dizzy lizzies Debt Free Diary

dizzy_lizzie

Thanks huni
At least I know it's not just me that feels like that. Someone was saying at school how they're really fed up, doing the same thing everyday, day in day out. Maybe it's just winter creeping up on us that makes us feel like this.
Get paid next thursday and I'm determined to keep a tight rein on my money this month, seeing as next month it's Christmas. How did that get here so quickly?!
As you can see from my sig.the natwest card is £311.odd.Didn't realise it was that much. What does that say about me and money
Hope you're feeling okay now GR. It's rotten to feel like that isn't it?
Luvz Dizzy x

dizzy_lizzie

Not posted for a while and as usual do okay for a couple of weeks then that seems to give me licence to spend!!! Have been reading some of the challenges going on and so admire those that stick at them. Most of the time I'm just too lazy to try so it's my own fault. Really want to be debt free in 2008 and think after Christmas I will make the effort. Did a menu last week for meals and it worked brilliantly. Didn't this week and it was to and fro to asda again where I spend around £40 each time which really adds up with no real sense of what I'm making for teas! Just fritter away my money and should really throw it at the bank cards. Especially since I'm £275 (I think it was) better off each month since september after paying off a loan. If I'd continued to throw that at my M&S card it would be nearly paid off!!! And I'm still overdrawn to the hilt. Need to get my head sorted to do this. Feeling fed up at the moment though. Nevermind it will get better. All I seem to have are bits of paper hanging around where I've written my unachievable budget. Can't believe I was so stupid as to spend on my natwest card adding another £300 to my debt. Maybe I should concentrate on getting rid of this one. 0% interest for 3 months then I've no idea what the interest rate is then. That's ridiculous!!! So better throw something at this, preferably money I guess. Ah well, think it's time for bed...will have a little browse around the forum first.
Luvz Dizzy x

GirlRacer_2

Hi Dizzy, was looking for your thread the other day and realised you hadn't updated it. Glad everything OK for you even if you feel your treading water at the moment.

Hopefully in the new year you'll feel a lot more motivated and get everything cleared in 2008.

GR x

dizzy_lizzie

Hello GR
How are you doing?
I do feel like I'm treading water you're right. I keep checking back to how I was doing this time last month and just a bit better off. Unfortunately have to get DS a new carpet tonight and DD is arranging a pre-Christmas party so that will cost me. Honestly it's 2 steps forward and 15 back...! It's been a bit of an expensive time, both children have had new wardrobes and I've put them on my natwest card so that sig. will need changing next month...forgot about that. OOOhhhh money eh? Nevermind, definately after Christmas I will be getting my act together. Sure I said that last year.
Keep well and hope everything is going okay for you in all areas.:D
Luvz Dizzy x

Seaxwyn

Dizzy! Hello! I was wondering how you were getting on.

How annoying about that Nat West card. Grrrrrrrrrrr. But there's only three more weeks of this year then you can start the next with lots of good resolutions to pay off those debts.

I don't like to encourage MSE-addiction but... maybe you should post on here just a little more often to help keep you focussed on debt-busting.

dizzy_lizzie

Hello Seaxwyn...how are you?
I do need to post on here more often, like you say, at least I can't be spending while I am...
I reckon my natwest update is now up to £500 or as close to...I can't believe that. But what's done is done.
Ah well, onwards and upwards so 'they' say.
Hope all's well with you and going in the right direction.
Luvz Dizzy x

dizzy_lizzie

Thought I'd update while I'm on the forum.
Not much to report really. Been poorly with a virus again...a really nasty one that ached my joints and just made me feel rotten. So now catching up with the shopping. Hubby been with me as only just feeling okay again really. Luckily I'd done some pamper hampers a while ago so was ahead a little anyway.
Bought some dog food, dried and tinned, to take up to Manchester Dogs Home before New Year. Apparently in the last week or so they've had an extra 100 dogs in, more than this time last year! Goodness knows what it'll be like after Christmas when the novelty for some wears off. I just find it so upsetting.
Trying to be really careful with money. Had some vouchers from pigsback and valued opinions so that's helped. I'll definately be continuing with those. I'm still hoping to be debt free in 2008. Not sure though how it'll go. May have one of them paid off and hope to get overdraft down. Think two of them are doable at least, then I'll see how it goes.
Luvz Dizzy x

dizzy_lizzie

Ok here goes...Plan of action to be rid of my two debts by April 2008.

I normally can sleep on a washing line at usually any time of day but recently I've been lying awake thinking of ways to get rid of my debt and whether I have the discipline needed at the moment to get rid of £1300 debt by April this year. This amount is both combined give or take a few pounds depending on interest charged etc. This does not include my overdraft which if it all goes to plan I should be in the black anyway come May.
So I've worked out that £1300 is four payments of £325. £200 to Debt 1 and £125 to Debt 2 from this month to April. As I say give or take a few pounds.
As I have an overdraft I have to be careful not to go over on this. So the way I see it is like this...every month I spend an absolute fortune on shopping, and unless I do a menu, there is no structure to meals whatsover. So I will stick religiously to a menu and my groceries/shopping list will be based around this.
So how am I going to do this? Well, instead of taking out my shopping money from my bank account I will use my child benefit more carefully. I do spend it on food but it's all willy nilly, as I say, with no meal plans. I'll have to be really careful as I get CB for two children, so not a great amount. I also get £20 a week keep from son which usually gets frittered away. So this along with £50 out of my bank account classed as miscellaneous if I need it, will give me around £50 a week to buy our groceries. So with this in mind I wrote my menu and shopping list. Here is the total of my shopping receipts today...
Tesco - £25.19p
Asda - £26.60p
Total - £51.79p
Was going to initally just go to Tesco and use my clubcard but some of my shopping items I prefer Asda so at least I get some towards my Tesco clubcard.
This morning I also withdrew £130 and paid £125 off Debt 2. Boy it felt good.Three more to go on that one now.
I will pay £200 off Debt 1 in a week.
My overdraft sig is up to date and hopefully by my workings out it shouldn't go over £1,400.
Then my wage will go in and then I start it all over again. If I don't do this now I can see me still in debt in 2/3 years and still with an overdraft. I do pay that bit extra than minimum amount but only by about £10 so now I am really going for it and getting shut of them
I know this amount is nothing compared to others but it's been years since my wage went in and it was all mine...I just want to get there again. I also know how easy I can slip back again after ordering a new bank card from Greasypalm because you got a £10 introductory payment, after a couple of months with that card I did owe over £500 up until this morning on it.
So that's my plan...very long post but hopefully if I feel like I can't do it I can read back to how I felt initially starting it.
Oh my gosh I feel a bit excited and a lot apprehensive, I'm so scared of letting myself down...oh crikey where is that negativity coming from...hey shove off, only positivity here on this thread!!!!! :eek: I'm going crazy already....!!!!!!!! Well that's it, my four month plan...I'm gonna do it!!!

Luv and hugz Dizzy x x

Seaxwyn

YOU CAN DO IT!!!! Good luck Dizzie.

Do you actually work out the menus before you go shopping? I am hopeless at that too. I end up going to Sainsbury's three times a week much as I hate the place.

GirlRacer_2

Go Dizzy Go. You can do it and you will have cleared the 2 debts by May - I know you can. Look at debt 2 and how much its come down today. It must be a fabulous feeling.

Have you thought of just paying the minimum off debt 1 for the time being and throwing all your cash at debt 2. That way you'll get the feel good factor a bit quicker (when you pay off debt 2) and it may give you more of a boost to pay off debt 1.

I tend to get bored easily if I'm paying off too many different people. I'm a typical woman I wants results instantly.

bye for now and keep updating the diary so I can keep a watchful eye on you

GR x