Laura's 3rd-time-lucky diary

laura2481

So here it is, my third DFW diary.

I've deceided to start fresh again as recently I have gone decidedly 'off the boil' with my DFW ways. I was doing so well... by September last year I had paid £2000 off of my debt. Impressive going for 10 months of debt busting (at least, it was for me as it was the first time ever that debt total had gone down, instead of up!) Then, in December my boyfriend finally proposed :j Cue three months of total head in the clouds frivolous spending. It's been bad. I've been right up to the end of my overdraft every month. I nearly went over it last month (I managed to avert disaster by borrowing some money from OH while a cheque cleared but it was a close run thing :eek:) and I very nearly forgot to pay my credit card bill :eek::eek: All the naughty things I had stopped doing. And now I have added to my debt. Not much, admittedly about £50... but still, it's teh wrong way!!

So although my focus has changed slightly while planning and paying for the wedding (I would like to make small steps forwards, and NO steps backwards.




My simple plan is:

1. Keep a track of all my incomings and outgoings
2. Make at least one overpayment to a debt per month
3. Always think 'do I NEED this, or WANT this?' before I buy anything.
4. Always look for a cheaper option.

So here I go again, hopefully third time lucky!

HSBC CC £595 Virgin 0%CC £2645 Santander0%CC £2732.11 Total £5972.11
Debt at LMB Nov 08= £6814. Current debt £5972.11 -£841.89

laura2481

HSBC CC £2618
Virgin 0%CC £2200 (But not 0% for much longer )
Total £4818


Debt at LMB Nov 08= £6814.
Current debt £4818 -£1996

laura2481

Links to my previous diaries
Diary 1
Diary 2

Swinstie73

Hey Laura, just happened to log on and seen your new diary! Happy new diary and don't worry about the debt going up, I'm guessing wedding planning isn't cheap! *subscribes*

laura2481

Swinstie73 wrote: »

Hey Laura, just happened to log on and seen your new diary! Happy new diary and don't worry about the debt going up, I'm guessing wedding planning isn't cheap! *subscribes*

Awww, thanks Swinstie.
It's just a little blip, and I will cut up my CC asap, so I can no longer be tempted my sneaky CC usage

laura2481

1. Trip to london Sat 17/4/10: Hotel £70 spending money: at least £30
   Total: £100
2. Haircut: Weds 28/4/10 £26.60 (is 20% off, should be £35) booked 6 weeks ago at last cut (which was free) trying to grow hair healthily for wedding
3. Jo's birthday... Sat 1/5/10 £40- easily
   Outfit for above... £100? Haven't got anything to wear as haven't been 'out out' for 18 months and nothing fits me anymore!!

Total: £266.60!!!

While this does not make me happy this can be done and will take me into my overdraft by about £70, which will be fairly easy to recover from next month.

So budget for rest of month:
Weekly spending allowance: a generous £40
London: £100
Haircut: £26.60
Jo's birthday: £40
Clothes: £100

mooomin

Welcome back! *subscribes*

Try and keep your weekly spends below the £40 and use the rest for London, that way you won't feel bad if you go over your London allocation!

Very excited for your wedding planning - doubting that Mr Fresian will ever propose!

laura2481

flying_fresian wrote: »

Welcome back! *subscribes*

Try and keep your weekly spends below the £40 and use the rest for London, that way you won't feel bad if you go over your London allocation!

Very excited for your wedding planning - doubting that Mr Fresian will ever propose!

You never know F_F I'd just about given up on OH and then, after a bit of gentle nudging, he came through!

Haven't spent anything today and used some grocery money to buy in some cans of drinks (got back into the bad habit of buying bottle of diet coke everyday- usually two or three so at least £1.70 per day :eek:) so hopefully will have NSD tomorrow and friday, so I will have £30 spends for London + £40 untouched as back-up.

Bought shoes today from Next for my friends birthday night out: LINK
They were £36 which I thought was a bit :eek: but leaves me with £64 from my 'outfit budget' I will keep them in bag with receipt so if my chance I can't find an outfit to go with them I will return them. I liked them as they were flat (so hopefully won't get sore feets) but jewelley (so defintiely 'going out' flats rather than 'shopping around town' flats).

laura2481

I've finally got around to ringing ING and getting them to re-issue me a PIN since I blocked myself out from my account on the 18th of January! Can't believe it's taken me 3 months to get round to riniging them and it took me 5 mins :rotfl:

laura2481

1. Set up DD for HSBC CC minimum payment
2. Overpayment of one debt: at least £5
3. [STRIKE] Set up SO into savings account for Christmas[/STRIKE] Done
4. [STRIKE] Find out when 0% ends on virgin card[/STRIKE]Done. August 0% ends sotime to research better deals. Ensure credit score is as tidy as possible to get best deal
5. [STRIKE]look for/apply for alternative 0% deal[/STRIKE] Will research and scout around but no mega panic to apply for a new one as have until August

laura2481

Lost 4.5Ib this week. yay. skinny me is getting nearer