This is the Year

CommitedToChange

Evening everyone :wave:

I have decided to open a brand new diary as I haven't posted on my old one for ages and this year is all about new starts for me.

My first new start is I have taken a permanent job so no more freelancing and a nice regular wage for the first time in a very long time. This means I can have a little more breathing room in my budget - woo hoo to my food allowance going up, and depending on student loan payments I can greatly increase my DMP payment meaning my DFD will come down from when I'm dead to a more reasonable date .

I'm also going to offer some F&F's to my lower creditors before I up my DMP to see if I can clear a couple off. I really don't hold out much hope as they are payday loans but it would be nice.

I intend to properly stick to my budget - so much easier with a regular wage, and hopefully skim some off the grocery budget for extra emergency cash and another F&F offer later in the year.

I am also shifting some weight this year as I'm slowly getting bigger and bigger - a stressful 2011 didn't help and I need to stop the fat now, so I want to shift around 2 stone. I declare my weight as of yesterday of 11 st 6 :eek: which is just not right at 5'2 . So this diary will also be about ditching the weight and getting fitter and healthier.

I also intend to post more on the boards, help new DMPers and keep up this dratted diary - if only so I don't bore the few friends who know about my money issues.

So here is to a new year and a better one at that. :beer:

CommitedToChange

7/1/12 11'6 starting weight.
............£5 in F&F account
............2 F&F letter sent - w0nga and p@yday UK

21/1/12 11'3 lost 3 lbs
............P@yday have accepted my F&F just trying to get written letter not e-mail
............W0nga said no - have tried with a slightly higher amount.

10/3/12 10'12 1/4 lost 5lbs ish
............P@yday cleared and settled.
............W0nga to be going on hold if they don't send me out a statement of my account.

CommitedToChange

Saved for future updates

CommitedToChange

Saved for future updates 2

CommitedToChange

Ha well this is not a good start - haven't written in almost two weeks! Mind you I have been VERY busy in my new job which is good - however 50 hrs weeks aren't, but it will ease off in February.

Happily P@yday have accepted my F&F but seem to insist on replying by e-mail and I don't think that that is good enough before I send my cheque to them. I want a confirmation letter in writing before I do that. Here's hoping they won't change their mind about the F&F. Bloody W0nga have said no so I have increased it to half of what they want and request a full statement showing charges etc as I have (shamefully) no idea what they have added on etc. I also have realised I haven't had any statements recently, and have no idea how often I should get them so need to look into that.

I'm failing miserably on not spending money at work as I keep going for lunch with people at the canteen - my mission in Feb is to only pay to eat in the canteen one day a week and take my lunch in on the other days. It will be easier when I'm not doing such silly hours and have time to think and plan.

Good news - despite doing no exercise I have lost 3lbs (though I forgot to weight myself this morning) mind you I am doing a lot of walking round my very big work building so that must be helping (and the lack of time to drink saving all those empty but yummy calories).

My mission this weekend is to sort out my paperwork and do my tax return - I am NOT getting a fine no no no. Bad CTC for leaving to the last minute when I could have done it weeks even months ago. Sigh. Somethings I will never learn :rotfl:

Have a nice weekend everyone :beer:

bex2002

Hi, have finally got over to your thread, good luck with your challenges, have subscribed to see your progress. good luck.

CommitedToChange

Thanks Bex2002 - I'm feeling quite positive about this year, even thought I'm currently doing my tax return! Well I say doing - I've stopped to make a birthday card for a friend - I think the tax return was easier

Here's to us all doing well in 2012 :beer:

CommitedToChange

Well shockingly I haven't written on here in over a month - so much for being good this year!

But on the bright side I've lost more weight - and a whole 7" in 30 days which is brilliant, p@yday loan has been settled and is gone and W0nga are going into dispute if they don't send me a full statement as I suspect they have been loading on charges - which I want to see in black and white.

I did get my tax return done and sorted so no fine and the bill was paid

Work is going well and now I'm on 37.5 hour weeks which is much nicer, I've also found an area where I can park for free and get a nice 10 min walk so I'm saving money and getting a little more exercise - bonus!

I've decided I want to start running again so I have blown some money on some good running trainers and a watch and I'm started my 10 weeks walk/run plan on Monday - I've signed up for a race for life 5K on 8th July so my aim is to run the entire distance without a walking break - we'll see ;-D

I'm starting a new 28 day fitness challenge today here are my goals:

Lose 6lb's
Lose 4" of my body
Drop my fat % by 5%

No idea how the last one will work but only time will tell.

Here's to England wining the rugby tomorrow :beer: