The journey starts here - don't stop believing

**Kat**_2

£6.18 to pay into BS in coppers and up to 10ps

humblepii

Just wanted to say hi Kat, and congrats on your progress so far. Wish I was brave enough to keep a spending diary - let alone share it! We seem quite similar though in that I too spend money on odds and sods through out the day and find it so hard to imagine how I could manage any other way. I am in awe of the MSErs who stick to X number of no spend days per month.

Good luck too with the ciggies! I quit last year but work/money stress means they're creeping in again (ironic)... I can't bring myself to admit I'm properly smoking again so am wasting money by not buying in bulk, but I figure that if I've got them, I'll just smoke more anyway. So it's lose-lose. Where's willpower when you need it?!

Anyway... Good luck!
HP

**Kat**_2

Thanks humblepii - we have set a quit day of Monday. Reason for this is it's my pay day so technically a new month for us.

If I put my spend diary on here at least it's in black and white for everyone to see - it does mean in the past 3 days I have stopped myself from buying chocolate about 6 times!

Can't wait to pay in my pennies. Whilst looking for the BS paying in book I found more pennies - we just used to throw them into random draws, got £1.50 ish already for next week

Don't think I could have a no spend day as I have to spend money to come to work. Perhaps on weekends when I am not smoking anymore but we shall see - it's a challenge but I will do it somehow...

**Kat**_2

Just paid in my pennies. Had £2.50 already in the account (didn't even know) and was owed interest on that money which has been in the account for over 2 years so total in the BS (i.e. debt busting pot) £8.84. Happy days - so it begins

saorsie

Hi **Kat**

Well done on posting up your SOA - it actually doesn't look too bad - at least you have a surplus after your outgoings and loan payments have been deducted :cool:

Will pop a few thought in another post regarding some suggestions if that's ok.

Woop woop on starting the debt busting pot - that's £8.84 that you didn't know you had before! :T

NSD's - mmmmmmm you could still achieve these by counting an NSD as a day when you don't spend anything outside of your allotted budgets, so for example if you budget £2.90 for train fare and take a packed lunch to work and don't spend anything else then that is an NSD for you. If you do a big shop and it comes out of your food budget - it could still be classed as an NSD. I think the concept of NSD's for you and hubby need to focus on not spending on extra bits that you haven't already accounted for as I suspect that's where a lot of your surplus £522.26 goes when it could be used to bust those debts

-s-

Apricot

Hi Kat!

Just found your diary and I will be reading with interest. I am very like you in that buying cigarettes and sandwiches every day and not really realising how much they add up. Im determined to quit smoking and have given myself to November the 1st to stop.

Good luck on your DF journey!

Apricot

**Kat** wrote: »

Finally here is my SOA - formatted a bit weird as don't think it was working properly

Statement of Affairs and Personal Balance Sheet

Household Information
Number of adults in household........... 2
Number of children in household......... 1
Number of cars owned.................... 1

Monthly Income Details
Monthly income after tax................ 1076.27
Partners monthly income after tax....... 1223.71
Benefits................................ 157.75
Other income............................ 0
Total monthly income.................... 2457.73

Monthly Expense Details
Mortgage................................ 317.6
Secured/HP loan repayments.............. 0
Rent.................................... 0
Management charge (leasehold property).. 0
Council tax............................. 106
Electricity............................. 32
Gas..................................... 20
Oil..................................... 0
Water rates............................. 45.27
Telephone (land line)................... 0
Mobile phone............................ 64.42 - for both of us - in contracts nothing we can do Even in a contact you may be able to reduce your tariff to a lower one - if you could get them down to £25 each it would be an improvement
TV Licence.............................. 12
Satellite/Cable TV...................... 56 - sky, internet and landline
Internet Services....................... 0
Groceries etc. ......................... 150
Clothing................................ 0
Petrol/diesel........................... 40
Road tax................................ 15
Car Insurance........................... 36.29
Car maintenance (including MOT)......... 0
Car parking............................. 35
Other travel............................ 75.4
Childcare/nursery....................... 503
Other child related expenses............ 0
Medical (prescriptions, dentist etc).... 2
Pet insurance/vet bills................. 15.98
Buildings insurance..................... 23.1
Contents insurance...................... 0
Life assurance ......................... 20.13
Other insurance......................... 7.99
Presents (birthday, christmas etc)...... 0 There should be something here - work out what you spend over the year
Haircuts................................ 0 ditto
Entertainment........................... 0 Really? This should include your daily cigarette spend at least
Holiday................................. 0
Emergency fund.......................... 0
"reserve Usage Fee"..................... 74 - the reserve MUST go!
Account Fee............................. 15
Overdraft Protection.................... 0.8
Gym..................................... 54 - in contract until Jan - will be cancelling
Total monthly expenses.................. 1720.98


