Have grasped the nettle..........now to deal with the ensuing rash

moneywaster-nomore

Hiya what are your plans ? are they exciting ? what is september going to bring ?

moneywaster-nomore

Hiya Igamogam, you ok ? not done your diary for a while.

Igamogam

moneywaster-nomore wrote: »

Hiya Igamogam, you ok ? not done your diary for a while.

Got my head in the sand a bit MWNM:(

moneywaster-nomore

I know how that feels. I was missing for a while and felt myself, sliding back into old ways. Its so tiring, just a constant battle. Stay well.

Igamogam

Now this might be a long rambling post so bear with me - applying the law of physics that its easier to keep something moving than getting started ( or something like that!) I am just hoping this will get my back on track..........

Things had been going fine for a long time. Well the debts where not rising, I was being very careful and applying all things MSE as much as possible whenever possible and I felt in control. Work started to get more than usual stressful about May time - long story short - my little bit was to be moved to another location and it was in the end all last minute, all handled really badly, I lost good staff along the way,was somehow passed over for a stab at a new role and left so high and dry at the end that I face returning to work on Monday after 7 weeks off to I know not what:eek: Have no idea who I am working with - staff and kids.....I am a teacher BTW for those of you who may have jumped in here,with kids who shall we say present a 'challenge';).

I think from about mid July I really took my eye of the ball ....... every blinking ball and things have taken a nose dive. I still havent looked at the figures so I guess head is still in the sand. Somehow in August a DD got missed - bank refused to pay because I was 43p over my OD limit pushed over limit by enormous garage bill of £500 and the knock on effect has been stupendous:eek: DD was for payment to CC so was charged a default sum of £12 plus another £12 for returned DD plus 1 month interest even though I paid more than the DD on line the very next day. They did say I could keep my 0% deal though. Then the bank charged me £5 per day for going over limit but as I was away at the time I didnt know so that was an extra £25........and so it went on really and I just focussed on getting to the end of the month without any more disasters:mad:

Good things have happened too - DD1 graduated but remains unemployed - planning on going back to college - doing some practical courses would you believe. And we went to the Olympics and had a fab time - didnt think it would be as good as it was:T

So we got to the end of August - skint again! That LBM was just over 12 months ago and I found myself again in the garden sitting in a rare patch of sunshine trying to reflect on what I have done, fathom out if we are any better off..............

Since this time last year I have done endless surveys and used cashback sites - yes these have yielded some extra cash - maybe about £150 ish not a penny of which has been squandered - vouchers used for Christmas purchases or for food shopping at Mr T. I have joined some MSE challenges and have really thought about NSDs PADs and saved well over £200 in £2. I have made sure I have paid more than the minimum by DD on my 0% CCs and paid in full each month the CC I use for diesel.I have meal planned, bought from AF, shopped with a list, shopped without a list,made more bread and stopped buying lunchtime sandwiches. Kept a spending diary - its top heavy with diesel cots cos I have along commute:( but generally cut back on spending. I have Eb*yed, Fr**gled, weighed in our cast off clothes, decluttered, become even more obsessed with recycling and 'kept the sink shiny'. I have laugh, cried, shouted at,runaway from and been inspired by other DF diaries on here. I have lost weight, gained weight, upped my fitness levels and dropped them again.Kept a spending diary - its top heavy with diesel cots cos I have along commute:( I have driven my car sooooo economically :A and used very last drop of cleaning stuff,shampoos, toothpaste etc ( actually I was always very good at this - goes with the demon recycling anti landfill thing - but I have got rest of family up to speed ) I have wombled supermarket receipts and done the old Mr T price check - not very successfully but have had plenty of 'free' points;) And finally successfully re claimed some PPI - others are pending

But are we better off.................well in my heart of hearts I dont think we are................and I need to go away and think about why that is so.

moo2moo

but you're not any worse off either and considering how much diesel and food and general bills have escalated over the past 12 months thats no mean feat. Don't be so hard on yourself. Sometimes it takes a heck of a lot of effort just to stand still.

Yes you've had a melt down but you've admitted to doing it rather than hoping it will go away on its own. You are making more than the minimum payments each and every month. Its a long slow boring tedious slog but you will get there eventually.

How about facing this more practically and comparing your debts at the end of last years summer holidays to the debts you have now. Perhaps that will help?

"Better off" is a relative thing though. Are you happy? Do you enjoy the life you're living (ignoring the uncertainty that awaits you on Monday morning)? Are there things you could do that would make your day to day life more enjoyable?

Igamogam

moo2moo wrote: »

but you're not any worse off either and considering how much diesel and food and general bills have escalated over the past 12 months thats no mean feat. Don't be so hard on yourself. Sometimes it takes a heck of a lot of effort just to stand still.

Yes I know what you mean

Yes you've had a melt down but you've admitted to doing it rather than hoping it will go away on its own. You are making more than the minimum payments each and every month. Its a long slow boring tedious slog but you will get there eventually.

And I do remind myself its not going to disappear overnight - other than with a lottery win

How about facing this more practically and comparing your debts at the end of last years summer holidays to the debts you have now. Perhaps that will help?

I am putting that off. I just don't think I will be happy with the result - lot of effort for a what I would consider a very small reduction:(

"Better off" is a relative thing though. Are you happy? Do you enjoy the life you're living (ignoring the uncertainty that awaits you on Monday morning)? Are there things you could do that would make your day to day life more enjoyable?

"Better Off" is a phrase I often heard as a child and it was never used in financial terms and I need to remind myself we live in a beautiful part of the world and have everything we need but am I happy...............? Truly ? Deep down? No.


Thanks Moo - practical as ever! I have some thinking to do now:o

moo2moo

*scuttles orf to the naughty corner* I had my boring head on this morning.

Not being happy is not good though. What can you do to change that? What small things do you enjoy? What bigger things make you smile? What do you really look forward to? What one thing irritates you the most? Write 'em all down. Vent away. Be brutally honest with yourself. Perhaps therein lies the solution.

My bum is going numb which is indication enough that I've been wasting time surfing t'net without achieving anything simply to delay the deluge of housework that awaits me today. It wouldn't take much to keep on top of the housework but I really can't be bothered. I know I'd be happier if I did it but its the getting round to doing it part that I seem to avoid.

*Robin*

Hello Igamogam, just found your diary though must admit I've not read it right through - am very glad you started posting again when you did, you've already given me some great advice and I hope I'll be able to support you too.

I expect you're making the most of today - is tomorrow the first day of term up in God's Country, the same as here in Fenlandia? I'll be thinking of you, sending positive vibes that your new colleagues [and the kids!] are feeling co-operative and inspired.

Igamogam

Thanks Moo - come out of the naughty corner - I wouldnt put you there you type a lot of sense:D

Robin - hello! Nice to have you on board:)