Third Time Determined!

karmachilovething

So I was writing on another thread here and I typed the word "value" bu then changed it to "budget" which was a better way to describe things.

But it reminded me of a phrase my friend used to use in relation to money: fun-tokens. Basically he would look on how much fun/enjoyment he could get from his money, how much bang for his buck.

I find it quite a useful idea to have in your mind so that you can evaluate whether something is worth the cost. So I might not go to the pub with a big group of people, because I know I'd have a better time with a couple of friends and a bottle of wine at home (and spend less to boot). Thinking of things that way makes it a lot easier to want to say no (although not, mind you, easier to explain why you won't be going to the pub)

In other news: cheap weekend in London, free exhibition at the Barbican and some lunch, coffee and cake. NSD yesterday and today.

karmachilovething

Spendy day today: posting parcels for e3ay, and then buying more packing paper after the gym later. By my estimate, total e3ay profits will be £85. Overpaying to the credit card will feel good.

And that may have been what openignt he flood gates, for just a trickle, and I bought a group*n for Graz* boxes. 4 boxes for £5, so quite a good deal, and I want to try out some of their ideas.

Snacking is an important part of my day (!) and I was getting to the end of my home supplies, and frankly bored of what I normally bring. So my plan is, a few graze boxes, and then adapt the ones I like best to make at home.

karmachilovething

Urgh, brain is all over the place this afternoon. Can't concentrate on anything for more than 10 minutes. Which is a problem because if my brain wanders I usually wander into money spending!

I haven't spent anything, but I have looked at lots of things on-line, which experience has told me doesn't help money saving, as it puts me in the frame of mind to part with my cash. if you've done it mentally you're over 50% the way to actually doing it.

karmachilovething

Been neglecting my diary a little . . . so time for an update.

Well I was aiming for paying off £350 a month on top of minimum payments. Well January I manage almost as much as that (£335), which I'm very pleased with. But because I have changed my B*rclaycard to 9.9%, I wanted to see what affect that would have on my snowball.

I've lost 3 months off my debt free date :T

The snowball recommends I pay off my OD first, as that has the highest rate of interest. I'm not sure that's right though, because the interest charges are less than my B*rclaycard. So I should try and reduce my B*rclaycard charges down to or less than the OD before I tackle that no? Or is it more the pyscological thing about OD vs CC?

I just need to keep up that £350 rate for a couple of years :rotfl: No I can do it, and with moving back home for a few months I should be able to blast the debt even faster.

Speaking of moving out my DM found a storage facility really close to them, which is super cheap - half the price of any where else I've looked at, for more space too! There must be a catch . . . I will find out on Wednesday I guess.

elantan

Go with your OD ... It's 2.3k as well so you will pay it off faster, just make sure you lower it every month ... I would also pay a wee but extra to your barclaycard though as that will slowly lower it for you for when its time to tackle that one

elantan

By lower it I mean take it down as you pay it off ... So say you pay £400 to it lower it to 2k for example ( you will leave yourself £100 to just Incase with ) it will be gone much faster tht way

StressedSteph

Hi Karmachi

Well done for keeping your diary going.

Its a boring option, but I opt for getting rid of your overdraft first.

You are in a similar situation to me. And I am trying to kill off the OD first.

I have my spreadsheet on Excel and I calculate how my OD is lowering by my end balance every month.

Mine was £3000 and is now at the end of January down to £1800.
It is slow for me as my minimum payments on my Littlewoods catalogue are a crazy £400 pm, so does'nt leave me much left to play with.

At least the catalogue will be gone by summer. :j.

My plan is that when I am out of the OD, I am NOT going to cancel it straight away. Weird yes. But I have NO emergency savings at all. So until I can get some savings sorted, I will use the OD as a last resort emergency fall back fund.

At the moment I am maxed out on everything, and it is a very scary place to be. I don't like to cancel it until I have created a better safety net.

Hope my waffling has helped a little. Sorry if it hasn't

xxxx

karmachilovething

Sorry not to post in a while diary - life has been busy! But cheap too so that's good!

Thanks Steph and Elantan. I know you're right, I should be throwing the money at the OD. I think I have a 0% interest bit to it, so I will find where that is, aim to get it below and then lower the limit to that once it's cleared.

I am the same as you Steph - I don't have any saving, so ditching the OD altogether is a little scary. We'll see what things look like when I get there though. I cleared the OD before (using a super balance transfer card) and then I didn't stick outside of it. Maybe this time it will be different and I will have learnt better habits!

I got a load of boxes from freecycle this week! They're really good quality, so I'm super pleased! :T They are taking up most of the didning room at the moment (flat packed), but I'm itching to get packing. You know when you've decided to do something and you just want to get on with it?!

I booked the super cheap storage too. Will have to pay 3 months in advance, so that makes February a bit more expensive, but will make March and April even cheaper

The one downer is I've got a eBay non paying bidder. It's an international bidder, and she normally directs her purchases through a shipping firm, and apparently my quote for international shipping (requested after auction ended) is too high. She's asked me to cancel the item. :mad:

Now I don't want to do that. Mostly because I've messed around and so I'm angry. And she's in the wrong, so why should I pay for that. I think what I will do is try a second chance offer, and if that works cancel, but otherwise start non paying bidder. So annoying.

karmachilovething

Happy New Week Diary!

I'm feeling very positive today. And I think it's because for the first time in ages I feel in control of my money. Not DF, but I know where I am and I know what I can do.

Bit of a spendy weekend: drink in the pub on Friday for Friend's leaving do, and as I'd broken a NSD then I caved to a Domino's! But on a tip from another MSEr I joined T0pcashback, and got their £9.99 cashmback, plus a 50% off voucher, so I got paid 23p to have pizza:money:

The Saturday was a few grocery bits, and a stop into town to buy a new blusher (free £10 Debenhams voucher as a "birthday present" from O2 meant I could afford a lovely MAC one) and some parcel paper for eBay sales.

It felt like I spent a lot of money (given that I'd barely spent anything the month before), but all of it was planned for, and all of it was affordable.

Yesterday was a NSD (as today will be) and a few eBay sales. A profit of around £50 I think. Still no movement for the non-paying bidder/second chance offer, but we'll see.

karmachilovething

Hello diary!

Been an odd week. I feel a little bit like I'm "back to my old ways" only I know I'm not. After a spendy weekend, I then had a farewell dinner for some friends on Tuesday. It was originally going to be staying in, but witht he house all packed, and more people added we went out. So unplanned. But not super expensive, and actually still in control.

I've got some of my eB4y sales through, and so I transfered the money through to my account (all pennies knocked off the OD :T)

And I've been slowly getting things sorted for moving house. Gas and Home insurance cancelled this week. Changed the address on some of my accounts; still a few more to do. But I figure, a couple of things every day and it'll be just fine.