Marching On

roxiepie_2

Good week all round! I managed to keep way under budget despite having to buy birthday present and birthday related paraphernalia. Also, went out 3 nights of the week – yoga (course already paid for), tennis (friend’s turn to pay), and the birthday party itself. Not bad considering I’ve only spent this…

£10.72 Food
£15.43 Presents
£1.00 DF Reward Pot
£27.15 Total

Therefore I now have a potential £22.85 to add to this week’s £50 budget, giving a nice fat £72.85 to aid my birthday fund! Did delay some spending (eg. Running petrol down until the car was gasping), so will probably find a chunk of it goes on this kind of boring old stuff.

EBay’s done me proud too. I’ve made £50 odd pounds profit after postage/fees are paid. This means I can easily afford to meet the £14.21 I was short of the Birthday challenge. Therefore I have managed to clear £1500 of debt between March and today!:j

Only thing is now I can't find the thread that relates to the challenge to let them know. Any one have any ideas?!

Whereas I would normally put my whole earnings from eBay straight onto clearing debt, I might just transfer the £14.21 and wait to see how this week pans out. Would be nice to treat myself to a present of some kind. I will still track my spending but will be a little easier on myself; it is only one week of the year after all!

Having said this, I would like to round my debt down to an even £2100 before next payday. I am currently £30.84 short of this amount, but spent yesterday listing several new eBay items in anticipation. Plus I can use any surplus money from this week once it is over so feeling pretty confident I can make it. Bring on the birthday!

bevan840

:j:beer::T Well done on finding the last £14.21 :T:T

And well done on the very small spending

Sorry I don't know which thread it is can you remember which board it was on?

Hope your ok
xx

roxiepie_2

Thanks bevan, although I did blow over £30 yesterday! Still it's on stuff (food, petrol etc) that will kee me going to payday and beyond. And it always, gives me a nice secure feeling!

I thought it was on the debt free wannabe pages, but I couldn't find it. It isn't on the list of challenges either. Maybe debt saving has penetrated my dreams and it was all deamt up after a snooze!

roxiepie_2

Bit blue today. Not sure why, just a post-birthday come down I guess…

On the upside I managed to stay sub £100 for the week. Although it was close at £97.82! Quite happy with this as I did do a lot; couple of meals out, a day out and various treats. Just got to get back on track now and reign my spending back in. Little like being an addict! Here's were it all disappeared...

£25.26 Food
£0.99 Toiletries
£32.55 Going out
£10.00 Entertainment
£10.03 Petrol
£6.99 Presents
£12.00 Other

I suppose I should be happier as I’ve managed to achieve two targets this month. I did the DF Birthday Club (which I've now found!) to pay off £1500 by last week and I set myself a target of getting to £2100 of debt this month. Smashed both of these as I’ve paid off £1549.26 in total, leaving £2081.58 to clear! Owe it all to tracking my spending – it really has made a difference.

Payday’s not far off now! Have £44.98 left for this last week and I should be able to make it through as I only have one commitment this week, a meal out. After that payday again and I can pay off another chunk of debt. It depresses me a little how excited I get over paydays!

salduck

Was wondering where you had got to!!
Well done on last week and hope you had a great birthday
x

roxiepie_2

Thanks Salduck!

I know, I just wanted a few days off the ol' money saving! Back on track now though *pulls on money saving trousers*

As you can see I've not wasted any time - I've set myself a new target to clear 50% of all my debt by end of October. Currently need £266.16 to achieve this. Sounds easy, but I have car MOT, car service AND car insurance due next month!

roxiepie_2

Ho-hum, why is no matter how much money I clear I just look at my signature and want it to be smaller?! I guess it means I motivated. Motivated, yet fustrated!

Think it's because I know I will not be able to throw much money at my debt next month. Mainly due to multiple car costs :rolleyes:

I have checked most of the comparison sites for car insurance and the lowest are coming out around the £210-220 mark. Of these I think I'll go with Esure as, although they're not the cheapest, they are a well known brand and I can get £50 cashback through Quidco.

Of all the savings I dropped when I decided to pay back my debt, car insurance money pot I kept and continued to contribute to. Very happy now as I have a nice fat £220 to cover it! I have also carried on with car tax savings as well as I figure it is only £10 a month, so would not make any significant dent in my dent.

So left to pay for this month is the MOT and service. As the cost of these is unpredicatable, I can't really pay off any debt until I've got these sorted. Wouldn't mind, but I walk to work everyday! Only really keep the car as a requirement of my job.

Also, I am so itching to be debt free that I have already worked all the savings pots I am going to have when I get sorted. And how much I will be putting monthly into each!

roxiepie_2

Yay! I've made it - first month of listing everything I spend. Got to say it has helped. Even though I've spent lots I at least know where it has gone! Clocked up £271.55 in total. It all went on the following:

Food.............£72.65
Toiletries.........£7.08
Going out.....£105.78
Entertainment £12.76
Petrol............£24.11
Household......£14.99
Presents........£20.18
Other............£12.00
DF Reward Pot £2.00

God knows how I've managed to spend over £70 on 'additional' food. Pretty ridiculous since that doesnt include any groceries! Going to set a target of £50 max this month.

Toiletries, Household and Entertainment are alright. Just need to get a hold on Going Out and Food money. Having said that I have no big plans this month so I shouldn't be spending nearly as much on those two.

Will carry on listing as - although its a pain - it does make a difference. Today is only payday and I've already managed to spend over £50! However, it is all on essentials. Well, that and a pair of hair straighteners! In my defence I did put all my birthday money on debt so far, so a pair of cheapy straighteners (Tony & Guy £29, v.good actually) was the least I could do to treat myself.

roxiepie_2

yes, yes, yes! Car only cost £184.00 at the garage for service and repairs. Have been holding back hundreds just in case they told me it was falling apart as it seemed to last year.

In celebration I paid another £100 off the credit card and bought myself some hair clips for £2.50. Boy do I know how to party!

So that leaves a measley £400 left on the CC. Would love to pay it off all this month...trying to form a plan that might make this possible...

Ebay, delay renewing car insurance untill next payday (due day before!), ebay, only buy essentials this month, ebay, don't visit dentist until next month (haven't yet received an appointment letter from them anyway), and more ebay!

Hmm, is almost doable, but will be the difference between a nice easy month and a tight one. Having said this, I would love to kick MBNA where it hurts by not paying them a penny more interest than strictly necessary. Worked out I've paid them £240 in interest since my lightbulb moment. Doesnt bare thinking about how much I happily gave them before this date, grr!

Any suggestions on which way to go would be happily received!

bevan840

Wow well done car :j

I think if you want to kick MBNA where it hurts, work out how much money you have left over if you were to pay it off, divide it into little piles and try to stick to them as best as possible. I hope ebay gets some more income for you.
I've just managed to get 3 books for college from there, from shop probably cost £60-£70, I've got 2 of them so far for £26.55 all together, inc p+p, just waiting on last, it's at £11.50 but need to watch it as max bid at the moment is £12 If I manage to get it that makes 3 books for half the amount the college said it would cost

Just think, one tight month could equal a lot more 'easy' months