Time to Take Control

wannabee_in_credit

Oh, I have found something I want. It costs £100 so I need to find ways to make myself some cash having already stripped back everything that I've got and sold stuff during my first lbm.
I've checked out the 100 ways to make £80 thread and want to get on and do it, but I have this little niggle that I could sling another £100 towards the debt. But it's ages since I actually had something to myself, just for me.
Not sure what to do....

pennywisepoundstupid

I think if you can manage to make the money you should treat yourself, its not like you do it every week, sometimes we need a little treat.

wannabee_in_credit

Looking at leftovers from our wedding to sell...

wannabee_in_credit

:j:j
That's me shouting after the wagon, which I have fallen off again. Shortly after the team bus went without me.
I sat down and totalled up my Feb spends and was horrified to see how much little bits of wasting money I'd done here and there.
So the spending diary is back out as of yesterday and I'm back to thinking hard and writing everything down. I can't believe how everything has just disappeared cashwise since the new year, and I'm not getting myself into a money mess again - no way.
I've managed to make £63 of the £100 I'm saving for my girls night out so that's going well. It needs to because I've now said yes to my mum and sister so I've committed to going now.
Plus it's exam season again, and after Tuesday I'm going to be marking exams, which should earn me a couple of hundred pounds, and stop me stressing about work quite so much.
Also fallen off the slimming wagon. It's a shoddy excuse but the last week at work has been horrific and I've found myself eating too much and comforting myself with a glass or two of wine of an evening. It's horrid, because I shouldn't be feeling that way about a job I love. But I am at the moment. I just keep hoping it will get better (all the while keeping an eye out elsewhere).
So March is about a fresh start. I'm up with a bit of a fuzzy head but I'm going to blitz through the housework, make some good healthy food, go shopping in either Ald! or T£sco and only buy what's on my list. I will write everything down and stop being such an !!! about giving up when things feel bad.

wannabee_in_credit

Wow

I can't believe I haven't posted in my own diary for over a month! That shows how seriously busy I've been with work, life etc. Wish that I could report that things were easing up a bit at work but they really aren't. Coursework deadlines and exam dates are looming large so it's going to be busy for me there right until end of term.
Loads of things have happened. Financially, still on and off the wagon and a bit embarrassed about my spending, but not taking out credit to do it which is a good thing. We've had to spend over £300 on the cats over the past two months which has seriously impacted on the finances - plus we're just back from our family honeymoon in Scotland, which put another big dent. On the plus side I've managed to up my payments to Stepchange by £100 a month, bringing my dfd another 8 months closer - I'm really hoping that I can up it again come September when my littlest child starts school and my childcare fees should halve with a bit of luck. Don't know if it's a little ambitious to aim to be debt free by the end of next year but it could be a fantastic goal to aim for.
Hope everyone is doing ok.

wannabee_in_credit

Here I go neglecting my diary again. I need to be careful not to fall back into my spendy ways...
Not much to report - exam season in full flow so work is frazzling me somewhat. Still waiting to see what happens in terms of tax allowance increase versus pension pot contributions.
Just busy remembering I have a final balance to pay on my teacher training loan so I'm hoping to clear that today and finally have one creditor paid off.

wannabee_in_credit

Well, I thought I'd always been considered to be the thrifty one with cash but hubby has just confessed to me that he's spent all of his money. Including the £10k inheritance he got from his mother when she died.
I'm not sure what to say or do. May post on main board for advice.

wannabee_in_credit

Blimming heck. I got up this morning and actually felt like coming on here and writing a decent entry in my diary for the first time in ages. Think it's because I've joined NSK in her May challenge and feeling the addiction of money saving coming back. That and the fact that I'm skint 5 days into the month. I've had a couple of really big spends end of April, which I knew were coming but not expecting to come so soon.
I've spent £425 on a football season ticket for DH and DS. That is their birthday and Christmas presents in together. As I mentioned, DH spoke to me last week about his finances being a bit messy. Well he spends about £50 every time him and DS go to football so a season ticket is a big overall saver, although a massive initial outlay. I thought long and hard about it and decided to do it, as they really love the time together, and that's the one thing that they always do and more than anything I didn't want my DS to go without.
Then I've had DD in bits for the past few days because her n!ntendo ds is broken. Well, I didn't expect to but last night I won a 3ds on [EMAIL="eb@y"]eb@y[/EMAIL] for £75. Kerching. That's her Christmas present but I suspect she may end up getting it sooner. So a massive outlay at the moment, but Christmas is suddenly looking brighter as I will only need to buy a couple of small bits and bobs for the family as the main spends are done.
Also have car MOT and service coming up at the end of the month. I have everything crossed that it won't cost too much. The car is 8 years old now and has cost me a couple of quid in the past, but I trust the bloke at my local garage - he'll do the best he can for me.
Hope the 'back in the zone' feeling stays with me for ages. Now, just to get on and mark my last 30 pieces of coursework.
:eek:

Igamogam

Must be that 'spring feeling'

rising_from_the_ashes

It never amazes me how much things like football cost and how on earth they think people can afford to pay to go (even when times were good, let alone bad). If that was for the 2 of them then that's not too bad - it's £480 for an adult here ..... bloomin' ek!

You're nearly at the summer break ... keep plodding and then have a lovely rest to re-energise yourself......