“Let it go”, move on and start enjoying life

looking-up_2

Great news - just had a phone call from my census co-ordinator and made arrangements to meet up later to collect my pack.

Off the starting blocks at last.

There's hope for everybody else still waiting..

looking-up_2

A good day yesterday. No spends, a few ebay sales and some paid work done, which means I might just about make it through the month without dipping into the red. Although this is a potential danger point for me – mustn’t relax just because I ‘should’ make it through. Still must keep a tight rein on spending so that a) I DO make it through and b) it really is only pushing crunch time back a month – May is going to be just as tight…probably more so as I’ll be starting from zero.

I have to go to the post office today (ebay sales) and probably best fill up with at least a quarter of tank of petrol. Its expensive round here so I think I’ll just put enough in for the next few days and fill up when I get into town.

Tip of the day – use a soap/net scrunchie when in bath/shower. I normally fly through shower gel but when I was having a de-clutter, I found one of those white netting puff things (not sure of their real name). I’ve been using it all week and hardly used any shower gel. Just put a small amount on it, wet it and it generates loads of lather. Plus it seems to ex-foliate at the same time – skin seems to feel softer as well.

Off to do a bit of ebaying and do some paperwork before starting work this afternoon.

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Current Debts : £258 credit cd and to DH £200
Incomings so far in April £417.79 (ebay)
Revised Predicted balance at end of the month £-268.00 (Assuming will pay DH but not CC).
Due to go overdrawn on 26th April.. 11 days away…might just make it.

looking-up_2

A wonderful day in London yesterday. Obviously a bit heavy on the spends but not too bad (£22- mainly for extra transport costs (tube, parking, etc). I resisted the book stall, which was hard but promised myself I’d buy myself one of his books as a treat when my finances are a bit more stable.

Came back to quite a few ebay sales which was brill. Now, I’m at the stage where I have raised enough to pay all commitments and DH by the end of the month. However, it will mean I will start next month on zero, which is scary.

I have fiddled around with my Spreadsheet and worked out that if I started the month on £200, I will keep a day or two ahead of my direct debits and out of the red. Paid work is paid weekly so this will then top up and keep things stable.

I finish the job mid-May so I then need to find £600 to make it through the rest of the month (May). I’m thinking of perhaps adding bootsales to the mix – providing the weather lends a helping hand.

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Current Debts : £258 credit cd and to DH £200
Incomings so far in April £536.19 (ebay)
Revised Predicted balance at end of the month 0 but need to raise £200.00 for a float for May. Due to go overdrawn on 19th May.

looking-up_2

Tip-toeing along this week. It was really scary paying the rent and afterwards having less than £100 total across all accounts. I will have enough to get through the month but only just. I’m now praying that my direct debits don’t move around too much due to the bank holidays.

I’ve raised £82 towards next month’s float - £118 to go. Caught myself thinking – oh that’s easy – nearly 2 weeks away. However, I have to remember that paypal takes a full 3 working days to transfer, and there are only 5 WD till the end of the month, so realistically I’ve only got until the end of Easter bank holiday Monday.

Better go hunt down some big stuff to list. I have a £20 note in my purse and that’s it. So looks like No Spend Days for the fore-seeable future.

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Current Debts : £620 credit cd (due early May) and to DH £200 (when get wages)
Incomings so far in April £634.06
Revised Predicted balance at end of the month £81.87 (incl paying DH but not cc). Currently due to go overdrawn on 3rd May (with float at current level)

looking-up_2

Just sold a £15 skirt so I dipped into the small float I normally keep in Paypal (just in case of refunds), and pulled out £18.

So £100 to go.

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Current Debts : £620 credit cd (due early May) and to DH £200 (when get wages)
Incomings so far in April £652.19
Revised Predicted balance at end of the month £100 (incl paying DH but not cc). Currently due to go overdrawn on 3rd May (with float at current level)

looking-up_2

Gorgeous weather yesterday and looks like it will continue for a few days yet. It’s been really lovely wandering around knocking on doors. I’m sure the novelty would wear off if I was doing it long term but whilst the sun is shining, I’m loving it.

I might even start the summer with a tan for a change. Normally, with being stuck in the office, I go from palest white to red hot lobster for my 2 weeks holiday and then back to white. The exercise has got to help the weight loss programme as well.

Pay day seems to have been brought forward a day, due to the bank holiday and my direct debits appear to have been pushed back. Therefore, April is well and truly covered and I’ve got enough for my small float for next month.

