Time to take back control!!

hypno06

OK.....the eggs are fine - £2 for a dozen fresh eggs is a reasonable price.

£42 for petrol is fine, as long as it was only £42 for petrol and not £40 for petrol and £2 for chocolate.........

Reading someone else's newspaper and not spending at lunchtime is excellent!

Glasses of wine on a Saturday night are absolutely fine......and you have recognised the potential danger of internet shopping, and have made alternative arrangements in order to minimise the risk, so that is definitely good!

So, at the end of your first full day of MSE, I think you can safely say you have taken the first few steps :T:T:T

toolittletime

Well done on a successful first day! Thoroughly approve on the glass of wine - well deserved after your first MSE day!!

Catzpaws

Good luck with your debt busting. Keep up the postive mental attitude!

Snowdonlily

I've tried to fill in my SOA, as you can see, I should have money left over at the end of the month but I'm usually pretty skint when payday rolls round again! Its obvious I'm spending too much.

We are in a very lucky situation in that we don't have a mortgage anymore......that's been paid off (I haven't always spent too much which is what makes this really annoying!).

I haven't included any of my OH's earnings purely because I got myself into this mess and I will sort it out. For a really long time I hid it from him and I've spent months hiding bills. I've always overpaid but my important birthday is coming up in about 6 weeks (40!) and I'd really like to see some money in my account at the end of the month by then.

Ok, here's some background information..........been married since I was 18 and have three sons aged 20, 17 and 14. DS1 is at Uni which accounts for the additional child related spending, DS2 has just seriously flunked his AS levels and assuming he can pull himself back up, I'll have two at Uni next September. I have a job I quite like and the wages aren't too bad.

My OH knows all about the debt now, and things have started to thaw a bit this evening after I dropped my bombshell a few days ago. I dont really blame him.

The amount for haircuts is quite high as it covers the boys' and my haircuts. I think the one thing I can't give up is my hairdresser!

The clothing amount is also for me and the boys.

I hope this makes sense.....I'm grateful for any suggestions.

Household Information
Number of adults in household........... 2
Number of children in household......... 3
Number of cars owned.................... 1

Monthly Income Details[/b]
Monthly income after tax................ 1200
Partners monthly income after tax....... 0
Benefits................................ 132.8
Other income............................ 0
Total monthly income.................... 1332.8

Monthly Expense Details
Mortgage................................ 0
Secured/HP loan repayments.............. 0
Rent.................................... 0
Management charge (leasehold property).. 0
Council tax............................. 0
Electricity............................. 0
Gas..................................... 0
Oil..................................... 0
Water rates............................. 0
Telephone (land line)................... 0
Mobile phone............................ 35
TV Licence.............................. 0
Satellite/Cable TV...................... 0
Internet Services....................... 0
Groceries etc. ......................... 100
Clothing................................ 100
Petrol/diesel........................... 160
Road tax................................ 15
Car Insurance........................... 15
Car maintenance (including MOT)......... 25
Car parking............................. 0
Other travel............................ 0
Childcare/nursery....................... 0
Other child related expenses............ 70
Medical (prescriptions, dentist etc).... 0
Pet insurance/vet bills................. 0
Buildings insurance..................... 0
Contents insurance...................... 0
Life assurance ......................... 0
Other insurance......................... 0
Presents (birthday, christmas etc)...... 40
Haircuts................................ 35
Entertainment........................... 0
Holiday................................. 0
Emergency fund.......................... 0
Total monthly expenses.................. 595


Assets
Cash.................................... 0
House value (Gross)..................... 0
Shares and bonds........................ 0
Car(s).................................. 0
Other assets............................ 0
Total Assets............................ 0
No Secured nor Hire Purchase Debts

Unsecured Debts
Description....................Debt......Monthly...APR
HSBC Personal Loan.............6399.12...228.5.....8.7
HSBC Flexi Loan................4495.67...180.......17.9
JJB Mastercard.................430.89....53.79.....18.9
Tesco Credit Card..............1777.84...53.99.....16.9
Total unsecured debts..........13103.52..516.28....-


Monthly Budget Summary
Total monthly income.................... 1,332.8
Expenses (including HP & secured debts). 595
Available for debt repayments........... 737.8
Monthly UNsecured debt repayments....... 516.28
Amount left after debt repayments....... 221.52

Personal Balance Sheet Summary
Total assets (things you own)........... 0
Total HP & Secured debt................. -0
Total Unsecured debt.................... -13,103.52
Net Assets.............................. -13,103.52

toolittletime

Well done on doing your SOA! I'm exactly the same - should have money left over but it's never there!!

