Reformed shopaholic? please can you give me the benefit of your advice

ZarZar1990

Hey ladies!
WELL DONE velocity girl for having your LBM! :T

I'm in complete organisation mode tomorrow, I'll c+p my tasks from my private journal:

So my itinerary for tomorrow is:

-Get back home by 1pm at the latest (from the boyfriend's house), although it'll probably be earlier.
-Shower, brush teeth, freshen up, have coffee.
-Sit in office with cup of coffee, large sheet of paper and a pen, incase I need to write anything down, have all postcode, address etc to hand.
-Ring council firstly (Arrange council tax to start by Direct debit from joint account on April 1st)
-Ring water rates company (Arrange water bill to begin by direct debit on april 1st)
-Ring BT, ask about mac code etc.
-Ring/text housemates, discuss various broadband packages, what we can afford vs what internet and tv stuff we'd get.
-Sort out a package with Talktalk/tiscali, so that we can have it all up and running for the 1st April, or as close to this date as humanly possible.

Once all of this is sorted, I will be happy, because then the only thing left to do is TV license which can be sorted in about 10 minutes online, and it takes effect immediately, so even if I set it up the day we move in, it's cool (I'll probably do a it a day or two before to be on the safe side though).

Once all of this is done, dependent on the time, I'll make a start on my wardrobe, what clothes I still wear, make a throw out/sell pile, and strip my wardrobe as bare as possible, so that when it comes to packing clothes for the move, I can do it more easily.
Just waiting on a few more boxes now, so I can begin packing shoes etc, going to photograph a load of items (books, clothes, shoes, bags) that I can sell on bigwardrobe.com or eBay, for a few extra pennies, which will definitely come in helpful for when we're all moved in.

So far I've packed all of my books, and a few little bathroom things, bath bombs, creams, etc, re-discovered loads of really nice, brand new bathroom and make-up type stuff I got for Christmas which is nice, nice to have new stuff in a new house.

Closer to moving in I need to go to Wilkos too, as they're doing tresemme shampoo for £2 for a big bottle, the same bottle is £5 in Sainsburys!!!!
Tresemme is also really good, and works well with my hair, plus because they come in like, 2 litre bottles, they'll last a decent while.

So busy busy busy!

Managed to spend £2 today, on a coffee and some crisps, but I had an exam, and the coffee I desperately needed! hahaha.

Here's hoping tomorrow will be a minimal spend day!

Hope you're all okay

CompletelyLost

bestrong wrote: »

Hi
I havent posted here before but I've been having a quick read thru the end of the thread and I agree with you Anglea, my aim too has to be to learn to deal with my feelings in a different way. But my fix is much more expensive if I feel down I phone a psychic line which can cost up to £30 plus for 20 mins. And then I feel so guilty. Last week after a whole week of moneysaving and cooking from scratch, I felt so knackered and fed up by Friday night that I ended up spending £53.50 on these Mystic bloody Megs. So in that hour I blew the whole weeks shopping budget plus our treats budget for this weekend. And my period had started, so I knew there was a real likelihood of doing it but at the point where I made the call, I didnt care. Can anyone else relate to this type of quick fix?:eek:

Hi, welcome to the thread

I can't say I have ever been addicted to premium rate numbers but I completely understand the whole 'needing a fix' thought process. Maybe I should be grateful that at least I can return clothing and get my money back... and that I am quite skeptical about psychics

ZarZar1990 wrote: »

Hey ladies!
WELL DONE velocity girl for having your LBM! :T

I'm in complete organisation mode tomorrow, I'll c+p my tasks from my private journal:

So my itinerary for tomorrow is:

-Get back home by 1pm at the latest (from the boyfriend's house), although it'll probably be earlier.
-Shower, brush teeth, freshen up, have coffee.
-Sit in office with cup of coffee, large sheet of paper and a pen, incase I need to write anything down, have all postcode, address etc to hand.
-Ring council firstly (Arrange council tax to start by Direct debit from joint account on April 1st)
-Ring water rates company (Arrange water bill to begin by direct debit on april 1st)
-Ring BT, ask about mac code etc.
-Ring/text housemates, discuss various broadband packages, what we can afford vs what internet and tv stuff we'd get.
-Sort out a package with Talktalk/tiscali, so that we can have it all up and running for the 1st April, or as close to this date as humanly possible.

