Stopping the Slippery Slope I'm on

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Checked my current account and noticed some odd activity regarding my pro-study loan. The last payment should have been for about £50. I noticed 2 SOs go out on the same day for my prostudy loan. one for £110 and another for £109. then another transaction transfering back £160ish. It works out that they transfered the difference back and took the £50 but why the two transactions?

I don't care that it worked out in the end, it's scarily easy for them to take my money! It's a good job I had enough to cover both transactions anyway, but that's hardly the point!

I gave them a ring tonight, but of course the department I need was closed so they want me to ring again tomorrow. I told them to ring me instead because I was sick of their automated service then being on hold for ten minutes! we'll see if they do or not, but i'll ring back whatever. I just felt the need to be difficult and not go quietly lol!

this transaction has scared me because I've spent so long not checking my account, and trusting everything is in order. well no more. I will never go without checking my account again. hopefully i will never get to the point where i'm scared to check it, so it won't matter!


my friend is asking for money for their wedding pressie because they already live together and don't need anything, and they don't know what to tell people to get! (they are the opposite of demanding! they'd be happy with nothing!) but i feel the need to get them something sentimental (along with the book) maybe a photoframe or an album. though i am making her a mini album of the henweekend for her birthday so maybe a photoframe.

i want to get them something that they can keep forever. so another hunt online I shall go!

the godkids are all coming on friday so I'm gonna have a busy house. and I promised my eldest that I'd get my old marbles out and teach her how to play. now i just need someone who's not afraid of shed monsters (see spiders) to go look for them...and try and remember how to play! either that or treat her to a pack from the poundshop if they still have them.

i've done so well I think I can afford to treat her to some marbles!

i have shopping guilt today because I spent some petty cash at work on goodies to make displays and have crafty events...I think it's a good sign, if i feel guilty for spending someone elses money then I'm less likely to start spending on the CC again!

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Finally got someone at HSBC to explain why 2 different standing orders for my pro study loan went out on the same day. it's apparently how the SOs are set up, and the original person who set it up for me got the amount of payments wrong. They were very apologetic and I said it was fine, I know they gave me back my money the day after, I just wanted them to explain what went wrong so I can understand. I also mentioned how it could have impacted me financially--if it had happened 4 months ago it would have been a whole different story.

apparently they don't use standing orders for these loans anymore, but direct debits where this kind of thing is easier to pick up. I wasn't horrible on the phone or try and demand compensation, as just 4 months ago I was in a bad state, over my overdraft limit and ok they let me get there, but it was my own fault, one i paid charges for, but it wasn't there fault i couldn't manage my money properly!

i can now relax regarding that:) on another note, i found out on facebook that the guitarist for one of my most favouritist bands in the entire world is leaving the band to do more guitar teching and tour managing. it's a wrench to see him go as i remember them all playing in teeny bars as the support act back in the day. but as long as he's happy it's all good. Am quite worried about the band though. The lead singer is sounding a bit angry and down at the moment--I'm wondering if them getting fame and popularity is all it's cracked up to be. they've always done everything themselves and it's much harder to do that the bigger you get.

i so need to get my gigging fund up and runnig so i have funds for when they play. I need to suss out the new guy and make sure the rest of the boys are OK!

bought some marbles with my last £1 out of my purse. well worth it i'm sure! i never actually took spends out for this month as i have been using the £20ish i didn't spend at my friend's hen-night. i put it in the shrapnell jar which has now got about £19 in, which is good considering i transfered about £10 into my save £2 a week for holiday food fund.

i think i'm going to use this pot so i don't withdraw so much from my bank acount. as i'm only ever spending little amounts at a time; a pound or two here, i don't feel like i should withdraw £10 when i don't need it and when i have change out already. once i'm not being as tight and i've decided on a proper budget for the month i will start taking it out after payday and split it up over the month. but at the moment i'd rather let it sit in my bank acount!

i just remembered we beat budget at work this month...whooo hooo! bonus here i come! it won't be a huge amount, but it will certainly pay for the bride and her maids girlie night in we're all planning for next weekend; and a cheeky drink with my brother at his local to watch a band play on saturday.

apart from planned big nights out i haven't been out just to a pub or for a meal since last year. i've been a hermit! i could probably do with a night not sitting in front of the fresh prince...

