Keeping up appearances.......

Honey_Bear

Five fruit and veg a day: Beetroot juice, sultanas, veggie curry (onion, courgette, sweet potato, carrots, parsnips and chickpeas) plus added spinach, mushrooms, more onions, tangerine. Rather a good day.
Lights out by 11.30pm Not a tick. Found myself watching pre-inauguraation progs, wondering how it will all turn out over the next four years. Tempted to put a bet on this one.
Make 100 sales cold calls by 31.1.17. Very short list still being compiled. Still sluggish but feeling slightly more focussed.
One random act of kindness or public service a day Rubbish picking.
Record something lovely that happens every day so that at the end of the year when I empty the jar I'll remember all the good things that happened Someone found something that I said helpful and said so. You're right, of course, about this, Happy, but it would feel more balanced if other people had more input into my life.
After 7th January cut out sugar until 1st February. Zilch again. Knowing about the trip wasn't enough on its own - I needed the scales to register 'Ouch' before it gave me the motivation to clean up my act, basically.

jvr

Hellooo


Just gonna put a big fat fail next to all my targets... although have improved taking makeup off even if some nights its grabbing a make up wipe!
Had a quick scan of posts but I am sure missed loads so will try catch up on all your targets!
Discovered my 'group' of friends have been organising a birthday meal for one of them. This girl is actually closer to me than any of them but since its been organised with ex-friend I don't have an invite. Birthday girl has invited me anyway as its meant to be for her but she hasn't told the others yet and I'm really torn on whether I confront the issue / even go?! These girls bar one are all meant to still be my friends and the birthday girl sees me more than any of them but they are all in a group chat with ex friend where it go organised... umming and ahhing what to do..... all seems so ridiculously petty! Why would you not just invite me and let me and ex friend decide if we want to see each other?!

Dinah_dog

Hi Happy Now and everyone else in this diary. I have been reading your diary for some days and have been completing inspired by it and amazed that it has been running for so long. Every time I have tried to make changes in the past they have been short lived and but now finally feel I have had my LBM loud and clear. I would be delighted to join in and try to get some help from you all if that's ok? Ive got myself in a really bad place with money over the years but want 2017 to be the year it all changes. Off to do my very scary SOA now. Thank you x

Dinah_dog

Updated SOA
Statement of Affairs and Personal Balance Sheet
Household Information
Number of adults in household........... 3
Number of children in household.........
Number of cars owned.................... 3
Monthly Income Details
Monthly income after tax................ 1844
Partners monthly income after tax....... 1050
Benefits................................ 0
Other income............................ 0
Total monthly income.................... 2894
Monthly Expense Details
Mortgage................................ 205
Secured/HP loan repayments.............. 65.25
Rent.................................... 0
Management charge (leasehold property).. 0
Council tax............................. 86
Electricity............................. 35
Gas..................................... 0
Oil..................................... 60
Water rates............................. 39.53
Telephone (land line)................... 0
Mobile phone............................ 95
TV Licence.............................. 12.15
Satellite/Cable TV...................... 0
Internet Services....................... 22.44
Groceries etc. ......................... 200
Clothing................................ 50
Petrol/diesel........................... 200
Road tax................................ 53
Car Insurance........................... 55
Car maintenance (including MOT)......... 60
Car parking............................. 0
Other travel............................ 0
Childcare/nursery....................... 0
Other child related expenses............ 0
Medical (prescriptions, dentist etc).... 20
Pet insurance/vet bills................. 55
Buildings insurance..................... 20
Contents insurance...................... 0
Life assurance ......................... 11.47
Other insurance......................... 0
Presents (birthday, christmas etc)...... 100
Haircuts................................ 20
Entertainment........................... 50
Holiday................................. 50
Emergency fund.......................... 50
Total monthly expenses.................. 1614.84

Assets
Cash.................................... 100
House value (Gross)..................... 100000
Shares and bonds........................ 0
Car(s).................................. 2000
Other assets............................ 0
Total Assets............................ 102100

Secured & HP Debts
Description....................Debt......Monthly...APR
Mortgage...................... 67000....(205)......0
Secured Debt.................. 10000....(65.25)....0
Total secured & HP debts...... 77000.....-.........-
Unsecured Debts
Description....................Debt......Monthly...APR
Vanquis credit card............2500......150.......NaN
Barclaycard....................5400......120.......0
Capital one....................1700......70........0
Bank of Scotland...............8000......40........0
Step change DMP................11000.....200.......0
Total unsecured debts..........28600.....580.......-

Monthly Budget Summary
Total monthly income.................... 2,894
Expenses (including HP & secured debts). 1,614.84
Available for debt repayments........... 1,279.16
Monthly UNsecured debt repayments....... 580
Amount left after debt repayments....... 699.16
Personal Balance Sheet Summary
Total assets (things you own)........... 102,100
Total HP & Secured debt................. -77,000
Total Unsecured debt.................... -28,600
Net Assets.............................. -3,500

Dinah_dog

Hi all - I would really appreciate any advice on my SOA - above. Its a shocking state of affairs for which I am truly ashamed. I have had debt problems for about 20 years - partly I think to mental health problems and challenges in life from damage in childhood. Now I want to look to the future, clear these debts and enjoy my life - I am 56!! Many thanks

Dinah_dog

Just to update you on more details for my SOA - my daughter is at home having finished University - it has been difficult as she has been unwell with serious mental health issues and has needed a lot of support but seems a lot better recently and is due to start a job Monday so will be able to help a little with food and pet care costs (they are both hers!). Also, she is learning to drive and currently we pay 2 lessons each a month - forgot to add these in - so an extra £44 a month for me. She can pay fully when earning.


I have 3 other children and 3 lovely grandkids who have all left home now so don't often need financial support.


Also, the reason we have a 3rd vehicle is that we bought a mpv converted into a camper in Dec 16 for £950 to use for cheap holidays for the next couple of years. Unfortunately it means that we have to pay tax and insurance on a third vehicle now - may decide to get rid of one of the cars when the insurance runs out to reduce costs. Thanks and sorry for the essay!! x

HappyNow

Morning!

Just dropped by to make several excuses about why I didn't post yesterday and why I won't be about much today (all genuine, honest guv, but nothing alarming - just house and family stuff).

More importantly though, welcome Dinah Dog . Thanks very much for reading and posting Dinah, and I will be delighted to read your soa and offer any advice I can, as I am sure other regulars here will be. It will be tonight though or maybe even tomorrow morning because today is SO full on.

The best advice I can offer you though is to start a diary yourself. That way you will get a much wider audience of people who are way better qualified than me to give advice. If you want to do that, go to the 'debt free diaries' tab (the one where all the diary titles are listed), click on the red 'New Thread' tab at the top left, think of a snappy title, copy and paste your posts into it - then sit back and wait for the advice and support to come rolling in! Hand on heart, I promise you can turn this around and come out smiling .

Hmm, now I can't stop thinking of possible titles for a diary!! What about 'Dinah Dog bites back' or 'Dinah Dog growls at her debt' or 'Dinah Dog snaps at debt's heels'?

Whether you decide to start one yourself or not, you are always very welcome to post on here and my visiting friends are a lovely and wise bunch!
Back later with a fuller reply x

Honey_Bear

jvr wrote: »

Just gonna put a big fat fail next to all my targets... although have improved taking makeup off even if some nights its grabbing a make up wipe!

*Tsk tsk* We don't do 'fail' we do - and later today and tomorrow I'm going to give it my best shot again and will carry on doing so until the new habit becomes ingrained in exactly the way the make-up thing is gradually happening.

As to your 'friends' - I wouldn't go. Simple as that.

Dinah_dog wrote: »

Hi Happy Now and everyone else in this diary. I have been reading your diary for some days and have been completing inspired by it and amazed that it has been running for so long. Every time I have tried to make changes in the past they have been short lived and but now finally feel I have had my LBM loud and clear. I would be delighted to join in and try to get some help from you all if that's ok? Ive got myself in a really bad place with money over the years but want 2017 to be the year it all changes. Off to do my very scary SOA now. Thank you x

Welcome, Dinah Dog! :wave: I think Happy Now's right about starting your own diary, and copy and pasteing all of the information you've gathered and distilled into it. There are people who are really, really good at unpicking the details of a SOA who realise straight away where you might be able to focus your energy and efforts to debt-bust and are always willing to offer support. They won't find your SOA here, they're on the lookout for new diaries, and I've never known them not to help.

I'm not capable of doing it, mainly because I got myself out of debt for the last time over twenty years ago when things were a lot simpler and we didn't have to worry about mobile phones and internet charges. Come to that, I didn't have diary to track my progress and I've largely forgotten how I managed to turn the juggernaut around - but I did and the good habits have largely stuck with me ever since. Good luck with it, and I hope you get some helpful answers really quickly.

Honey_Bear

HappyNow wrote: »

Just dropped by to make several excuses about why I didn't post yesterday and why I won't be about much today (all genuine, honest guv, but nothing alarming - just house and family stuff).

*tsk tsk* I hope the day goes well.

Five fruit and veg a day: Beetroot juice, sultanas, veggie curry (onion, courgette, sweet potato, carrots, parsnips and chickpeas) peas.
Lights out by 11.30pm Not a tick. We had friends around. I couldn't get odds on the bet I wanted to put on. I am not a betting person, normally, not even the grand national, so it's hardly surprising.
Make 100 sales cold calls by 31.1.17. Very few calls made (er ... one) and it's done and dusted for the year. In the end I f'book messaged another business, emailled several and made one phone call but they were all very carefully selected. Very happy with the outcome so far and I may approach a few more new businesses, but then again I may not, and I will follow up some from last year next. (Discovering I've only got 50 of one of the most popular cards left and having completely sold out of the local best seller, I don't want to have to pay for another print run unless it looks as though this idea has legs. This year is make or break, basically, because of that.)
One random act of kindness or public service a day Did something new and I'm going to follow it up to see if it has a long term solution. This is turning into a 'Good deed for the day' kind of thing.
Record something lovely that happens every day so that at the end of the year when I [STRIKE]empty the jar[/STRIKE] flick back through the book I'll remember all the good things that happened Tick.
After 7th January cut out sugar until 1st February. Sort of zilch again. Friends came round for shared fish and chips, our one takeaway of the month when an absolutley fantastic local fish and chippery does a £3 deal, and we shared some very dark chocolate afterwards.

Dinah_dog

Thanks Happy Now and Honey Bear and yes I will look at that diary. Love the diary name ideas!! Have a good evening x