Corona007's random ramblings

Corona007

Well I did get a chance out here to log on and post so a quick update from me in India.

Sadly my dreams of spending none of my own money for a week has been hilariously unrealistic yet again. I always delude myself when travelling that I will be able to get a four course meal with a bottle of wine for 2 and a quarter pence and a night in a pub will practically be free. But the reality is that the hotel is expensive, coffee and lunch in the office is provided by Costa at Costa prices and I'm barely getting time to go and explore the local areas. Once again it is open wallet surgery. Sigh.

Corona007

Urgh. I've just re-read my first post again. What a load of drivel - what was I thinking writing that?

Anyway, sadly I'm back in the world of snow, moaning bus queues and sensible driving. I had hoped to come home to find a post box stuffed full of money, jewellery and perhaps even a winning lottery ticket or two but once again reality turns out to be the damp patch on the trousers of fantasy.

What I actually came back to was another wedding invite for 2010. Why do people keep doing this? I don't bankrupt everyone else by inviting them to endless weddings and other associated happy occasions so stop doing it to me. Selfish gits. On the plus side though it is not in some ghastly over-priced country manor in Surrey ("Oh I know it may be a bit pricey darling but it is our special day after all and we SO want to spend it with all our friends and family somewhere amazing that we'll treasure the memories of for ever and ever...oh and look, all the bedrooms are suites, aren't they lovely… in fact we've saved you the presidential suite as we know you'd just adore the exquisite Persian carpets and gilt edging on the towels and the price is just so reasonable for that time of year....blah blah blah"). On the down side though it seems the wedding is in fact in Kenya. See where this is going? Argh. I already have 3 weddings and miscellaneous stag dos to shell out for this year let alone a trip to Africa for another one. And let me guess, the engagement party is in Outer Mongolia? Grrrr.

[Gets off podium and ends Stalinesque manic rant to the rather disinterested looking crowd]

Sigh. Time to go and be extra thrifty and count up how much money I waste each week on luxury items like food, running water and a house.....

Corona007

Oh dear, I have been a naughty boy today. Went out for a stroll at lunch time with a friend and ended up calling in a rather nice but over-priced Japanese restaurant to grab something to eat - £7.30 later and it was back to the office feeling guilty.

As if that wasn't enough I ended up calling in the pub on the way home for a few drinks with another friend from work.

Naughty, naughty, naughty Corona007. Repeat after me, "Must stop wasting money..."

loose_sheckles

Corona007 wrote: »

Oh dear, I have been a naughty boy today. Went out for a stroll at lunch time with a friend and ended up calling in a rather nice but over-priced Japanese restaurant to grab something to eat - £7.30 later and it was back to the office feeling guilty.

As if that wasn't enough I ended up calling in the pub on the way home for a few drinks with another friend from work.

Naughty, naughty, naughty Corona007. Repeat after me, "Must stop wasting money..."

I've liked reading your thread. Some of it has been really positive and other bits have made me laugh - I'm glad I'm not the only one out there that does these things and then beats themselves up afterwards!:rotfl:

I know you said at the beginning of your post that you don't want to get too far into the whole budgeting thing but it does help to plan week to week (no nasty hidden surprises that knock out your repayment efforts) and actually write down what you spend. You'll start seeing patterns in your spending and work out ways to avoid it. Simple example I know but I used the 'demotivator tool' on this site to work out what I spend on snacks, coffee and lunch on a typical working week. Over a year it amounted to just over £1000 - I nearly threw up but it did help me think what travel I could have done, or what debts I could have paid off.

On the other side be realistic. You are human and every now and again you need something nice like the odd coffee or having a drink with your mates - just plan it a little more if you can.

Good luck - keep going!:T

Corona007

Actually I have done an SOA but it is just guess work really. I'm tracking my spending this month by recording everything I spend on my mobile phone so can update the SOA properly next month and plan a budget. Sounds quite sad when I put it like that!

I mentioned a few days ago that I had applied to Richard Branson for a shiny new 0% credit card. Well today I got a letter from him saying in polite terms to go and fornicate with myself. Apparently this is based on the fact that I have "substantial credit terms available" to me. Now I do have over £10k of credit available on my cards but at some outrageous APR so they are kind of missing the point.

Anyway, it just gives me more motivation to pay off that evil Halifax card as quick as possible. But first I have a small matter of a £1004 AMEX bill which I need to pay off by the end of January before serious charges kick in. Lovely.

loose_sheckles

Corona007 wrote: »

] I'm tracking my spending this month by recording everything I spend on my mobile phone ]

:rotfl:That's exactly what I do ) It can be a little tedious sometimes but I've actually found myself not buying things because I couldn't be bothered to fill it in on my phone! Lazy BUT profitable )

Thanks for the advice on the signature. I'm a total moron when it comes to technology!

Corona007

I'm really struggling to keep my focus on money saving at the moment. My phone tells me that my spending is creeping up this week and today continued the trend.

In my defence I had to drag myself into town to get a haircut - if I had left it any longer I would have been in serious danger of people approaching me to ask for a Big Issue on the tube. So that was an unavoidable £11 but for some inexplicable reason the next thing I knew I was at the till in Waterstones buying a book which certainly was avoidable. To cap things off I had to call in the supermarket to get some fish on the way home yet managed to spend £17 despite not needing anything else (including a bottle of red which makes it worse despite the fact that it was on offer).

But on the plus side, Mazuma have sent me a cheque for an old mobile I found lying around. I can't quite believe they would give me £6 for that piece of junk let alone pay for the postage to send it to them!

Anyway, I need to have a rest this weekend, get my head back on track and regain my positive momentum next week. Cheers everyone

BEAT_THE_DEBT

Hi just thought i would write to say i am loving your thread it is soooooo funny you should do a magazine blog on spending!x

Corona007

Thanks BTD, glad you enjoy my rantings.

Quiet weekend for me in the end and I decided in a moment of regrettable pro-activity to finally empty my change box and see how much was in there. Now I hate carrying shrapnel around so I always empty all my change out my pockets into a large box at the end of each day. It has built up over a few years to the point that I can barely lift it let alone count it.So I started counting it and bagging it up. Big mistake as I ended up sitting on my lounge floor for hours getting cramp in my back, hands that stank of other peoples pockets and generally a sulk on. £270 later and I ran out of bags with I guess another £100 still to go.

Now I have to decide whether to take it all into the bank or chuck it in the machine at Sainsburys and swallow the 8% commission cost. On the plus side going to the bank it is free but on the downside I'd probably need to spend more than 8% on plastic surgery to protect my identity from the hoards of people staring daggers at me and muttering death threats as I hold the queue up for 4 weeks counting out extra pennies to make up a full bag. Sainsbury's it is I think...

TheLightFantastic

Corona007 wrote: »

What I actually came back to was another wedding invite for 2010. Why do people keep doing this? I don't bankrupt everyone else by inviting them to endless weddings and other associated happy occasions so stop doing it to me. Selfish gits.

And the crowd screamed "HEAR HEAR". I have 4. 4 weddings. I in the UK, 2 in Asia and 1 in Africa. Thats my whole holiday allowance. And to think, I've spent the last year dreaming about how I'm going to pay off my debt, save a bit of dosh and go down the amazon..............seriously. Why??? Why can't people elope? Or live in Sin???:rotfl:All I ask of life is that I selfishly spend money on number 1. The only upside it that I get to buy 4 new dresses:D I need 4 coz I can't be seen wearing the same dress at 4 weddings in 4 different countries. That's taking money saving too far:rotfl: