Swimming BEFORE we start to sink.

Aiming_High

I've been browsing for a bit and this forum has been great for motivating me to take control of our finances BEFORE we sink. THANK YOU to all of you!! :T (I even got up at 6am this morning to try and get a travel lodge room we need for next year at £12 - not available on the one we need but at least I tried, which for anyone who knows me is a HUGE feat - I DON'T DO 6AM)

I'm a working Mum with a working Husband and 4 children of school age. We've had our ups and downs with debt over time, the worst being for quite a few years with only one wage coming in while raising little ones, but we survived.

At the moment we're ok. Things get tight, we live payday to payday but pay all our bills and if honest waste enough of the rest on 'stuff' (if anyone finds out what stuff is please let me know :undecided ).

My plan at the moment is to carry on paying more to one of our loans (yes one of, we have a few ) As I pay it by SO I've been upping payments a little bit each month, and to pay of the CC. This will be done in a couple of ways....eBay (great way to declutter too), and watching what we spend.

I've started this thread as a little diary along with motivation to keep at it. I'll update my sig with my current CC as this is my task at hand. I've just paid £70 off it this morning from eBay sales, and have another £110 on the way to the bank and in turn the CC.

Thank you for reading. Feel free to pop in for a chat and a virtual cuppa. :rotfl:

Aiming_High

Just updated my sig. Also we plan to pay onto the CC anything left in the bank tonight as I get paid tomorrow. (after all payday to payday is what we're used to)

I've listed a few more bits on eBay today and plan to take the next batch of photos tomorrow when I get in from work.

Aiming_High

Well it's gone down again. Just had my bill so we paid the minimum payment & what was left over in the bank last night. (not much but it all helps) now I have a nice shiny new total, with £110 still on it's way from paypal to the bank so it will go down even more soon. It's like a bug now.

njk1012

well done aiming high on the over payments! Have subscribed to your diary so can keep track

Aiming_High

Thank you for your support.

I got paid more than I thought this month and thought great, we can do some good money saving throughout the month and be quids in. :rotfl: Well after working out what needs paying out with one child's dinners money, snack for the younger 2 and pocket money for them all. (this actually saves us money and teaches them as no more impromptu treats) plus paying £100 on a family debt (short term due to hubby being off work for a few weeks with his back) we're not as quids in as i'd like.

At least all the bills have been paid up, a couple which won't be there next month - Staples for packing bits for eBay, paid off the rest of Park for a few christmas vouchers. In fact we're probably better off than on a flat month, but I know how it disappears.

Any whoooo I'm going to keep looking up. I start to get bonus again from next month after about 10 months of not hitting it, and hubby has a lot of overtime to come in. Things WILL get better, though I'm still to scared to add up all the debts.

beanielou

Great start AH :j

DarlingBuds

Hello Aiming High!

Well done on making a start. I've been on these sites 'snooping' forever but now am officially logged in!

We too have been going from payday to payday and instead of paying 'a little bit when we can', we want to make more of an effort. I will be subscribing and hope to exchange successes in the near future

Good Luck!

Aiming_High

Thank you both of you.

I've actually had a NSD today and just realised it. Normally a saturday would consist of a couple of Nero coffees and lunch. Instead I took my lunch in and made coffee in the shop so spent nothing, as I did Mr A last night I won't need to spend anything this evening as we're fully stocked up on milk etc. I'm hoping that keeping off the Coffee shop coffee will save.....£2.20 a day minimum I was spending and we even have a espresso machine in work. :shocked:

Tomorrow is staff breakfast meeting so I'll be spending, £2.99 for a cooked breakfast, which will also be my lunch as I'll stay full so a bargain in my opinion.

Right suppose I'd better keep at it, check in on the eBay listings and I should list a couple more bits too, if I get some energy as I'm tired after todays shift, saturdays are always more exhausting.

DarlingBuds

Yes, I've had a couple of NSD's but that's because I've been off sick!! Hopefully, now I've made a start, I'll think about my purchases in future and see how many days I don't actually spend a penny.
It seems that every day is a spending day, so I'm interested in seeing if that's at all true.

Have a great brekkie/lunch tomorrow!

Aiming_High

I've found that there has been more NSD while thinking about it all. Mainly due to ditching the coffee and getting the kids change when we get paid instead of day to day meaning I always NEED cash to get change.

Breakfast had gone up so £3.10 spend today, but I walked straight past Neros so no extra on coffee today.

Northern_Lassy

Just stopped by to say hello and good luck, looks like you've made a promising start :wave: