Desperate DFW ):

minii

I was walking through St.David's yesterday and it was sooooo useful! Haha. As long as you can roughly see people outlines/know where to walk, it's all good. My prescription is -2.25 so its not so bad, but bad enough that all the shop windows get blurry, especially if I've been wearing my glasses up til then.

I did consider it, but I think YO! are doing take out boxes for a fiver and the amount you get in them ends up being cheaper than buying all the ingredients yourself. Smoked salmon is stupid amounts of money!

I'm now considering this diary as a really scary PT, yelling at me every time I deviate. Somehow, that's reassuring! Haha

minii

I feel so productive.

Have just got back from doing all my laundry, paid for by calling in a favour from my friend who lives in my building. Now everything in my room smells delicious and it's clean and I'm happy. We played pool in the common room for a bit, and for the first time ever I won a game I need to keep practising so I can beat the boyfriend!

Had a very MSE dinner - chicken out of date but defrosted, with pasta that was given to me by Ben when he stayed & cheese that I scraped the mould off. The old minii would have binned the cheese outright, but I figured that it was okay to eat if there wasn't any icky left.

Tomorrow I'm going to try and get my kitchen cupboards in order, and do some more ironing, and go to the cinema because the BAFTA tour is on this week and that means every day they show a brilliant film. Wednesday's film is "The Skin I Live In" which I wanted to see the first time but never go around to doing so.

Going to put away the last of the laundry & then curl up under the duvet with a book & a glass of wine. Desperately trying to finish the 4th Game of Thrones book (its technically the second part of the 3rd, but you know...) because I still have the next two to read and I really ought to give them back to Luke who I borrowed them off.

I can't wait til Thursday. I'm so excited to have some money come in and be able to update my signature with some real figures. What has my life become?!

Have a nice evening you guys.

minii

I found 5p in the kitchen & added it to my spare-change tin. I felt so lame yesterday paying in my £2.38. The cashier looked at me funny, but I think if I went in to pay in 5p, I'd get a weirder look. So I'm going to add it to my total, but I'm going to keep saving the small spare bits until I have at least a pound to pay. Small steps, every penny makes a difference. I keep telling myself that.

I sorted out my kitchen cupboards today, so now everything has its place. Hopefully I'll be more inspired than usual to cook. I just had a chicken kiev, 2x potato wedges & mediterranean roast vegetables. I'm slowly working my way through my freezer drawer, and while I'm still eating brown things, I am eating vegetables with them. I think my plate had six colours, so that was good. I aim for five for every meal.

I have plenty more ironing to do today, thanks to all the laundry I did last night. There's a couple of good shows on telly that will keep me occupied while I do so. Honestly, there are two things I want.
1] My boyfriend to not be sick any more, because when he is he withdraws to his man cave and there is radio silence for days... He last spoke to me Monday, and before that Friday. It stresses me that I can't communicate with him.

2] It to be tomorrow! March is the start of everything;

>I get callbacks from the hairdressing job (which I will have to turn down) and the telephone job (which I can't wait to accept).

>I'll have a job so I can start earning and actually pay off things!

>I get my P45 and swap it for two shirts from the uniform of my old job.

>I get £338 to put towards my debts.

>I can clear off my very account and close it completely.

>My NSD's can begin.

>My budgeting can begin properly too. I plan to withdraw £40 a week, then I can put £5 in the "pocket money"section of my purse, then £12 on trains and use the rest for food etc. Then any direct debits I have will come out of my account, and I can transfer the right amount to my savings/emergency fund, AND I should still come in under budget at the end of the month. Any money I have at the end of the week can go in the spare-change tin, to be paid in at the end of each month. Once its in the tin, its a prisoner!

March will be my month. I am determined. :money:

I've set up two savings accounts temporarily with Natwest as well, just so I can see all my accounts on one page. I don't quite trust myself yet with accounts all over the place. Once I have a little saved up however, I will go hunt down a better account elsewhere. I also wrote down a list of all my direct debits so I know when to expect them to leave my account. Busybusy. Anyway. Onwards with the ironing, else it will never get done.

minii

On March 1st, receive payment of £338.00. Pay off £213.76 of credit card, and £57.95 off very.co.uk. Close very.co.uk account = remaining amount of £66.29. Buy contact lenses for the last time in 3 months. I’ll be left with £55.29 –do not spend it!

March 1st - June 1st [3 month plan.]
Income total:
£2,032.20 from my loan
£936.00 after tax from my job
£600 from family
£3568 total
Outgoing total:
£550.00 for rent
£855 budgeted [on the £40 a week plan]
> £75 in emergency fund
>£150 in savings fund
£1405 total

3568 -1405 = £2163 to pay off my debts.

>£300 to remaining credit card debt, £100 each month, card cleared & cancelled on 1/6/12!
available balance, 1863; total balance 263.
>£1400 off overdraft limit; ask them to bring it down to £200 in case of emergency.
available balance, 463; total balance 263.
>£350 into savings account
available balance, 113; total balance -87.

>including remainder from grant etc. can add approx. £100, totalling closing balance on 1/6/12 as follows;
£500 in savings account
£75 in emergency fund
£13 in the black, in main account, with available balance of £213.

I have decided to keep my overdraft limit at £200, as I think this is a sensible amount. I can’t and won’t get carried away with £200, but if I am short on rent one month, that should be enough to cover the deficit until I can get on eBay and make it up. My overdraft is also interest free for another year, whereas I pay interest on my credit card. It will be much less tempting to me to cut the plastic up!

