Desperate DFW ):

jwil

Ok - I think you know what to do really

If you are spending £200 a month on clothes, then you presumably have a LOT of clothes. You need to stop this for the time being (as you mentioned) and also there's a good source of sales there too (as you've already mentioned).

£200 is a lot of groceries for one person, particularly as it sounds like a lot of your entertainment budget is also being spent on food. You're a good cook, so you can make damned good food from cheaper ingredients too.

Agreed that the tattooing needs to stop for the time being

I have no clue about benefits, but it's worth looking into what you are entitled to. Also whether your boyfriend is paying correct maintenance. He does need to pay, but he also needs to be able to house himself!

Good luck with the job interview!

minii

Thank you jwil. My boyfriend is paying for a solicitor's at the moment, so we have less money between us than usual. We haven't been on a date night since November. I am working out a budget at the moment, if I post it, I'm hoping the MSE'rs will help me figure out if it's okay. I'm trying to write some rules for myself as well, and set up a savings fund in another bank account because I really hate lying to my mom about my finances, especially when she's helping me.
If I stick to the budget, I think by mid-June I can save about £750, which I'll use as a cushion -part emergency fund, and part savings for a nice holiday or something. I also hope to pay off most of my overdraft, and my credit card completely. That does depend on me getting the job though, and working 16 hours a week.
The thing is, that getting to that point is all well and good, but mid-June is also when I expect to be moving, which will mean diving into debt all over again, because I'll need a deposit and the first month's rent, which I won't have. *sigh*

Anyway, if you think it will help, I'll post up my budget. Thank you for being supportive so far

minii

Ooh I got my first star, that's so exciting :]
I've also updated my signature to include NSD's and my savings goal. Eek!
I changed the format of the very account too - it's more motivating to me to see exactly how much I've paid off so far. The total debt is the remaining amount I have left to pay.

minii

Hello world.
Have done my ebay-ing, listed for 7 days because I read on here that Sunday evening is the best for selling things. Ebay won't let me list any more than 10 items because I'm a new user (grr) and I'm reluctant to start using my old account, as there was a lot of hassle with one buyer from abroad on there.
Nonetheless, the 10 items I have listed ought to fetch me (if they all sell in an ideal world) £49.41, which is awesome, and £60.41 including postage. I have a watcher already

Today I cleaned my room & bathroom, and went to the cinema twice. I have a pass that for £15 a month I can see as many movies as I want! It's really useful for killing time. I also went to check the post and there was a letter from my mum in there with a £2 tesco voucher included - so once I've posted this I'm off to buy milk, bread and possibly some vegetables I can't wait. My best friend also reminded me that she owes me £20, so I'm going to use £10 of that towards my debt.

Tomorrow is going to be busy as I need to visit the jobcentre to discuss benefits and housing & I have a trip to the doctor. I also have a job interview to arrange, and I need to find the letters for claiming £100 back from the taxes people. Usually after a day like that I'd go shopping, but I'm determined not to. I may go for a sneaky sushi. *gulp* BUT I promise everyone who reads this only to spend £10. I'll pay in the other and send it straight to Very.

Right I'd better get to Tesco before they close. Tomorrow I'll try and get on and post my budget. Eek!

clippy_girl

hi mini! just a quick tip re ebay packaging. if you are selling clothes then there is no need at all to buy any packaging! put the clothes in a thin plastic bag eg tesco etc.... then get a stronger plastic one (eg m&s), and cut it down the seems so its flat. then wrap the thin bag in the thicker plastic just like you would wrap a present and selorape all the folds. totally free wrapping and its strong (and light so you dont need to pay any extra postage). as long as you wrap it properly and use a thick bag on the outside to protect it there is nothing wrong with it. i have posted all my clothes like this and have never had a complaint it arrived damaged

good luck with the sales :money:

minii

Thank you clippy_girl for the tip I found four jiffy bags today while I was cleaning my room, so that should help too.

Today has been a pretty good day.
I had a job interview at 2.30, and it went really well. It was for telephone support/technical support & queries etc. They were very impressed with my home counties accent, and as the manager walked me back to the lift, he said he would call me on Thursday, and he was almost sure I'd be invited to take part in the trial, and eventually get the job. Success! :] It's a nice building too, and the office is lovely and warm, so I'm really hopeful. Obviously they can't tell me I got the job, because interviews don't finish until Wednesday, but I'm hopeful.

I was taken to sushi by my best friend (we discovered a secret- take out is so much cheaper than eating in - so for £16, we had a feast. Best part was, she paid for it all. However, as I had to buy a pregnancy test as well as some food essentials, I have basically no money left out of the £20 she owed me. I think I have around £2 in my wallet - although I did nab 5p off the floor earlier, haha. Extra good news is, no babies. I can't afford a child, and I don't want one for at least five more years. I'd actually like to get married first.

This evening we went to go and see Woman in Black - I'd seen the play, and I have to say I really enjoyed the film. I usually hate scary films and this one had me jumping all over the place, but it was enjoyable and I'd recommend it. This was also "free" - I used my monthly cinema pass. I worked out this month I have been to see 12 films. As my pass costs £14.99 a month, each film has worked out as £1.25, and I always bring my own food and drink. Very MSE :money:

I didn't make it to the jobcentre - will try again tomorrow. However, I did find my taxes letter, so will ring them tomorrow and talk to them about what to do with the P45 that I have. I'm sure I'm supposed to send it somewhere, but I don't know where and I can't afford stamps at the moment. So far if everything sells on ebay, I'll be £12.97 up. I also need to ring the hospital & Orange. *makes mental note* This diary is keeping me very organised!

