Introducing myself - Small changes, big effect!

*KT*

Yesterday was strange, I think I spend £1.20 over and above £10 petrol.

I made a few decisions in relation to how to make the 6 week challenge stick. I have decided to try to restrict myself to £45 per week petrol (One tank a week and roughly what I am spending now). This is going to get taken out of the bank on payday and kept in an envelope.

Food money is also going to be taken out around payday and kept in a seperate envelope. (£100) Anything I don't spend will go towards a treat (incentive to spend less on food!) Any take outs will come out of this money too... At least then I will see exactly where it is going.

I know I will have to spend some things so I am going to take out £20 per week for anything additional and cheap nights out (should I get that lucky...). Anything I don't spend from this will go towards the credit card at the end of each week.

I also decided to cut out my audible subscription too. It's only £7.99 each month but I am going to try to go without. I have one credit left that I will spend wisely. I also have one book on CD that my dad bought me that I haven't listened to yet and for my other spoken word entertainment I am going to use free podcasts.

What are your favourite podcasts everyone?

*KT*

Well, all day yesterday and so far all day today (but stopping now) I have spent entering competitions. Thank you to all the people who post on the competitions board. Fingers crossed for me!

I have been focusing in on certain things that either myself, bf, or parents currently need. bf's laptop died this week so I've been trying to win him a new one (while trying to get my old one in a working condition to tide him over until he can get something decent. It's defragging as we speak) If I will all the competitions I've entered (I KNOW that's daft, before anyone jumps in!), if I win all the competitions I have entered I should have about 100 iPads!! I'll be an official seller of them I think!

I have discovered a new tread too, left over mini breadsticks dipped in nutella! Yum!

I didn't leave the house so spent nothing yesterday, I finished off the eggs for scrambled egg on the last of the rivita (yum!)

Today I might venture out for milk but I could always drink hot water with honey or green tea or peppermint tea which don't need milk. That might be a good extension to the challenge and have another no spend day. I'm not sure what else I am going to eat yet I'll come up with something.

Got homework to do later on too.

I might even get out of my jammies later! Heehee!

*KT*

kaz0705

I'm not dressed yet either KT, don't worry :-)

Re: Audible- how good is your library? They'll do CDs etc that might be useful?

Re: podcasts. I've been recommended the Friday night comedy quiz on radio 4 and have had a look at the other radio 4 podcasts and fancy a few of them (does this now make me old?) but I've not tried any yet. Think comedy is the way forward though!

Re: cheap nights out. Had a night out in O'Neills last night; what a revelation! £7.95 for a perfectly drinkable bottle of wine! considering in my neck of the woods £17.95 is a bit more normal, I felt like I'd won the lottery! You mention that you don't go out much with friends- is this coz of money or has life just got in the way? I would suggest a cheap night out with friends is the best way to get over any blues. A treat worth budgeting for after payday, I'd suggest!

xx

*KT*

Re: nights out - life has kind of got in the way. I don't have a lot of friends that I can go out with in the first place. The friends I have had in the past are all in funny places just now. One is in final year at art school and pulling 14hour days, another has so much going on that you get no replies, another has just changed jobs... etc etc.

I think to be honest I just need new friends. I'm lonely and it's making me feel very old before my time. I'm only 27 but I don't remember the last time I was in a pub except a couple of times with bf and his dad...

It looks like I might be going to a charity night out at the start of March with one of my work friends (that I would like to become and actual 'friend' friend if you know what I mean) £5 entry, race night kind of thing. That's something, right?

kaz0705

It's very hard when everyone has so much going on- and can be very lonely. My closest friends don't live quite as locally as they used so I find weekends can be quite difficult too. I live with my boyfriend so obvious see a lot of him- although he works shifts and weekends which can be difficult too.

However I'm a big believer in boyfriends not being the be all and end all of social lives so I make sure I budget every month for a couple of train journeys to visit friends and money for a couple of big nights out.

Try and aim to do something 'social' (like this charity thing- perfect!) every other week. If needs be, volunteer to be driver- you'll get soft drinks bought for you and it'll make the event much cheaper.

It's so easy to use debt as an excuse to do nothing- I certainly do! But I'm trying to see it as a positive challenge: what can i do on the least amount of money?

If you're going to the gym, most have running clubs too. Its an easy way to start chatting to people- and obviously work too! And letting people know you're up for doing something. Your work friend might think you've got plans at the weekends or whatever so assume you'll say no and not bother asking.

I also think that a lot of things are interlinked: debt, depression etc. So whilst its scary to put yourself out thing but I think you'll find debt busting (and the rest of your life!) will be enhanced by getting out more- you'll less likely to feel depressed when you know you've got something to look forward to! Even if it's a book club or something at your library or finding a colleague that's into pub quizzes or whatever.

Be brave and open to opportunities and feel better about yourself; you've clearly got a lot going for you and would be a valued friend.

:-)

*KT*

Thanks Kaz, that means a lot. I could be doing with someone like you nearby!

Oh, and guess what, just got an email. Another of my books has sold on amazon. Things might be looking up.

*KT*

Well, I gave in. I've asked my dad for petrol money. I kind of sold him a story about my card getting eaten at the machine. I feel that if he knew that it was really because I'm just trying to sort myself out but mismanaged this month he'd be funny about me giving him it back. However, I'm taking responsibility for this so want it to be a loan not a gift (or how will I ever learn?!)

Fingers crossed I get better at this...

*KT*

Pay day!!!

kaz0705

Have a virtual high five for that! Me too! Sweet relief!

Have paid all my bills immediately so all that's in my account is all I can spend for the month. Got to find my sister a birthday present and a friend a leaving present... oh, and mother's day... oh! and might be moving. EEEK. Best go back and draw up a budget!!

Happy Pay Day.

zagubov

*KT* wrote: »

OK, next task done. I've moved my audible subscription payment (£7.99pm and I would really miss it if it wasn't there) I was due to come out on 20th. I've moved it to 1st of every month. Being a POS and not a DD it is the one payment that I always forget about so this way it'll be out shortly after pay day and it isn't in danger of tipping me over my overdraft. *KT*

If you like listening to stories pop over to librivox.org and download free out-of-copyright stories read by volunteers. If you've got an itunes account download "Selected Shorts" and/or "the Moth" podcasts for short stories (the Moth ones are true stories).

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