Once all of this is sorted, I will be happy, because then the only thing left to do is TV license which can be sorted in about 10 minutes online, and it takes effect immediately, so even if I set it up the day we move in, it's cool (I'll probably do a it a day or two before to be on the safe side though).

Once all of this is done, dependent on the time, I'll make a start on my wardrobe, what clothes I still wear, make a throw out/sell pile, and strip my wardrobe as bare as possible, so that when it comes to packing clothes for the move, I can do it more easily.
Just waiting on a few more boxes now, so I can begin packing shoes etc, going to photograph a load of items (books, clothes, shoes, bags) that I can sell on bigwardrobe.com or eBay, for a few extra pennies, which will definitely come in helpful for when we're all moved in.

So far I've packed all of my books, and a few little bathroom things, bath bombs, creams, etc, re-discovered loads of really nice, brand new bathroom and make-up type stuff I got for Christmas which is nice, nice to have new stuff in a new house.

Closer to moving in I need to go to Wilkos too, as they're doing tresemme shampoo for £2 for a big bottle, the same bottle is £5 in Sainsburys!!!!
Tresemme is also really good, and works well with my hair, plus because they come in like, 2 litre bottles, they'll last a decent while.

So busy busy busy!

Managed to spend £2 today, on a coffee and some crisps, but I had an exam, and the coffee I desperately needed! hahaha.

Here's hoping tomorrow will be a minimal spend day!

Hope you're all okay

You're so organised, it puts me to shame. I used to be really good and make a 'to-do' list, but haven't done so in a while... I should though, because it really does feel good to be able to tick things off your list!

The Tresemme sounds cheap btw. I don't think I've ever tried it (amazingly, as I've tried most shampoos!) - the big bottles scare me, because if I don't like it then I'd be stuck using something I don't like for agessss

====================

I've just washed my hair for the second time today... as a pigeon poo'd on my head on the way back from the shop :mad::rotfl: funnily enough, I was putting a lottery ticket on just beforehand - I wonder if it's a sign?

Anglea

Hi all,

Welcome to the new members :beer:


Salesaddict, I hope that you are keeping well and finding some time for yourself, amongst work, looking after your family and seeing your Dad.

I'll probably comment on your posts tomorrow girls, as I'm feeling totally frazzled.

I think I'm having one of those 'it can't get any worse' situations that have been bought about by your own actions and when the only way is up and you know that a lot of things have to change in order to avoid going through this again.

Anglea

Never expected to read that on here tonight Completelylost - it's supposed to be lucky to have that happen. Did anyone see it happen or where you lucky and avoid being laughed at?

CompletelyLost

Anglea wrote: »

Never expected to read that on here tonight Completelylost - it's supposed to be lucky to have that happen. Did anyone see it happen or where you lucky and avoid being laughed at?

I know, my mum said that. I don't think anyone saw, but I think I must have looked like a bit of a weirdo walking home with my hood up in bright sunshine (to hide my poo-splattered hair ).

NGlady

Zar just a couple of little points
1) I used to work for Tiscali befor thy merged with TalkTalk. There not a fantastic company for customr service, call there numbers are 0870 numbers etc and ofshore call centres. Would deffinatly factor this in.
2) Your items sadly wont sell on Ebay. Unfortunatly it is predominantly a swap site, so all you will be able to get really is swaps for the items, but hey better than buying new

Completelost I think your ideas of returning things, even if you do end up with a lower amount if they was brought ages ago is a fantastic idea Better having a fiver than a top never to be worn huh

Well.... I went to Morrisons.... and I have purchased... a note pad I am going to write all my expenditures etc down and do a firm plan on how to work back as much of the money spent on Sat as possible Also, I have decided to return the jacket in favour of a nicer one ive seen in Debenhams which is a better colour for my complexion, will be a tenner more... HOWEVER, at the moment, they have got a tenner off a £50 spend. I am going to return one of the dresses I brought for £24 on sat, loose the receipt get £50 back, SO buy the dress again plus the jacket (adds up to £60...) get a tenner off so its £50 again and therefore only paying the same price as the blazer ive got at the moment. Cheeky, ah well lol.

Little_Chicken

Hi all, sounds like you're all doing well this week...I'm going to sort out some things for ebay this week too - I have tons, I just hate the listing part - it's sooooo boring!!!

