help required - fed up hamster in wheel

Vampy

It's great that you're here and looking for advice - I love M&S, but to stop the groceries bill, try Tesco...I did and it was truly great getting things cheaper there and the quality is more or less the same on what you buy.

If you buy a different car, maybe you could shame your friends if they ever comment on it, saying that it's not the 1980s where everyone bought huge cars. Less is more these days, just think what you could do with a more economical car and well, the fuel costs and insurance alone will be a great saving.

Friends who constantly try to outspend and out-manoeuvre each other are definitely not your friends if one say you say, "You know what, I don't want to spend any more" and they start being negative about you.

stan0045

hi y&f
did the same turn 30 and had a dam good talking to myself, thankfully just like you i catched the bus at the right time and i should all going well ,ill be debt free in two years saving a total of nearly £600 per month that's in my sky rocket ( ill do a SOA soon to show and tell (fells a little like A&A "my name is .... and i have a problem)) luckily mate you and i and so many who use this top site have turn the corner but for every person on here you'll bond to find 3 others who are not so lucky . keep at it mate and keep us updated .will post an SOA soon

DawnW

well done on realising that the over the top spending has to stop before you get into serious problems. It sounds as though you have a very sensible Mum, who will be able to give you lots of ideas (I am probably about the same age as her).

In a hot shot kind of job you need to keep up a certain level of 'appearance' (in my job too in a sense), but you can personalise this. For example, you could trade in your car, and buy an older, sportier one for much less. My son in law has an old Jensen (actually he has two), and nobody ever suggests he ought to buy a new BMW... And my seriously gorgeous daughter married him!

If you trade in clothes you don't wear on ebay, then you can put the proceeds towards new ones, if you like. There are also agencies that take and sell designer clothes on your behalf. Just look in the Yellow Pages or in the internet.

And do people really notice really expensive watches?? Maybe they do, I really don't know. Switching things like insurance and utilities, and cutting down Sky channels you don't watch saves loads of money without anyone at all noticing, except you. And do you need life insurance, if you have no mortgage and no dependents?

You could learn to cook a few things, and invite people round now and then instead of going out - and get them to bring the booze.

Finally, if anyone gives you any hassle, you could simply say that you are putting cash aside for an amazing holiday or to buy a property or whatever.

Good luck x

debtfreegonnabe_2

Hiya Y and F,

WOW well done you have had a fab day, yes your savings defiantly meet with my approval today LOL. You have done brilliant. Well done on having a chat with your Mam, she will be a big help to you. (I'm old enough to be your mam too lol). I agree with comments made in other post, you do not need to live like a pauper just ( this goes for me too) make conscious decisions and think of where you want your hard earn cash to go. Once you (and me) have cleared the debt. Just think of all the cash rolling into your savings account, holidays and things you want can be bought cash. :j

yes I agree this site is brilliant, lots of strangers straight there to give you help and support, restores your faith in the human race doesn't it. Soon we will be in there helping and supporting others who need it.

I have subscribed to your post, so will be checking daily and keeping an eye on you lol

DFGB

stan0045

as you can see by my sig mate i owe about £650 in loans per month for the next two years then thats just mortgage, car (£650 per month) to pay. I finished with sky put kept the box and viewing card has this then turns in to freesat for free , it has plenty on for the misses ,me and the nipper. I love football so i listen to 5live while watching prem and champ games on the internet for free (if any one wants the site its free to watch pm me). I shop at tesco and save loads due to club card points from shopping and Eon.Clothes i get from M&M online or ebay. Still have season ticket to the baggies:eek: and i like sailing so still get to do that. plus the nipper keeps me from being bored and searching the internet for s*it i dont need:mad:.

so head down mate save has much as you can afford , pay your debts off and down scale alittle and you will be laughing kitbags:A:T

MFWannabe

young-and-free wrote: »

wow thanks for the responses and encouragement, this is really a great web site.

Got a couple of updates from todays activities. Didnt get a lot of sleep last night thinking over what to do but here gos:

I took a half day today and have managed to achieve a couple of things. I had a good chat with mum and when she heard i shopped in M&S all the time she tore a strip right off me! she is taking me shopping at the weekend and thinks she can cut out a big chunk of shopping costs. looked at receipts and statements and i am in there almost every day.

