Pap's forever plodding... the final chapter =)

postingalwaysposting

Pooky wrote: »

Go Pap!:T

Very pleased that you've come to a point where you know clearly what you want. The CD has worked for you but now it's time for you to find your natural weight/exercise/life balance.

What are you planning to save for once the debt's gone?

Thanks Pooky I am surprised that it only took me two hours to decide but I had been thinking about if for a while. Still not looking back though I am enjoying callorie counting again and finding fab food.

I want to say a car but if I am honest I still think I don't want one. So I will be saving for my trip to London. Then it will be a rainy day fund, my aim is to save a 1/3 of my yearly wage in a 'rainy day' fund. If however I increase to full time/get a better job I want to save 1/2 my wage The debt will be cleared at least by July, if not June. However because I won't be payed for this holiday I am taking, my pay in June is about £140 less. From August till December I want to have saved at least £800

skint_spice

Just caught up PAP and wanted to say well done on the weight loss:j:j:j. Sounds like it is the right time for you to stop the CD, hope you are still loving the running. x

Gemmzie

Where are you PAP?

postingalwaysposting

Thanks Skinty Gem I am here, just neglecting my diary

Not much happening really, fell off the rails with regards to money/debt and stuff. Lets just say buying food/budgeting for food is really, really hard. So I am coming out of April with very little money in my bank account, still a large debt and not much progress on anything. However I am maintaining my weight, I am learning how to deal with my pcos through my diet and even though I feel like I haven't made any progress I am extemely happy how the past month has gone.

So as one 'month' ends another is just around the corner, and its holiday month :j The only real difference this month is BT, they have merged my bills so instead of two (one monthly and one every quarter) I now have one a month. This is fine as I cover it each month with internet savings, but this month its the line rental (monthly bill), one month of internet payments plus an odd £11 rolled over. So a higher bill this month but it should be £34 from June Oh and I saved a whole bus ticket from April so will only need one this month...

£120.00 ~ Rent
£16.00 ~ House ins
£22.00 ~ Bus ticket
£51.27 ~ BT
£50.00 ~ Groceries

£500 income = £240.73 left

So the idea is to use £120 (ish) while on holiday and then pay £100 off my credit card leaving £20 as a buffer. However this grocery thing is really hard. At the moment I am nabbing extra things lying around the house, stuff thats been around for ages, however I want to attempt a pcos friendly diet which will mean totally different food from what my Mum usually buys. However I have the weekend off so I am planning to go through what I have, what I will need for the diet and try and buy what I need as cheap as possible. I am also not starting this until I am back from my holiday as I will have to have meals with Mum while away. And being of a liquid diet was supposed to be easy

So thats me, next time I won't leave it too long to update :A

Keep plodding :beer:

penelopedee_2

Evening Pap, lovely to see you back.

I find food budgeting an absolute nightmare, even if I plan meals. Its really difficult to get the family to think in the same frame of mind. I find planning and shopping fortnightly works best for us as it reminds everyone to use everything up (including the odd things lurking at the back of the cupboard) when they know there is another few days wait for the next delivery

Have a good weekend, Pen x

postingalwaysposting

penelopedee wrote: »

Evening Pap, lovely to see you back.

I find food budgeting an absolute nightmare, even if I plan meals. Its really difficult to get the family to think in the same frame of mind. I find planning and shopping fortnightly works best for us as it reminds everyone to use everything up (including the odd things lurking at the back of the cupboard) when they know there is another few days wait for the next delivery

Have a good weekend, Pen x

Thanks Pen, I know it will work (I am picking up tips on many threads) but because I need to be eating 'clean' (and I have totally gone off red meat) the prices of fruit and veg is shocking. I knew it would be more expensive but I can spend £10 without blinking on fruit and veg. The only way I have found it cheaper is frozen/canned stuff, however I then need to get the veg water into my diet and I don't like runny stews and I haven't made a sucessfull homemade soup ever!

The £50 is to feed me alone for one month (15th-15th). The only things I don't pay for is milk and some tinned stuff (peas/sweetcorn/baked beans). I am sure it can be done with a bit of balance etc. The thing I must stop is when I am on a long shift at work (so I get a break) is eating from the canteen Tomorrow I will sit down and work everything out, I am sure it can be done though as people live on £200 for a family of 4 a month, so £50 a month for me is generous considing I need no toiletries/household supplies

Watch this space

penelopedee_2

Pap, I always keep dried packets of or take flasks of HM soup to work to stop me raiding the canteen. I flushed my canteen machine key down the loo last week in error and its probably one of the best things I've done as its stopped me buying rubbish (although I admit I could of cried at the time!)

postingalwaysposting

I read about your key 'problem' when you wrote it on your diary. A blessing I think. I am definatly going to get more savvy with my lunches. I went through my cupboads etc this past few days and I have quite a bit of stuff to keep me going.

So payday today and I have paid all the bills that I need to pay plus £80 from my debt. That leaves £197.81 in my bills account with £51.87 coming out in the next few days. I will then have £146.54 remaining for my holiday. I have lent Mum £180 for holiday but I will get that all back next Friday. £88 of that is the remaining bills for the month (house insurance, groceries and a bus ticket) and I will have £92.00 spare from that.

My hope is to spend about £50 max on holiday. I have found free things to do and place to see that will cost very little. We are taking food with us and we will only eat out once. If I stick by that I will have £188 left once am back from holiday. I will use £20 on of that on fares + £3.00 on a running mag, which will mean I can throw £165.54 at my debt... If I am very strict

I am however going to start some new challenges, I keep 'finding' things to buy and justifying them to myself when infact I need nothing. So...
* I will buy/eat no chocolate until 15th June...
* No more toiletries until I have used everything...
* No more wax tarts/candles until I have used all the ones I have now...

June will be a tough month due to my wage cut so I want to get things under control while I can this month so i can still service my debt next month.

Forever plodding...

Pooky

PM me your addy, I've got a few tarts left from that freebie offer.

beanielou

Dident realise you were going to have a wage cut.
When you off on your hol;s?
Keep plodding hun xx