On the up!

ani*fan

Hi there snozberry :wave:

Just discovered your diary and have subscribed. It's not an easy thing, learning how to manage your cash eh? You're doing brilliantly. Well done. :T

Housework is a great antedote to any nasty feelings of loss or grief or anything else. It always helps me to get busy and by the time you're starting to feel better, you'll have a lovely shiney home too. Hope you're ok.

I've read the 'how I lived a year on a pound a day' book and it's a hoot. The author manages to do it as she lives in a city, can walk or cycle everywhere and becomes expert at gatecrashing every event going that provides a buffet. It reads more like 'how to get drunk every day on a quid'! Anyway, you're welcome to my copy of it cos I've read it about 20 times. PM your address if you fancy it and I'll stick it in the post.

Look forward to your updates.

snozberry

ani*fan wrote: »

Hi there snozberry :wave:

Just discovered your diary and have subscribed. It's not an easy thing, learning how to manage your cash eh? You're doing brilliantly. Well done. :T

Housework is a great antedote to any nasty feelings of loss or grief or anything else. It always helps me to get busy and by the time you're starting to feel better, you'll have a lovely shiney home too. Hope you're ok.

I've read the 'how I lived a year on a pound a day' book and it's a hoot. The author manages to do it as she lives in a city, can walk or cycle everywhere and becomes expert at gatecrashing every event going that provides a buffet. It reads more like 'how to get drunk every day on a quid'! Anyway, you're welcome to my copy of it cos I've read it about 20 times. PM your address if you fancy it and I'll stick it in the post.

Look forward to your updates.

Hello :wave: You know, that is a really kind thing to offer but I have just started to read it. I remember watching her on tv when the book came out and I just thought, 'wow!'. You are a star though!

Well, I was paid on Friday - four days ago and, do you know, I haven't spent a single penny. Go me! I am finding it easier to think of 'I have a tenner to spend today' than 'omg I only have £300 to last a longgggg scary month - how will I cope?! I know - LET's PANIC!!! ARGHHHH!!!!!!'. Tomorrow, I will have a whole £50 all to myself - woohoo!!!!!

I was also paid £1.50 from a mystery shop job that I did (still waiting for another payment). I just wish that the other mystery shoppers who live in my area would pee right off! They keep taking all of the ruddy jobs. The swines!!! haha They need to share - 10% of the gigs for them and the remaining 90% for me! mwah ha harrr (I'm only joking btw 50:50 would be grand!)

Anyway, I put the £1.50 towards my CC debt so I now owe £533.56. Only another £33.56 to make so that I can beat the £500 barrier this month. I actually have a fiver sitting in my pay pal account but I can't move it over just yet.

You know, if I don't spend any money tomorrow, I will have £60 spends on Wednesday. I'm not planning on doing the food shop until the petrol light comes on in my car. I don't want to have two spend days on the trot, now do I?! It must be noted that my shopping list is being created.

That reminds me - I need to update my NSD in my signature. Will do it later because my calendar is in the kitchen and I'm too lazy to go and get it. Will wait until my tea is cooked.

ETA: Just completed the food diary and I shall never complain about not being invited to do it again. Jeez, it was dull!

snozberry

Well today marks my seventh NSD on the trot and, tbh, I'm getting really fed up with them. I'm itching to buy (and demolish) some fresh milk, bread and fruit. Maybe some yoghurt, too. I have plenty in but nothing of the fresh stuff.

Week one of this payday month began last Friday and will end this Thursday. This week I have (so far) managed five NSDs on the trot and, if I can, petrol light permitting, get to the end of Thursday then this will be the first spending week in all of the years of me keeping a spending diary have I ever gone a week without spending money. Even if I have to spend money on Thursday, having one spending day is huge achievement for me.

Week two will be a spendy week as I have two birthdays. It is a shame that one of them isn't mine lol.

snozberry

Well, the petrol light came on today so I did my food shop as well. I nipped into Asda and bought some much longed fresh milk, fruit and bread. I also treated myself to some fresh orange juice and some flowers. I ended up spending £55.37. This ends my mammoth seven NSDs (tomorrow will be one) but it also means that this is the lowest first week spends recorded in my current notebook.