My savings account will contain at least £500 and I’m so proud of this. I’ve wanted to have savings for years, but being a financial disaster prevented that a bit. I’m also expecting £100 in tax returns, and roughly £80 from the deposit on my old house. Hopefully, it will be around £700, then I can use a little of that & my regular account to be able to afford the deposit & first month of rent on a nice flat.

This is not going to be easy by a long stretch. I'm dreading it. I'm writing out the figures over and over because it's the only thing keeping me motivated. I'll be here every day, because I need to be cheered along. But I know I can do this. And it means I can start my life properly, and really take control. Wish me luck. I'm going to need it.

Minii's new life starts tomorrow.

minii

My first item sold on ebay! It's currently on 99p, but has 5 watchers, so lets hope for war
I have five other items being watched too. This is exciting! I also only need £3 more on a survey site before I get a £10 voucher and can buy food for free!

The boyfriend came out of his man-cave long enough to text me during the football, but I think he's gone back under now. Time for me to sit back with a glass of wine and catch up on my telly.

minii

A very happy minii greets you. :beer:

This morning my grant came through and I was able to pay off my Very account completely (once the site let me log on -grrr), and also put a substantial amount towards paying off the credit card. Signature was duly updated, was shocked to realise that not only am I under the £2k mark (it's been aaaaaaaaaages since I was there) but I've also nearly whacked 30% off the original amount since the 1st January. Not bad going at all, if I say so myself.

I also opened an emergency fund that was available for access this morning, so I deposited £10 in there rather than buying contact lenses. This money is for those sickening moments when you go over your agreed limits and need £20 to pay it off before you get charged... although being MSE and all that, that shouldn't happen anymore! Haha. I aim to save £75, enough for a week of not being able to work if I fall ill, or whatever else might happen.

Feeling quite positive, and have £20 to last me until next week, just because I want to see if I can do it. Tomorrow is going to be a NSD as well, the first official one of many. Off to make breakfast and have a lovely cup of earl grey before I tackle the cash book & take out my funding for the week & get caught up in chores & studying.

Will update later to let you know if the job people call!

minii

I'm off to the hospital today for minor surgery. I'm freaking out a bit, I hate hospitals so bad.

The job people never called me back, so I'll give it til Monday, and then maybe I'll chase them up. I applied to more jobs yesterday anyway, although official graduation date is the 13'july, I'm pretty much finished at the end of this month. Eek! Means I can basically start full-time at the end of 23'march though, which I don't know if that's more scary or not. At least if I'm working I won't have as much time to think about spending money...

I updated my sig, again. It's looking so crowded and I wanted it to look a bit simpler so I can keep on top of it. I checked my bank and all my payments have gone through, so I officially have £300 left to pay off my credit card, then that's cleared. My overdraft is a bit more of a worry though. I haven't managed an NSD yet -yesterday I went food shopping, and today I need to pay for the bus to the hospital. I still have £85 left for food in my official budget -that feels like a HUGE amount. I'm going to aim to only spend another £45 at most.

The nice thing about having an emergency fund in the black is, looking at it, that's exactly how much I have. I don't have to work out my available balance due to an overdraft and how much I should be spending if I want to drop it down.

I wrote myself a strict plan last night for the eventuality I don't find employment immediately. I can get myself to about -£400 on my overdraft with everything else cleared off, but only if I'm strict and I get my tax return & deposit back. *gulp* It looks like I'm on the strict plan now though; don't have a choice at the moment.

I have applied (to keep track) for 50 hours a week waitressing at an American Diner, a copywriting position, and manager in training at Dominos. I don't particularly mind what I do, as long as I'm earning something.

Am off to shower and prep for hospital.. *gulp*

lindens

Good luck with the surgery. i was hoping to come on here today and find Job news, maybe later eh?

jwil

Hope the surgery goes well.

Well done on clearing so much, and good luck with the job hunt!

minii

*sunglasses icon due to that i'm currently blind in one eye, like gabrielle*
surgery was horrible. i mean, really really horrible. i had a full on panic attack when the dr put a needle in my eyelid, and then it was stuck while i shook so violently that it wasn't safe to take it out.*shudders* i've been on the verge of tears/in floods all day, and i'm totally ashamed of myself for being so scared. i've never had a good relationship with hospitals, and its not got any better.

good news #1; i have definetly sold 2 things on ebay, for a price of £5.98 in total (so far). one person bid on one of the items three times, all at the same price? does anyone know what's going on with that?

good news #2; once i was done in the hospital, i got a phone call from an unknown number, and it turned out to be from one of the job people they've invited me back for a second and final interview next thursday at 4pm, so here's hoping. if i get the job, i'm hoping for 20 hours a week. budgetwise, that would be fantastic because it means i would be out of debt by june & be able to afford the rent for 2 months while i found a full time position. even 16 hours a week would make a massive difference.

good news #3; the boyf. has been a bit more attentive this evening and has actually been texting me to give me a little comfort.

good news #4; i looked at myself in the mirror today and i liked my body. i dont remember the last time i could say that. but i'm happy with my curves, even though i spent years starving myself, and now i'm heavier than i've ever been before, i'm also the happiest, despite the crap in my life.

i've been writing everything diligently down in my cash book. i did a bit of guilt-spending today, that wasn't budgeted for. i spent £9.69 in the cafe, buying myself lunch, and a magazine and a book that was down to £2.99. i was scared witless and i guess old habits die hard sometimes. it wont happen again. an NSD weekend awaits. both days. going to be strict with myself.