Floozie banishes the evil elves in eleven.........

mooomin

And there ain't no point in PADding if it takes you further into debt

I think you're right about concentrating on budgeting before you make any overpayments. Hopefully once you've been on budget for a few months you'll be able to see if there's any wiggle room for overpayments, but better to be on budget until it's all paid off than to blow it because you're trying to fit to a challenge like PAD.

Buffythedebtslayer

Hi IF

I have been reading (feel like a stalker!) and just wanted to say I do the same thing on Tescos card - shop for on it for the points, I eat out on it, supermarket shop on it internet shop on it and pay it off supposedly each month but it never really works out that way. I was CC debt free at some point last year and as I still had a loan it didn't make a lot of difference headwise( in hindsight I should have cut up the cards there and then....why it didn't make a difference I have no idea) but tricked myself into spending on it again cos of the points(paid for all the diy stuff I did). And this Christmas I used it loads..........had £1160 on it which was (like you) a bit of a bloody shock, when really given that I do get a good wage and can do basic maths I shouldn't have any CC debt at all.

and do you know the really ironic thing? I cant find the vouchers and don't have a Tescos near me now!!!!

I need to go do stuff but just wanted you to know you weren't the only one, hope you are having a good and busy Sunday

xxxx

Intergalactic_Floozie

Hi Buffy, thanks for letting me know I'm not the only one out there who does these sorts of stupid things.

sorted out another full bin-liner, choc-a-block of shoes, coats and handbags from the bottom of the stairs. It's a lot heavier than the test bag of clothes I took the other day so hopefully another couple of quid there.

Also found £1.50 in one of the handbags, kerching!

Had to send DH to Morrisons as I didn't manage to get a few more bits at Aldi or Farmfoods including washing powder, which I had forgotten about. I figured if I sent him, he would just get what was on the list whereas I would probably go round chucking extras in.

Also yesterday had to fork out for new school shoes for DS1. His others split and he's been wearing black pumps but unfortunately his school only allow footwear that one would get away with wearing with a suit to a smart occasion and pumps aren't included in that and a teacher caught him wearing them on Friday and put a note in his planner that we had to send him in proper shoes! Thankfully he saw some at £15 which he likes so we got them and a new PE bag (the other bust) so grand spend yesterday was £20.

EssexHebridean

Intergalactic_Floozie wrote: »

I'd love to be able to PAD but at the moment it's looking like I am going to finish the month around £300 overdrawn (don't get paid for another 9 days).

I'm going to give PADing to debts a miss at the moment, but maybe I will PAD it to my car insurance budget as I think that's due at the end of March and will probably be over the £750 mark,...

Good decision in that case. We always try, with money we wouldn't usually have (the the upcoming two months without council tax) just to make sure that it goes somewhere that it won't get frittered, if you know what I mean......we're quite good at frittering!

flying_fresian wrote: »

And there ain't no point in PADding if it takes you further into debt

I think you're right about concentrating on budgeting before you make any overpayments. Hopefully once you've been on budget for a few months you'll be able to see if there's any wiggle room for overpayments, but better to be on budget until it's all paid off than to blow it because you're trying to fit to a challenge like PAD.

I agree with FF's take on this, and it was kind of this point I was trying to make earlier on in the thread, as it looked like your budgets were too tight to stand £10 a day of padding oin addition to whatever else you had to pay out. Budgetting is definately the way to go - only that way do you get a true grip on how good, or bad, your financial situation is, then you can get a handle on it!

Intergalactic_Floozie

Two more bags of stuff to the Recycle Shop generating me £5.05.

Another payout from the survey website, so £3 eventually winging its way to me.

Intergalactic_Floozie

Hello all

God, so confused about this month's budgeting mallarkey because my pay dates changed.

Spends account - balance at close of business on 24/01/11 = -£256.23
Bills account - balance at close of business on 30/01/11 = - £368.42. (this is V bad because I have actually paid the kids Xmas money (£320) into our bills account so it wasn't left in a cupboard at home, so the actual overdrawn balance is -£688.42. So, to add to my massive credit card debit, I've also got nearly £1000 in overdrafts!

This is because (apart from being a spendthrift) I had all the bills between my old normal payday of 15/01/11 and DH's payday tomorrow come out.

I had a bit of a bump in my car on black ice three weeks ago and crashed into another (parked) car. Thankfully no injuries but I had to pay for the damages caused to the other car and that came in this week at £192 including VAT. I am gutted about having to pay it because it was minimal damage to HIS car, and I suffered more visible damage (which I am not getting repaired) but I suppose at least he let me pay for it myself and didn't insist on the insurance getting involved. My excess would have been £150 anyway. I sent a cheque but it still has to come out of the Bills account.

Spending (or rather not spending, is going great guns). I don't spend any money at all during the week apart from my pound for lunch. I also had freezers full of food so only had to do a small shop at Farmfoods this week, and then a few bits at Tesco. Haven't got the exact figures, I need to wait for them to debit.

I've also applied for a new job. Yes, I know I have only worked there for three weeks but my gut feeling tells me I have made a mistake. I'm not being kept busy enough so the time is dragging, the new boss is an inconsistent control freak, I simply cannot cope with 20 days per year holidays and so far I have been knocked back for 2 days at October half-term and 2 days in February 2012!!!, I don't like being a half-hour drive away from home and I don't like the working hours despite having tried to embrace them. An NHS equivalent role has just been advertised and the hospital is only 5 minutes away by car (although I would probably walk) so I have applied for that. The starting times are negotiable and it says flexible working so I think ideally 8:15 - 4:15 would be the hours for me.

Will try work out a money / budget post when my head has cleared...

Verbatim

Good luck with the application. I think you're right that it would be better for you. Ouch to the overdrafts but you're doing well not spending money. At least that's a good thing about where you are.

When you say you've been knocked back do you mean you can't take more than 2 days at half term?

Intergalactic_Floozie

Nope, I can't even take the two days I have asked for! I think my boss would prefer it if she could tell me what days off I should take.

Verbatim

Intergalactic_Floozie wrote: »

Nope, I can't even take the two days I have asked for! I think my boss would prefer it if she could tell me what days off I should take.

Oh dear! One of those..............

EssexHebridean

How on earth can they justify telling you no to holiday you've tried to book SO far in advance? It sounds very much like you're right about looking wlesewhere and I wish you luck with it.

Definately the right decision regarding paying for the damage to the other car from your pocket as well - it would have cost you a LOT more than that had it gone through the insurance.