Looky here:
Week one for October: £309.47
Week one in November: £193.48
Week one in December: £297.47
Week one in January: £143.57
Week one in February: £55.37 :j:j:j

I am learning! Also, as I only have £70 a week, I will be ending week one £14.63 better off. This will come in handy next week because of all of the birthdays that I have.

The bad news is that, from April I will be having my hours reduced at work meaning that I will be roughly £300 a month worse off. I am hoping to god that it won't be more because I really will be floating the wrong way down !!!! creek. I am going to have to find a second job.

ETA: Have emailed a company who I did some work for last years. They wanted me to work for them a month or so ago but I really couldn't squeeze it into my schedule. They did say that I can work for them when my schedule allowed it so with any luck ...

One of my survey vouchers arrived today. Just waiting for one more and then I will have £55

Kei

That's fab you are doing really well.

Hope that you get your extra work - loosing £300 would be tough, but at least you have the right attitude now towards spending so it shouldnt make you slip backwards instead of forwards.

You got a debt free date worked out?

snozberry

Kei wrote: »

You got a debt free date worked out?

Well, I just entered the details on the snowball calculator and it told me that my debt free day will be in June 2014. I think that 28 months sounds a lot less scary! Hopefully, I will be able to get rid of it all much sooner.

Last month I achieved 18 NSDs. I would like to beat it or equal it this month. Yesterday was my first but I spent just under eight pounds today on a parking ticket, lunch from the pie shop (yum!) and I paid the window cleaner.

Today has also marked the start of week two of the payday month. This week will be a spendy one as I have a few birthdays and such like to celebrate. Will be looking for gifts tomorrow.

I also have a MS gig lined up for tomorrow. This one pays more that the £1.50 the other week! All the more to shave off the CC bill.

I have also signed up for mobile banking. This makes life so much easier as I can check my balances whilst in the tub or in bed - no need to fire up the ole computer lol

I'm watching Corrie at the min. I cannot wait for the vile Frank to be bumped off. I'm hoping that the villian will be the other woman, Sally Webster and his god awful mum!

Anyway, I recieved an email from the people I worked for. They are happy to take me on but they need to update my records and have a new reference. This shouldn't be a problem. Will email them back and try to pop in later in the week.

Ohkay - I have an inbox of surveys to do. Watch me be screened out of them all! haha

ETA: Forgot to mention that I received a fiver Amazon voucher yesterday and, I have just checked my topcashback account. As a result of this, I have a whopping 51p heading to my paypal account. OOhhhh the little things add up. Must remember that!

snozberry

Well, the expensive week has begun! I really must learn from this and budget for it.

Well, I went a bit mad in the supermarket at the weekend. Admittedly, I did get things for the birthdays that I have this week but even so. Because of that, I now have about £90 to last the rest of the month and payday is in 19 days time. I began the month so flaming well!! Well, what is done is done. Once this week is gone, I will hammer the NSDs because I am not dipping into my overdraft! No! I'm just going to suggest lots of lazy weekends until payday. He can't argue with that as we are both usually shattered when it gets to the weekend.

Having said all of that, I have transferred some money to the CC. I now owe £500. So much money I really do hope that I will learn this something this time. Oh yeah - the solitary item that I have listed on ebay has attracted one bid. Someone emailed me asking if they can collect. I told them that I had no problem with that providing they pay cash. The auction ends in a few hours and I am hoping that it will attract a few more bids!

snozberry

Well, I got another two vouchers today - this brings my grand total to £80 and the year is only three months young!! Woohoo! Even my OH is beginning to see that my doing surveys and the like is a good thing. They are not going to be frittered. I am saving them all up until we need something.

My ebay item sold. It only went for £5.05 (excluding p&p) I haven't included it in my signature though. Once the money (and the money that I had already in there) then my CC debt will be below £500. Just need to find other things to ebay now.

FlacosFloozie

The ebay thing is a pain. It seems like so much faff for so little reward but just think... another 99 sales at that rate and you can clear that cc! I've made about £40 so far just selling small bits and pieces. Its not a lot but it helps and it's stuff I would have got rid of anyway so I'm trying to think of it as decluttering with an added bonus

Kei

Yes - and you are decluttering at the same time! When i sort out stuff for ebay and car boot it really makes me think about what i part with my money for now. I (hope) that i am now buying less stuff thats going to end up on ebay in a years time!