The teflon wagon

Bad_Weather

Mmmmm

Need to get my spreadsheet and finances sorted.

Looking at April and I have no idea what outgoings im to have or budgets etc. This is where the trouble begins!

On hindsight my ambitious 1k to loan etc along with other things next month is looking unrealistic! Infact i owe one of my sisters and my brother money. So that a defo no going to happen!

Will need to have another look and re-jig. I feel though I'm hitting the home straight on the loan though! Then can't HAMMER the credit card then HAMMER the savings.

Is there like 5 stages to debt?

1. Denial
2. Anger
3. Bitterness
4. Bitterness
5. Acceptance

I feel I'm must be in between 3 & 4. I'm still bitter about everything. Still got complete hang ups on what my friends are spending and how much money everyones go. Its not a good place to be in! I think it's cos i feel like i've been a mug all these years and now everyone is so much better off than me. That is my only explanation for my bitterness.

It's been about 3/4 months and I was certain I would have moved past this stage but clearly not. I'm thinking once my loans paid off I will then move on to Acceptance....and will stop caring what everyone one else has got. I control my destiny!

Bad_Weather

So quick update!

PAY DAY - WHOOHOOOOOOOO

I love payday - aside from having cash I love feeling productive towards my debt!

Today I have:

So paid £1,100 to the loan. I'm not sure where I've went wrong in my calculations but I now make it that I've paid off £8k!

Paid £150.00 to credit card - although this only actually takes my back within my limits

Paid £150 I owed sister

Bought mums b.day present - £20 (this was a result saved nearly £15 on this!). Will maybe get a wee something else although don't know what!

Bought sisters b.day present - £25. Will get her another wee something at £5! Also made myself a wee purchase at the same time of the same thing - I HAVE A PROBLEM. Although his was as it made her thing £2 cheaper. So can I say I saved £2!

Bought some cheap cards from cheap card shop. Love this shop. Think I'm going to stock up as they do 5 cards for £1 - they are good cards aswell! Also bought 2 for my mates 30th in June. Planning ahead but figure they are cheap so will be organised. Not sure what to do about presents re that one!

Got prices for tickets to London at end April!

My mum and I are going to stock up on some 2nd class stamps following Martin's announcement. As I'm really unorganised so I do alot of stuff via mail!!! Most cards for birthdays/weddings/houses anything are sent via mail!

Thats all i can think of at the moment. Only bought lunch again today - £3.75!

Bad_Weather

So,

Pre tax year ending i've paid in as much as I possibly could to the family loan. I said that was going to be my focus and it was. :j

[SIZE=+0]Therefore for a few months focus now goes onto clearing my credit card! Going to take the same £1,000 i've been putting away to family loan and put it to my credit card. :money:

[/SIZE]By my calculations i should be clear in 3 months. April wage, May wage and June wage!!! As if I include my minimum payments and any extra i can chuck at it. That should do it!

Will be really happy when i get it down to £1,000 - I can't remember the last time my credit card was below £3,000 never mind 2,000! :eek:

Although that only gives me 3 wages for my holiday - Hmmmm. AND i'll need to start paying off the rest of the loan again.

ALSO the BF and I agreed to start saving £500 a month for holdiays/travel/flat deposit.

Also still got my pesky £300 overdraft but thats my very very last thing i'll be paying off! :mad:

So not sure what im going to kick into action - Hmmm - may need to do some re-jigging but that can wait until the April pay day! :money:

Had an unexpected £50 bill. Always something eh. Can't wait until the day i have a 3 month salary buffer in my current account. I'm always told this by people. Been told by 3 people, my minted sister included (lessons learned) that you should and they have 3 months salary in their current accounts - not savings - current account!!! :eek:

One day i will! Not one day in the next 2 years but one day!

Erm what else? My friend works in a chemist and gave me some cheap makeup recently. Not stuff i'd normally buy but its FREE!!! The eye liner is not very good but got some gorgeous eye shadows and nail varnishes and lipgloss! As if i needed anymore make up!!! I'm so excited but keeping it new got 3 of my "work" eye shadows that are nearly done then i will open one of her little eyeshadows. My minted mate was trying to snaffle some of it - NO CHANCE!!!!

