Sorting out my life - Part 2!

copperjar

Well part one of my diary crashed and burnt before it even started. Luckily I can't find the thread (it would be depressing) so I'm starting again.

My life has taken some bad turns the last 8 weeks. My debts were spiralling (and have got even worse since my first diary attempt 3 weeks ago), I have the threat of redundancy hanging over me - I work for the local authority. And I was dumped by my partner of 2+ years. The first few weeks I was trying to be positive, got myself to the gym, worked out a budget plan, and although I missed the ex so so much, I knew the split was for the best and tried to be positive.

The past two weeks has all changed again. The gym stopped, I've been pining over my ex, had my 35th birthday and was depressed looking at my life. Its got to change. I can't go on like this.

The advice I received last time was to stop trying to do too much at once. I ignored it, but it was good advice! I'm going to restart the gym because it did make me feel better about myself, but I'm going to stop weighing myself obsessively (it usually ended in disappointment). I'm going to be positive, but focus on probably the one thing that affected my mood, happiness and relationship the most. My debts.

I'm scared about what the future holds. There's a real threat of redundancy hanging over my head and £4k worth of immediate (credit card) debt that I want to make as big a dent in as possible before 1st April. That's when I will know about my job prospects - so if I can reduce the debt in the next 5 months by as much as possible, it will take away some of the anxiety I'm feeling.

The month has got off to a bad start - I don't have much spare cash to get through Novemeber because I spent irrationally in October to cheer myself up (it didn't work of course). I've got my Mums birthday in 2 weeks to buy for and of course Christmas looming. I've already told people that we shouldn't go mad with presents this year. I'm thinking I will need about £250. My car is also due an MOT and service next week. And my boiler is just about to give up. Other than that, things look rosy!

I sold some things on eBay but wasted the cash. Will see what else I have available to make a bit extra. I'm going to aim for several no spend days this month and save the money towards Christmas. Any eBay sales or extra money made will go on my debts.

Current situation:
Overdraft £400
Virgin card £1246.70 (0% until May)
Santander card £2374.63 (0% until April)

copperjar

Right. Just made my first two payments this month. £53.43 to Santander and £46.70 to Virgin.

A very tiny tip of a massive iceburg!

jwil

Hi Copperjar, happy new diary!

I also work for a LA, so know what you are going through. It is a horrible time, and people are so worried.

You've had a rough few weeks so don't be too hard on yourself, and the advice is quite right - don't try and do too much at once!

From your spending splurge in October is there anything you could return for a refund? Or is there anything you could use as a Christmas gift for someone?

If not, don't beat yourself up about it, it happened, so just start afresh. You've made a good start today with your payments.

If the debt is your biggest worry, then you are quite right to tackle that first.
Good luck with the debtbusting!

copperjar

Thanks jwil.

Its hard not to dwell when you make a mistake, I could kick myself for what I've done over the last 2 weeks (spending wise, pining wise, locking myself away wise!) but I just need to draw a line under it and move on.

Going to my brothers for tea tonight - saves on the food bill but its 30 miles away so petrol costs trump that! But it'll be really good to see him and get out for the night.

Been looking at switching my energy provider but don't have a current bill to hand. Think I might be in debit which would mean an initial outlay that I can't afford.

jwil

Hope you have a nice evening!

copperjar

Well, a bit of a strange day today. Spent half of it obsessing about the ex and the other half talking myself out of obsessing about the ex!
Decided to have a no spend day today - felt proud that I was organised enough to take a packed lunch, extremely pleased with myself that I didn't buy cigarettes when I was having a stress....but then popped in to see my friend for some TLC and ended up buying a Chinese takeaway. Bad!
I've got about £6.00 in my purse and am determined not to get any more money out of the bank until Sunday :eek: Can it be done? (Apart from petrol money tomorrow).

jwil

Yes, you can do it copperjar!

copperjar

A good day today.

