Reactions of a mountain goat - or not!

beanielou

Good news on no smoking :j

Becks81

Thank you beanielou I have felt the urge today but am determined to stick at it.

beanielou

Stay strong!
Think of the £££'s you are saving

Becks81

Evening all, I've had a very productive day so far today.

Have planned all my meals for next week and been food shopping spending a grand total of £23.04.

Have sorted out my kitchen cupboards, making lists of everything in there and getting rid of anything that I haven't used.

Have sorted around 20 books to go to Zapper, so far have a grand total of £12.37 but have plenty more books and Cd's to go through. Im hoping to make at least £30 here.

Have got some more things to list on ebay tomorrow, so will take pictures and get everything sorted for that.

Tomorrow I plan to tidy the girls bedroom, (at the same time scout for more ebay items )

Go through more books for Zapper and generally get the house tip top and tidy ready for a friends visit on Monday. Hoping for another NSD.

Day 6 of no smoking, I would have spent close to £30 by now (pats herself on the back) However I do feel like it has made my appetite increase so I am back following Slimming World, and hope to shift the pounds in time for the summer as I now ave something to look forward to.

Darling mum and dad have invited me to their villa in Spain for 2 weeks at the start of the summer holidays. This has really cheered me up, boy did I need something! So now will be saving for this in the form of my £2 coins! Every little helps.

So over all, am feeling more positive about things, much more than I have done in a long time.

Becks81

Just a quicky tonight.

Another NSD again :T

Have listed 27 things on ebay - am hoping at least one thing sells to warrant the last 2 hours I spent listing!

Can't believe its Monday again, the weekend goes so quickly and I always feel like I never get anything done.

Have officially done 7 days of no smoking - that is one whole week without smoking. I'm still craving every now and then, especially this evening. I just wish the cravings would go and leave me be. I'm trying FGS!!

Becks81

Yay! I have one watcher on ebay- that makes it all worth it!

Becks81

Paid another £20 off the Barclaycard this morning :j

I finally got my housing award through the post yesterday, to say I'm confused is an understatement, there is 21 pages to it. But as far as I can make out I will get my first HB payment tomorrow.

Something I did understand is that I will now pay significantly less on my council tax. After the 25% discount it leaves me to pay £120 a month, but according to my notice this drops down to £56 a month and I don't start paying until June (but don't get the break in February and March). However I have already made the April payment of £120 so if I'm right in thinking I get a couple months free of making any council tax payments and my next payment will be in July.

So the money saved here is going straight on the Barclaycard which means depending on how ebay sales go this week I could be sub £600 by the end of the month.

Payday on Friday as well, and my CB payment went in this morning. So I go from really struggling with money to being more flush than I ever have been before - funny how it works out.

Becks81

Day 10 of not smoking and I've turned into a human waste machine. I just want to eat everything and am craving the really sweet and naughty things - not very good for the diet but hey ho my bank balance is a lot healthier.

Had my first payment from the Housing people, so will leave that ticking over in my account until my rent is due at the beginning of the month. They have taken into account last months council tax payment and have adjusted my payment arrangements. I will now pay £42 a month in council tax, quite a drop from £120 that I was originally on :eek: Once I get paid on Friday I will create a new SOA so I know where I stand, and really start cracking down on these debts.

On a positive note I have bids on 2 of my 27 items on ebay and watchers on another 6 so I'm hoping to do well this week. But am a bit annoyed at myself for not remembering the postal rate increase that kicks in on Monday 30th, when I plan to send out my items. Everything will just have to go second class for a change.

Becks81

It's pay day :j It's Friday :j

I have transfered the rent money and the rest I will leave alone. The HB money has made a huge difference and it means I actually have some of my wages left over (something that has not happened since my hours were dropped to part time)

I was talking to a work colleague yesterday who knows about my situation with the Ex and asked how I was coping. I explained that it has been tough but I am financially a lot better off without him, she asked how this was possible - stupid me explained about the benefits I was entitled to. Well her face was a picture :eek: she said "I'll stop you there, if I hear anymore it will definitely change how I see you. It is people like you that make my husband pay out over £1K in tax a month"

OMG I was so shocked, she looked at me like I was $h1t on a shoe. I have NEVER claimed benefits before - I actually missed out on over a year of Child Beneft when I had DD almost 8 years ago, because I never knew anything about claiming and no one had told me.

I know it shouldn't but it really got to me, yes I am better off without the ex but what would she have me do? Be out on the street with my 2 girls. :mad:

On a more positive note...
1) I lost 3.5lbs at weigh in last night.
2) I'm still not smoking, and
3) i have another bid on my ebay. Which means i have sold 3 things :j Every little helps!

Becks81

Well it has been just over a month since I first started this diary so I will update my progress

Unsecured Debts
Description....................Debt......Monthly.. .APR
Barclaycard....................[STRIKE]697.02[/STRIKE]555....60....... .29.9
Barclays Loan..................[STRIKE]9309[/STRIKE]9259......100.......0
Cahoot.........................[STRIKE]4092[/STRIKE]4052......40....... .0
Mum............................2607.03...60....... .14.9
Mastercard.....................[STRIKE]738[/STRIKE]708.......20....... .0
Total unsecured debts..........[STRIKE]17443.05[/STRIKE]17271.05..280.......-

Which means a whole £273 shaved off my debt this month :j

I have also...
1) saved £22 in £2 this month that is going towards my holiday in July.

2) Have made over £50 in ebay sales, but after the postal price increase I think my selling days are over

3)Given up smoking (Day 16)

4) Kept a spending diary for a whole month

5) Made and stuck to a budget for food spending

6) Got 2 new additions to the family in the form of Bert and Ernie my 8 week old kittens

So all in all a good months progress