Bad_Weather

So anther one of my unstructured rants....here goes...

So as suspected that 1,000 to the loan was well out with my means.

With the credit card maxed out it's left me pretty much up a creek with out a paddle...

But i got my overdraft extended by £200 - NOOOOO i hear you cry!!! This has managed to leave me with £26 to get by until payday (26th/27th). This has been the least of my worries this month. I know it may seem like a massive step back but its really saved me.

As said previously the focus will now be moving from the loan to credit card and overdraft for next few months. Plan to make token payments of around £200 to the loan just to keep it ticking over. One minute i think I've paid 8k next i think its 7k so really need to sit down with the statements and work out what i still owe. Ideally want credit card cleared in 3 months.

Had first wedding on Friday there! Lovely day. Pretty cold day but sun was shining so she will have lovely photos! I was originally going to spend and extra £23 on her present by getting her a wee extra but decided against it. I can't afford it and had already spent more than enough on her.

My friend works in a makeup shop (v.cheap makeup) previously she gave me some of the cheap make up but the SNOB that i was i gave it away (it wasn't mac or chanel or bobbi brown you see).

Anyway i'm KICKING myself now for giving it away - but what can you do! But she's started giving me some more again and i am eternally grateful for it this time! It will NOT be getting given away under any circumstances! I now have enough nail varnishes and eyeshadow to last me a lifetime - as if i didn't before but i certainly do now!

I love my make up - it's one of my things! She's given me some funky lip sticks and lip glosses and they are REALLY NICE i'm thinking my things like foundation and bronzers etc i will likely buy expensive ones again when my cheap stuff runs out. But lip glosses and lipsticks it's cheap all the way from now on! Especially when i decide to be funky and buy crazy colours that i will rarely wear!

Anyway that's a bonus. I also really need to start wearing all the beautiful clothes i have! I'm looking at buying an ikea set of drawers to put into my wardrobe so i can get a bit more organised! Right now everything is rammed full in drawers and i can barely see what i have and wear the same 5 items over and over and then want to buy something new and then realise I already have so much clothes!

My friend who has just moved into a MASSIVE house - moment to be jealous - has this big walk in wardrobe and she said it really has stopped her buying as much clothes (and she bought alot) as she can see how much clothes she has now.

Spent the weekend with family and friends. Except for a lunch yesterday that cost £25 bucks i've managed to be fed all weekend for free! Not bad! Aside from some dinner tonight!

Hoping my £26 can last me to 26th but that is 10 days away so might be tight. Might need to rely on the OH/Parents a bit! x

Bad_Weather

Extra bonus! My boyfs BROTHER threw out some clothes, but he's pretty skinny and likes things TIGHT! Anyway got a french connection cardigan and two pringle jumpers that will look funky with some jeans! A TEENY TINY bit too big but i think with some chunky jewellery i can make then look AWESOME!

After a coffee and free lunch with my mate (he cooked) i'm feeling positive! Also going to try and go without the drawers for the minute! Cost these Ikea drawers and they are like £70! So leaving them for a while - Save some pennies! Maybe pick up something alot cheaper.

Bad_Weather

First before I rant let me caveat that I am actually a nice person - I give to 3 different charities (animals/homeless/elderly) despite having no money. I give to friends and family. I give my clothes away to charities. I recycle. I volunteer. I'm not a bad person.

But the last 6 months have been a constant struggle and has been hard and it's made me bitter and notice alot of small things that have all just became apparent to me now I am no longer in the flashy high life bubble I was living in. Where money grew on plastic cards. This is also my own fault for A) Getting the debt and Wanting to clear it so quick.

I do just come on here to vent - as I have nowhere else to do it! No-one really knows the full extent of my debt.

Anyway.

2 of my colleagues always eat my (and other colleagues fruit) they just come out and ask or not so subtly hint. They have big baskets of fruit on there desk and have not offered anything! NOTED!

Also girl in office won office grand national. She won £50 and has not brought in any sweets - which we are all supposed to do. Which I had to do last week. NOTED.

Silly small things like this annoy me as I'd be out spending £10-£15 in M&S feeding everyone and now that I've taken stock I've noticed how much no-one else does! Muggings me again.