NGlady

Yep littlechicken, I hate trying to write about my clothes lol how can you big something up you dont like anymore :S
I think everybody has good weeks and bad weeks, and sometimes it just clicks for some people for a random thing, my shock moment was on Saturday thats whats given me the kick to get into "good habbits" so everybody gets there eventually (even me lol)

LadyV1983

Hi everyone, I am new to this thread and this forum, but I have been reading this thread for almost the past week and it has really inspired me, you are all so friendly too, maybe that's a personality trait of a shoppaholic

I've been a shoppaholic for as long as I can remember, and think it started because I came from a relatively poor background too and never really had any new clothes etc it didn't help that everyone threw credit cards at me too.

I had my LBM in August 2006 when my debt had reached £20,000 through excessive spending; clothes, meals out, holidays, basically nothing I have to show for it now

So over the last 3.5 years I have paid off £12,000 and hope to be fully debt free by the end of 2011.

I can't say that I have cut back massively (which I would like too), but the fact that I CAN'T get any credit has really helped, because I can't get into any more debt, I have cut down on the amount I spend on clothes and going out and generally think about things alot more already.

If I pick somethings up in a shop I walk round with it for a while and usually end up putting something back. I mainly shop in H&M, Primark and Topshop and would usually end up walking round with arms full of stuff, I never try things on in shops so usually end up taking 50% of it back.

This thread has really helped me over the past week cut down even more, I have REALLY thought about what I am buying (even the odd £1s) and have started a spending diary, and on Saturday when I went to take some clothes back to the shops I would normally have exchanged everything for something else, but instead I allowed myself one purchase (a lovely skirt from Primark) and all the rest went back into my bank account (£50 approx).

My goal is to try to have money left at the end of each month to put towards my debts to help to pay them off quicker. I am already a really bargain hunter, but always buy things I don't need.

I have started cooking alot and am going to start to grow some veggies this summer, all hobbies to stop me from shopping. I have also registered with Ebay and Bigwardrobe to sell/swap some of the clothes I never wear.

I too would think nothing of spending £100 on clothes but would then say I can't afford the new microwave that I really need, or the weekend away I've been wanting for ages, I really want to stop this

I had my first NSD yesterday and hope to have another NSD today or at least a MSD. I have a monthly budget after all my outgoings, so I'm now going to take all the money out of my account after bills and divide it by four for each week, any money I have left will go into my savings account for debts

NGLady: I've been following your posts as I also live in Derby and can just imagine you in the Westfield Centre!

Thanks for reading if you've got this far xxxx

velocity.girl_2

awwww LadyV hello:wave::wave::wave:welcome you seem lovely too

well done on your NSD i hope it's the first of many for you start small and hopefully you will be able to list everything you have saved.

You also did amazingly well at the weekend-taking all that stuff back, well done (i don't mean to sound condescending! ) I look forward to getting to know you We are all lovely on this thread and the support and guidance i have received has been invaluable...it's only been going 6 weeks but these ladies are amazing! each in their own unique way:D

This morning has been AMAZING! The post has just hit the mat AND not one debt letter-overdue payment thing(i have none!!!) No parcels...AT ALL...this is the first time in YEARS i haven't had a daily chat with the postie about what gigs/festivals i'm hoping to attend or asking me for album recomendations lol...i'm going to miss that...:( BUT i might just keep an eye out for him and collar him when he's posting yet more junk mail through my door:eek:
After my true LBM moment yesterday i feel liberated...i'm also reading ' how i lived a year on just a pound a day' by Kath Kelly and that is truly uplifting...

I found something in a book i wanted to share with you girls...

The object of shopping is to find something you want and ENJOY owning it.Yet there is also a perverse pleasure in seeing if you like something,deciding that you either don't want or don't need it and then take it back. The refunding of YOUR money makes you feel that you've had the pleasure of buying something without the pain of paying for it.

At it's most extreme this process is labelled 'SHOPPING BULIMIA' and it apparently an increasing problem to traders.
But used occasionally it's a perfectly healthy, and enjoyable,way of feeling that capitalism doesn't completely have you its grip.It's a small and quite rewarding stand against the system.

This totally struck a cord with me when i read it last night and instantly thought about you lot lol:rotfl: it's scary but i can admit to shopping bulimia...it's strange seeing it in that context thought and i never really thought that's what is was but the description fits.

hope you all have fantastic days and i will be back later hopefully.
xx