InaPickle getting out of a pickle!

InaPickle

OK, I am here as someone who is, ironically, normally not too bad with money. The main problem is that I have been earning a very small amount of cash this past two years, and as someone only working part-time but thought that I would be working full-time far sooner than this has actually transpired, the few hundred pounds I thought it would be 'ok' to run up on my CC as I could pay it back in a few months has actually turned into nearly £2000, plus a nearby exhausted £1000 overdraft, plus a fair bit of help from the Bank of Mum. Naturally, this all needs paying back so I'm here to do that.

I've read a few of these debt diaries (shout-outs to Hypno06, Edinburgher and Positive and Focused! ), and they really seem to help the scribes to keep on track. Here's my attempt in an aid to keep me on the straight and narrow, but firstly, dear reader, you need to know a few things about me:

1) Female, 28, just near the end of a Masters degree which desperately needs finishing so I can start working full-time to earn the money to pay back all I need.

2) Is coming towards the end of a few truly horrible years (but I won't bang on about them as there just isn't enough time). These have been the root of many of the current money problems as, see above, I'm not normally bad with money, but I haven't been keeping up with things as much as I normally do.*

3) Works part-time in a shop to earn spending pennies.

4) Currently living at home so has minimal overheads. Crazy as it sounds, despite the debt, I want to move out as soon as possible: I love my mum to bits, but we are an explosive mixture when combined together.

3) Also really needs to sort eating habits out as is consuming far too much coke (the drink!) and sweet things, but isn't going to focus this until the dissertation is finished as the stress will finish her off, otherwise. :eek:

4) On top of all the debt, has just learned that her best friend's little brother (to whom I refer as 'my other little brother') is getting married in Canada next summer and there is no way I cannot be there.

5) Her 0% overdraft runs out in January, so it would be ideal to pay it off before then, if possible so as not to incur any further debt. I can't remember the CC APR at the minute, but as soon as I'm working full-time, I fully intend to 'schmooze' to a 0% deal. I've already checked out Martin's advice on this, but don't think anyone would touch me at the minute as a part-time woker on a small income.


So, as you can see, I need quite a lot of cash, and sooner rather than later!


I have been on these boards for a couple of months now, hiding in various threads (more shout-outs, this time to the 'DFW Running Club Mark 3', the 'Payment a Day' crowd and also 'Ebay 10 a Day Challenge'.) Admittedly, I've been a bad member to all of the groups, but they have been very kind and helpful. Cheers guys! :beer:

As someone who has been here for a while, I have come to realise that there are things I can do to help myself earn a bit more money (just not until the Masters is finished): Ebay, mystery shop, tutor (if anyone will employ me under the current financial conditions, that is), maybe even translate, if I can get some freelance work, although I would sooner eat my own entrails if I'm honest.

However, this all depends on getting my blinking dissertation and one final essay finished before the end of this month. Otherwise, this whole Masters will have been in vain. I am beyond demotivated, and part of me starting this now was to make me a little accountable to someone for my actions, so feel free to kick my backside at any point, peeps: I need it! (Where's the smiley for bum kicking when you need it?!)

When I have a little more time I will figure out my entire debt/SOA and post it. I just know that when I am working full-time I will be in a far better position to get rid of the debt. Here's until then. :beer:

I must confess that the majority of my time for this next month will be dedicated to studying so I might not update as much as I would like to. Rest assured, though, come October, I will be updating with a vengance!

Pickle
x

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*Well, I thought I was OK with money, then discovered MSE and some of the crazy, wonderful people on here who have thought about this money saving lark quite a bit. I'm particularly envious of the students who knew what they were getting themselves into financially when they went to uni. I was so naive at first! :rolleyes:

InaPickle

OK, small amendment to the above: have an online saving account I haven't used for a few years. I wanted to start squirrelling away a bit of money in it, but forgot the password. I rang up to be readvised of the password last week, and due to the bank holiday it has only just arrived today. I got a nice surprise when I opened it, finding that there were £105 Great British pounds hiding in there, the existence of which I was not aware. :j The only problem is, at the time my mum was asking me to keep a bit of money to one side for her so she wouldn't be tempted to spend it, so neither of us can remember who owned it. I offered the full sum to my mother as I'm fairly certain it belongs to her, and she is fairly certain that it is mine, so she decided we should split it equally. That's really very fair of her, so my savings have had a little boost and I'm delighted!

Given that I have a dodgy back today, and am having potentially serious problems with the administration at my uni, that's a very welcome plus point to an otherwise annoying day! :cool:

LeeSouthEast

Way to go Pickle! You can do this!

Nice new shiny diary to follow

InaPickle

Why thanks, Lee! :T And well done you - I can see you are putting a heck of a dent in your totals!

As for mine, I cracked open my loose change pot. It was only about halfway full, but I was having such a good day in terms of putting things away that I just felt I had to do it. As a result, I've put another £13.61 in my savings, meaning that thanks to a combination of good luck and serious squirreling, I've got over £200 in one day into my savings account! :j It will proabably never happen again in my lifetime, and I don't think I'll be able to add to it before the end of the month, but I'm delighted to have anything behind me at the minute!:D

LeeSouthEast

Nicely done!

InaPickle

LeeSouthEast wrote: »

Nicely done!

Thanks! And while I'm at it, may I ask how you do that funky thing of crossing out the old totals in your signature and then writing the new total next to them? I have no idea how to do it and I'm sooo jealous...;)

LeeSouthEast

Haha. Like this:

Put [/strike] at the end and [strike] at the beginning. It's hard to demonstrate as the forums change it automatically!

Comes out like this: [strike]text to strike here[/strike]

becky_rtw

Hello InaPickle!!! Welcome to diary land - its very helpful for keeing the mind focused

Wow nice job on the savings *insert jealous smiley here*

Whats the masters in - or did I miss that??

sparklymessygirl

Hi there - I've stalked over from PAF's diary to wish you luck.
I am a fellow procrastinator and have a background in HE:rolleyes: and can heartily recommend a book called The Now Habit by Neil Fiore. I use his "unschedule" method when things get really bad and I have procrastinated myself into a tiny corner:D.

Hope September is a productive month for you

Sparkly

InaPickle

LeeSouthEast wrote: »

Haha. Like this:

Put [/strike] at the end and [strike] at the beginning. It's hard to demonstrate as the forums change it automatically!

Comes out like this: [strike]text to strike here[/strike]

Brilliant, thanks! :T I'm going to have a play with that now.

InaPickle

becky_rtw wrote: »

Hello InaPickle!!! Welcome to diary land - its very helpful for keeing the mind focused

Wow nice job on the savings *insert jealous smiley here*

Whats the masters in - or did I miss that??

Hello and thanks! The Masters is French literature. Just found out that there might be a problem with regard to uni admin, though. :mad: Have to wait til tomorrow night to see if it can be resolved. Gah! Long story...let's see if I can raise a happy smiley this time tomorrow!