Haven't got the concentration to look at your SOA at the moment (teething baby rather likes 2am at the moment:mad:) but will come back on tomorrow when I'm a bit more focused! Not sure why I'm still up actually!
Well done again!!

Snowdonlily

Today has been a "stay at home and catch up with the housework day".

We're short staffed at work at the moment so its been six day weeks for a while......which is good for debt busting............. but not so good for dirt busting!

I'm probably putting women's lib back a few decades but its been really satisfying doing all those jobs I've been putting off all week and seeing the house gleaming....living with a houseful of men means the washing and ironing is never ending (it does with the men in this house anyway!). It could be worse I 'spose....my friend's boys are allergic to soap!

I haven't spent anything at all today..........the only thing that's annoying me is the fact I've had to have the tumble dryer going most of the day.

I'm looking forward to next week now........to see if I can go Monday - Friday without spending in my lunchhour. I really want to sort out this stupid mess I've got myself into........my mum and dad would be so disappointed if they knew. They're really good with money and even though they've always had very little, they've never been in debt and never buy anything unless they save for it first.

I'm watching the first X Factor show on ITV2 as I type......not sure if I like the new format.

hypno06

The new x factor format is pants - the auditions are too long!

Well done on another NSD :T

Catzpaws

Good luck with your debt-free plans. I've just started a diary too... so hoping it's going to keep me properly motivated - finally.

I agree, new X Factor format is not so good. Half X Factor, half Britains got Talent IMO.

CP x

Snowdonlily

Thanks, I'm hoping accounting for every penny will keep me on the straight and narrow...........especially if everyone on the forum can see if I've been frittering my money away again.

I think you're right....new X Factor Format is too similar to BGT.

Snowdonlily

Hello everyone......I'm back again and after a couple of weeks things have just gone from bad to worse. I feel like a complete failure........ after such a positive start I've managed to double my debt!

I bet that's a first for the forum......not many people can double their debt in two weeks when they're actually trying to pay it off! I know its not funny.....but if I don't laugh, I'm going to cry!! My dad's been in hospital.....my mum's been laid up with a bad back and my DS2 (who did exceptionally well in his GCSE's) failed his AS levels (spectacularly!).

On Friday last week my car failed its MOT.......its only done about 64,000 miles but they tell me the chassis is corroded and its not safe to drive anymore. I have to do a lot of driving in my job so I've had to take out a loan to buy a decent car to get me to and from work safely.

I asked for a £10,000 loan........ which they gave me on condition that I borrowed enough to pay off the Flexiloan at the same time. This means that with interest, I now owe HSBC a grand total of £24,741.89. I've paid off my JJB card and the balance on my Tesco card is £1,777.84 which makes my total debt £26,519.73.

That's the first time I've seen it written down and I really want to cry!

I'm trying very hard at the moment to find a positive side to this. Instead of having three different loans, and three payments, I now have one (BIG) loan with a monthly payment of £412 and I'm the owner of a lovely shiny Ford Focus which I'm going to pick up this afternoon.

The new loan has a fixed term of 5 years, so can anyone suggest the best way to try and pay this back early? The best thing I can come up with is putting any spare cash at the end of the month into my ISA (which currently has a balance of £2.20).

Just had a huge row over breakfast with my OH (who's super careful with money). I bought DS3 a Mountain Biking magazine yesterday that cost £4. DS3 hates reading books, so being a mum that loves books, I thought he'd be more inclined to read something that interests him. OH has never read a book in his life, so to him magazines are a total waste of money.

We have a 3 hour drive from North Wales to Cannock this afternoon to pick up the new car............so that's going to be fun!!

I'm going to go and make some sandwiches and a flask of coffee now to take with us, so that should keep him happy. I kept my debts secret from him for a long time, and to be honest I don't know whats worse..........struggling to keep things hidden or coming clean like I did and arguing about every single penny that's spent!

Right, I spose I'd better go and do something..........this is enough of being miserable for one day......the sun is shining here for a change. Sorry about all the self pity this morning, but the only person who knows about my debt at the moment is my less than supportive OH. I talk to my parents about most things....but not this. They're old school and never buy anything without saving for it first. I just cant face their disappointment at the moment (even though I'll be 40 in about 4 weeks time....eek!)

Have a good day everyone

S x