Hello from a lurker!

Blue_Bird

Hiya peeps, long time lurker, first time poster!

I'm not sure which part of the forum I should be on, I'm thinking the best way to start is to explain a bit about my situation and hopefully someone can shove me and the thread in the right direction

I'm not in debt, although my credit card generally sits around the £800 mark part of the year til I clear it then put stuff back on it, and it goes to £0 for a few months (usually til Xmas or car insurance time!) :eek:

I have no proper savings (in that I've saved birthday money that I've been given but have never actually saved anything regularly or long term.)

I earn a good wage but never seem to have any left at the end of the month. I haven't always earned so much, which is why I'm confused as to how I'm always in my overdraft to the tune of about £350 before payday; this never happened when I earned half what I do now!

Next year I am hopefully going to uni, where I'll be living on a grant or about a third of what I'm on now, so I'd like to learn to save and budget before it's too late! :A

I've stolen some of the ideas from here already (love my Sealed Pot!) and I'm fairly good with money on the whole, but I'm definitely guilty of not knowing wants from needs, £20 supermarket lunch breaks, Boots sprees and, as I've read somewhere on here 'three pounding myself to death!' The craziest thing is, I'd never buy a pair of trousers for say £150, but I can happily go next door and spend £170 in H&M on stuff I'll maybe wear once (or sometimes not at all:( )

Clearly my financial logic is out of kilter, I'd love to be a MFW but due to my impending change in circumstances, I can't see that happening for quite a few years!

Wow, quite a waffle there! If you're still reading, thank you and well done! :T

BlueBird x

KingElvis

Hi Bluebird, although you're not really in debt as such, you'll get more responces in the DFW board nearer the top. Loads of people in there to give you advice etc etc

I have to ask though, what can you spend a score on in one lunchtime?

Elvis

Baldur

KingElvis wrote: »

I have to ask though, what can you spend a score on in one lunchtime?

Easy - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4894952.stm

OR http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-11272303

KingElvis

That bottom one is a hell of a sandwich, I must admit to being tempted. I wouldn't be able to move for a week.

Blue_Bird

Oh dear! Well, those are definitely out of my price range! Thanks for the tip about DFW - I'm not sure how to move this thread though?

My £20 lunch breaks are me popping in the supermarket near work and buying food for lunch and possibly dinner, birthday cards, bits I've forgotten on the Big Shop, biscuits for the office and a few things I ''need.'' It's not always £20, but usually at least £8-£9

Lokolo

Do you track everything you spend?
Do you have a budget?

You seem to want to cut down, and using vouchers and such but you could still overspend.

http://www.makesenseofcards.com/soacalc.html
You should fill this in and post it.

Keep a copy on fridge door or something, record everything you spend, and don't go over the limits you set