Also the girl that sits beside me, if i have sweets shes over helping herself to them sitting on my desk but shes secretly dipping in and out of her drawer hiding her sweets. COME ON!

This year has been a miserable learning curve!

I think things like this are not at the people/friends but I more angry at myself for being a mug for so long and little things like this always make me realise how much of a fool I was before. Throwing money about on other people that I didn't have. When they have more money and i'm not saying are being cheap but obviously aren't wasting it on me!

I'm cleary still miserable and not over the bitter stage yet. Hopefully when I start having saving for my holiday it will put a nicer light on things as right now I'm throwing cash everywhere and it seems to be on everyone but me!

Also my mum really randomly said to me today - you better not have run up your M&S credit card. I said no no no. TERRIFIED now she will ask to see it - this is like the loan incident 6 months ago. So need to hammer the credit card more than ever now.

Bad_Weather

Productive day despite not having a penny!

FINALLY opened joint bank account with OH despite face that we've been together for nearly 4 years! Going to just use it to pay some bills and mostly food shopping. We'll both transfer £200 a month that will cover all shopping and dog bills.

Got the origins free moisturiser!

Got my laptop fixed at apple - for a cost of £40 bucks but best £40 bucks i'll spend in my life! I live on my laptop. Genius bar guy was really great aswell - well done apple!

Got a new dentist that isn't 50 miles away! First appointment next week! I need some serious treatment as currently having problems sleeping, actually looking forward to the dentist so i get a good nights sleep....looking forward to the dentist!!!

Love Lush. Have no money just now (£6 left in bank account). Can't wait until pay day and I'm going to go in and buy a bath bomb!

Had a bad month moneywise this month. It's amazing how much it plays on your mind. Think i've neared a breakdown once or twice. Think it's been down to me trying to pay far to much to the loan last month. Next month I won't make same mistake. Hopefully will budget better. Plan for total debt repayments is £700! Should make next month more manageable next month.

Despite my opinions on lunches I'm going to TRY and bring I'm my lunch a couple of days. Even 2 days would save me roughly £10 bucks.

However increased my overdraft by £200 and owe my mum £220, owe my sister £115. Not good.

xx

Bad_Weather

So for some reason i've decided to torture myself with my wishlist for this year.

In order of WANT:

Laser eye surgery - due to fears i won't be scrimping on this so be around 4k?

External harddrive for my laptop - £90


Clip in hair extensions - not so much for length but thickness - £120

Pair of trainers - £60 - £75 - Likely to become a NEED very soon

Pair of converse - £40


Camelbak - £65

I also want to give more to charity than i currently do. Add another £10 to a charity and up my sspca donation to £15 a month. Also want to sponsor a dog.

Snowboard clips - still on my list from xmas. Dunno £60?

Realistically none of these will be getting purchased until I have cleared my credit card. But they are goals none the less!

Also realistically even though first on my list laser eye surgery will likely be last.

xx

miggy

Hi,

Sorry it's been tough financially recently. Would it help to pay off a bit of what you hope to pay at the beginning of the month then pay the rest at the end - as much as you have left in cash? I know you're wanting to hammer the M&S card but if your Mum asks to see it at least you could then say 'But I've put £100 (or however much) in the bank to put towards it'?

Loving the free makeup! And jumpers! (And nice friends ) That's a good way of feeling you have something shiny and new even if you're not wearing just-bought clothes.

Talking of wearing what we've already got, I was shopping recently for something to wear to an event and saw some stuff I liked but it suddenly occurred to me I already had a dress that would be perfect if I could only think where it was! :rotfl:

Went home and checked the list on the inside of the wardrobe door which is where I am supposed to keep a note of the stuff I've stashed in the loft. There was the dress and to my surprise I found it almost at once. It was one I bought years ago and hadn't worn, nearly got rid of it for taking up space but when I tried it on I saw it really suited me and was a classic style so it wasn't 'dated'. Anyway it was absolutely right for what I wanted and I didn't have to spend to get it.

Just passing that on to you in the hope you'll be inspired to see what's lurking and get a new look for free!

Once you've cleared the cc, maybe you could get yourself an ISA to save for the laser eye surgery? You could get good interest, not have to pay tax on it, and the incentive to keep the money in the account would be there because you lose the tax-free status on the interest once it's been taken out, even if you top up the money again. Besides, your Mum will probably be very impressed if you mention you have an ISA! There's a section on this website about them somewhere. (ISAs not Mums).

