The journey starts here - don't stop believing

**Kat**_2

Thanks for subscribing Brizzle .

Thanks Woo - it's not like I do it all the time and it was also hard cash so no guilt there lol!

Onwards and upwards, I am going to open a saving account with my bank today. Be easier to transfer money in etc and thinking of rounding up (or do I mean down) to the nearest £1 daily. Went to do it online but as its a joint account I may have to go into the branch to do it.... Actually I will ring and find out now.....

**Kat**_2

Opened! Have a whole £1 in there lol!

**Kat**_2

Standing order now set up for the Nat West Overdraft. Can't keep ignoring it entirely just as its one of the least important ones to clear, just £15 per month after pay day.

Can't wait for payday now. Checked online banking and £121 into reserve - getting better (I think) but still strikes me that we could go up to the £197 again. Maybe if we just live off my tips and job 2 wages for a week and don't touch the account we will be fine lol.

Right, need to go to the building society to pay in loose change (can't pay that into Barclays savings account as I would have to bag the change up etc and BS has a machine so you don't have to have say £20 of £1 coins etc.

Polly_Wolly_Doodle

Hi Kat,
Spend today reading your diary - great stuff! Will subscribe now.
Have you managed to stay off the fags? What about your DH?

What's the plan on the reserve od? Seems a hell of a charge to go slightly over your od, have you looked at moving a/c's?

PWD xx

**Kat**_2

Hi PWD, thanks for subscribing

We have nearly paid the reserve off (have included the full O/D value but the first £100 is interest free so should stop getting charged soon lol). I can't move accounts as I was declined when I tried (can't see how my credit rating is THAT bad, I have no legal proceedings against me and the only defaults I ever had I have paid off, unless they are still not showing as satisfied).

I had a few blips with the fags, but have never given up on quitting (like I always did after a blip in the past) - I just think today is another day. I haven't bought any and DH is doing really well too, only having the odd one or two a day which is a major step in the right direction.

Just as an update, couldn't pay in my change as the machine wasn't working will try the one in town on my lunch. Checked the bank account and in the reserve and have to get MIL birthday prezzie today . Have calculated though, if we only spend on things we are already aware of this month we will be out of it for sure next month, we just need to be really careful.

This is me jumping back on the bandwagon *jump*

Woowoo

I can't wait to see you finally get out of that horrible reserve Kat x

**Kat**_2

Me neither Woo, it is the bain of my existance. Our own fault really, we could have been out of it this month but we moved DS into the big bedroom but had to decorate and buy him some more storage so that cost a few quid. Plus we bought him some more birthday presents so although it was money well spent (as in it was stuff we had to get) it was a bit badly timed .

Paid in the pennies to BS (£4.27) and got my MIL b.day prezzie (£20 M&S voucher + £1.50 card - budgeted for) so a productive lunch hour

Polly_Wolly_Doodle

Well done on the cutting way back on the fags Kat (and DH) :j, can you set that saving off against the reserve?

We've got a huge (£7k) od with RBS and are moving to the Co-op, all on-line and they accept bankrupts onto the Cashminder a/c, so NO overdraft facility and although a scarey thought in one way, i'm loving it in that there can be no temptation . All opened over the phone and by post, so no face to face rejection, but there wouldn't be! Just wonder if that would be an option?

We should move smallest child out of his cot too but i'm too mean until i can get a bed from Gumtree or something for middle child, then smallest can inherit middle's Ikea bed!
I think if you can get rid of that reserve then you'd make more progress and it would be a great achievement. If you can sacrifice a couple of things for a month that might be enough, i'm sounding preachy but i know you can do it !!

PWD xxx

**Kat**_2

No, I need to hear it PWD. I totally agree with you - DH does too, we are just very easily distracted.

All the money (pretty much) we have spent has gone on DS but other than one more birthday prezzie (this month's wages - his first bike and there is a reason I will be "splashing" out on this, he had to have physio to learn how to walk and he may need it again in future, basically the more activities we can get him using his legs for etc the less likely that will be, health visitor suggested a bike, cheap suggestions please!!) and his party (next month wages, we are doing soft play the cheap way lol, paying for kids (family only) then going out for food to a harvester, we are paying for the kids, adults have to pay for themselves) he has all he needs.

I need to be more organised with making lunches for work. That's where the money goes as we have £10, buy lunch (cheap to be fair) but then spend the rest on carp! I'm thinking of having £X we draw out each week for spends and when it's gone it's gone.

**Kat**_2

Just spent £3 on pegs for my line. I am 100% sure I will make that back within the first un-tumbledried load of washing, ours is so old it it had an energy rating it would be Z!

Sunny day here, tired as I picked up an extra shift last night - every penny helps!

Payday tomorrow - woo hoo. Need to look into the envelope idea for splitting money out for the month. Hopefully that way mr reserve will be easily gone and we can focus on the next debt being the remainder of the kays.