesn't cut it:D

Queen_of_the_Hive

I definately think you need to keep an upto date spreadsheet, maybe consider moving to a cashback credit card (instead of spending cash) if you are ok with that & pay balance off in full and open an ISA / high interest savings account & aim to put something in it, even if its a £5 a month. I found this a postive move when i was paying off my student & house debt.

brokeinwales

clarissa62 wrote: »

I definately think you need to keep an upto date spreadsheet, maybe consider moving to a cashback credit card (instead of spending cash) if you are ok with that & pay balance off in full and open an ISA / high interest savings account & aim to put something in it, even if its a £5 a month. I found this a postive move when i was paying off my student & house debt.

I've never had a credit card. I don't really understand them and worry that I'd get in a bigger pickle than I'm in already.

Spreadsheets don't really work for me either, as I don't have my own computer - to be honest I find writing things out by hand and sticking bits of paper on my wardrobe door kind of works better for me anyway.

What's silly, is that my only fixed expenses are my £320 rent (which includes all my bills and TV license), and my £160 pm arrangement to pay off my electricity bill - so everything else is kind of up to me to organise. I don't have any travel expenses, I can obviously keep my food bills low, I don't go out much (maybe once or twice a month to the cinema or for lunch).
I've been keeping a spending diary since last pay day to try and work out some of my habits I may be able to change for the better- not sure I've identified any trends or anything I've particularly bought that I didn't need (other than a couple of birthday gifts, and a cheap haircut). Then again, I'm not sure this month was all that representative, as I was ill for a good portion of it, and because of the previous month's problem I ended up playing catch up on several things (paying back money owed, or payments I'd delayed etc). Probably next month will give me a better idea of what I'm working with. I think maybe you need to do these things for a few months (alongside your new strategies obviously!) to help give a real picture of any problems.

I also worked out a debt free date! Assuming the worst - that my landlady gives me nothing back - I should atill be back at "the starting block" by November 2011. Which is either depressing or encouraging - it depends how I look at it....