Diary of a (hopefully)reformed shopaholic

LivvyLoo_2

Well here it it, the first page of a diary I have wanted to keep for soooo long.

My current debt status is this:
I previously had £56k debt with OH, which after the sale of an expensive toy and the consolidating of my part of debt...plus new car, has landed me with £19,500 loan (of my own).

The loan has been taken out over 5 years and although I can afford to pay the debt each month I would like to pay it off sooner. So for once in my life I am living within my means and have 6 different accounts which I put money in every month for food & petrol, hair & cosmetics, birthdays, Christmas, car and holidays. I have an account for my little girls spends too which me and OH put into, as I am a sucker for buying kids clothes....think this has been my problem over the last 3 years.

I am currently selling all old baby clothes on Ebay...mostly from Mama and Papas, to pay for her new clothes in winter, although I haven't done so well this week...only made £30 where as last week I made £80!
I do have another 6 sacks to get through though...groan!!!!

I am also doing very well with food shopping for me and DD, I am shopping around for groceries and house products and so far this month I have spent £110, which according to meal plan will take us well into September...and I have enough loo rolls to take us into next year ha ha...they were on offer in Poundstretchers! Isn't it funny, I wouldn't been seen dead in there when I was 16!

I currently owe £77 on Next which was over £1000 3 months ago...so happy about that as my new plan is not to buy anything from there unless I can pay the bill off each month.
The profit from E-Bay will go towards that.

I guess I just need to find out what is the best way to pay my loan off early...do I make overpayments or save up for it in a seperate account? Also do I see what money is left in my current & food account at the end of the month and use that or do I put money away each month before it gets spent!
Under the new regime I should have loads left at the end of the month ha ha....probably not going to be the case but the spending diary is helping!

Anway thanks for reading\listening. Hope I haven't bored you too much with my waffle!

LL

LivvyLoo_2

Dear Diary,

Well today has been a good one as far as money is concerned. After a tip off from my hair dresser I took all my unwanted gold to a watch repairs shop and made £220. I was very pleased as didn't have much and was most impressed that I was given four £50 notes...haven't had any of these before, might take a piccy before taking them to the post office tomorrow to deposit into bank. I was going to the PO anyway to post my eBay parcels so save on petrol too.

I was going for a NSD today but had to pay for parking, I was looking for the little man in the booth to pay him with notes as didn't have any change only to find he has been replaced with a pay and display. The parking was £1.30 and I had £1 in my car but a nice lady gave me 30p...so I reckon for the cheek of me taking it and making 30p today on top of my gold sale, I can say it was an NSD.

The money is going to pay off my Next bill and I will put the rest in my car savings as in November it needs servicing, 2 tyres and tax aaargh! I am saving £80 a month for it but reckon I will still be short as only have 3 more pay days....well I won't be now!

I must say I am off to a better start than I thought with being frugal, but I think that comes with reading all your diaries for the past 3 years....so a big thank you to all you helpful MSE-ers.

Becoming a frugalaholic is a bit more addictive than spending I reckon.

Toodle Pip.

mummytogirls

Hi Livvyloo, your diary just caught my eye so thought id do a quick post!

Well done on starting your diary .

I too am currently selling off my girls things for their winter wardrobe. Made £20 so far so not as impressive as your £110!!

Wow £220 for the unwanted gold thats fantastic, keep up the good work xx

LivvyLoo_2

Thank you for your response.

I have been reading the DFW diaries for months, a bit like a stalker so its great to join in.

Hey £20 is great, I think everyone is on holiday at the moment as I didn't do as well this week. I read a post that said auctions ending Sunday night make more money...I did Saturday night this week so will let you know if its any better than during the day.

Good luck with your sales

LL

mummytogirls

Hi Livvy, I read for a while before starting my own diary too.

I always have my ebay auctions ending on Sunday too by the way!

Thanks for the good luck, you too x

LivvyLoo_2

Morning Diary,

Well I have been very MSE this morning already.

I have had left over tea from last night for my lunch...hm carbonara yummy! I have also called the bank to set up yet another savings account for clothes and entertainment. I am bunging these is one account as don't really spend a lot on entertainment so if I have any left overs it can go towards my fave past time....shopping for clothes!

