Life begins at 30......

Pinkpenguin

I think the old saying says life starts at 40 but that's another 10 years on top of the 4 that I willing to be in this situation for, so no chance!

So i'm 25, 26 in a few months (gulp) and determined to be debt-free by my 30th birthday. I have been posting a few bits and bobs on here but having a full-time job I sometimes find it hard to make time to post regularly, so I figured a diary would help me to stay on track.

Today I have alot on my mind. Two payday loans are due to come out of my account next Monday totalling about £750. Once these have gone and then my loan payment for this month, it won't leave enough money to cover me for all of my bills let alone any other expenses such as food shopping. I also agreed to go away for the weekend with my friend for her birthday at the end of Feb (I agreed to this in November so I can't back out now) and I havent paid for the accomodation and then theres spending money on top of that.

The amount I need totals abount £450 - I will work it out properly at some point this week.

This means that I somehow need to find £450 in 2 weeks - I really want to stay away from payday loans as much as I can help it.

Need to get my Pinkpenguin thinking hat on.....

xx

Squidge123

Welcome to the board. I'm like you and determined to be debt free long before my 30th birthday (I'm also 25). Post an SOA for people on here to look at and see where you can make some savings. Visit the OldStyle board to be able to save on your groceries etc and look at the Up Your Income board for any other ways to help you out.

We're all here to support each other so you're def in the right place!

Pinkpenguin

Well, day two of my diary and i'm feeling physically sick with worry. I have no idea how i'm going to get to the end of today let alone this week. I am sick and tired of constantley worrying about how much money I have got - it is taking over my life!

Spent a good few hours at work today checking my banking and writing lists etc, its just not what I should be doing when i'm being paid to work but I cant help it.

I had to get some prints printed out today for a scrap-book i'm doing for a friend - they cost £7 and I used all of my Boots Advantage Card points to pay for them (the ones I had worked hard to build up so I could treat myself to something ). Then went into M&S to get some bits for tea tonight and ended up spending £10, which I really can't afford as I need all the money I can get for my friends leaving do on Friday.

Trying SO HARD to think positively but my god is this constant worry getting me down.

Tomorrow will be a better day.....

PP xx

Squidge - thank you for your comments - I have already posted a SOA in the DFW board and got some really useful suggestions which I have taken on board. My bill payments this month should be less as a result of the changes i've made but its these blinking payday loans that i've got coming out that are a problem. I'm just going to get them paid off this month and see where it leaves me..... its sad that i'm thinking of Februarys payday already.....

princess84

Hey I'm not completely up to date with your story and sorry if you've already had these suggestions but do you have an ebay account? Could you try selling off some of your clothes/shoes/household items to raise money before the end of Feb?

Pinkpenguin

Hi Princess

I do have an ebay account but not much stuff to sell!! I live in a 2 bed flat which is quite small so storage is a problem - i'm going home to my parents house this weekend though to see if I can find anything in my old bedroom to sell. Suggested a car boot sale to my mum on Sunday too so we might try that.

I work full-time but ive been thinking of ways to make money in my spare time. Ive just started Mystery Shopping which will help and i'm thinking of doing Avon too.

You really look like youve made some money from ebay though, what sort of stuff have you been selling? Ive listed a few bits of clothes in the past but they seem to go for nothing and I end up paying out more in P&P!

PP X

Squidge123

Its not sad that you're thinking towards Febs pay day at all. I'm in the same position. Just waiting now until the 10th gets here!

Pinkpenguin

Morning,

Not feeling as positive as I had hoped I would. Woke up late for work this morning and after taking it out on my boyfriend, who kindly gave me a lift in, I feel so low. This isn't uncommon - i'm late EVERY day, sometimes by 10 minutes, sometimes by 20. My boss doesnt get in until 10am (not because he doesnt have to, everyone just accepts thats the time he gets in....) so I am not being monitored and I guess it has just got worse and worse.

I get in feeling tired, unmotivated and miserable. I've got a pile of things to do that I just keep adding to. Work situation is as a result of me being drafted in to replace sopmeone and not being trained properly - because I went to uni and studied the subject, I was expected to know exactly how this employer did everything so I wasnt given any proper training. To this day i'm still learning that the way I have been taught things by my shabby boss is completely wrong and was just a way of cutting corners whilst the work needed doing quickly when I started because of the backlog that had accrued. I often sit with a file in front of me, absolutely clueless of what to do with it - I begrudge the fact that i'm meant to be 'assisting' my boss when I actually just do all of his work, without any support, supervision, acknowledgement or extra money!

Anyway, I just feel utterly fed up. Am I depressed???

xx

Pinkpenguin

Well, what a difference 2 weeks can make!

In answer to the question at the end of my last post, Yes I am depressed. I havent had an epithany and woken up feeling like the luckiest woman alive but I have gotton a hold of myself and realised that moping about is not going to do any good!

Positive steps I have taken since my last post:

1. Plucked up the courage to ask my brother for a loan to sort myself out after getting embroiled in the payday loan trap. This entered my account today and I have already paid £300 off two of my credit cards
2. I hate my job so i'm doing something about it! Ive started looking at other possibilities, even some completely different to what I am specialising in at the moment. Determined to have a new job by May.
3. I have brought an alarm clock to help me get up in the morning!! I cant say its performing any miracles at the moment but I think that is linked to the fact that I cant stand the thought of getting up for work! Hoping I can turn this around otherwise I am selling said alarm clock because it cost a small fortune!! (Its a special wake-up light one).

I'm getting there - Rome wasnt built in a day.

I am hoping that in 2 weeks time I will have even more positive news to report!!

PP xx

rdchick

Hi Pink

Just a quick post to say well done on the 'not using payday loans again' decision, I had the same thought last week, it's good to get out of that loop

yay for new job looking! Best to be somewhere where you are happy than sticking out at somewhere you're not. My motto is:

Life is too short not to love what you do.

Big hugs and I shall subscribe!
xxx

Pinkpenguin

Well, one and a half years after I first started writing this diary and I am back. Alot has changed in my life since my last post, the only constant factor being that I am still struggling with money.

Whats changed?

Well, to start with, the job that I hated so much I was made redundant from just a few months after writing my last post on here. I have a new job, however things are no better. Its a better company but i'm not enjoying the work and I have to travel 2 hours each way to get there and back. In fact I should be at work as I write this however I couldn't afford the petrol to get there, what a dire situation to be in.

I have been through hell and back over the last week, I am overdrawn on all of my credit cards bar 2 (which have a total of £10 on between them) along with my current account which is £24 overdrawn. I have tried so hard this month to find a solution but the 'Financial Difficulties' department at Natwest seem to not understanding the meaning of the word financial difficulty. Apparently, despite the fact I currently earn £75 less than the sum leaving my account every month, I don't fit their criteria for financial assistance. I am baffled, upset and ashamed to even be asking for help.

This is all I can write for now, I'll re-post again tomorrow.

I am determined to beat this.

PP xx

Pinkpenguin

Just checking in to say that I have had a much more positive day today. I am still well and truly up the creek with no pedal in terms of money (Once I have paid my bus fare next week I currently have £2.50 to my name) but at least I can get to work and I have food in my house so I won't starve.

I've been swimming today which was good and has lifted my mood. Making potato rosti for dinner tonight and then just having a chilled evening.

I can't wait to get some money in my account so I can start trying to sort this mess out, I feel so helpless at the moment, its very frustrating. 13 days until payday....

PP xx