this princess will definatly be a poorper soon if i dont sort things out!!!

princesscici

well i have definatly been inspired by the debt diarys so i thought it was time i faced the truth and started to deal with my debt and write a diary because maybe some of you might be able to help me this is crazy cause im sat here crying while i write this ! stupid i know !!
so i think the first thing im gonna do today is see how much debt im in well i would think its about £11000 i hope it is !! but i have never realy sat and worked it out so this is gonna be a huge step!!
here we go ......

edinburgher

Facing up to things is always the first step, so well done

This thread contains useful information, as well as a link to the SOA calculator (lists your incomings/outgoings and debts in a handy format that will make it easier for other forum users to give you advice).

Try and stay focused, write everything down and make sure you include absolutely everything. There is a lot of help and advice available, so try to remain optimistic!

princesscici

thanks edinburgher im not normaly a down hearted kind a girl infact the opposite!! i love life but i think thats whats got me into this mess see i dont realy tell anyone about my debt cause im too ashamed !!
but today is the new start!!! and i will definley be using that calculator will post when i have completed !!

edinburgher

but today is the new start!!! and i will definley be using that calculator will post when i have completed !!

Good stuff - I'll check back later and try to offer some helpful tips

Knitty78

Good luck, I've only had a diary a couple of days but I'm really finding it help me focus.

crapwithcash82

Hi Princesscici - welcome to the boards, this is one of the best ones on here for advice and ideas on how to cut back, make some extra money etc etc.

Once you have it all written down in front of you it will be easier to come up with a plan to clear it.

Keep your chin up!

princesscici

so here it is .......
TSB CARD £589.24 0 % intrest
RSB CARD £2215.36
BARCLAYCARD£842.39
HALIFAX CARD £5039.41 7.92% untill balance is paid off
RBS LOAN £2000
o/d £1000
laptop £695 intrest free till nov after this date i will be locked in to 29.9% basicaly paying 1000 back

total debt £1238.14

princesscici

and my SOA is.....
earnings after tax £1569 -my new job

rent £265
over draft cost 11.95
councill tax £61
electricity £13
cleaner £40 - my mum does all my odd jobs and helps me out so i give her £10 a week just a token realy

tv licence £12
mobile £ 15 my phone died last week so i have one of my brothers cast off i am now buying freedome packs with voda to see how mush i spend
computer insurence £8.99
food £160 i throw loads away never sure how long i can keep things!
eating out £25
drinks for home £10
drinking out £90 ohh this is a big one i love socalising with my friends
smoking £68.41 social smoking !!
meals at work £100 i try to take stuff to work but i never know what to make or i dont have time
parking £10 this is with work
petrol £ 50
personal loan £131
credit card repayments £133
shopping for fun £55
virgin tv / phone / internet £47
hair cut £35
new clothes £55
birthdays £10
£84 left over but its alway swallowed up by things i dont buget for e.g i havent been to a dentist for three years i carnt afford it !

so any advise or ideas ?? i have loads of partys to attend this year as everyone of my friends are turning thirty !! including myself and ideas what i should get ?? or what i should do for my b day its not till xmas but it always so expensive to hire anywhere !!

princesscici

thanks knitty and C.W.C XX

edinburgher

Said I'd be back

rent £265 - It's alright for some!
over draft cost 11.95 - You may wish to prioritise paying off the OD unless it's interest free. This is a fairly hefty charge
councill tax £61
electricity £13 - Really? I take it you stay at home/house share?
cleaner £40 - my mum does all my odd jobs and helps me out so i give her £10 a week just a token realy

tv licence £12
mobile £ 15 my phone died last week so i have one of my brothers cast off i am now buying freedome packs with voda to see how mush i spend
computer insurence £8.99 - I've never had a computer die on me in 13 years - are you sure you need this?
food £160 i throw loads away never sure how long i can keep things! - Try taking £20 off this, shouldn't be hard. OS forum board is great for tips
eating out £25
drinks for home £10 - You should be able to cover this with your food budget (even with £20 knocked off it)
drinking out £90 ohh this is a big one i love socalising with my friends - Are you aware you're spending ~£200 a month on socialising? That's ridiculous! Try cutting it to £100 for a few months and use some of the vouchers etc. on this site for cheap days out etc., BOGOF meals.
smoking £68.41 social smoking !! - That's ~10 a day - that's not just 'social smoking'. Giving it up will make you smell better, live longer and be considerably richer!
meals at work £100 i try to take stuff to work but i never know what to make or i dont have time - This is pretty bad. I spend £140 a month for food and wine every month including my packed lunches. I should mention that I'm greedy, eat tasty home cooked meals every night and like fairly fancy food (wannabe chef!) You're wasting a lot of money on food!
parking £10 this is with work
petrol £ 50
personal loan £131
credit card repayments £133
shopping for fun £55
virgin tv / phone / internet £47
hair cut £35
new clothes £55
birthdays £10 - Sure this is actually so low?

Right this might sound harsh, but there's very little wrong with your finances except (it seems) you just seem to have a problem saying no! You're essentially wasting £300 a month because you like the finer things in life and can't be bothered cooking - am I right?

You say that some of your friends are turning 30? I'm 26 myself and would be a little terrified if I owed £12k but my biggest concern was finding a venue for my birthday party! Isn't there anything you'd like to do in life that an extra £400 a month would help towards? A mortgage? A round the world trip? Something truly unforgettable?

I'm sorry if this sounds negative - I think that you could make massive inroads into your debts quite easily, but you have to want to sort them out. You're clearly a very outgoing and sociable individual - that's great, but your friends certainly wouldn't want to make your debts any worse now, would they?

Maybe take a look at my suggestions and those of others and consider running your debts through one of the snowball calculators to see what order you should pay them off in? I will try and be less mean in future

princesscici

its ok edinburgher not mean but realistic!
no i live on my own but with all the socialising and working im never there !!
ok my start .....
so i have cooked tommorows dinner ! and i have been lookin on ebay cause i think there is loads of stuff i can sell !! i am the official girl in the green scalf but not as cheesy !!
ive been thinking of inviting my friends round for dinner a sort of come dine with me but with my friends thus meaning i get to socialise and it wont cost too much also i get free dinner for a couple of sundays when im at there house !!
i think i need to give myself a budget daily that way i can put in the piggy bank what i dont spend that i can save (well pay it off my debts !)
i also think i need to find a hobby i get bord very easy since my partner left and i think in the past year thats where my over spend on socialisings come from !!
thanks for all your help !!