Diary of a Dramaqueen

PollyBanwell

Thanks Urg...I was about to do that on Friday but do you know what... I had totally misread the email they sent me and I've actually been paid MORE than I was expecting!!!! So fortunately...so fortunatley I am OK to pay my tax bill and all my DD that come out tommorrow as well. I am so happy but more than anything so relieved!

Phew!

PollyBanwell

Been having a browse on the boards at other people's diaries and its so inspiring to read about other people's debt free journeys.

I managed to tansfer 2 balances onto my HSBC at 0% which is great as one card was at 26%! I must tonight get an uptodate idea of my credit card balances as I have moved a few things around. There are a couple of cards that I nevcer use and there are sitting quietly with 0% interest slowly being paid off, but I have a Virgin card that I keep with my Oyster card and often use it to pay for travel - and it's also come to the end of its 0% so I really need to focus on getting the balance down quickly. Its nice to see the other balances come down each month but not if I am just adding debit to another one. I wanted to move stuff from my Virgin card onto the HSBC 0% but didn't have enough balance left!!!! I've done the best I can though so tonight I will get on the case of trying to reduce that debt a bit.

Feels good to be in a but more control of my finances and still saving all my £2 coins for Barcelona - but I do know that it is going to be a while until I am debt free.

All my focus has been getting my tax return sorted and getting my commission from my promo work - which I did this week! So this week my challenge is getting the pile of things I have for ebay actually up for sale! They have been sitting behind the door in the spare room since before Christmas! There might be a few quid toward Spain there and then I can put my other savings towards the debt.

I just treated myself to a chicken salad for luch at the pub - healthy and cheap - but the deal to myself was that I'll make lunch for the rest of the week. We did a massive shop last week - £55 split between me and OH but it should last us a good couple of weeks with maybe just a little topping up with veg etc. I joined WeightWatchers just after Christmas and have been totally slack the last 2 weeks - but now today for some reason (might be something to do with the tax deadline!) I feel a lot more proactive and positive. Going to the gym tonight and then a little supper before bed.

Got another 6 working day week this week but then a couple of days off next week which will be nice.

Still in debt but hopefully not forever!

Px

PollyBanwell

Oh God...

Just done an update of my current debt balances and it's now £200 more than when I bagan in December. Partly this id due to the fact that I put £570 worth of flights onto my card and I'm owed the money by the other 2 travellers, but it's debt in my name and so I am going to count it in my sig.

The good thing I suppose is that I have had rather a lot of expenditure ie Xmas, OH birthday, tax bill etc which I have found the money for and and consequently haven't got into more debt, but I'm still dissappointed as I htought I was on the way! The trouble is my Virgin Card. That debt has crept up and up with interest and me using it to pay for oyster card top up etc. I must try an tackle this. My first priorty is paying off the Mint card and will do that over the next few weeks, but then I MUST sort this out. I feel secure in that I am earning more money now and so things should be easier, but I jsut feel its never ending!!!

PollyBanwell

After my blip above I'm am jotting down a few things to do tonight to keep me focused and positive...

1) Make dinner with extra one for lunch tomorrow (Stuffed peppers) 7pm
2) Sort through washing...iron dry stuff and put on another load Whilst dinner is cooking and after
3) Put out clothes for tomorrow (early start) 8:30pm
4) Take photos of stuuf for ebay 8:45
5) Relist and upload items. 9pm-10pm

Hopefully this will keep meon the straight and narrow !

PollyBanwell

Its been an up and down week for spending...

On the plus side the syuffed peppers I made were enormous and so lasted for dinner (for me and OH) and lunch for me yesterday and today!

The downside is that I have spent £39 on face cream (totally worth it and it will last - really good stuff) and £23 in new Look on a pair of pumps, a jumper dress and some long fingerless gloves. The jumper dress and gloves were in the sale and came to a tenner and the pumps I needed as my work shoes broke yesterday! So feeling Ok about the month ahead and will be paid from my second day either tomorrow or Monday. Will be able to make a little more head way into the debts then.

I keep having pangs about the moisturiser, but with presents etc recently I haven't actually had to fork out myself for ages and when I did before it was a less well made brand and I got spots! I see it as investment!

