bobble_hat's Debt Diary

bobble_hat

I've just recieved my payslip for this month, so I've redone my SOA.

I've recieved my pay increase plus the back pay from the date of the increase. I've taken this amount (£236.57) off straight away as my Christmas fund. This includes presents, works Christmas meal and travel (I'm going away for 10 days over Christmas). :xmassmile

I've removed my savings budget and am hammering the debts instead as suggested. The first month, i.e. this month, I will pay the mininum on my debts as I'm in the process of doing a balance transfer to a 0% card. I can then ensure I have a buffer amount in my bank account for the beginning of each month (I have removed my overdraft facility so this is more important now).

Not sure what my new actual monthly figure will be with the pay rise figured in after tax. Will have to wait a couple of months as I have overtime due next month too (that will go straight against debts).

So here it is:

HOME
Rent - £300.00
Buildings & Contents Insurance - (looking into this)
Mobile Phone Bill - £10.00
HOME TOTAL - £310.00

EATS, DRINKS & SMOKES
Food & Household Shopping - £86.60
Nights Out/weekends away (far flung friends) - £86.60
EATS TOTAL - £173.20

TRANSPORT & TRAVEL
CSMA breakdown cover - £4.13 (Need to reassess this)
Bus - £43.30
Car Maintainence/MOT - £10.00
Car Insurance - £18.21
Car Tax - £10.00
Petrol - £30.00
Humber Bridge Toll - £5.40
TRANSPORT TOTAL - £121.04

DEBT REPAYMENTS
Credit Card Repayments - £20.00
Student Loan Repayments - £594.44
DEBT REPAYMENT TOTAL - £614.44

FUN & FROLICS
Swimming/cycle repair/salsa - £43.30
FUN TOTAL - £43.30

BIG ONE OFFS
Cost of Christmas - £42.00
Cost of Birthdays - £10.00
BIG ONE OFF TOTAL - £52.00

CLOTHES
New Clothes - £20.00
Work Clothes - £15.00
CLOTHES TOTAL - £35.00

ODDS & SODS
Dentistry - £22.79 (High cost due to car accident so covers insurance of major dental surgery)
Haircuts - £13.00
Optical Bills - £26.00 (Toric contact lenses - cheapest option)
Pocket money - £43.30
ODDS TOTAL - £105.09

OUTGOINGS TOTAL - £1454.07
INCOME TOTAL - £1457.79 (Old salary. Will figure pay rise in after Christmas)

I won't be paying anything off the debts in December so it gives me a Debt Free Date of April 2007. I will try and bring this foward if possible. I want to start saving to go to Australia next year. _party_

irishwench69

Nothing useful to add, other than well done on the new SOA.....you're doing really well! :j

IW x

bobble_hat

I got paid on Thursday. I had a lovely pay packet with my pay rise from August plus all the back pay. I immediately took the extra aside for Christmas. The rest was budgeted for in the usual way. My latest SOA is above.

I've created an expenses sheet for each group of outgoings in my filofax and will be noting down everything I spend and taking it off the allocated amount, so that I always know how much I can afford to spend. I've not allocated any more than the minimum for my debts this month, because I need a buffer in the Bank as I have no overdraft facility. I feel quite organised.

I know it's Christmas and possibly not the best time of year to be strict with myself. But I have the added advantage of the back pay.

Bring it on December. :j

Possibly off out for a nice long walk in the Country with housemates today, so that's £1 for parking and about £5 for a pub lunch.

Tustastic

Your budget looks very good, bh. I am interested in the contact lens aspect. I try to have a few lens free days each month (LFDs). I managed 4 in November. Obviously not on driving days as I am short sighted. It only saves me money on solutions because *looks furtive* I just buy one pair of lenses a year and keep wearing them. I've been doing this for 25 years and have had no problems with my eyes. Have you considered LFDs?

bobble_hat

Hi Tustastic,

Thanks for you comments, I do have lens free days, usually on the weekends when I'm not going anywhere. I'm afraid I'm a bit vain about using lenses instead of glasses

I made a decsion when I started budgeting about what is important to me and my health came out top so I don't mind paying for the dentistry and the lenses. I'm really nervous about not following the instructions for lenses as I'd hate to damage my eyes, just a Virgo thing too I think :rotfl: The amount I pay includes all of my sight tests and check ups.

Tustastic

Sounds like you have got a really good deal on the lenses and eye tests. May I ask where you get them from? I should look into bargain dailies but I enjoy visiting my optician once a year and it would be the end of an era to tell him to hand over my prescription so I can leg it into cyberspace for a cheaper deal. Must be a Cancerian thing:)

CAFCGirl

Hi Bobble

I just wanted to say well done on starting up your own diary, it's a real kick in the behind when you need it and the help people post is invaluable.

Sounds like you've got a real plan and are very motivated to get started.

In terms of your xmas budget have you set an amount per person? Or will it just be what you see for each individual?

Another quick q, is that now you've had your back dated pay and have put this aside for xmas, do this mean that the £42 in your SOA under Xmas is now floating extra dosh?I'd say slap it either into your savings or against the credit card....

Well done on starting yourself off, I'll be an avid reader and see what you're getting up to that I'm not

bobble_hat

Tustastic wrote:

Sounds like you have got a really good deal on the lenses and eye tests. May I ask where you get them from? I should look into bargain dailies but I enjoy visiting my optician once a year and it would be the end of an era to tell him to hand over my prescription so I can leg it into cyberspace for a cheaper deal. Must be a Cancerian thing:)

I go to Vision express. I get fortnightly lenses, you do have to clean but get a new pair every two weeks. I looked into bulk buying for a year and would have been more expensive for Toric lenses and I wouldn't have had the aftercare and check-ups either.

bobble_hat

CAFCGirl wrote:

Hi Bobble

I just wanted to say well done on starting up your own diary, it's a real kick in the behind when you need it and the help people post is invaluable.

Sounds like you've got a real plan and are very motivated to get started.

Thanks CAFGirl :T

CAFCGirl wrote:

In terms of your xmas budget have you set an amount per person? Or will it just be what you see for each individual?

I've been really lucky this year, all my family have agreed that we're just buying for the children, so that's 5 nieces and nephews for me to buy for and my Mum. I have limited spends to no more than £10 per person.

The girls and I are meeting for a shopping trip to Durham (we're spread around the country), so that's our present money. My back pay should cover all the presents, my travel and my work's Christmas meal.

CAFCGirl wrote:

Another quick q, is that now you've had your back dated pay and have put this aside for xmas, do this mean that the £42 in your SOA under Xmas is now floating extra dosh?I'd say slap it either into your savings or against the credit card....

LOL :rotfl:I'd forgotten about that, so yes, I will be putting this towards the debts. Thank you :T

bobble_hat

I'm currently in a transition at work, being outsourced to big Blue, it's great for my CV but means I'm being monitored so should no longer be surfing the net at work.

*coughs and looks around nervously*

I may not get access to this site everyday and I'm addicted, so not sure how I'll cope. I do have a plan though. I've got Overtime money due in my next pay packet, so I've decided to invest in a laptop after Christmas. (Will be scouring the sales). I've been asked to build a website for a friend who will be paying me, so I see this as a longer term investment too. As I'll need access to a computer at home to build and maintain it. I already edit a site for another friend, but I sold my PC at the same time as most of my belongings to get out of debt, and move to a rented room.

It also means I'll be able to get my daily MSE fix after Christmas, without the risk of being fired for being on the net all day. :eek: