I want to break free........

homegrown_life

have been reading this diary and glad you're sounding up!

One thing to remember or to note is that when you set up tv licence direct debit sometimes it's more expensive for the first 6 months or so, but not sure if that's still the case. Was when I got my first house years ago!!

take care

NoDebtDiva

Hey Badpenny,

Glad to see you're feeling more positive! It is surprising how much better you feel when you are in control of the debt and the debt isn't controlling you. I always used to dread the bills arriving, but after my LBM I never have that feeling as I know what I'm expecting. Couldn't wait to receive my TCC bill this month and see the long list of daily £1s paid!!!

Just think how great it will be when you brand new carpet is laid and you know it's YOURS and you don't need to worry about the repayments - Bliss! :rotfl:

Enjoy what's left of the weekend!

BADPENNY_2

Feel like i havn't updated for ages and I have slipped a little bit. Had a bit of a mad weekend with a party that I had forgotten that we had been invited to and then my Dads birhday on Monday that I hadn't budgeted for and then a lack of planning food wise has lead to lots of junk/conveince foods so have totally fell of the wagon this weekend. Anyway onwards and upwards need to get back on the straight and narrow.

I have no food in the cupboards but have resisted the urge to go to tesco and put it on my credit card so even though meal times are a bit of a non-event i am secretly pleased with myself. Tonight we are having hot-pot,(leftovers that I stuck in the freezer about 2 weeks ago ) crusty cobs and I have a few frozen roast potatoes in the freezer for Oh, Can only last until about Sat thou on cupboard and freezer contents and will then have to do a shop to last us until friday but I will be making a list and sticking to a £30 budget.

Need to go and pay my last 2 credit card bills for this month and then that is me wiped out until next friday.

Can't belive that it is november already and Xmas is almost upon us, me and my mum where talking the other day and we have decided to set a budget for our presents this year and have agreed to spend no more than £20 per person which I am happy with but I know my mum won't stick to and she will end up spending more on me than I do on her!! I reckon if I am strict with myself I can do xmas for about £150.

BADPENNY_2

well i have fell off the mse wagon in spectacular style. The £30 shopping budget totally went out of the window on saturday instead i managed to spend £112 and put it all on my credit card and on Friday I bought myself a few bits and bobs for work and spent £50 that also went on the card...aaarrrrrrrrrrrrhhhhhhhhhh. Any thoughts of moneysaving seem to have just fell by the wayside this week and i think it's been down to not coming on here as regularly as I normally do, so its back to the grindstone for me.

definatly moneysaving tho i have not had a ciggertte since friday nite:j

Different_Corner

Hi Bad Penny !
Want you to know I too suffer from hitting the self destruct button on a big scale. The smoking, the shopping, the spending on nothing I'm with you all the way, if it was a qualification I'd get a distinction !


Congrats on no smoking since Friday. As others have said you can't do it all at once. But one positive act gives you a boost, so keep at it.

I'm totally pants at grocery budgeting, I menu plan and with two ever hungry teenagers it's not alwayd easy. But I'm determind to do it 0 somehow.

If I don't post on here I find I adopt the 'oh sod it' approach and out comes the plastic.

Will be following your success

BADPENNY_2

Thanks Different corner, Its definatly good to know that I'm not the only one who finds themselves in these situations. I tried to explain to my o/h the other day what this site was about and how it helps to know that others are in the same boat as ourselves when it comes to finances ect but he said he would find it too depressing to read about other peoples money worries when he has enough of his own but I find that it helps me stay motivated and i feel as though I'm not on my own if you know what I mean.

I need to try and stop the all or nothing approach that I have. I find that if I have one bad day it then escalates into a bad week then a bad month ect and it is the same with most things in my life when i think about it. I am starting to wonder whether I really have had my LBM or am I just kidding myself, I have managed to squander the money that was going to be leftover in my account when I get paid on Friday that I had earmarked for my overdraft fund and I just feel like I have no controll over myself and the bad habits I have formed over the years which is just stupid.

On a positive note I have saved £16 since Saturday by not smoking and I am going to take it one day at a time. I WILL NOT SMOKE TODAY!

gilligansyle

BADPENNY wrote: »

On a positive note I have saved £16 since Saturday by not smoking and I am going to take it one day at a time. I WILL NOT SMOKE TODAY!

Make sure that you do actually SAVE the money, its not virtual, ie money you would have spent. I've never smoked so don't know but friends who have quit have found that if they put the money aside at the BEGINNING of the week, they can dip into it for a packet of 10 rather than 20 , and there is some left at the end. As one friend said " I can always find the money for cigs from somewhere"

On the other stuff, stop beating yourself up. I too very rarely go to the gym, or diet properly or anything, then get depressed about it and eat so it all gets worse. Try setting yourself a goal of just 'I will go to the gym soon' then you won't feel under pressure, once you get there you'll be fine. I am thinking about putting £1 in a pot every time I go to the gym, I also took advantage of the free offer for a PT to help with food issues and I'm just going to give 'being sensible' a go.

Keep up the good work

BADPENNY_2

I've done something really stupid........... the other day on my way to work I decided to 'treat' myself to a shop bought coffee that cost £2.30. I checked my bank account yesterday and it has taken me 80p over my overdraft limit, now i'm gonna get charged £28 plus another £35. I am so mad at myself I could cry. I'm gonna phone them and plead for the charges to be dropped but I won't hold out much hope, the halifax don't like me much anymore since I succesfully claimed £700 worth of charges back a couple of years ago but i will have to try at least. Lesson learnt I think, that was the worlds most expensive coffee.

On a positive it is day 7 of no smoking, thats nearly £25 saved so far, well not actually saved as i had no money, but I would of found the cash somehow so more like £25 less debt that I have.

Just been paid so feel more motivated again and I havn't been to the cash point yet and figure that if I take lunches to work with me over the weekend I won't need to draw any cash out till Sunday night. I'm going to withdraw £20 at the begining of each week for my spends and thats it. Since I havn't been smoking I don't seem to need money every day.......how strange!!! also I don't crave my morning coffee like I used to, i guesse the coffee and ciggs used to just go hand in hand and since the incident the other day I now feel even less inclined to buy one.. On a negative I have gained 3lbs this week due to non stop munching.

Different_Corner

Hi BP
Yep the cash point 'just get a tenner' syndrome, 10 cigs 4 pints of milk and there you have it a purse full of shrapnel. The NSD's will be a new, healthy habit.
Well done on the no smoking. I feel for you over the expensive coffee, can only try to claim it back can't you.

BADPENNY_2

Well got my notification of charges letter from the Halifax yesterday to inform me that they will be taking £28 on 31/12/09 for going over my overdraft limit by 80p. Oh well I definatly won't be making that mistake again. I got paid on Friday and I have only just been to the cash point this evening and that was only cos i need money for bus fare in the morning otherwise I probebly could of gone another day. 2 no spend days in a row now yay me. Not missing smoking at all now, its still early days yet but its looking hopefull.

Just been on-line and paid some bills and transfered some money into some old accounts as I am determined to start budgeting properly so have set some cash aside for my water bill thats due in jan and also my car mot and car tax and i'll pay 12 towards tv licence tommorrow.

off now to watch x factor and then i'm a celeb.