Sorting out my life - Part 2!

iwantahome

The accounts tracker one is the one I meant D'Oh. I've called it about 8 different things to people and not actually used the right name until you pointed it out. Putting this weeks SILLY spends in has already made me have a word with myself about spending for the rest of the week. How on earth did people manage before these guilt apps were available for phones.

And once you try that sleep talk app you'll wonder how on earth people got by without having a good old laugh at their own snoring and shouting out random words when asleep.

copperjar

I wondered if it was the same one - its called Accounts until you open it, then its Account Tracker! There's so many, but I do find that one really easy to use and it does exactly what's needed. Some of them require two degrees and a PhD to work out how to use them! :rotfl:

copperjar

Well, I'm back on the no smoking train although I can't believe how hard it is after falling off it yesterday. I keep looking at my debts and telling myself I can't afford it - not to mention all the other benefits I've been feeling. Its so easy to fall back into bad habits - must be strong!

Had a day of panicking with a colleague about our futures today. Not helpful in the slightest but sometimes its good just to talk and get slightly hysterical with someone going through the same thing! I've been feeling pretty fraught about everything over the last few days, its really hard to know which way to turn and I kind of feel all alone making these huge decisions because of the ex being an ex and my parents get so worried I don't like to talk to them about it too much.

Spent £7 on lunch out (v bad) and have tea out on Wed, another tea out on Friday and lunch out on Sunday! Ooops. I thought I'd given myself a healthy weekly budget to stick to but its going to be very tight this week. Also have a couple of long journeys for work this week so although I put £50 in my car on Thursday :eek: it might not last the full week. Has petrol gone up again? £50 and it didn't even fill it up!

Ordered a load of Christmas presents online last week but only two things have turned up and I can't even remember what else I've ordered now! Think I've still got quite a few "little extras" to buy which are usually the things that add up. Would like to get it all done and out of the way by the end of the week though. Then I can relax and try to get into the festive spirit :rudolf:

jwil

Well done on getting back on the non smoking wagon so quickly, that's brilliant!

It's good that you and your colleague can chat to each other about your jobs, if you ever want to rant feel free to PM. I'm not full of good advice but I can listen!

copperjar

Thanks jwil, I really appreciate that. You might regret the offer though! I can rant for England when I get going!

I won't go on about the work issues here, I'm boring myself let alone anyone who might be reading! The more I find out about the restructure, the more helpless I feel. So I've started looking at job websites properly for the first time tonight. Its useless hoping something will just come up! Does anyone have a good template for a CV? I haven't had to do a CV for years, but want to send one to a few agencies just to get the ball rolling.

Had a refund from nPower today for £62.38 :j I've paid £52.38 straight to Virgin and put £10 into my savings (which now stand at a grand total of £12.36!!). Although I'm going to throw 99.9% of my spare cash at the cards, I'm also starting to worry a bit about having an emergency fund of some sort. Got my car tax due early next year and would just feel a little bit happier having some money accessible for all those things that crop up at the end of a month.

I'm now having a long running saga with o2 about my bill. Tried to buy a bolt-on for additional texts to get me through this month until my new tariff starts. All seems okay when I've just spoken to someone (4 times now!) but the next day, the bolt-on is taken off by some mysterious text gremlins and I have to go through the whole thing again. Tis driving me mad - I've been assured its sorted now but won't hold my breath! Grrr...

copperjar

Just been staring at my spreadsheet for the last hour and if I can pay off an extra £241.60 this month, I will have got my CC debt to under the £3000 mark!! This works out at £10 a day. Or 10 ways to make £24! Any ideas? Probably impossible with it being Christmas, but it will give me something to focus on.
-£24 from ebay
-£24 FieldAgent (these have really dried up though - got £8 so far)
-£8x3 reduction in weekly food budget
-£8x3 reduction in weekly spends budget
-£24 from Amazon sales
-£24 loose change/copperjar!

Can't do clicks or surveys because it takes too long to come through. Need 4 more :think:

mineallmine

hi just saw your thread

i think you are doing really well. had to clear some debt a few years ago and we used the MSE snowball method of focusing on the one with the highest interest rate - it was tricky in particular as the rates radically altered.

keep going - it will be worth it. keep reading other diaries on here for inspiration.

i set up a little notebook of targets for us. to have cleared or to be at x amount by x date. and every few months i would adjust those targets as we paid a little more for each.

best of luck and heres some info about cvs
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Jobseekers/Helpapplyingforajob/DG_173655

copperjar

Hi mineallmine, thanks for popping in and thanks for the info on CVs :wave:

I've started writing mine today. Haven't done one for years, since I first left uni. Then it focussed on all my education (had only had one job - in the Bakers Oven!) and now I have to leave the majority of my education stuff out and concentrate on my career history. There's so many templates available, and you know how indecisive I am, I just can't decide which to use! Think I'll combine the best bits from several...although I should be concentrating on writing it rather than how its formatted at the moment!

I phoned an agency today (it seems that social care management posts tend to be recruited to via agencies these days) and the job I'd seen has already gone. I'll have to make sure that I check regularly if they go that quick. The lady told me she had another job that I might be suitable for - I have to send my CV in for Friday. I don't like this agency business, its so quick and rushed - I haven't even seen a job description or anything and she said they're interviewing next Friday :shocked: I don't really know what to do, I probably wouldn't get an interview anyway, but I don't want to jump into going for the first random job I see that I might hate!

Curry out tonight has been cancelled. On the one hand I'm disappointed because I was really loooking forward to it, on the other I'm quite pleased because it will save me some money! And 3 meals out in a week is a bit excessive :embarasse Having said all that though, I'm going Christmas shopping tonight and desperately need some winter work clothes - so the curry savings might be reinvested!

Still need 4 other ways of making £24 by the end of the month :think:

jwil

What about Mystery shopping? I've had a few emails this week, though haven't taken any up. I'm not sure if the money would come through by the end of the month though.

copperjar

I keep meaning to look into mystery shopping properly, maybe that should be an aim for the new year. I do like my FieldAgent thing, although there hasn't been any jobs local to me recently. Need to remember to check early on a Saturday as that's when I think new jobs are added.

Had another sale on Amazon today for £8.50 so I'm chuffed with that. The DVD has been on there ages as well, I'm always surprised when something sells after a month or so. Need to upload some more items to Amazon, I do find it all a lot easier than eBay, but its finding the books/CDs/DVDs that aren't already listed at 1p that's the problem!

I'm doing okay with my 10 ways to make £24 this month:

• £24 from ebay - £0 raised so far. Need to list some stuff this weekend
• £24 FieldAgent - £8 withdrawn, £16 to go!
• £8x3 reduction in weekly food budget - £8 to be taken on Sat
• £8x3 reduction in weekly spends budget - £8 to be taken on Sat
• £24 from Amazon sales - £27.17 - target met! :j
• £24 loose change/copperjar! - £4.38 so far.

I'm also hoping to save £24 from my Christmas pressies budget - almost finished all the shopping now, just a couple of bits to buy so should be able to make this saving.

3 more £24s needed!