Flat Eric tries again ....

ZTD

Flat_Eric wrote: »

I paid off my credit card this evening with some of this month's pay cheque despite the temptation to only pay a little bit and worry about it instead in January. I have very little month left in my bank account now but hopefully that will mean I will think twice before I spend !

But what you do have now, is a real sense of progress. Well done! :T

Flat_Eric wrote: »

I suspect things won't be sorted by the end of December but I am hopeful that come the end of January, there will be no credit card and no overdraft :j

If you continue on like this, then it will happen.

chickywiggle

YAYAY well done you.

Am hoping (read praying) some of the bits I'm trying to sell go cause we have £40 to last until the 8th. and need to get a £13 tram ticket out of that + milk and bread.

Wobblydeb

Flat_Eric wrote: »

I paid off my credit card this evening with some of this month's pay cheque despite the temptation to only pay a little bit and worry about it instead in January. I have very little month left in my bank account now but hopefully that will mean I will think twice before I spend !

I suspect things won't be sorted by the end of December but I am hopeful that come the end of January, there will be no credit card and no overdraft :j

That is brilliant! If you can manage on what is left, do try and do that. If not, then make sure only essentials go onto the CC if there is no alternative (I'm thinking petrol and food) - DO NOT use it to withdraw cash!

You're doing really well.

Flat_Eric

I'm resisting the temptation to go last minute xmas shopping bonkers..... I have bought some nice gifts for my friends and family - I don't need to go mad and buy stuff just for the sake of it and end up in debt which is what will happen if I'm not careful.

Im also trying to tell myself I don't need to buy (for example) the HP Boxset when I already have Films 1 and 2 (double disk editions I think) and the other films are always on Sky.

I have done my usual trick of ordering odd items that have taken my fancy because I'm too impatient to wait for xmas (new Prof. Layton game for example) and a classical cd that I saw and quite fancied but I need to draw a line there too and stop *finding stuff* to buy. For example, I REALLY DON'T need to join the smartphone revolution and my lovely nokia will suffice and when it does go to phone heaven, a cheap and cheerful £10.00 phone will do! not a £40 plus a month contract resulting in my hand being glued to my phone forever more....

I've crunched the numbers this afternoon and updated the spreadsheet. Now to work out who I haven't got gifts for and what I can get them for the least money!!

chickywiggle

well done - doing well. must update mine later knew i'd forgotton something.

Flat_Eric

Counting down to xmas now and 2012. (just 9 1/2 days at work left :j) Actually I hate new year so would be happy to go to bed at 10pm on new years eve and wake up the next day in a new year! bah humbug me! I don't mind xmas but to be honest, the time off work is all that really appeals.

I was in town yesterday but didn't really do much in the way of xmas shopping. Did find a nice snood for my OH to give me (£12 (reduced from £25 :j) and a calendar (£4.99). OH asked if I wanted a kindle and I was sorely tempted but after much deliberation and checking them out on the web, have decided to wait until next year. I have more than enough actual books to read probably for the next five years !!! so I really don't need a kindle anytime soon. I certainly couldn't justify replacing tree books with the kindle versions, and of course the associated expense.

Although xmas items have been charged to my credit card, I've paid the card off as its appeared so the current balance on my credit card is ZERO! I can't remember if I have ordered anything in the last week that hasn't yet been charged, but if i have then I shall pay that off too. My overdraft isn't great - about £200 at the moment and will no doubt be more by the time the month is up but as sad as it sounds, any money I get for xmas shall probably be used to pay towards this which in all honesty will be paying for items I have bought over the last few months. I am tempted to get an ipod speaker dock although the one I like on argo£ is out of stock....

In general, things are going ok, i'm going careful with the food spends and I'm trying very hard not to go last minute crazy with xmas shopping - was sorely tempted yesterday to buy extra present for my OH - trainers - £65 but resisted.... thats a lot to pay off on the credit card. does anyone have a magic wand to make me happy and to fast forward to my holiday/xmas??

chickywiggle

**aberaaacccaaadabbbaaarrrraaaaaaaa alohnewyearamo*

well it works in the movies!!

are you near a home bargins?? they always have nice cheap ipod speaker docks.
online example: http://www.homebargains.co.uk/products/1682-vestalife-ladybug-ii-speaker-dock-for-ipod-and-iphone.aspx

I was really glad i held off ordering DH's PS3 games - he wanted 2 top titles retailing around £35-£40 cheapest online. tesco today started 15% off when you buy 2 making it £63 instead of £74!! :T
still want to get him a couple of surprises but not sure what (mayb £20 limit total).

chevalier

I think I must be the opposite of you. I hardly spend money on anything but essentials. So most of the money we spend as a family each months goes on rent, food, utilities and petrol (in that order). I buy shampoo when I run out, I don't store it up when there are 'never to be repeated offers'. Because you know what within 6 weeks or so, there will be a differently worded offer but it will still be cheap then too.

I do buy whoopsies on meat though to put in the freezer, but that is about it.

I have a stash of wool (2 binliners of it:eek:) which I am slowly working through. I think if I got any more I would probably get divorced, so that is a good disincentive.