Assets
Cash.................................... 0
House value (Gross)..................... 150000
Shares and bonds........................ 0
Car(s).................................. 1000
Other assets............................ 0
Total Assets............................ 151000


Secured & HP Debts
Description....................Debt......Monthly...APR
Mortgage...................... 126000...(317.6)....2.6
Total secured & HP debts...... 126000....-.........-

Unsecured Debts
Description....................Debt......Monthly...APR
Kays...........................200.......4.29......0
Barclay Loan...................6916......210.2.....13.29
Reserve/OD.....................600.......0.........0

Worked out we have £522.26 left per month which is £16 per day. Here lies our problems . I do have a second job but haven't included this on there as income varies week to week. Lowest it's been is £36 per week so that makes an extra £156 per month or £5 per day.

Nothing in the entertainment, prezzies, clothes and hair section as if we don't have the ££ we don't get.

Serious help required

I know you say that you don't have anything in the entertainment, prezzies etc section but surely you spend daily on cigarettes and you must be spending money on clothes for your son.

These are the things that add up and are obviously where your surplus is going as you are not actually left with that much cash at the end of the month.

saorsie

:T

**Kat** wrote: »

Finally here is my SOA - formatted a bit weird as don't think it was working properly

Statement of Affairs and Personal Balance Sheet

Household Information
Number of adults in household........... 2
Number of children in household......... 1
Number of cars owned.................... 1

Monthly Income Details
Monthly income after tax................ 1076.27
Partners monthly income after tax....... 1223.71
Benefits................................ 157.75
Other income............................ 0
Total monthly income.................... 2457.73

Monthly Expense Details
Mortgage................................ 317.6
Secured/HP loan repayments.............. 0
Rent.................................... 0
Management charge (leasehold property).. 0
Council tax............................. 106 - is this paid over 10 or 12 months - it may help you budget for it to be monthly?
Electricity............................. 32 not bad but check comparison sites anyway and use cashback sites if you change
Gas..................................... 20 good see above
Oil..................................... 0
Water rates............................. 45.27 is this metered?
Telephone (land line)................... 0
Mobile phone............................ 64.42 - for both of us - in contracts nothing we can do try ringing them and seeing if you can reduce
TV Licence.............................. 12
Satellite/Cable TV...................... 56 - sky, internet and landline - see if this can be cheaper by either cutting package with existing or swapping supplier using cashback website
Internet Services....................... 0
Groceries etc. ......................... 150 - this is very good if it's correct - if not then head over to the old style boards for ideas
Clothing................................ 0 realistically need something in here esp. with 3 year old
Petrol/diesel........................... 40
Road tax................................ 15
Car Insurance........................... 36.29 - check comparison websites
Car maintenance (including MOT)......... 0 need something in here so it doesn't catch you out
Car parking............................. 35 use cheapest possible
Other travel............................ 75.4 can you buy your tickets in advance for cheaper fares?
Childcare/nursery....................... 503
Other child related expenses............ 0
Medical (prescriptions, dentist etc).... 2
Pet insurance/vet bills................. 15.98 check comparison sites
Buildings insurance..................... 23.1 check comparison sites
Contents insurance...................... 0
Life assurance ......................... 20.13
Other insurance......................... 7.99 what does this relate to?
Presents (birthday, christmas etc)...... 0 need to budget something in here even if it's only £10
Haircuts................................ 0 need to budget something in here
Entertainment........................... 0 very good but probably unsustainable for the long term so budget in for small treats to keep you sane
Holiday................................. 0
Emergency fund.......................... 0
"reserve Usage Fee"..................... 74 - the reserve MUST go! Yes it must!
Account Fee............................. 15 Why are you paying for banking? - it's your money - swap to a non fee paying account as soon as possible
Overdraft Protection.................... 0.8
Gym..................................... 54 - in contract until Jan - will be cancelling
Total monthly expenses.................. 1720.98


