Swimming not sinking

redcoltraine

Afternoon All

Here’s a very long time lurker, reading and think yeah I can do that or well done, why can’t that be me and well the answer is very simple, I spend too much money and am generally rubbish at not spending.
Must pay more attention and stop spending money.
The reason for me now not lurking and finally deciding to do something about it is well......I have absolutely NO money, none, not a bean, skint brassic, completely broke.
I get paid on Friday and it’s all gone everything’s accounted for and I’m still trying to shuffle, no holidays, no big spends, but every month my wages do not cover what I spend/ what i want to spend and treats etc. I do make sure that first and for most all the bills are covered so that’s not a problem I just don’t have anything left over.... This has got to change...Got to stop.
I have no choice this month (June) has to be different because it has all gotten out of hand and I no longer have a choice well I do it is either sink or swim. I cannot afford to spend a single bean of money on anything other than bills and food.
I have done the usual and cancelled all unnecessary things and check to make sure I the cheapest deals I can but this still leaves me with the gym and my contract phone.
Any extra has to stay in my account to get the loan paid off. (No overpayments allowed I’m afraid its just going to have to sit there and wait)
I have done a SOA and well at this rate I will probably be dead before I get sorted, which has got to change.
The plan is come up with a plan for payday and see where June leads me.
I intend to join the NSD challenge for June (if and when some amazing person starts it and the June take lunches to work challenge.
My challenge is 26/30 NSD for June I wanted to put down for 30 but I don’t think this is very realistic as I will need bread and milk at some point.
22/22 lunches to work in June.

So here’s to me choosing to SWIM not sink, Wish me luck.

Red

sallyx

Hi red have you signed up for free scratches on bingo, surveys etc. Will give you a little bit of extra coming in for Christmas presents for example.

Good luck keeping to the budget, we all have our ups and downs! Hang in there though and you will get tremendous support from people here.

Loving your diary title

Want_to_be_free

Hiya, just wanted to say welcome to board/ I have started my diary two weeks ago. Hard work but makes me focus on...

redcoltraine

Morning Sally and Want to be free

Thanks for stopping by its appreciated.

I think yesterday was the dawning and today I plan to sit down and figure it all out and discover where i go from here....As long as I keep earning all will be ok..
Will report back once i have figured out whats what!

Red

hypno06

Good luck with the brainstorming - the main thing is to be brutally honest with yourself. No point in doing such an exercise if you "forget" things, otherwise you will get to the end of the month and wonder why something that looked so good on paper is so far away from reality, and that can be quite demoralising.

Even if the initial picture is not pretty, if it is honest, it means you can deal with things head on.

good luck!

Lucifa73

Hi Red,

Saw you on Sal's thread and thought I'd pop over.

A spending diary is a good tool, really lets you see where your money has gone. Mine used to be pretty:eek: but I'm getting better.

A grocery challenge is good too. I used to spend around £400 a month on 2 of us. I now manage to feed 2 and a little one and a cat for about half that and that's without being particularly strict. We took the brand challenge and have reduced the cost of most of our basics.

I'm with you on the lunches challenge. I have fallen very easily and quickly into the habit of buying lunch after just a month back at work and have just had my new 'get a grip' moment.

Good luck with it all. Luc x

redcoltraine

Morning All

Well after all my determination I think I ran scared and it has taken me this long to actually sit down and figure the whole thing out and well I have no money.
And things would seem to be quite desperate, I don't know what it is I just can't stop spending, its like I disengage my brain oh go that will be alright - such a silly t*t!
Anyway I have tottied it all up and it is bleak - I can afford all the minimum but that is it. by rights I should have about 4p to get me through the month but I have £238.78 in my account and 18.80 cash, I am hoping to have most of this 18.80 in my purse by the end of the week although yesterday and today have had to be spend days as I was rubbish yesterday and brought lunch and today I have to get a photo to renew my DL.

Lunches I have pledged 20 for this month today counting for 1 of them and NSD - well that will have to be at least 20, today not being one of them.

I am also hoping to get some ebaying done and join the PAD clan. Wish me all the luck you have it could get stormy

Red

redcoltraine

What a difference a month makes.....

As I tried to explain on the PAD thread yesterday my posting on this forum has been well abit lacking and well to report I have been plodding along trying to keep myself out of trouble and head above water and well yesterday and am very pleased to report (and I just didn't get chance to update my diary as I was very busy up and out at 6.30am work all day, wash and brush up and off to job number 2 last night finishing at midnight by flopping into bed) well anyway the news, I made a PAD to my loan yesterday and well I paid it off, complete, finished, sorted, :T ha! ha! ha! 6 months early, freeing up £311.16 every month. The tough thing is what am I going to do with extra funds......
Nice thoughts to be having to make, new budget, new leaf prehaps... Who knows I can only try.....

Will report back shortly with a plan

Goes off pondering

Red

mummytogirls

Well done Red on PAD and paying off your loan thats fantastic news :T!!!!

That is such a nice chunk of money to have a month now isnt it!!