But buying things just for the sake of it, nope. I only buy what I need pretty much. Even when I get given money for birthday or xmas, I rarely actually spend it on something frivolous for me, it is normally spend on something that I would like, like a perm but can't really justify out of the household budget....

My down fall is books. But I haven't bought any for months, because I realised I had about 40 that I hadn't read yet. So I joined the no buying books till I have read the ones I have got thread. And that helped.

I think the difference is that you see your WHOLE wage packet as YOURS. Whereas I see the wage packet as
my landlords
the utility companies
the food shops
the sport progammes for my kids

AND THEN anything left over is mine to spend on non essentials.

I think it is interesting that a couple of times you have been asked what you have made with all that craft stuff, but you haven't answered. Are there projects there that you could complete for next years presents?

You might also want to look at the demotivator tool to see how much each thing really costs you.

food for thought perhaps?
chev

renegade

Hi everyone.
Have been reading all the posts on this thread as I need to cut down on my 'impulsive 'spending.
The one thing I do not buy now is BOOKS, I am an avid reader and have enough to start a library, now need to find some way of raising money by selling them, not as easy as it sounds, we have no local P.Office so E.bay/Amazon is out of the question.
Now I order new listing books from my library,visit twice weekly(read 3 books a week), have free bus pass which helps, always 'stock up' in the winter in case of bad weather too.
Saved myself £££'s., free books, free service what more could I ask for.
My downfall was internet shopping, I am on my own, always settle my c. cards everyone month, but then I'm on the 'net' again looking for bargains for things I don't really need but I like.
Not any more, I feel like I have actually 'grown up' and at my age there is not much I do NEED apart from clothing, but I avoid the net and save money by going into the shops, once there I realise that the item I may have bought is not as nice as I thought so often go home empty handed but had the pleasure of 'window shopping' so feel happy and proud of myself for having the strength to resist using my c cards. I now have savings for emergencies.
Here's hoping I don't fall off the wagon and blow my savings on something frivolous I will never use/wear.
Good luck Eric and all others attempting to stay in budget.

Flat_Eric

chevalier wrote: »

I think I must be the opposite of you. I hardly spend money on anything but essentials. So most of the money we spend as a family each months goes on rent, food, utilities and petrol (in that order). I buy shampoo when I run out, I don't store it up when there are 'never to be repeated offers'. Because you know what within 6 weeks or so, there will be a differently worded offer but it will still be cheap then too.

I do buy whoopsies on meat though to put in the freezer, but that is about it.

I have a stash of wool (2 binliners of it:eek:) which I am slowly working through. I think if I got any more I would probably get divorced, so that is a good disincentive.

But buying things just for the sake of it, nope. I only buy what I need pretty much. Even when I get given money for birthday or xmas, I rarely actually spend it on something frivolous for me, it is normally spend on something that I would like, like a perm but can't really justify out of the household budget....

My down fall is books. But I haven't bought any for months, because I realised I had about 40 that I hadn't read yet. So I joined the no buying books till I have read the ones I have got thread. And that helped.

I think the difference is that you see your WHOLE wage packet as YOURS. Whereas I see the wage packet as
my landlords
the utility companies
the food shops
the sport progammes for my kids

AND THEN anything left over is mine to spend on non essentials.

I think it is interesting that a couple of times you have been asked what you have made with all that craft stuff, but you haven't answered. Are there projects there that you could complete for next years presents?

You might also want to look at the demotivator tool to see how much each thing really costs you.

food for thought perhaps?
chev

Thanks for your interesting post. I do stockpile to some extent but try not to go crazy. Its tempting when my "favourites" are on sale/offer but at the end of the day, money in my pocket is better than money in the supermarket's coffers!

I don't know why i see money that I have as "money that must be spent" I'm hoping doing this challenge will change that! I am getting better because now when I go into town (if I go into town!!), I look but I don't buy because I can't justify the expense. I have to really like something for me to put my hand in my pocket. and sometimes, If I see several things I like, its just one thing I go home with.

My downfall is also books and I shall be visiting the no buying books page sometime soon to post. I have been tempted to treat myself to a kindle for xmas (with the help of xmas money) but I don't need it and I have plenty of tree books to keep me going, probably for the next ten years! As with most things, if I'm going to buy something then it almost goes without saying that I must have the best that money can buy hence the £149 Kindl$ appeals over the £89 version (mainly because of the keyboard and the fact that the £149 Kindl$ - you can play audio books on. £60 is a lot of money for these features though! I'm annoyed with amzon that the mid priced £109 has been banished from their website! and is supposedly "permanently out of stock". Anyway, I don't need a kindle so I am going to wait until next year at the earliest (ok only 19 days away.... :rotfl:) but seriously, as tempted as I am, I really can't justify £200 on something (case as well) when I have more than enough books to read.

My other weakness is cross stitch and I do stitch with the best intentions and indeed have made a few xmas cards. I do have quite a few unfinished xmas presents also! I work in an office and come this time of day, I'm too tired for stitching and crafting and weekends are never long enough to relax/afternoon snooze/housework/crafting/etc. Need to sort the work/life balance!