Assets
Cash.................................... 0
House value (Gross)..................... 150000
Shares and bonds........................ 0
Car(s).................................. 1000
Other assets............................ 0
Total Assets............................ 151000


Secured & HP Debts
Description....................Debt......Monthly...APR
Mortgage...................... 126000...(317.6)....2.6
Total secured & HP debts...... 126000....-.........-

Unsecured Debts
Description....................Debt......Monthly...APR
Kays...........................200.......4.29......0
Barclay Loan...................6916......210.2.....13.29
Reserve/OD.....................600.......0.........0 this must must must be your first target!

Worked out we have £522.26 left per month which is £16 per day. Here lies our problems . I do have a second job but haven't included this on there as income varies week to week. Lowest it's been is £36 per week so that makes an extra £156 per month or £5 per day.

Nothing in the entertainment, prezzies, clothes and hair section as if we don't have the ££ we don't get.

Serious help required

Have put some thoughts down for you **Kat**, I reckon if you can rein in those daily spends, work out a realistic budget (your SOA is a good start but you do need to put something in for presents, car maintenance, clothing, entertainment etc or these things will bite you on the b*m when they arise also put a correct rather than estimated figure in for groceries and then if it looks eye- watering high, work on lowering it!) AND pay off your reseve o/d as soon as possible.

With regard to 'spends' for you and OH - could you agree on a set amount each perhaps per month, (say £30 - this would not include train fares or parking or packed lunch brought from home for example but would need to fund bought lunches, chocolate, cans of coke etc <have not put down cigs as you are giving up :T) withdraw it as cash and then once it's gone it's gone?

Just a few thoughts anyway - you are going great guns sweetie and you will get there

-s-

se999

Lots of advice and a free pack to send off for on the NHS stop smoking links below:

http://smokefree.nhs.uk/?&gclid=CLOEyZzY5qQCFdgj3wodpkO43Q

http://smokefree.nhs.uk/what-suits-me/

Good luck with the stopping smoking.

**Kat**_2

Hi all, thanks so much for your comments. We are really lucky with the clothes for our son as my bro in law has a son 8 months older than ours - i love hand me downs lol.

That's good to hear about NSDs - will defo be able to do that.

Groceries so high as taking into account nappies and wet wipes - NOT CHEAP (and won't buy cheap - made that mistake and it's really not worth it as you spend more in the long run). I will have a think about the other items to add into the SOA and get them in ASAP.

The sky is contracted so can't reduce atm but really that's our entertainment so could split across the two maybe? The money going into the BS is for the reserve. As the fees are the same if you 1p in it or £600 I don't want our extra ££ going on charges so as soon as we have the £600 will pay it OFF and look to switch accounts then (can't atm have already tried )

Thanks for the good luck in stopping smoking Monday - will post progress of course so you can keep me on the straight and narrow. Anyways, here is today's spend:

Me

£2.90 - train
£2.00 - lunch (As with other days defo packing from next week)
£6.15 - milk and cigs

total - £11.05

OH

£1.75 - Lunch (pot noodle tinned fruit)

TOTAL - £12.80

OH also paid £20 off Nat West graduate overdraft as they sent a nasty letter as no ££ gone in for a while so as much as we are concentrating on the reserve need to start paying into this too.