6 months to freedom / Race against the bank

littleweasel

Doing OK on December budget, and still just about on track to wipe everything out at the end of the year. If not it will be end of January. I have been sticking the money in a savings account as I'm paying no interest now (below £500 the overdraft is interest free), and was a bit concerned I might overspend on Christmas. Still got most of my Xmas shopping to do...

My new job will start on the 21st of January, so I will have 1 and a bit weeks of increased salary in that month's paycheque. It will be the 'new' salary from then on.

If for whatever reason I haven't wiped out the debt by end of Jan payday, I will use the increase to do so. If I have, I will spend the extra (and it will all be my money!). Then back to the straight and narrow and the goal of saving £10k ish in a year.

In February I am going to try and keep a really detailed spending diary so I can see how close I am to my forecast SOA. If I genuinely did have a ~£200 surplus each month, that would be great, but I suspect it might disappear (even with my rather generous figures!) and I need to know where it's going.

HeadAboveWater

littleweasel wrote: »

I obviously feel guilty about it or I wouldn't be trying to justify it!

:rotfl:

Got a cheap but fun weekend planned - a clothes swap and a friend's Xmas party on the Saturday, then another Xmas gathering on Sunday. Am hoping I can get some good stuff at the clothes swap...particularly stuff that I might be able to wear to work. New job involves a lot of external meetings and you have to be a bit smarter for those.

Love this idea Great for a night out, plus the added bonus of maybe getting a few 'new' things for your wardrobe without having to fork out the ££. Very MSE

My new job will start on the 21st of January, so I will have 1 and a bit weeks of increased salary in that month's paycheque. It will be the 'new' salary from then on.

Just double check the date you first get paid when you start a new job, in case you have to work a lying week/month before the money hits your account. If so, make sure and budget carefully!!!

Then back to the straight and narrow and the goal of saving £10k ish in a year.

:eek: Wow!! Wish I could do that!! Need to get paid more first though!! lol My target is £3600 and so far doing well!!

littleweasel

Hello! I've been bad at updating lately as don't have my computer with me at my parents' house. Happy Christmas :-)

Not much happening this month... Plugging away slowly at the few hundred pounds of debt that remain, while trying not to go mad in the sales. Funny how a new job always seems to warrant an updated wardrobe *eye roll*

My phone contract ended, but I got a great deal on a new one and a snazzy new smartphone (am typing on that so apologies for any weird typos). That sounds extravagant but one of the first things I did was install a budgeting app. This month I will track every single thing I spend, which might be embarrassing but will hopefully show me where my money goes. I already created a special category for coffee :-S

littleweasel

HeadAboveWater, the clothes swaps are great! I got 7 things last time - including one pair of work trousers from Boden and two tops that can be worn at work :-) the other things were all dressy tops of the type I love but never seem to buy myself. Brill :-)

littleweasel

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

As you can see from my sig, I haven't quite made it - I still have £250ish on an interest free credit card. I guess I could pay this off this month but I would end up spending on another card to make up the shortfall - so will leave it in place for the moment and get rid of it at the end of the month.

I am pleased with what I've done. £2000 seems like a lot of money and to pay off almost £2000 in 5 months on my current salary (without feeling totally deprived!) is a pretty good achievement, although it just goes to show how much money I was wasting before.

This month I am mainly monitoring my spends and carrying on with new good habits like taking lunch into work and avoiding spending on stuff which is just clutter. I may also list some things on eBay to try and decrease the clutter I already have.

I have an app on my new phone which allows me to log every single thing I spend. It is illuminating!

Looking forward to a slightly bigger paycheque than usual at the end of the month, as my new salary kicks in from the 21st. From February I will be saving the extra, but this month's will go toward clearing the final card.

HeadAboveWater

Happy new year and very well done on your debts :T

littleweasel

Thankyou! :-)

I cannot wait until payday on the 31st (which feels a long way away). 2 weeks more in my current job and then I change to scary new job. Eep.

My goal this month is to take in lunch every single working day. Today's is:

cheese sandwich on burgen bread
Clementine
Apple
bit of Stollen cake left over from Christmas (I have a whole kilo to eat...!)

Now I've got used to it I actually prefer taking in lunch. Can't believe how much I was wasting on it before. Between that, the interest on my debts and the stupid bank account fee I was paying for no good reason, I think I will save thousands. It makes me angry at myself that I wasted it for no good reason for so long - but hey ho, what's done is done.

littleweasel

Oh and another goal for this week is to list a load of stuff on eBay and finally send off my music magpie box. I want to declutter and it makes sense to make a bit of money at the same time.

Edited for list of MSE tasks for today:

Claim swagbucks Amazon £5 done
Ask Amazon for refund for Christmas item that never arrived done
Do a bit of slice the pie and then ask for payment
Reach swagbucks daily quota
Get all music magpie stuff ready

littleweasel

I still haven't finished slicethepie or music magpie. Need to crack on with this. Tonight I am going to the library and then need to practice piano, so I might not manage to squeeze it in.

I don't think I am being a very good MSEer this month :-( I am doing well on not buying lunch, but I can already see I've spent a lot on shopping, socialising (esp alcohol!), and I booked a holiday. There is really nowhere to hide with this budgeting app that I got, I've been logging every single spend. Oh well. I guess it will give me an idea of how to budget and what to look out for once I've paid off the remaining balance on my balance transfer card. I cannot wait for 1st February to see the balances at zero on all my cards (although my current account will look quite depleted as I put flights on my Barclaycard).

Anyway, enough rambles. Lunch today:

Tuna mayo and cucumber on burgen bread
Apple
Cookies and creme kit kat (weird!)

I haven't actually eaten the apple yet as I am wearing a very tight peplum top which appears to limit my stomach capacity (!)

HeadAboveWater

Hello again

Well done on all your balances so far! Roll on 1st Feb

Mind if I ask how you got on with music magpie? Was it good value?