Spent the day at work with a good friend which made the day pass really quickly and returned home to find a joblot I've been trying to sell on ebay for weeks (and got no offers on at ridiculously low starting prices) has just sold on a BIN for £25 :dance:

I was going to carboot the stuff over the summer, but like many things, I never got round to it. Unfortunately I agreed to split the profits with my ex, even though 95% of the stuff is mine and I've had to pay all listing fees. Mind you, we've not spoken this week so I'm not in any rush to tell her! My guilt will get the better of me I'm sure, but its still a little bit extra and more importantly it means I can move 4 bags of [STRIKE]junk[/STRIKE] high quality goods from my spare room.

I've worked out that I have about £320 to last me until the end of the month which freaked me out a bit. The problem is, I put £35-40 of petrol in my car every week and am currently spending about £50 a week on food shopping. That will leave me with about a tenner to get through the week, although I guess it can be done. My main problem is that I'm a terrible cook, and because I'm also trying to eat healthily (I've got loads of high in fat stuff in the cupboards/freezer), I tend to spend quite a bit on healthy ready meals which are damned expensive. And I'm shopping at Sainsburys which is probably the most uneconomical place I could have chosen. Will have a look on the internet later for some easy recipes. Oh God.

Ebay joblot man has just phoned, he's on his way to pick it up. Better get it all sorted! Oh and I haven't smoked again today, but didn't manage to achieve a NSD - had to buy some cough sweets!!

copperjar

Bloody hell. Just opened a statement from Tesco (for my big loan) and from borrowing £15,100 :eek: 3 years ago and paying £171 per month, the balance is now £14,964. What?!!! I know interest comes off first, but I've literally paid off £136 in 3 years.

Crikey

jwil

That's great news about your ebay sale - it's so weird how it works sometimes, you have stuff listed for ages with no interest at all, and then it sells and sometimes you even get a bidding war! Hope your buyer collects promptly.

Is your ex really going to be bothered about splitting the sale? After fees etc, and the fact that most of it was yours, would she really be that fussed about a few quid? Maybe just hang on until the next time you see/speak to her rather than contact her especially.

Have you popped over to the old style board? There's loads of cheap recipes on there. Also Weezl and friends have produced some fab low cost menus on here and have set up a website http://www.cheap-family-recipes.org.uk/ where you can feed a family of 4 for a month for £100.

However, if you are skint, and your cupboards are full, why not have a store cupboard challenge and use up what you have? I know you are trying to be healthy, but why waste it? You can be healthy next month instead or try and have half and half so you don't need to spend so much.

That is pretty depressing about the loan, but it is now less than you originally borrowed and presumably it will go down by that £171 each month, so the balance is heading the right way now. (That's the way I tried to look at one of my loans - at least I could guarantee my debt was reducing by that much as I couldn't re-spend it like I could on a credit card).

copperjar

Thanks jwil

Ebay man has just been to pick up the stuff. I've never been so chuffed with £25 in my hand! Feels more real when you have cash. My ex can be funny sometimes, she's a bit short of cash as well so will probably want the money, but I'm not going to contact her just to let her know, especially as I'm finding the whole "lets be friends" thing a bit tricky and feel much more positive at the moment having not heard from her for a few days. I'll offer her the money when we next speak, but until then, its mine!

Thanks for the suggestion about the recipes, I'll definitely have a look. And I have enough stuff to last me for the last week of the month if I really do run out of cash! Have a few expenses this month as well. Mum's birthday in 2 weeks, MOT and service due on my car next week (will be at least £200) and Xmas shopping at the end of the month as well. Trying to work out how to pay for all this! I'm aiming to get my overdraft down to £250 by the end of the month, but that might be a bit ambitious with the whole car thing. The overdraft always bothers me, I love to finish the month in credit - wondering whether I should put the car on visa and try to totally pay off the OD this month - then pay off the car next month. Not that it makes any difference whatsoever, its all just which makes me feel better about my debts psychologically.