First though I guess you need to stop the money running away... you could have a go at making DIY bathbombs (recipes on the net) though there would be the initial cost of ingredients. Any of the gifted makeup that you don't like could go on Ebay or be given away - amazingly people will buy part bottles on Ebay!

I think I missed what the problem is with lunches? Good for you taking some in though. For me the trick is to plan (doesn't always happen) - otherwise it's yet another sachet of microwave porridge, but at least that smells great. And you could wander over to those colleagues who have the big baskets of fruit and just ask if you can have some!

It's hard to stop being the one who feeds everyone but it will make a big difference. If it helps get you over it could you take in a bag of sweets and make a point of handing them round then when they're gone, they're gone? But people will know they've had something from you because you were at their desk earlier with the bag. (Rustling it loudly then saying 'Oh, they've all gone!') That could wait till you've been paid though.

Keep focused - payday's on the way!

Bad_Weather

Hey Miggy!

Apologies I've been really bad since I last went AWOL and not really been on many other diaries! Plan to catch up this weekend!

Plan is to do exactly as you said next month, pay X off and see what's left at end. Just been an awful month moneywise and just lifeingeneralwise! Thankfully I came to my sense re buying IKEA drawers! Last thing I needed, some re-jigging and things are looking better. Still got some more to do but will do this at weekend or a tiny wee bit each night this week!

I know the free makeup is good! And jumpers! Will need a foundation and powder soon but other than that i should be set for the rest of the year! LOVING your idea of the list! I have wee vac pac of clothes think i will do that with them!!!! Yeh defo been trying to re-jig my old clothes! Plan not to be buying anything for a while, back to my jogging network aswell so should be able to fit into all the clothes that got a bit tight!!!

They come up and hint like ohh those oranges are so juicy and good looking, or ohh is that green tea? I'd love a green tea today. Even yesterday when I swore I wouldn't I found the words just coming out of my mouth - would you like a teabag? And take a orange! It sounds so petty now but it's because before I'd bring in tins of biscuits and bags and bags of sweets and chocolate. Trying to stop feeding them (as you say). Especially when I am now sitting with £2.04 in my bank account and everyone else is out to prêt a mange and M&S for lunch! And buying new cars and new houses etc. These are things that I constantly remind myself of, although I'm still a bit bitter its what I need to and have been doing to curb my spending. I've got better re the presents where I no longer feel the need if a saving is made to go out and purchase something else to make up for it!

My department also started a thing where each month someone has to bring in sweets, all the other departments do it, anyway your allowed home baking so I plan to master some cakes for this! Surely cake ingredients wouldn't come near the cost of sweets? Going to try cooking a cake a week and then it can be taken into work for my afternoon treat First cakes will be basic sponge cakes or coffee and walnut cakes since these are just 2 more ingredients to the sponge cake that I have in flat. Also banana and walnut loaf so I start using up my bananas when they go bad! Any other easy sponge cake adaptions?


Lunches - well i'm not very good at making them. But going to try a compromise of even just bringing in the salad and onions etc and using the salad bar in the canteen for the extras that i would never normally have! Will try and make some soup aswell! Soup i actually like!!!

I am planning to start saving for the laser eye surgery, just can see how this is feasible at minute with cc. Plan to start a "general" pot of savings that will go towards holidays/weekends and emergencies etc. Agree 100% that this should be In the ISA so my mammy will be happy

Online bathbombs thats a good idea! I also saw homemade lemon and sugar scrub think once things are a bit hectic i'll try and make that one day!

Was finding myself getting overwhelmed by things this last month. By time I got in at night most call centers were closed and couldn't really make calls during day etc so decided that on Friday lunchtimes from now on I will go to nearest coffee shop and sit with my cake and buy a latte and do whatever personal admin/phone calls I need to do!

Laptop goes in today! WHOOHOO. Find myself having to do so much stuff online at work as I've not had my own laptop - not good! But that should hopefully be sorted very very soon!

Thats about it...EXCEPT PAYDAY TOMORROW!!! Set up all dd's to people i owe money so hopefully what is left is MINE! x