Sorting out my life - Part 2!

iwantahome

sorry to hear your news copperjar, I don't really know what to put here as I have never gone through this myself, although people I know have and it is not a pleasant feeling at all. Hope you find something else soon.

copperjar

Thanks iwantahome. I'm still trying to figure out a way forward, lots to think about and maybe I need a few days to just not think about it at all! My head is spinning and I'm absolutely exhausted. One thing is very clear though - I *must* get the CCs paid off before any potential redundancy or loss of income comes into effect - which will be 1st July. So I have a few months to get it paid off and either some of the loan off as well, or some savings to tide me over. Had a bad few spending days - spent on my Barclaycard tonight

cazmcf

So sorry that things have turned out like this for you. But 7 months is a long time to put a plan and strategy into place. I hope you can do this with support from your friends and family and from us on here.

There are a lot of inspirational diaries on here, which are great fro getting ideas from. The most inspirational I have read is memory girls make do and mend, have a look if you get some time.

I hope you get some sleep tonight

caz

jwil

Sorry to hear about your job (hugs).

7 months is a decent amount of time to get some plans in place and do some research about setting up on your own if that's the way you want to go.

You can also do a good bit of debtbusting in that time too.

Good luck with it! We're always here if you need to vent.

copperjar

Well its been a bad few days for me money saving wise. I don't really know what's happened but I've lost all money saving mojo and have spent more than I intended. Haven't gone mad, but could have done so much better, especially with not having to put petrol in my car on account of being snowed in!

I've tried to forget the work situation this weekend (failed!) and need to clear my head to make some decisions. The problem is, there are several half options and I can't decide which route to take. I could apply for a job with my current employer - which means keeping my pension and AL entitlement built up over ten years - but there are no jobs suited for me in the restructure, so it would be for a temporary post which I'm not even sure I'd like. I can apply for any external jobs local to where I currently live. I could apply for a job anywhere and move. Or I can go down the route of setting up on my own. I'm just very confused as to the best option to take.

Money wise, I should get throught to payday without spending any more money, so I can update my totals!

£380 paid off the OD :j
£79.41 paid off Virgin (must do better - this will be my focus in December)
£58.43 paid off Santander. Poor but was focusing on OD.
Total = £517.84 plus £270 payment to loans :dance:

Crikey, how have I managed that?!

copperjar

Going to refocus this diary onto money saving! Have realised that its full of other nonesense and its also a bit depressing!

I've had a real bad last week in the month spending wise, which is frustrating because I was so focussed in the first 3 weeks! Its so easy to put spending onto a credit card without worrying about the expense. Looking back through my diary, I was annoyed at spending £7 on a book earlier in the month, today I spent £12 on random rubbish from the local shop - because it was going on my Barclaycard! I guess its made me realise that I really need to focus in the final week of the month - and not leave myself too short that I resort to using the Barclaycard - because then spending becomes too easy. It means that the £90 or so I'd paid off for the car service is back on (well, half of it is) - and I'd worked so bloody hard to get that £90 paid off! It also means that I'll have less money on pay day to put towards the other CCs. Grrrr....

Aims for December:
- pay Barclaycard and OD off completely
- pay £400 towards other cards :eek:
- pay for Christmas without using CCs

I've just switched energy supplier via TCB which (if it tracks) will be £80 - and the DD will also come down by £28 pm. Also got my bill from current energy supplier today and I'll be getting £65 back in December for over payments :dance: So that's a little bonus I wasn't expecting and will go straight onto the Virgin CC.

Need to dig out the renewal date for Life and Buildings&Contents Insurance so I can swap these too.

Feeling a bit re-energised money saving wise. Pay day tomorrow!

copperjar

Pay day today :j

Looking forward to working out my monthly budget and paying some bills...how sad is that?! Have spent the last hour looking for (yet another) iPhone app that will do everything I want it to! Not having a great deal of success so far though. I'm so indecisive!

Quite chuffed with a small money saving success today. Have been monitoring my phone text usage after get a big bill in Sept and realised that I would go over my allowance this month and get charged 12p per text! :eek: So I phoned o2 to ask about adding a text bolt on and the lovely customer services lady said that she can put me onto the new 2010 tarrif at no extra cost to me which includes unlimited texts! I think they're a bit naughty not just offering me that (I often go over my text allowance) but its taught me to not just accept things - ask and you might get!

Right - time to work out my payments. Oh and its exacty 4 weeks since my last cigarette! :dance:

jwil

Happy Payday! 'Tis here too:j

I always get up really early on payday to get the bills paid and see how much money I've got left (very little usually ), but it is so satisfying anyway knowing that the totals have gone down a little bit.

Well done on what you've paid off already, the new phone deal, energy tariff and the non smoking :T:beer:

copperjar

Right then, first payments of the month made. I want to give myself a reasonably comfortable weekly amount to live on, with it being Christmas and having struggled so much through November. But although I've budgeted for it, I'm actually hoping that I'm able to save 20%-50% of my "spends" budget per week - without feeling I'm denying myself too much! I've also reduced my food budget by £25, but upped the petrol one because it wasn't realistic last month.

Luckily, I also got £200 back in mileage expenses this month which I've put to one side for Christmas presents. I'll probably need a bit more than that, but its a good start...and I guess its time for me to actually start buying stuff! Still haven't bought one single present :eek: I really need to do a big food shop as well, but hate driving in the snow so have been buying snacks from the corner shop (v expensive!!). Might have to brave it tomorrow and get myself to the supermarket.

Anyway, payments today:
Barclaycard - £101.14. Now fully paid off!
Overdraft - £20. Fully paid off!
Virgin CC - £107.29. All spare cash this month will be thrown at this card
Santander CC - £52.23. Just the minimum payment again this month. Tried to set up internet banking with Santander but the passcode they sent hasn't been accepted and I'm scared to pay money via my current account online until I know its set up properly! So until then I'll concentrate on the Virgin card.

Right...time for internet Christmas shopping me thinks! :xmassmile

copperjar

Thanks jwil!! :beer: