Time To Sort My Life Out

bluejeans53

Hiya, just wanted to pop on and say "hello and thankyou for sharing" :beer:

I am 53yr old female, who's attitude to money as far back as I can remember is "easy come easy go" :eek:. Needless to say that attitude has got me in to big trouble over the years.

So here I am to sort my life out.

I have been logging on to this site for about a week now. what an amazing bunch of people, some living from day to day facing tremendous odds. Your stories threads and determination has inspired me to join you all and once and for all become debt free.

I am very lucky in the fact that both myself and my DH work full time and have quite decent earnings between the two of us. So with some re arranging, organising, phone calls, letters and a block on my very wastefull spending I CAN DO THIS.

I intend to post here daily, so my story will unfold as I go. Very ashamed to say I do not know exact amount of my debt, as I have not worked it out or sorted out any paper work (another of my bad habits, I procrastinate terribly) But I think they must be in the region of about £6000.

Well I will post now and then get down to do some sorting out, back later with today's "Have done's" instead of today's "should do's but have not done's"

winner12

Hi there
Good for you ! you can save quite a bit by swopping electric gas etc if you have not done this before you can follow the links at the top of the page if you write down everything you pay out debts included mortgage food fuel clothing emergency fund(never had one just used a credit card big mistake) you will shock yourself into getting sorted its a great leveler
Good Luck

bluejeans53

Just a quick update,

I have just rang my rent company and must admit they were very friendly and helpful.:j I have been putting off that particular job for about 3 weeks.

Rent £72.92 per week
Arrears £526.72 :eek:
they would ask for a minimum of £80 per week.

I think that is a very reasonable minimum amount to ask for. I am going to ring them back tomorrow with a proposal, as I am currently doing my budget on this site. I did tell them too that i was getting help through this site :money:

Right, back to sorting stuff out.

Thankyou winner12 for your input and advice. All constructive advice and comments welcome. and the occasional kick up the but when I'm slacking

winner12

Hi again
It feels good to get started and you must keep going even when you hit that brick wall and you will because someone or something wont play ball and your master plan may wobble on the track but good luck and I hope all works out ok

bluejeans53

Hiya winner12,

Oh I will most deffinatley wobble, there is no doubt about that. I am at the moment full of determination and resolve but its keeping it going when it wains (and it will) that will be the test. I'l just keep posting, talking and listening and hope I can steer my way through it.

bluejeans53

Ok, I would usually have took my car on a 6-8mile round trip (I'll clock it next time) to my local asda. Picked up lots of bargains, that I do not need ! and spend £10-15-20 + the petrol money ?

Just been to my local supermarket, which is a Nisa, although things are a little bit more exspensive. I just got what I needed and spent £4.85

sofababe

bluejeans53 wrote: »

Ok, I would usually have took my car on a 6-8mile round trip (I'll clock it next time) to my local asda. Picked up lots of bargains, that I do not need ! and spend £10-15-20 + the petrol money ?

Just been to my local supermarket, which is a Nisa, although things are a little bit more exspensive. I just got what I needed and spent £4.85

Well done. A great start. As u say the local shop may be a little more expensive than Asda but the money u save on not picking up all those rollbacks etc. is more. I shop online for my main shop now for exactly that reason, even with £4 delivery its still cheaper than letting myself loose on all those "bargains". Its only a bargain if you actually needed it in the first place

winner12

Hi food budget was my biggest challenge i now try to shop once a week I cut my bill down from £140 a week to £75 feeding 5 of us then i hit the clothes budget with 3 growing youngsters but I ask my family to give money for birthdays and christmas so it helps and i save for the big stuff uniforms etc all of which i used to bung on the credit card oh and i sold my car and paid off my loan and used the excess towards my other debts ie my overdraft still owe loads but I manage it now and i feel a little less stressed

bluejeans53

sofababe wrote: »

Well done. A great start. As u say the local shop may be a little more expensive than Asda but the money u save on not picking up all those rollbacks etc. is more. I shop online for my main shop now for exactly that reason, even with £4 delivery its still cheaper than letting myself loose on all those "bargains". Its only a bargain if you actually needed it in the first place

Hiya sofababe (lurrv that name, it should be mine)

Never done online shopping but can see the advantages. It would stop DH putting in this and that too, always half dozen things he sneaked in, when my back turned.

Only a bargain if you need it, soooo true, should put that in your sig or can I pinch it for mine. £1 shop a nightmare. OO thats handy and that and that, get to the till spent at least a fiver but noo more.

Thankyou for your input

bluejeans53

winner12 wrote: »

Hi food budget was my biggest challenge i now try to shop once a week I cut my bill down from £140 a week to £75 feeding 5 of us then i hit the clothes budget with 3 growing youngsters but I ask my family to give money for birthdays and christmas so it helps and i save for the big stuff uniforms etc all of which i used to bung on the credit card oh and i sold my car and paid off my loan and used the excess towards my other debts ie my overdraft still owe loads but I manage it now and i feel a little less stressed

Hiya Winner, £75 a week for 5 of you WOW I need some tips from you. I am in the middle of my budget and I have put £50 for two of us and 3 or 4 days a week I can eat at work for free. Making Shepperd's pie for today.

Mince from shop
potatoes, onions and carrots from our allotment (its a waste we do not use it ti its full potential) something else I must stop procrastinating about and it will keep me away from the shops

I must have some of you recipes and tips, think I'll be posting to you soon lol

winner12

Hi you have already started with only buying what you need love your allotment I did have a veg patch at my old place and only grew what we would eat but between homes at present while tackling my debt mountain so I have to penny pinch a little bit more.
The supermarkets are very good at getting you to buy but I dont shop by brand anymore I buy cheaper meat and plan in advance we eat lots of Fruit and Veg which is cheap I dont buy stuff for the freezer like Fishfingers Smiley Faces or Ready Meals I can plan a nourishing meal for 5 for a fraction of the cost and I only let the kids have a few biscuits and cakes its cheaper to bake I know most people work but I have 3 small children and a workaholic OH I rarely see Im trying to find a job that works around the kids childcare is so expensive but with all the other millions looking for work its not easy its been and still is an education for me .
Hope Im not rabbiting on too much will have to pick the kids up soon and now my car has gone i have a 4 mile walk a day just doing the school run but I am fitter and slimmer than I have been for years