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I can't believe how much I wanted to spend money yesterday! I had to get money out to go to the pub with my brother/sister/cousin/sister's boyfriend and also get a few easter eggs for the kids from poundland and I swear I was looking around poundland just for things to buy for the sake of spending.

I made a conscious effort not to buy anything once I realised what I was doing, and only bought deodorant that I needed and 2 easter eggs. The rest of the money for was one round at the pub because I refuse to be one of those people who never buys a round.

The family didn't want me to, as they know I'm saving money, and they know I earn peanuts, but that does not mean I should be allowed out of round buying. If I wasn't prepared to buy a round I would have said I'd stay out of rounds full stop.

I do have change though, so I've got some pennies for the shrapnell jar!

I shall pay for the hotel room i'm staying in for my friend's wedding this friday when the bride and her maids are all going to get together to watch incredibly girlie films, eat lots and hopefully play the twilight boardgame!

After paying the hotel room whatever is left is purely for spends while I'm there so I'll feel much better for paying that off.

Still had no info back from IF isaving to say my DDs are set up, grrr taking so long! I think I may put the money in my ISA for now just so I feel like I'm saving it!

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A good day already today and it's only 8.30am! Just checked my email before heading to work and found that I've sold another piece of jewellery on etsy whooo hooo!

So I had to take some money out my shrapnell jar for parts that I need for the piece as I don't have them already made up; but that's what the jar is for--to stop me withdrawing a tenner when I only need £2.50 or if I get an extra piece for next time £5!

I'm going to use the money as a buffer for my friend's wedding, just in case, i don't expect to need it, so then if I don't spend it i will pay off a bit more on my CC. in the futre when this has happened I would just treat myself as I'd think I deserve it and it's just extra income that I don't account for anyway. No thinking that way anymore!

So lots of work for me to get started on tonight, but it will be well worth it!

I got another letter from MBNA saying sorry for taking so long on my complaint, so at least I know they're looking into it which is good.

While waiting for my IF saver to get set up I decided to transfer my holiday money into my ISA but again it wouldn't let me do anything so I had to phone again.

The guy on the phone was super helpful this time and as my ISA is a bazillion years old and I haven't used it so long he went over options for a new one, so I now have a new ISA account and they're donig a 2% bonus on it too; So in the future I may use the ISA as my emergency fund because as it's linked to my account I can get to it instantly. IF can all be about the pots and as it's not HSBC it'll be slightly harder to get at my money and will make me think more.

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Feeling rather sick right now! Just activated my new Halifax CC and transfered £1000 of my Virgin debt onto it. I know logically this is the best course of action as it's 0% for 13 months, and apr on my Virgin was high.

It also only cost £30 to transfer it over, which is less than I'm paying a month in interest to Virgin. So logically it will be saving money and I have not looked at the pin for the Halifax so can't go spending; but I don't think that would be a problem anyway.

My worry is pushing it to the back of my mind and only paying min off on it! I will not do that though!

Halifax were super good on the phone and I've set up a direct debit for just over the min at £12, which is just about £2 over the min. Everything else will be thrown at Virgin and then HSBC and then Halifax. Snowball style:)

I hate that I've now got 3 credit cards. It kind of feels like I'm going backwards, when i know I'm not. I just need to think with the logic part of my brain and not the panicked part!

I'm just so glad I could set up the DD over the phone, unlike with the Post Office CC which were so old fashioned and made me do everything via post; then charged me for missing things! grrr.

I am now going to treat myself to an ebook with the money I've withdrawn from slicethepie! I think I've decided that slicethepie money will be my 'treat' money. I don't like the thought of dipping into 'real' money for treats for myself anymore!

I have enough for a £5 amazon voucher on swagbucks, but i'm going to let it sit and see how much i can get closer to christmas.

i have just under £30 on topcashback now, i love seeing that go up:) I only got pence when using ebay and abebooks through them, but that's pence I wouldn't have had before!

oh god, 3 credit cards arrrgh!

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EEEEK! I got a letter from MBNA today saying that my claim has been investigated and I will be getting a cheque for £373.82! I am over the moon that they didn't fight more and are paying out:)

I really didn't expect it, especially as I couldn't find any paperwork from when I took it out, and I didn't lie and say I didn't know about it; I did say they used scare tactics though, and they really did, so that obviously was enough.