Anyway...on target with my promotions so this week I should be able to invoice for my commission aswell

Ooh, here's a tale for you...

With my promo job you have a weekly target and if you don't hit it you can't claim any commission - just the basic rate. I was told this week that 3 of my leads had failed and so I hadn't hit the target for the week. I was so annoyed because firstly I had worked so hard, but also I thought they were making it up on purpose so as not to pay me. I politely vhallenged it and spoke to my manager and I got a call today to say that they had made a mistake and that actually those leads were someone elses! Just goes to show doesn't it...always go with your gut and stand up for yourself. I'm very relieved about being able to claim my commission for last week too!

Px

PollyBanwell

Also managed to put another £50 into my ISA for Spain...£100 in total now saved!

PollyBanwell

Haven't written for ages so thought as I had a day off today (woo hoo!) that I would give a little update!

After the relief of being paid a littel more than I was expecting at the end of last month I managed to pay off my tax bill and put more money away for Spain

Since then I have been paid for my other job and have transfered my rent money, paid all the next payments on my CC, and put another £50 away for Spain (£150 in total).

I have to admitt that I got a little carried away last week and bought a few things that maybe I didn't strictly need, but they were all in the sale apart from a pot of face cream! Before Christmas I dropped down a brand in skin care and just hated it! I broke out in spots, my skin looked dull and it was a distaster! For a Christmas pressie I was given Liz Earle cleanse and polish and what a wonder it is! My skin completely improved and I absolutley loved it! I also got a tester sample of some clinique face cream and together they just worked for my skin - so after a long rambling what I'm trying to say is that I spent £39 on face cream and another £25 on cleanser and toner!!! I also bought a pair of pumps, a jumper dress and some gloves in the sale for £22 and then a pair of fugg boots (fake uggs!) for £8!

As a bonus I put some stuff on ebay last week - although no one has shown any interest yet! Fingers crossed they'll sell.

I've got a few days off this week which is such a joy after working 6 days a week for a couple of months. I have got up to date on all my accounts, sent a few emails, put the washing on and now need to tackle the washing up from last night! Also going to hit the gym later and I need to pop out to the post office too! Day off? Not a chance!

Hope everyone has a good week x

PollyBanwell

Spoke to a mortgage adviser today! And I know that they have a little bit of a vested interested in us applying for mortgages through them but they seemed rather positive! Am I allowed to name the company? Oh well, I'm sure it will be taken off if I'm not...it was London and country. If anyone has any useful comments then please do PM me! Will certainly look for other opinions as well, especially as I know that in December more people than ever were turned down for martgages.

Off to see Black Swan on 241. Woop!

Px

PollyBanwell

Its been ages since I have posted - can't think why! Lots been happening! haven't been great with No Spend Days but I haven't been stupid either and a money to last me til next payday. Got a lovely bit of news on Friday - the temp agency that I have doen work for inthe past called to say they owe me 3 days holiday pay! Nice! Not sure how much it will be after tax, but it all goes towards the CC payment! I should be able to clear the Mint card with it! Yay! Slowly managing to put more money into the holiday spending money fund. Its been great watching the savings mount up and knowing that it won't be so much a a wrench to find spending money on top of flight and accomodation etc! Still might not be enough but I should have funds to add a bit more when we come to get the euros!.

Had a few days off last week which was lovely but now back at work full steam until our holiday. Should be able to get one more promo invoice in as well by the end of the month - but as its a short month it might not get there in time to get paid in Feb...we'll see I guess!

Oh well back to work... x

PollyBanwell

LBM...

I spoke to a chap from a mortgage company last week and he asked how mush I was repaying in CC repayments. I worked it out as £250 per month. If I hadn't got into debt, I could be saiving that amount of money...£250 x 12 = £3000 a year which could be going towards a deposit. Gutted! Even more incentive to get this dratted debt sorted out. Once my Mint card is paid off (hopefully by beginning of March) I will then be able to snowball my loan and Mint card repayments onto my Virgin card which is the higest interest. Would be good to get that paid off!

Enough of my musings...!