Mustn’t take my foot of the accelerator though or heaven forbid – spend any non-essential money. I’m still short of £600 to make it through to the end of May (where my large debits lurk) and my job would have finished so no relying on that as a top-up.

I’ve been checking the jobsites daily but not much about. Being self-employed for several years, I’d rather not go back full time permanent. I just can’t face all the corporate politics and back-stabbing that goes on. So I’m looking for either temp jobs to build up some reserves (so I’m not living day to day) or ideally a part time job that will provide a small income to support me whilst I build another business. Of course, unless I find something soon…I’ll have to rethink that strategy and apply for everything and anything.

Anyway, with that note…I’d better start planning my routes for the day.

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Current Debts : £620 credit cd (due early May) and to DH £200 (when get wages)
Incomings so far in April £827.42
Revised Predicted balance at end of the month £275.23 (incl paying DH but not cc). Currently due to go overdrawn on 19th May (with float at current level)

looking-up_2

Another almost no spend day yesterday, apart from ebay posting (not counting as customer has paid) and a local paper for the jobs section (matter of pence from purse). Thought I’d get the latter to see if it was any better than their website which my search never seems to find anything. Answer ? Nope – just not many jobs being advertised.

No extra ebay sales yesterday/overnight since posting. I can’t understand Ebay at the moment – there are days when it goes absolutely dead and then you get a flurry of sales all from the same geographical area. They deny the geographical thing and it makes no business sense for them to do that, but it happens too often to be just a co-incidence.

I had a count-up through my coin bags and managed to fill £6 worth, ready to take to the bank. Then I remembered that I had a credit on an old ebay account, which they promised they would refund but didn’t, so gave them a little nudge on that one. Every little helps – or will do at the end of May.

I checked my bank account to see what my overdraft limit was and was relieved to find it was 2k. Then I gave myself a good talking to for even checking…fine for emergency use for the odd day when my payments/DD misalign but I really don’t want to be including that in my strategy. I scared myself by then looking at the APR – over 20%. I will keep that in mind if I find myself spending whilst in it; adding 20% to any ‘can’t live without’ bargains that I’m tempted by.

No movement in bank account so figures stay the same.

I started to feel frustrated that I probably won’t see any movement until Tuesday, then I reminded myself that
a) The sun is shining
b) I’ve got a nice little job which enables me to be out in it.
c) The latter part of my title – start enjoying life. I’m in danger of doing what I predicted – concentrating so hard on my financial position and missing the summer.

So perhaps a challenge for all us who are watching the pennies…try and forget about it for at least a day or 2 of the long weekend (we do have 2 extra days) and enjoy the sun, our partners, children, pets. There are loads of free events around so doesn’t need to cost anything.

looking-up_2

Enjoyable day yesterday. I discovered loads of pretty locations in my local town that I didn’t know were there. Also, I must admit to feeling a bit envious of some of the houses I saw, sitting on banks of streams or with stunning views across the countryside.

Had a flurry of sales overnight, which will help the May fund.
Off to pack a few parcels, plan my day and get out into the sunshine.

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Current Debts : £620 credit cd (due early May) and to DH £200 (when get wages)
Incomings so far in April £866.23
Revised Predicted balance at end of the month £314.04 (incl paying DH but minimum cc). Currently due to go overdrawn on 19th May (with float at current level)

Buffythedebtslayer

I am so impressed with your diary, your calm balanced approached to it all! I am sure there are times when it doesn't feel like that but that is how it is coming across!

Hope the Census job is going well, I am loving the long weekend sunshine it is brilliant

have a good day

Buffy xxx

looking-up_2

Thanks Buffy. To be honest, I sometimes think I’m too calm about it all and have to scare myself every now and again to give myself a kick up the butt. I alternate between being really angry about the loss of my savings, worrying myself about my potential slide into deeper debt unless I pull my finger out and thinking ‘everything will be alright’.

As the weather is so gorgeous, I’m currently in the latter mode, which is great, after feeling down for such a long time. However, I need to make sure that it doesn’t lead to excess spending or lack of activity on the money making front.

I try to play around with my spreadsheets daily to try and find different ways to set targets, that will keep me focused. E.e date of going overdrawn, days until I run out of money...and see if I can get this total to the next round figure.

My first aim is to earn enough to end the month in the positive after paying all bills and not living like a hermit. Plus, ultimately to be able to build up enough funds to buy a house again. At the moment, that dream seems far away but I have a box of house magazines that I am using to make a scrap book of what my little cottage will look like.
It helps...