What follows is my budget, roughly. Will post a more accurate one later. Feel free to skip it, I'll forgive you. If you make it to the end, please offer me advice. I need all the help I can get.

---

Rent........................£550.00 one off payment.

Monthly:
Phone bill*.................£27.50
"Pocket Money"..........£40.00
Emergency Fund.........£25.00
Savings Fund.............£50.00
Travel.......................£70.00 /40.00 once I finish university.
Laundry.....................£20.00 (we have to use a laundrette)
Food........................£100.00
Total: £332.50 / £302.50

*(will be this once I call them tomorrow!)

Monthly Income:
My job.....................£312.00
Loan.......................£300.00
Total: £612.00.

This will leave me approximately £300 a month to pay off my debts, for the next 3 months anyway. There will also be £600 incoming from my family, so roughly £1,500. Any more than that is just luck. After that it gets complicated because I will start paying rent & bills & tax.

minii

Morning world. Rambling away to myself is very theraputic -and I'm stunned to have gotten over 400 views. Hello lurkers!

I found £2.38 lying around my room last night while I was cleaning up, so I've put it in a tin and I'm putting it towards paying off my overdraft. I'll go to the bank later today and put it in. I scoured the kitchen too - but no luck. I already relieved it of coppers last week, so there's nothing left!

I read a lot about having a tidy house to have a tidy mind. I like to think of myself as relatively tidy, but as it turns out, looking around my room, I have no clue where anything is. There's a letter I need for the hospital on Friday and I can't find it anywhere. Add in that my clothes haven't been ironed since I became a student except on special occasions. I like clothes. I spent five hours yesterday sorting out and ironing my clothes, and my wardrobe is officially a thing of beauty - plus I pruned a few more items for ebay. Today I'm going to try and sort out all my paperwork. *gulp*

So far I've been incredibly productive, and all was completed before midday. *proud*

-I rang my phone company to see if I could downgrade my contract -turns out I can't but my contract will expire in October of this year, so that's only eight months left. After that I'll be switching to PayG.

-I rang the hospital about my appointment - and I'm really glad I did because my appointment is in a different hospital! They said not having a letter is fine, so that's all go go go.

-I texted my landlady about my deposit refund (two months overdue now) and she said she would chase up the last company today, and the write me a cheque. So hopefully that's at least £80.

-I spent twenty minutes on hold to HMRC, and in the end it was worth it, because I discovered I'm owed £100.40 in tax refund and I updated my details so I will actually receive the cheque... Dependent on what happens with the job I went for yesterday. If I get the job, I give my P45 to my new employer & get tax-back through my wages in one lump sum. If I don't I need to fill out a P50. If I can't get a P45 from my last job, then I need to fill out a P46. Anyway, the point is, by the 5th April [the end of the tax year] I will have a cheque on the way for £100 / I will be £100 closer to paying off my debts.

-I wrote myself ten rules to stick to, and I made myself a desktop background that has my total debt surrounded by hazard signs and the money mantras.

________________________________________________

Here are my ten rules;

1. Aim for 14 NSD's a month.
2. Find a penny, pick it up! (aka, collect all spare change!)
3. Only food shop once a month -£40 for a big shop and then top up shops only. MEAL PLAN!
4. Carry a list of debts in my wallet.
5. When I go through town, take off my glasses until I reach my destination. I'm quite proud of this - I tried it yesterday walking to my job interview, and it was very successful. If I can't see the shiny shop windows, I don't want to go in!
6. Pocket money each week to be withdrawn & put in a separate wallet.
7. Write every single spend down in my cash book. (I found it cleaning up yesterday)
8. Sushi to be take-out only, twice a month and no more. If I want to eat in, monday's only, once a month.
9. NO CLOTHES!
10. Budget or bust. -if I don't stick to it, reduce budget next month.

lindens

Hello
I love the idea about having your debt on your PC wallpaper - its sooooo in your face!! Its the equivalent of a fat person on a diet putting an old photo on the fridge!!

The good thing about you having a clearout and selling on ebay is - think how much easier it will be when you move house in the summer :T. And dont restrict yourself to clothes - shoes , handbags, unwanted gifts, cosmetics - people will buy anything!

minii

Hey Lindens, thanks for the comment - I figured if it was somewhere prominent I'd have to take notice of it! Nice to talk to a local Haha.
I'm hoping to be pretty tidy & minimal by the time summer comes around, although I'm a bit worried about the financial aspect. It's weird for me to be worried by it, because I never was before! Handbags and shoes really should be put on there too, but it hurts me to sell shoes. I love them so much ;D
Also, I'm incredibly impressed at your sig! :O Well done you!

lindens

Oh yea a fellow Welsh person! :beer:
This diary is a good motivator - almost like once you've said it out loud you have to follow through with the action!

Meant to add walking through town without your glasses is a genius idea! As someone who wears glasses, works in Cardiff city centre and in my lunch hour is "forced" to walk past the shops on the way to wherever i need to be, I'm going to try that one.
Maybe you could try charity shops for a cook book on Sushi? Or check amazon, they sometimes sell for 1p plus postage, well £3 is cheaper than a takeway even!