A Place For Everything - Silaren's Lists and Progress

silaren

Will be using this thread to keep up with the challenges that I'd like to do and my goals for 2012.

Current CC debt is £1994.85. Using the MSE calculator, I've worked out that I need to pay a bare minimum of £59 per month to clear it in 5 years. But I can clear it in a year if I pay in £200 per month and don't spend anymore on it. I'm considering the payment-a-day challenge. £59 per month works out at £2 a day or £14 a week. Will need to re-calculate this though after I use my tax refund to reduce the size of the debt.

Am also looking at ways to increase my income as well as making my life more efficient and stress-free.

My goals for 2012:

1. clear or pay off as much CC debt as possible
2. increase my income
3. repair and do-up my home myself
4. re-build savings
5. declutter and live a more efficent life but be able to treat myself now and again
6. keep to a food budget
7. take some regular exercise
8. reduce my monthly bills: electricity and water
9. stop procrastinating
10. learn and have fun

Potential strategies:

1. make small but regular payments - PAD
2. surveys, mystery shopping, competitions (I've been doing this for years but I mainly use the money as back-up to pay for gifts and occasional stationery/household purchases)
3. make small but regular payments - PAD
4. audit then take one DIY job at a time
5. no more toiletries challenge, consider eBay/Amazon/charity for unused items, keep running lists for toiletries, keep running list for clothes and accessories, make do with what I have and repair/re-purpose/recycle, deal with household 'frogs' on a more regular basis
6. grocery challenge, learn new recipes and try different foods on offer, use mysupermarket.com to compare prices, shopping list, weekly meal plans, keep running lists for food, consider growing fruit and veggies at home (tried this briefly a few years ago but the yields weren't very big so stopped doing it)
7. take a 30 minute walk every day
8. make home more energy efficient, change my usage habits, get a thermos flask so not boiling kettle every time I need water for tea, wear more layers, use hot water bottle rather than turn up heating
9. post updates to this thread and sign up for challenges
10. keeping smiling and remembering why I'm doing all this

I don't want to use this thread as a stick to beat myself with. I'm hoping to make it a place to record positive progress to motivate me. I already have lots of lists on my computer (I'm a bit OCD and love making lists!) but I'm hoping that by posting in public, it will be more motivating and I will make more of an effort to reach my goals.


Thanks for reading!

silaren

5. List of toiletry and makeup items to use up for December 2011:
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=48961215&postcount=12

silaren

Have just received my tax refund cheque - that should keep the wolves from the door a bit longer! Am going to put it all towards the CC.

2. Have signed up to quite a few survey sites and have accumulated points/pounds already but have a while to go before I get a payout.
6. Am not going to go food shopping until the weekend.

silaren

5. Used up one item: Men's Day Cream SPF15 (sample) - WNBA

silaren

1. Put a tax refund cheque in the bank so will use that to pay off some of the CC when it clears.
2. Also met a friend today and she's got some work for me. Hit the redemption threshold for a survey site and just ordered a £5 Amazon voucher.
5. Used up one item: Nivea Pure Invisible Roll-on - WBA (and I did!). Also got two mascara samples to test.
6. Spent £3.00 today on food when meeting with friend.
7. Did at least 30 minutes of walking today and took the stairs rather than the lifts.
9. and 10. Feel really happy that I got a lot done today and am working towards my goals. I've started early for 2012 but I don't think that matters.

silaren

2. Have been having a lot of luck with getting past the screening questions on surveys but still not quite enough to redeem points.
5. Used up 3 items: Radox Bath Therapy Shea Butter & Ginger and two samples (day cream and body cream) but have an eyebrow pencil and massage oil to test.
6. Spent £5.68 on food.
7. Did 30 minutes of walking.

silaren

1 and 2. Have earned £7 in Amazon vouchers so far from survey activity. Am working towards more. Hopefully, just in time for me to order presents and get them delivered before Christmas!
7. Did 30 minutes of walking yesterday but have not been out at all today.