£373 might not pay off all my debts, but it will seriously reduce what's left on my virgin CC and now that I've transfered some debt to a new CC the Virgin card will be paid off much quicker! I can#t wait until I get the cheque:) They say I should get it within 28days, so it could be a while.

Stayed at my friend's last night and had a good night in with a takeaway. yum! got home today and the letter was waiting for me, so it was a good day.

our oldest cat has had the wind in her tail all morning and she's been playing and pouncing like a kitten. sooooo cute.

I'm sure it's free listing on ebay this weekend, i need to check that out then go list some stuff. it's so boring though!

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It's been a bit of a frivalous week with the takeout with all the girls, then i had my eyebrows threaded and had to buy new foundation for the wedding as i managed to leave the lid off my old one and what was left has dried out. it was on 342 and i got my points at superdrug so that's something.

i did want to use my boots points to buy it but they never have my shade and i was getting sick of waiting for them.

i also had a bit of a treat today. went out with my friend and her gorgeous daughter and we were going to the local charity but as it was shut we ended up in the cake shop...and the sweet shop so we bought goodies and had a mini picnic in her living room. had a very good time!

also caught up with some other friends today and had a nice chat and catch up.

and my PPI cheque came! i was so expecting it to take the 28days, so i cashed that today and I get paid tomorrow, whoo hoo! once my cheque clears i'm going to pay off a lump of my CC--I cannot wait to see the balance go down!

I have been writing a lot lately. well, not like I used to write when I was back at uni, but I have over 80k of my novel and I'm excited about it which is...exciting!;)

I have been feeling positive today, dreaming about what I can do with my money when I'm debt free! Thinking how quick I could save for an ipad if I wanted one...how I can plan my tattoos and get the sessions started and how I can go see them bands that are rumoured to be over. All with savings and planning and budgeting and not my damned overdraft! it will be guilt free spending lol

ok not guilt free because i always feel guilty for spending now, but that's a good thing. at least now i stop myself and think and then don't go overboard.

getting my hair cut tomorrow in time for the wedding as it really needs the weight taken out of it. my hairdresser is going to be disappointed because usually i go in for something whacky and she ends up shaving half my head or dying it purple, but tomorrow is strictly thinning out and giving it a bit of shape.

i will then SAVE to get it cut again after the wedding when I can go all crazy. I am contemplating sections of colour or all over colour. when i get colours i tend to get the hair dresser to do the first one and then i carry on doing it at home and follow what they've done.

i'm getting good with the bleach! and the hairdresser will order me in any funky colours i want to take home. they're pretty great and they're not over priced either.

jwil

Great news about the ppi :T

That is exciting about the novel, have you published anything before?

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jwil wrote: »

Great news about the ppi :T

That is exciting about the novel, have you published anything before?

only short stories and in magazines. I'm one of these people who start something, get sidetracked by another storyline and start that...then get sidetracked again! i have terrible sticking power lol


Today is pay day and for the first time since i can remember I was over £1000 in credit! i practically welled up! i quickly paid off £300 on the cc from my PPI cheque as I kept picturing me saving it for holiday or 'stuff' and that is never good lol! so before i could think I sent the payment, allowing myself to keep the extra £70 as extra for holiday or holiday petrol money.

I put another £270 into my ISA and hopefully that is me all set for spending money for holiday now. I don't think I'll have to dip into the savings even for spending money for my friend's wedding, so that's a plus!

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the £300 i paid off the cc has finally shown up so the balance looks much better! i cannot wait until it's gone and then i'm not paying interest. it annoys me when i see all the interest grrr! but it's my own fault for not doing anything about it sooner!

just finished reading Wither by Lauren Destefano, I really enjoyed it. There needed to be more about Gabriel I think, because I didn't much care for him, but that's because he was hardly there. I'm hoping I'll warm to him in the next novel Fever.

There will definitely be things to talk about on thursday for dark romance book club night!

I can now start reading Insurgent by Veronica Roth...I've been biting at the bit to read this as the first book Divergent was amazing. Hunger Games ain't got nothing on it! I feel lucky that I was sent an advanced reading copy of Insurgent as I don't think I could have waited until 1st May to start reading it.

I almost didn't finish Wither in time because I started to read Insurgent and no matter how good Wither is, it's not the second novel to Divergent!

I have so many awesome looking books to read at the moment I don't know where to start!