Fat, Forty and fedup - drastic action required!

judi24

Not updated for a while - so a bit of a marathon post coming up!

Well it's pay day again! I was looking forward to it and was planning to pay off the 3 smaller CC's - OH has kindly given me £400 toward the Barclaycard. I thought I would get my oncall payments backdated to Nov last year but nothing! That would have been around £250 after tax. So not got enough to pay the whole A&L card.

So Paid all of Barclaycrd (£1417)
All of MBNA (£1.89!)
A&L (£100)
and ninimum off Santander (£170)

Total - £1688.89

Psycologically I really wanted to pay off the A&L in full leaving me with only the Santander.

I am due my book money from Uni - should be £122 but not sure when it will hit my bank so can't depend on it. Also due a refund from Npower which may be around £250 but again can't depend on it til it is in the bank!

If I get these through this month I will pay the A&L card otherwise it will have to wait til I get my unsocial hours pay next month unless I can persuade them to pay it staright away.

On the weight loss - I joined weightwatchers tonight - I grudge paying to be weighed but not getting anywhere on my own and it is getting me down:(

Kids - DD 1 is driving me insane! she is 18 and doing A levels - she has accepted a place at Manchester Uni so will have to stay away from home - she doesn't want to stay local cos she says I won't let her do the things she wants to do (ie I expect her to phone or text to say she isn't coming home and I don't let her boyfriend stay whenever she wants!!) She doesn't care that she will end up with £32k of debt - even with me paying for her accomodation)
DD2 - no further drunken episodes - just mouthy and disrespectful!!!
DS and DD3 off school for 2 and a half weeks so trying to juggle chilcare and work!

Work - I have been given loads more responsibility and my job description is in the process of being re-written! It will need to be re banded and with any luck will end up a higher pay band. My boss didn't seem to think it would be a higher band but the increased responsibility is huge - so when she does the new JD I need to examine it with the help of someone who does the job matching and make sure it fits with the higher band! If it works out it is an £9k payrise!!!!!!

OH is being funny about my job - the increased responsibility means I have ended up working more hours than I should and he doesn't like it! He also doesn't like me going on courses etc that interfere with HIS time with me! I can't win! If I can prove I can handle the extra responsibility I have more chance of getting the increase - and even if the job is not banded at a higher grade the experience I will have gained should set me in good stead for better jobs in the future - speculate to accumulate!

So anyway - marathon post over - will try to update more frequently x

beanielou

All in all looking good.
Sure A&L will soon be gone.

judi24

Thanks Beanie - I suppose I just had it in my head that it would be gone this month! Ah well - if the refunds come through it will be gone! then just the biggie to go!

judi24

Having a very low day today!! all the budgeting in the world hasn't worked and I have still managed to leave myself very short this month!!! No chance of my oncall payments getting paid this month - it will be the end of the month - also no sign of Npower refund - I phoned them yesterday and they think it will be through by the end of the month but not before! Book money definately won't come through amytime soon - it has been easter hols at uni!!

I get so down when it seems ages to payday and so little in the bank! I know it's daft cos I have got enough food in to last the month except for fresh bits but I just get panicky incase there are any emergencies - my OH has my emergencey CC and won't let me use it! (this is what I told him to do but I still hate it!)

I really need to stay focused - I only have a few months left!!! and I am really lucky at the rate I can pay it off (and it shows how much money I was wasting!!!)

beanielou

Actually I think you need to turn it round slightly.
You only have 3 weeks til the end of the month.
You have paid your debt down & you dont need to buy anything.
You are in a great position.

judi24

Thanks Beannie - I know you are right! I have cut out almost all non essential spending to pay the debt off quickly and am really struggling to stay motivated at times - i am great the week before payday cos i look forward to seeing the debt go down - i have a sense of satisfaction the week after when i look at my balances and budget - then i get a real low when i I get panicky about how little is in the bank to last the three weeks - I just need to find a way of staying focused for these 2 weeks!

judi24

I have a confession - I used my CC (which I stole back from OH) to put the bets on the National online - the only problem is it is still in my purse!!! - and it is very tempting to use it for some food shopping - I have left myself very short this month - a few extra bills came in and the refund from npower and book money from uni hasn't come though - I have £80 in my bank and about £10 in my purse. Family allowance is due in next week - but out of that I need to pay £125 to my Santander CC leaving me with another £100 - so £190 to do me til payday on the 29th! It sounds fine - but I have to pay £32 to my mum for petrol money, £20 ecah Wed for my cleaner - so £40 total, might need to to put in another £20 of fuel before payday - I have a trip to uni on 22nd, and some extra food shopping (fresh bits) probably around £40 x 2!

So outgoings = £32 + 40 + 20 + 80 = 172

Not accounted for lunch money for DD3 and DS = £38

Total = £200 and that doean't include any emergency or additional spends! so my idea of visiting an eco garden open day may have to get scrapped!

So sums don't add up!!! I could do the food shopping on my CC this week - which is not too bad if I keep it low - as I am definately due my oncall payments backdated to November and my book money at the end of the month!

But i feel very guilty and depressed about using my CC again - I was really trying to have a month where I didn't use it at all!!:( Next month I am planning on not having an emergency spend card at all!!!

jo1972

Just caught up with your diary, it sounds like everything is moving in the right direction, though it can be very frustrating! Good luck with it all and don't spend to much on the card today x

beanielou

Im sure you could manage without using your CC.
I challange you not to use it

waterwatcher

Just read through your diary. I started following the weight watchers diet again yesterday, how's this going for you ..... or shouldn't I ask?