Hypno's kick up the backside debt diary....

taxi73

I did enjoy it thanks...it was worth it but glad he's gone back if you know what I mean as I'm aching all over

Seaxwyn

Morning hypno, how are you today?

I'm looking forward to seeing your new totals.

Hope you've got lots of good money-making plans for the week and month ahead.

hypno06

Hi Seaxwyn. I am feeling good today thanks. I think that actually having real budgets to look at and to work to is quite motivating me at the moment. OK so I know we are only on the 2nd of the month but I have spoken to the whole family and told them just how it has to be, but also shown them that we can do it, but only if there is no moaning or secret spending!!!

The car has its MOT today - it should be ok but you never know with these things. I hate MOT day, always waiting for bad news.

I have budgetted for the cost of the MOT but not for the cost of any repairs etc, so if it needs it, I will have to use the credit cards, which will mean that my totals do not reduce much (or at all) today. However, loan repayments of almost £600 come out today so I am hoping that I can amend the totals by at least a few hundred pounds (downwards!!). Fingers crossed!

JCD Capulet has just started a "how are you going to make money" thread. I have posted my week's aims on there. A bit of matched betting, looking at the weather forecast for a possible car boot at the weekend and getting new clients in really sums this week up.

I hope you have a profitable week too, building on the excellent progress you have made recently......(no, not jealous..........really, not jealous:rotfl: )

Seaxwyn

Thanks Hypno and I will keep my fingers crossed your car passes its MOT with no work needed.

I've posted on JCD Capulet's thread too. I also want to do a boot sale - not being a copycat, honest - you should see my bedroom it looks like a bootfair itself piled high with bags and boxes of cr*p. My mum has promised to have a clear out and I have high hopes she will come up with some good stuff.

I might copy you on the budgets as well. It's hard to budget when incomings are so irregular, but now I've got my tough target for xmas I need to make sure I can meet it. There are certain categories of expenditure that can creep up really high - mainly kids activities and family outings - and I need to impose real limits on what I spend, particularly with the holidays coming up. Jam jars here I come.

hypno06

I have often tried the budget/spreadsheet thing in a half hearted way, as I have the spending diary thing. However, it always goes by the wayside, a bit on the basis that we have always managed somehow - something always comes through, a bit of mystery shopping, matched betting etc therefore we always survive no matter what the budget/spreadsheet says.

But I suppose the second coming of the LBM is here and I know that I cannot rely on this extra. Also, as you know being self employed, if I am ill for a week, I get no income, so any "extras" should really be put aside for situations such as that, rather than bailing us out of not sticking to the plan. Don't know if that makes any sense!!

elantan

i think you might just have hit the nail on the head with the budget sheets hypno ...were going further into the red everymonth i've tried the spending diary but hubby and son seem to keep forgetting i know it's a big leeway but i've given them till just after xmas then it's tight reins all the way (i have no doubt we will be right back into the red by then) we have our hols this week for a fortnight then london then it's hubbys b/day in november (need to save for that ) then xmas so after xmas they wont know what's hit them lol

hypno06

Hi El, I think last month when my debt increased for the first time this year has really scared me a bit - to see that as soon as you take your eye off the ball you go backwards, and it is really difficult to make up. Having to add those 2 months to my snowball date really peeed me off. I suppose I have to be grateful for it really otherwise I would have carried on muddling through.

I even considered last month forgetting the snowball and doing a DMP to take a bit of the pressure off. Even got as far as calling CCCS, but then didn't take the follow up call option as I decided I would just give myself a kick up the backside! I am so desperate to get rid of this debt that I cannot afford to slip back again.

So although I will not be keeping a spending diary (have never stuck with them, in the same way I couldn't keep track of food when on weightwatchers!) I will be trying my damndest to stick to the spreadsheet and the jam jars!!

elantan

ok tell me about the jam jars i mustve missed something? i'm gonna need all the help i can get soon might even have to start working those goddam awful hours again for a while

hypno06

I have two jam jars on the work top. One with Grocery cash in - £150 and one with Petrol cash in - £100 both to last the month out. If it ain't in the jar, it can't be spent!!!!

I would like to have a third jar for "odds and sods" but cannot afford it this month!! That is what I aspire to

Seaxwyn

Hi Hypno and Elantan

I'm going to do a budget today but I'm going to do it on Excel rather than having actual jam jars - just subtract what I spend on each category from the allowed amount.

After several failed attempts at spending diaries I have been keeping one this year successfully and it has been a real eye opener. I found that doing it on the computer worked better than in a paper notebook - don't know why but it does.

Budgetting cannot be beyond me. Like you Hypno I've always muddled through but I need to be a bit more grown-up and also with uncertain earnings be able to see when problems are going to arise.