Flamingo's no more debt diary

JumboFlamingo

So here is my *work in progress* monthly budget:

Income (after tax & pension deductions): £1435.00

Rent: £418
Bills & food & house costs: £295
Course fees (OU): £80
Mobile & broadband: £17.50
Charity: £4.00
Travel to work: £70
Lunches & snacks: £50

Total expenses: £934.50

Leaving me: £500.50?

Debts:

Store cards: Approx. £90 PAID TODAY 27/08/09
Overdraft: Approx. £1000 - £1500 (I need to check this...) Checked: £997
Loan (from O/H): £400 (this was almost 2k last year, so I'm gradually getting there!)

Things I'm going to do:
I'm going to pay off my store cards tonight as I've just been paid.

I've just received my credit building Capitol One B*star*d card that has a limit of £100. I am going to use this as my *treats* card and set up a DD to pay it off every month. Hopefully this will mean that I can control my spending knowing that I can only go up to £100 on this, AND, improve my credit score. :T

My target for the next month, is to continue with my £5 a day plan (covering travel and incidentals), spend up to £100 on clothes/shoes/pretty things/course materials/books, and use everything else to pay off my debts. That's £25 per week for fun, which should really be enough, shouldn't it?

I might sell some stuff on eBay too... although, I hate the PayPal charges to withdraw the money. I guess I might sell some stuff, then only allow myself to buy things with the money in the account and not spend anymore. It will be interesting to see if that can actually happen...;)

Flamingo x

JumboFlamingo

Primula wrote: »

Hiya
Totally know what you mean about Ebay! A tip is just don't go on at all unless it's to sell - make this site your homepage and just come on here instead of Ebay or shopping on the net. It works!
Do you get Tesco vouchers? If so, you could use these to get a magazine subscription so you still get your fix of mags but delivered to your door and really for free!.
Looking forward to seeing your new budget.
Take care
P

My O/H manages our Tesco vouchers... he is super stingy and they all get used on groceries

Flamingo x

ZiggyStardust_2

JumboFlamingo wrote: »

My O/H manages our Tesco vouchers... he is super stingy and they all get used on groceries

Flamingo x

I wish my hubby was stingy

JumboFlamingo

ZiggyStardust wrote: »

I wish my hubby was stingy

:rotfl:

When we were first together he still wore all the pants he had when he was 16... 8 years on, they were not pretty! All in the name of saving money!

ZiggyStardust_2

JumboFlamingo wrote: »

:rotfl:

When we were first together he still wore all the pants he had when he was 16... 8 years on, they were not pretty! All in the name of saving money!

yeah ok, I'll let you have that one :rotfl::rotfl:

JumboFlamingo

I spent £7 of my monthly £100 clothes/treats/not really essential budget last night. I need to save as much as possible - its my birthday at the end of the month and we're going away. I know I will want to treat myself then so I need to hang on to every penny I can.

I really didn't need what I bought either. I'm a sucker and a geek for buying domain names I'll probably never use

Flamingo x

JumboFlamingo

I've just paid off my £90 store cards, so now I'm free to work on my £997 overdraft. I'm hoping to pay it off by January at the latest - I need to be realistic though because Christmas is coming up and I have no savings for that...

Still on track with the £5 a day

Flamingo x

ZiggyStardust_2

Well done on paying off the cards! :j

Primula

JumboFlamingo wrote: »

My O/H manages our Tesco vouchers... he is super stingy and they all get used on groceries

Flamingo x

Tell him about all the deals, i never spend mine in store. Just got £400 worth of hotel vouchers for £100 of tesco vouchers so it'll be a nice weekend away courtesy of Tesco.

Primula

JumboFlamingo wrote: »

I've just paid off my £90 store cards, so now I'm free to work on my £997 overdraft. I'm hoping to pay it off by January at the latest - I need to be realistic though because Christmas is coming up and I have no savings for that...

Still on track with the £5 a day

Flamingo x

Well done. :T
Make it a thrifty Christmas, just tell everyone you are having to cut down and ask them to do the same. You have quite a healthy amount left over at the end of the month so you could soon be rid of your overdraft with a few careful frugal months! If OH is so careful, ask him for some help. :rotfl: