I've had my LBM and now it's time to sort it out once and for all

Herewego

I always find homemade jams/ chutneys go down well. I have been known to make a xmas pud or xmas cake and use that as the gift. Everyone loves homemade food but not many can be bothered to make it. A bit of fancy ribbon and your sorted. If your really clever you could try to make wine for the adults.

Primrose2004

OMG i'm so excited:j I have just checked my online bank, was very nervous as we're sailing very tightly this month and i'm so pleased with myself. I may not have made any impact in the debt BUT I haven't put anything new onto the cc, the statement will be made up to the 27th (fri) and I know I won't need to use it:T woo hoo

I was also worried we'd be up to and maybe even beyond the o/d limit but on one account we'll have £100 before we hit the limit and on the other about £90, which I know isn't brilliant but it means I have paid everything and actually not spent as much as normally I reckon £300+ would've gone onto the cc:o

I am going to try and do a real-time spreadsheet now, I have a monthly one atm but it doesn't show ins and outs on the right days.

Once we've been paid this month i'm going to take out cash and try not to use the debit card. I'm not even sure where the cc is:rotfl: I stuck it in an envelope and can't think where I hid it:o

Herewego

Well done thats a great start it may be small progress but its progress in the right direction keep it up and you'll be on top of this in no time.

scotdebs

hey primrose looks like you have made a great start I know how you feel about the OD limits we will be sailng close up until Nov so to stay even a fiver within limit feels like an achivement!

Primrose2004

Thank you both:beer: I'm so glad to have found MSE it really is so lovely to know that people 'get' what I mean I know that even though we all know an o/d isn't 'our' money at the moment it's the only money there is so we need to use it.

well i've just done next months forward prediction. Ignoring any ebay money and anything extra and crossing my fingers that no un-planned expenses come up if I can live on £100 a week for food/petrol and anything else and pay £250 off the cc the o/d will stay at the same levels, and the cc balance will reduce by about £150 :T

I'm hoping when I predict forward for Sept/Oct it will show slightly better results as I'll get my first pay from my new job

Primrose2004

Right, just carried on forward and doing a sheet til the end of the year, the o/d will be the same(ish) the cc will reduce by £630 as long as I stick to £100 per week. So my plan, from Mon is to withdraw £100 each mon and make it last. :eek: I will keep ebaying and may still do a bootfair but I think any extra money raised will go in a treat pot rather than the debt, depends on how much I make though!! This week I got £45 so i'm leaving that in paypal to maybe use on ebay items for christmas.

I might try and take the cc below £6,000 by the end of 2010, that's 'only' £150 to find.

I also haven't included any of the self-employed work I need to finish. But then again I haven't done my tax return yet, but they'll be minimal tax due as I haven't done much work. I need to get that done asap to claim back my NI payments. and I must write to NI people to claim small earnings exemtion as I am way below the limit and infact am giving up SE once these bits are done.

Also in my calculations is £40 a month for bdays and christmas which will be £160 by Dec and there aren't any bdays apart from mine and dh's before christmas so really it should mostly be for christmas presents. so fingers crossed that should be ok

savingholmes

hi primula - some people really like the thought and effort that goes into hampers - for those people I would do hampers again. For those that don't like my dad I will get something else. For my nieces I did makeup hampers for say xmas or birthday and then alternated next time with cash. For my nephews who have everything I just give cash it is simpler that way - and to be fair they give my kids the same amount. I have an agreement with my brother and BIL that we just buy for the kids not the adults too which does help.

I do like the gifts in a jar ideas and novelty items on the special occasions board... They were a lifesaver when I first joined. I think I joined in the july and by August - most of the contents of my multiple present boxes had been made into hampers! I did my DS a Harry Potter hamper for his birthday inspired by the board and did some retro sweet hampers and journal jars etc for 40ths Lots of good ideas there I think.... I daren't look at the moment as I am trying to break my "fritter addiction" and have set a gifts budget to be used in December only - in the hope that this will actually mean less wasted money...

Primrose2004

Evening, I was watching Big Brother last night so no time to come on MSE

Still plodding along not really doing much MS. I've been doing ok, I did buy a cheese scone this morning:o but I hadn't had breakfast and it was only 65p so i'll let myself off:D

I need to package the ebay things that sold on sun, still haven't done it:o they must be posted tomorrow

I got excited by an email I got earlier, for a Tesco cc, where you earn clubcard points and also it's interest free for a while. I seriously thought about getting one for a while, it'd give me a month of 'free' shopping blah blah blah and I could g:Det a low limit. Then I thought NO don't be so ***bleeeeeping**** stupid I will just end up spending up to the limit, even if it's low and although it's interest free for x months I will have to pay it back at some point. So I deleted the email:T

The one thing I have learnt so far is to think every decision through. I did most of the time anyway, but not for small things like dvd's or whatever so now I stand and think properly having picked up whatever it is and as Martin says I think 'do I really need it' everytime so far the answer has been no, well apart from the Ben and Jerry's ice cream I bought last night:o

I'm gonna test my resolve later though. I need to buy dd some trainers or plimsole type shoes so will be off to Tesco/Asda/Sainsbury and my aim is to go there and buy ONLY the shoes for dd. I'll let you know how I get on......

jwil

That's great news that you haven't spent on the credit cards this month, it's a while since I've done that.

Good luck with the shoe shopping later!

savingholmes

hi primrose - I know that tempation well... only spend on x... I'm not very good at that one at the mo! Still more work to do!