Our Journey Back into the Black

ROSIEGLOW255

I started a diary back in June but never really got going with my debt busting efforts. I think partly due to the fact that I was trying to cope on my own and hid my/our debts from OH.

This weekend I had a chat with OH and now its all in the open things are on the move again. He is the one who is 'good' with money so will have to start behaving myself now he is more involved with the finances.

It's not that I was extravagent but money just seemed to get away from me on lots of small day to day expenses. I think somewhere along the line I also lost track of the difference between want and need.

The debt stood at £8500ish. Following the conversation with OH he has agreed to use savings to pay off debt which will reduce it to £6200.

Have taken a 0% Egg Card out with a view to paying off loan we have and the virgin credit card that runs out of 0% deal in December. This should give more flexibility so that can make overpayments when we want and less when we really need to to avoid running up further debts.

I have also posted a SOA on the main forum and was suprised at how healthy it looks. I really don't know where i have been wasting so much money per month, it's scary that you can so easily lose track of £300 per month. Have already dusted off spending diary to help keep track of things

I went shopping yesterday at Aldi and only spent £18 and should only have to get a few top up bits and pieces before the end of the week so groceries bill should be quite low this week. It was funny today though as when I checked purse against spending diary realised I was £1 short, thought I must have left it in the trolley at Aldi, can't believe how gutted I was to have lost a £1. Luckily I found it but it's strange how I can be so gutted about that £1 yet in the past thought nothing of spending £20 on an impulse buy that I didn't even need.

Budget for This Week (Starting Yesterday)

Budget/Actual

Childcare £25.75/£9.75
Groceries £60.00/£18.23
Petrol £20.00/£0.00
Bits & Bobs £24.25/£1.00

ROSIEGLOW255

I posted SOA on main forum and have had some really useful comments. From this I have devised an action plan for the next couple of months.

1. Use spending diary - consistently to find where missing money is going.

2. Check mobile usage and see about reducing packages if poss. Both phones are stuck in contracts so can't be cancelled.

3. Cancel ISA payment and put towards debt repayment

4. Reduce grocery budget from £60 to £50 per week

5. Get on to Uswitch and see if can reduce gas/electricity costs

6. Look at insurance packages to see what is needed and what can get cheaper.

7. Cancel lottery subscription

8. Find low cost entertainment options

Some things I will probably struggle with a bit more than others but hopefully once I can see results and I can see the potential benefits it will make it easier to do. Going to start with spending diary and reduce grocery shoping for next couple of weeks and then pick another 2 points to tackle after that. Think mobile and lottery points will be the hardest.

Maybelline_2

Rosie just wanted to say HI! and welcome back! I love reading the diaries... iim wishing you luck on your journey!xx

Marin

ROSIEGLOW255

Well am doing quite well so far but is very early days. Am back to wishing the month away so I can see how well I've done. I am so impatient.

Other than essential groceries haven't purchased anything for the last few days so am hoping to have some of my budget left at the end of the week.

Taking daughter to shopping centre tomorrow as she has saved her pocket money up and wants to go to the disney shop to spend it on some tinkerbell stuff. Will have to stay strong so don't buy anything myself. Straight to Disney shop and straight back out is the plan. No point browsing if I can't buy anything.

Daughter got another birthday party invite this morning so so far this month have to buy 4 birthday presents and 1 anniversary gift. It gets so expensive. Not going to go too mad on gifts though.

Still waiting for stuff to come through from Egg so I can get loan and credit card transferred on to it. Again is probably just me being impatient to get things started. Only applied last Sunday so might not come till sometime next week although am hoping it will come tomorrow so can start planning. Think I am also wanting to see in black and white that the credit limit is what i think it is, £5500. As this was the exact amount I needed can't believe I got it, especially when other places seem to offer such low credit limits.

ROSIEGLOW255

Well been shopping and managed not to spend too much although a few bits and pieces seemed to add up and had to get petrol on way in so what I had left over of budget is soon dissappearing,

Off to look at Chrismas Trees tomorrow. Can't believe how expensive some of them are. Really don't want to spend more than £80 for a fibre optic one (although hoping to spend less). Have been looking online and cant seem to find any I like anyway. Hope B&Q have some better ones in store than what they have online. Wish didn't have to buy one but threw our old one out last year so do really need one. When I think back now I'm sure old tree would have lasted another year but I wasn't worrying about money when it went the journey. Won't be Christmas without a tree so will have to bite the bullet. Can't decide if should just get a cheap one this year with a view to getting a pricier/better one next year but think in the long run this is a false economy.

Will try not to spend anything else tomorrow so that will have some of weekly budget left to put towards Chrismas tree which will be coming out of joint account rather than weekly spend account. Will update tomorrow and see how I've done.

Going to chill out tonight and try not to think about money for a while, although I'm sure I'll end up lurking on forum at some point. To try and avoid think will open a bottle of wine that is lurking in fridge from our wedding anniversary last month and watch Dexter and X Factor.

ROSIEGLOW255

Just going to clear my head before starting to relax.

To do List - Sunday


1. Send off letter to Virgin to cancel credit card account

2. Get ironing up to date

3. Clean bathroom

4. Hoover through house

5. Dust Living Room

6. Update weekly budget to see how well have done

7. Change bedding & bathroom towels

ROSIEGLOW255

Well not had such a good day today have hardly done anything from to do list did yesterday.

Have done some ironing but not all, at least we all have work and school clothes for the week.

Have done letter to Virgin but haven't posted it.

Am about to do budget.

Housework - none! This is my real sticking point I absolutely hate housework!!!! Keep on meaning to do some sort of routine but never quite get round to it. If it would just stay done would be much better. I am so unmotivated. Going to look at weekly flylady thread and try to follow that for the next week and see what house looks like at end of that. Probably still messy. i so wish I was a tidy person.

Went shopping for Christmas tree today but no luck. Saw one but it was only 3ft so not nearly big enough. Going to go back in shop next week and see if it comes in a taller size.

Going to do budget now so will update on here once have worked it out.

MFWannabe

Hi Rosieglow
Check out Homebase for a christmas tree; they have a half price sale on at the moment and they usually have some good christmas stuff

ROSIEGLOW255

Actual spend for 1st - 7th November 2010

Budget/Actual

Childcare £25.75/£25.75
Groceries £60.00/£41.96
Petrol £20.00/£20.00
Bits & Bobs £24.25/£15.19

Remaining - £27.10

Bank Balance - £18.02
Cash Balance - £ 9.08
Total Balance - £27.10

ROSIEGLOW255

Hi Freez

Thanks for that. I hadn't even thought of going there, there's one just round the corner from where I work so might have a look tomorrow.

Cheers

ROSIEGLOW255

Actual spend for 8th - 14th November 2010 (So Far)

Total Budget - £130.00

Budget/Actual

Childcare £25.75/£9.75
Groceries £60.00/£41.70
Petrol £20.00/£0.00
Bits & Bobs £24.25/£13.94

Remaining - £64.61

Bank Balance - £43.82
Cash Balance - £20.79
Total Balance - £64.61