InaPickle getting out of a pickle!

POSITIVE_AND_FOCUSED

Thank you for your encouraging post Pickle. It looks like you have challenges of your own, I do hope you get them sorted out. Thank you once again.PandF xx

InaPickle

POSITIVE_AND_FOCUSED wrote: »

Thank you for your encouraging post Pickle. It looks like you have challenges of your own, I do hope you get them sorted out. Thank you once again.PandF xx

Anytime! And it will be a few days before I know whether or not the above problem is solved, so fingers (and toes!) crossed for me. x

InaPickle

Update: spoke to DisSup. It seems that there are 3 major problems. I have to send an e-mail to the head of department to see if they can be resolved. It's all in her hands, then. Will have to see what happens. Will keep you posted.

InaPickle

In other news, I've learnt some major life lessons with regard to not letting things get on top of me and focusing in all this mess.

In terms of money, I've started to get back on track. I recently wandered into a book shop on my lunch break from work (I normally avoid them as it is just asking for trouble). I discovered that one of my favourite authors had just released a book. I realised that it would be cheaper to buy online and looked it up on t'interweb when I got home, then was about to buy it reasoning that I could buy it on my CC and pay it back at the end of the month when I get paid. Then something told me why buy it then when I wouldn't even have the time to read it before then, but most importantly, when I didn't have the money to buy it straight from my bank account as though I were paying cash for it? I stopped myself, and have promised myself the books as a treat when I get paid.

That whole incident made me think about how many times I must have done that over the past, say, 18 months. I never used to behave like that with money and was raised on a strict cash-only diet by my parents. I realised that this has been a part of my recent problems and that this behaviour must stop. I must go back to treating my CC as I did before: strictly for emergencies or something that really can't wait til the end of the month for other reasons. My 'I need it now and can pay it back at the end of the month' mentality is only acceptable when truly necessary, not just on a whim, which is the bad habit I have fallen into.

Right, that's that sorted. Roll on the end of the month, I've just seen my other favourite author has a book out then as well!

LeeSouthEast

That's the spirit!!! Congratulations. I use the "10 second rule". Before parting with cash/card/cheque... count to 10. Still want it afterwards?

Credit cards have their place (Section 75 protection springs to mind). It's just being sensible with them.

InaPickle

Hmm...spent £2.99 on cookies and coke on my break at work today. This is not good in any respect: it costs me unnecessary money, rots my teeth and I imbibe so much sugar I'm convinced that I might seriously stand a chance of getting diabetes when I'm older if I don't knock it on the head soon. (My other aim, apart from getting debt-free, is getting fit and healthy, but more on that later.)

I've been keeping an accurate spending diary for months now, but never seem to reflect on it, just write it down and forget about it. At the beginning of this month I sort of told myself that this was the last month I would be spending stupid amounts of money on soft drinks/sweets/cookies etc. (I was convinced I wouldn't be able to get to the end of the dissertation without them!), and plan to count up how much I have spent over the course of the month at the end of it. I bet I will get a rotten shock, particularly given that I guess I've spent less this month than any other month. It will force me to confront a very unhealthy habit, but equally account for what I am convinced is a disproportionately large percentage of my income, most of which could be avoided by forward-planning and abstinence. It's a win-win situation so far as I'm concerned: increased cash flow and better health. And using my spending diary more constructively as well!

InaPickle

Oh,forgot to mention that I listed 8 things I need to get rid of on Ebay on Sunday (free listing day). About half of them have watchers, if not actual bids. I also sold a fancy dress costume on Saturday so I'm making some money there. Will tot it all up at the end of the listing period for the stuffI put up on Sunday.

In_my_dreams

:hello: I avoid book shops as they are my worst temptation! At the moment I am just trying to avoid all shops as I have no willpower, hoping when the figure goes down I will reap the rewards and hence have the willpower not to buy things at will......:rolleyes:

Amazing when you look back at the spending diary where the money goes and how much goes on nibbles. Good luck with the increased cash flow and healthy eating

InaPickle

In_my_dreams wrote: »

:hello: I avoid book shops as they are my worst temptation! At the moment I am just trying to avoid all shops as I have no willpower, hoping when the figure goes down I will reap the rewards and hence have the willpower not to buy things at will......:rolleyes:

Amazing when you look back at the spending diary where the money goes and how much goes on nibbles. Good luck with the increased cash flow and healthy eating

Thanks! Altough, having said that, I just posted that I've had half a bar of G&B's and a small bag of Haribo today: I knew I shouldn't have bought them last night doing the weekly shop while stuck in the house all day today - that's just too much temptation. Still, the chocolate was just too rich and I had to stop eating it. Half working, I suppose...:rolleyes:

As for the bookshope, I tend to avoid them for the same reason, but I currently work in a shopping centre and went for a wannder one bored lunctime. I must admit an incapacity to resist Rankin and Pratchett, the two books I will be treating myself to at the end of the month. That's not very :money:, but I will buy them at the cheapest possible price so it will almost be BOGOF, which isn't too bad. I tend to reserve a lot at the library when I can (they have a new-fangled online system which is great for resisting the Amazon urge). That particular website is a problem as it's just to easy to go on, browse, get excited and then find that you have spent a stupid amount of money on it, but I have been pretty good as of late and need to stay that way. :A

POSITIVE_AND_FOCUSED

Hi in a pickle, well done with everything so far. you are doing well! Take care