I also phoned sky at downgraded the tv saving me £30 per month which is great.

I also took a watch to a jewellers today and he will give me £900 for it which is less than half the purchase price but still ok for a 4 year old watch that cost £250 to service last year - what was i thinking? ist the same as a car to service?

I have such a lot of clothes and thats my next target to go through and see what i can sell. i have never done the whole ebay thing and would be a bit annoyed at selling a gucci tie for a pound - any suggestions for any specialist designer clothes buyers/second hand places?

DFGB - I also took a water from the machines at work this morning instead of coffee/crisps/coke so saved £1 from a conscious decision. hope that meets your approval:D

cant believe how good it feels to just have turned this corner. to get support on here from strangers is amazing.

will keep you posted on other savings i make.

Hi y&f.
Well done you; sounds like you had a very productive day!! Sounds like you enjoyed the challenge too. Glad you spoke to your mom; sure she will give you lots of support and a kick up the backside should you ever need it! lol
Sounds like you've really got your teeth into this cutting back lark; feels good doesn't it? Can you imagine how good you will feel when you post on here that you have become debt free :T
£900 for a watch? wow; that would be a good payment off your overdraft or one of those nasty credit cards

Anyway keep up the good work and keep posting!!

RumPunch_2

Hi there
Just been reading your diary, well done so far!

Just a thought, not always practical but you could try Lydl or Aldi for some of your shopping, you can't get everything there but you might save some money! One of my friends who has a bit of time does it and always gets a good deal. £1 shops are great for things like shower gel, washing up liquid etc. Good luck!

NorthernLas

If you decide to sell clothes on ebay, you can put a minimum bid on them (you don't have to start at 99p). As long as it is low enough to tempt but is OK to cover a little of your spends and P&P, then you should be fine. If you are not sure then watch a few items and see what they sell for.

As far as shopping, you mention that you have receipts, therefore, can you make a list of what you actually eat? Then you could decide wether you could make something similar in a quick and easy way. Also if you have a list of simple things that can be knocked up from your store cupboard, then you are not thinking about what you can eat on the way home as you have it planned.

With planning, if you know what you need, you could decide to do an on-line shop once a fortnight or once a month (from tesco or another suitable establishment) and then get fresh stuff twice a week (use a list and stick to it)

young-and-free

Hi everyone i thought i would let you know that the car is away!!, it was easier to shift than I thought and a large BMW dealer bought it there and then no hassles. They held me right over a barrel with it and I only got a grand in my hand, as they pay the finance company off direct. They knew what finance was outstanding and worked up from there rather than worked down from market value, but there you go. I thought I would get a chunk of cash and clear everything else off and just keep paying the 320 but they wouldnt do it as the finance is secured on the car which is fair enough. I am going into town today to get the money for my watch so thats £2k cash pot. I dont know whether to pay off a credit card or use this as deposit for a new car. I can use a pool car from work for about 2 weeks but after that i need some wheels.

Going shopping with mum today in her car now (mini) so looking forward to it. Have sorted clothes out and taken pictures for ebay. The amount of stuff to sell is unreal, some not even worn. I looked at clothing exchanges and stuff on the internet but ebay seems to be the best bet to get some cash. I also need to open a paypal account as well so doing that today to.

Have also got every gadget under the sun so i need to sell 2 laptops that are ok but a couple of years old plus 2 sat navs why oh why did i buy these things.

First saturday morning in a long time where i have got up full of beans and ready to go!

have a good day everyone
:j

katsu

Hi YandF.

To deal with the image thing at work, why not tell people you have become more environmentally conscious? You can then "justify" a smaller car for it's better environmental impact.

I'm also in a professional job (but not one where people notice watches or wear gucci ties) so appreciate that people do expect you to drive a tidy car, but between being green or, as you were advised by Dawn W, being into a "quirky" car which is no longer made and so has to be old, you can downshift the expenses.

You can also become more sentimental - stick to only one decent watch "a gift from loving relative X" or as one chap I worked with used to say about his battered watch "my dad's old watch" - I've no idea if it was, or not, but it got over any competitiveness with his colleagues.

Good luck and congratulations on the LBM. You will feel so rich when instead of paying debts, you have money building up in the bank.