End of Month Reckoning\Achievements

seven-day-weekend

I'm bumping it again as I too think it is a good thread and one that could be read when we are feeling down to help remember what we've achieved.

quattro70

Hi everyone.
Another 'newbie' here although I have been lurking for a few weeks. Finding this site has completely changed the way I think about money. Some of the advice is first class.

Anyway my achievements for June (so far - still 2 days to go!)

1. Started posting on this site
2. Started thinking like a SAVER and not a spender
3. Listed my debts for the first time (scary) and realised it was time to sort it out.
4. Joined Quidco and earned £65 for switching my home insurance
5. Started listing and selling on ebay (£600+ already)
6. In the process of switching debts about to 0% deals where I can

Goals for July
1. Keep posting on this site
2. Look at switching the mortgage
3. Sell everything that isn't nailed down in the house (apart from the cat)
4. Watch that total debt figure drop!

It's going to take a few years but I'll get there.......

linniestorm

I've had a so so couple of months, due to a friend's imminent wedding that I'm a bridesmaid for, which meant expenditure that I knew was coming and knew would throw me off track a bit, but contrary to the past, I knew it was coming and planned for it, so it didn't hurt as much as it might have done pre-DFW days!!

Achievements for June
1. Generally stuck better to my budget (biggie for me!)
2. Bought less and bought second hand. I'm terrible for buying new, so raided ebay and amazon marketplace for best price, bought from my cash back credit card, and paid the small amounts off card straight away so it doesn't smash my budget.
3. Switched my mobile to a much cheaper contract. Have paid double bill for two months due to my mistake with a PAC code, but no more, will be sorted next week!
4. Done a hen night in Belfast on a budget and stuck to it! (Came back with a tenner instead of drawing more out while there!) And bought bridesmaid's dress under budget too.

Goals for July
1. Do friend's wedding on budget, stay one less night in hotel to save cash, and limit on spending of £200, but try for £175 (including hotel, transport, drinks, hair etc), put extra toward credit card.
2. Buy any wedding bits and pieces from quidco and on credit card, and get cash back twice!
3. Put £50 extra toward my loan. (Already done!)
4. Sell all stuff put together for a car boot that I couldn't go to either on ebay/amazon or do a car boot, try and raise at least £100.
5. Balance transfer part of loan to 0% asap before 0% runs out! Prepare to whack a load of cash at loan next month!
6. Budget of £120 living expenses for month, try to cut it to £75.

MrsTinks

Acchievements For June:
- Sorted out a lot of emotional stuff with OH which had been getting me down.
- Listed 9 items on Ebay.
- Paid chunk off credit card (so hopefully I can pay the remainder off tomorrow before the 0% finishes yay!!!)
- Tidied large part of the house
- Got the dog spayed (free had voucher from when she got adopted from RSPCA)
- Have seriously cut down on "junk" food and eaten more organic fruit and veg.
- Lost weight! 4.5 Kg since sept 05 according to the weights at the docs! YAY
- Had 2 free £10 bets from Betfair and nearly £30 pay out from Quidco

Targets for July:
- Pay off Egg card.
- list more on ebay
- Do all surveys I can find as nearly there with all of them in terms of getting the amount needed to get paid!
- Check local charity shops for anything worth listing on Ebay.
- Put all pressies for x-mas in a big box in spare bedroom and make a list of what I have.
- GO TO THE GYM MORE
- Join training classes with the mutt...

Not all of it Money Saving but still things I need to get motivated to do

CosmoCat

great thread!!

let's see, what did i do this month.

1. became a dfw nerd!!:D
2. opened 2nd bank account, having salary paid into it and standing order to old account to pay household bills. personal (debt) ddebits switched to new account.
3. listed stuff on amazon and (unsuccessfully) on ebay.
4. got £150 from quidco (£50 of which was from opening new account)
5. rejoined AQA, made £275 from only half the month
6. cut food bill from something outrageous to less than £200 a month!!
7. cut miscellaneous spend to £0!!!!!!!
8. only had 2 bingey type drink days where i spent horrendous amount of cash on drinks for other people!!!
9. paid off over £4000 of my total debt (must update sig)

everyone is doing brilliantly, and i'm very proud of all of us for sticking with it.

congrats everyone :T

Kevicho

Ive had a lousy month

Sandwiches for work have become hit and miss
Ive overspent on my entertainment budget
And i paid for birthdays which i didnt account for (not that paying for birthdays is a problem)

So i will give myself a flogging to get myself back on track next month.

On a positive note my final credit card payment for the egg card WILL be sent off tommorrow

Imelda

Hi all,

I have had a relatively good month, I only started budgeting properly in May (and didn't stick to it!) have learnt a few lessons and June has been much more successful. So, this month:
1. I opened a second account to keep my essential bills and other money separate.
2. Stuck to budget.
3. Learnt that the figures on your budget have to be achievable or you will just fall off the wagon big time, it's always better to overbudget and have some extra to stash away at the end of the month than to spend out on something that has been overlooked (I was in denial about things such as birthdays).
4. Made a (realistic) long term plan, to save up the money for my credit card when the 0% runs out and have savings in place for annual bills.
5. Made much more effort to bring HM lunches to work, am on course for a full week this week for the first time.

I just feel like I am in so much more control nowadays, thank goodness for this site!

BTW well done Kevicho, I can't wait till I write that cheque!

Daddyo

Top thread !!!!

June +'s
- sat down and did a budget and figured I could pay more to CCCS
- had a lightbulb moment of paying a certain amount into an old current account for month on month expenses such as MOT, Tax etc.
- had our first lot of lettuce from our veggie patch
- scheduled CCCS review interview for 4th July
- compiled a huge list of places / people for a 2nd p/t job

July aims
- going away for a week so need to watch pennies
- need to renew car insurance - have voucher from Kwik Fit insurance so can either have £20 off their quote, or if they cant beat it, a £20 cheque from them !!
- carry on looking for that pt job

ScottishSpendaholic - what was your job that you threw in after 1.5 days ??

LJD1_2

Great thread this!

I feel really positive after June. This month I have:

1) Kept a spending diary and consequently stayed within my budget.
2) Kept under £300 for food shopping and we have eaten so well!
3) Lost 4lbs without trying as we're not eating crap.
4) Paid a chunk of the Barclaycard.
5) Taken another 'beauty' course, given all clients a free treatment and they've, without acception, all booked for it again!
6) Felt really positive about money and life in general as i feel in control.

We'll be keeping a spending diary again this month and forever more! It's fab!

xx

Rad

Achievements for June
1.Went ‘impulse’ shopping at a car boot sale rather than the centre of town - £3.25 spent rather than the usual £30+
2. Negotiated ½ price line rental from O2
3. Got a pay increase
4. Used pay increase to pay chunk of credit card not on treats
5. Gave notice on current flat
6. Managed to take lunch in to work at least 3 days a week
7. Been accepted for 0% cc

Aims for July

1. Sort out stuff in preparation for August’s move and sell anything not needed on e-bay and hold car boot sale towards the end of the month
2. Set up new bank account and set up dd for rent/bills money to be taken out at on pay day
3. Take part in store cupboard challenge
4. Start looking for a new and better paid job
5. Transfer cc balance to new cc when arrives
6. Start cycling more and using the bus less
7. Take lunch to work at least 4 days a week
8. At least 2 no spend days a week

What a great idea, I hadn't realised how much I had achieved in the past month till I wrote it all down. Hopefully next month will be just as good.