Paid debts off 16.12.09, now saving big stylee. Diary of an ex- money waster!!!

Sally_A

Good luck.......frugal is the new black;)

MoneyWaster2007

Thanks Sally A

If I didn't binge drink on a Saturday night I would be even more loaded...feel horrible today

alessev1

Well Done to you.
I wish i could save more ,but some months more bills than others.
Now i am trying for a nice hol this year.

MoneyWaster2007

I've decided I don't want to be well off, I want to be loaded. But how? I guess the best way to make money is to get a mortgage, but how am I gonna do that on such a small wage? I've got the best rate ISA available. I save as much as possible each week, which is averaging at £89/week. I can't really push myself any more than that. It's a bloody nightmare, I should have started saving years ago, but thats the stupidness of youth. Arrgh dammit. Want to make a good life for a girl, should I meet one. As good as I can....

flossyblog

Well done on all your achievments so far.

Has your SOA changed at all?

Are you still on minimum wage, what sort of job are you doing at the moment?

Do you keep track of all your expenses?

There's no point in going over stuff that happened in the past. The most important thing is you learnt a valuable lesson. Çonsider yourself lucky that it happened whilst you are young.

tiff

Dont be so hard on yourself, you have done really well and in a better position than a lot of people. x

MoneyWaster2007

Thankyou. I keep a constant track of my finances. I have a notepad next to my bed and any money I spend is subtracted. This way I can see how much money I have at any time and ensure that I never overspend.

I am still earning just above the minimum wage. But I have worked things so that I have very limited outgoings which is why I am saving on average £90/week.

Each day I check the jobcentre website, but as of yet there has been nothing suitable.

The biggest drag on my income is the money I spend on a Saturday night going out drinking. I always have a quiet night in on Fridays which is usually needed after a busy week, but allow myself to let my hair down on a Saturday. I spend roughly £40, sometimes less, sometimes more.

Tobbaco is another indulgance which is unneeded, but I get it on the cheap from a work colleague.

My phone is on Pay As You Go and Im on a tariff that gives me 300 free texts a month if I top up by £10. I rarely top up.

I take a packed lunch to work every day, never buy food.

I pay my mum £120/month housekeeping.

Whatever is left gets tranfered straight into my ISA, correct to the penny.

So....I am saving a decent amount considering my income, but it's not enough. I need a house to make money.

flossyblog

I think its great that you are doing so much already.

My next move would be to find a better paid job. You will have to be proactive about this.

Make a list of all the things that you can do confidently.

Then write down jobs you want to do.

Then write any ideas of how you could make this happen

I would go to companies in person and ask, but make sure you can do this confidently. You'd be surprised how many places take on people without advertising their positions.

In the meantime, can you find part-time jobs locally through friends and family ie: gardening, decorating, dogsbody. anything that pays well and gets you more connections. It's quite difficult to tell you what specifically as I don't know your qualifications and confidence. You come across very well.

You want to add new skills all the time. This opens up so many more opportunities. Try and think outside the box as well.

can I ask why you think you need a house to make money

rictus123

As above better paid job best bet and how come you think you need a house to make money? Usually its the other way about.

MoneyWaster2007

I was in the belief that a mortgage is the best way to make money, I may be wrong. I was hoping to find a nice girl, get a small flat, share the costs, sell it on at a profit and use this as a deposit on a house...with more room to compensate the possibility of having children. Maybe I am getting a bit ahead of myself here?

In what other ways could you suggest to make a good amount of money, aside from income from work and saving each week? I remember watching an episode of Secret Millionaire, where there was a woman who was from a poor background, who started out in life in a low paid job, but set aside a few pounds per week in a sock which she kept under her bed and the rest as they say is history. But what she did after that I have no idea. I have nobody to ask about making serious cash as I dont know of anybody personally that has done it.

I am a big believer in that money is not everything, but I believe it helps a lot. I want a good life for me and a girl in the future, maybe possibly a family aswell.

I'm borderline obssessed with APR's and plans and targets and charts....sheesh maybe I need to get out more hahaha.

Thanks for your advice on approaching companies, although I am slightly handicapped in this area, as I have a criminal record (minor-ish offence). So any job that requires a CRB check would be out of the question.