Off to the PO in 10 mins to post my ebay parcels and to pay my millions into the bank. We have a very customer friendly PO which closes 12-1 (the time most people are on their lunches). But I can park outside and don't need to pay for parking, good job seeing as though I still don't have any change.

I think I am starting to become a money bore and an obsessive ebay checker! Have checked my selling items again and they are already fetching a tennar!

Hope I have friends left when I am DF. I will have either bored them all to death or they will no longer want to be my friend as keep waffling on about how they should have different savings accounts and should cut down their food budget.

Right off to the PO to tell the lady behind the counter she should be watching her money ha ha.

LL

DebtFree2012

You're doing fab hun....am sure you will have your friends - the one's that matter that is.

Stick at it and well done for starting your diary......

xxxxxxxxxx

clippy_girl

lol know how you feel about the ebay sales, i have an iphone app and must have checked 15 times already today! i also bore my friends about food budgets and batch cooking!

LivvyLoo_2

Ha ha, thanks for your votes of confidence. Its good to know Im not the only one boring everyone. Thanks also DF, I know my best friends will always be there. xx

I have checked my ebay sales again, I also have an iphone app so there is no escape.

Didn't manage to get my gold money in the PO today as the lady said you couldn't put money in your Lloyds bank account. So I went back to the office and checked my online banking and it said you could. So I rang the PO back and the lady, who is now my bessie mate said I needed to take my paying in slip along...so going back tomorrow. I was going back anyway as my ebay parcels only cost £6 and I left her with £15, she is good coz she does them when she has time so you don't need to wait.

I didn't end up boring her about money but we did have a nice little convo about selling gold. I think I am a bit of a regular in the PO now, we are on first name terms ha ha.

Gonna end on a funny little story, I was getting my little girl dressed this morning and I said...come on darling put your pantaloons on (referring to her knickers) and she said, 'they're not Loons they're mine'. She must get her sense of humour from me ha ha.

Nite nite x

LivvyLoo_2

Morning Diary,

Well I have been and put my £220 in the PO. I had to put it in the joint bills account as I don't have a paying in book for my own account...have got one on order. Am a bit nervous about it as I am having problems with OH and he has split the wages because he got a pay rise (after 10 years of me being the breadwinner). I'm not worried about him drawing it out but more that he may want to know where it's come from. Still I suppose if he is bothered about £220 then I could lay claim to the £2k extra he earned last month.

On a good note, I have made an appointment with FA, he can get me in tomorrow so hopefully it will put an end to my sleepless nights about the joint loan my name is still on that I no longer pay (OH pays it). Come on Martin (yes another Martin who is good with money ha ha...wish I was called Martin!) wave your magic wand and make my problems go away!!!!! I have not quarms about him paying it each month (coz its the loan for his car) but am worried if we split then I won't get a mortgage coz I'm at my borrowing limit.

Its like a little therapy session this board....don't want to cry into my HM egg mayo sarnie, altho not sure I really want to eat it tbh.

x

LivvyLoo_2

OK well I have updated my spends diary and had half a pizza for my tea...instead of the whole one I would normally cook and leave half of. Looking forward to this weekend as I have made arrangements to see two of my mates who I haven't seen in ages. I have got Aldi wine in...its really nice and a lot cheaper than what I used to get in my Tesco delivery even when it was on offer.

Another hot night, I have been and watered my plants....tomatoes are doing really well and the courgette has had loads of flowers but hasn't produced and fruit...do you say that when its vedg? Well you get the jist.

Checked ebay sales, making £11.50 already and one of the items that didn't have a watcher now has. Mind you a lot of the things last week had loads of watchers and didn't sell...think everyone must have been out for the day, hope they do better on a night.

Going out for my lunch tomorrow, haven't been for ages and it normally costs a tennar, will take it out of my clothes and entertainment budget, more entertaining = less clothes. Not that I entertain much these days, I normally just have a drink with friends downstairs whilst DD is in bed...not good when she is up at 6, but I have done it for 3 years, you just get on with it don't you? Its a small price to pay I guess.

Thought I had had an NSD today, then got an invoice for the kids apps I got for my phone from itunes.

Car in the garage tomorrow to get fixed for free, its warranty ran out of 1st July but when I rang 2 weeks later the nice man in the garage said they would fix it as a good will gesture WAHOOO! Saving of £200.

Au revoir.