Third Time Determined!

karmachilovething

Hello Diary!

Had a lovely and slightly spendy weekend: housemate's leaving-do thing in Friday, but stayed in and had a take away and some movies.

Then friends for lunch (HM breadmaker bread, and some humous and salami from the market and then cheese and salad I already had in the house) on Saturday. Walk in the park, and then to London for a leaving do. Planned spend and less than I thought.

Then Sunday, had lunch with some friends, but I was treated which was a nice And then spent the afternoon with my sewing machine. It was lovely, made me so happy! I haven't done it for a while. I think that in prospect it feels like a lot of effort getting it out and setting myself up. But actually it's not, and the trade off is huge. I ran up a pencil skirt I've been meaning to do for ages. There's a good chunk of hand finishing to do on the inside, and then make the lining, so I'm about half way.

karmachilovething

Hello diary,

Feeling a bit low today. Bit headachey, unreasonably tired. I could be coming down with something.

MSE wise, I doing well but I'm feeling bad. I'll explain: last night I made a meal from what was about. I could have made a better meal, but that would have been pasta for two nights in a row, and not done anything to help my rice mountain. So I made chilli. It was fine, but not good. I ate, but I wouldn't have served it to anyone.

Anyway, today, as I said I'm feeling low. And I'm an emotional spender. so I wandered onto the H&M sale. I have some things in a basket . . . it all feels so familiar. And it doesn't feel good. But at the moment I can't tell if it's the shopping act that's making me feel empty, or the deja vu that's making me feel as though I'm hopeless and I'll never clear this debt so why bother.

It's all so complicated. Spending is like a bad ex-boyfriend I can't stop thinking about :rotfl:

karmachilovething

Sooo, the house is a tip, or rather there are varying degrees of sorting and packing and stacking going on! Which means there are items on every surface. It's not pleasant but I'm getting there. I'm going to hit it hard tonight an hopefully will just be mopping up bits and pieces over the next few days.

Staying in and packing is very good for the MSE ways though. I've not done a great deal else. Although I was in London on the weekend, with a porrly BF - he wasn't much fun :rotfl: so a little bit of spending to get some bits for the fridge on Friday night and a Chinese. Naughty, but actually still came within budget.

Right I have to be off and pack some more stuff!

karmachilovething

So the move is done, and I've had my whole deposit returned, which is an unexpected bonus! :T

Besides that not much news, just plugging away at the debts - I managed to shave £100 off my overdraft in February, but considering I paid for the van rental and three months of storage fees I think that's OK.

I have to confess I have had a little celebration of reduced out goings, nothing very exciting though, only things I genuinely need - a couple of new bras and a pair of black work shoes. And I'm not totally sure if I'm keeping the work shoes. I am also going to have my hair cut in a couple of weeks. I've not had it done in about 6 months and it's beginnignto look it :eek: yep, that emoji is a pretty good approximation onf my frizz levels right now :rotfl:

I also had a hiccup where I order some sale stuff, but it was all not quite right. Previously I might have kept it, but I sent it all back. Only £3.95 postage to teach me a lesson!

karmachilovething

Hello Diary,

Not much to report from the weekend: two low spend days (a couple of cathc up drinks with friends) and a couple of NSDs.

I have been beginning to wonder if I'm taking this money saving thing seriously enough - should I completely cut out social things? Is it just because I don't want to have to explain that I'm in debt? It's probably partly that at least. I also suspect if I cut everything out I will fall off the band wagon.

As I've said before, this is about retraining my habits, and maybe the fact that I'm questioning why I'm making this choices is a sign I'm going in the right direction.

karmachilovething

Oh, and I've revised my signature to show total debt at LBM and total debt current, with a % paid off.

I think this is a better motivator than each debt alone, because there was a bit of can't see the debt for the figures! This way I can see the whole effect of my efforts, and it'll be easier to track progress. And £9000+ looks worse than little lumps of £2000-4000.

SO now I know I've paid of £450 since last November, which although isn't as much as I'd hope, is still pretty brilliant, what with Christmas and moving house in those months too. And a lot more than it would have been without MSE and this diary.

lotti379

:hello:

I've just caught up a bit with your diary! I don't think cutting out social things completely is helpful really, I think you're right in thinking if you cut everything out you'd fall off the band wagon - I know I would!

I do think what you said about questioning your choices is very true, and that is the key - making concious choices about what we really want to spend our precious pounds on, now and in the future.

Having said that, eating and drinking out is one of the things I find hardest to cut out, so maybe I'm biased!

Fantastic news on the deposit btw!

karmachilovething

Hi lottie :wave: thanks for dropping in!

I think you're right, this is about long term habits. It took me time to get myself in debt - it'll take time to get myself out. Although not as long I hope!

I'd originally planned this as a spending fast, but it's looking more like a spending diet. I'm learning to work with what I've got, live within my means, save for goals (ie. debt busting) and be happier.

A few more NSDs clocked up. Yesterday I spent: did some errands, sent a parcel, life stuffs. Today I had a meeting, but all my spends will come back as expenses so I don't count them. In fact since I've started sorting things out, and not living pay day to pay day, £20 here or there on expenses doesn't rock the boat in the short term.

Ah! Shiny, positive post today!

karmachilovething

So I had planned this weekedn to be one where I got lots of stuff done. BF went home for mother's day, and I so I got a chance to do all those things I otherwise put off.

So Saturday I got my haircut, and while I was spending I thought I'd pick up some things that I needed. £200 later :eek: I was done in! It was exhausting, and after a while I just got sick of the consumption. It was all planned, and all genuinely needed. Except a couple of pairs of gym trousers, which I don't need, but my current ones are getting to the end of their life and there was a closing down sale in a sports shop, so got a good price for something that I would have bought soon anyway.

Still, I'm not used to spending like that any more (good thing) and it has made me not want to spend again unless I absolutely have to (another good thing). Consequently - yesterday and today NSDs.

catriona79

Hi KarmaChi,

What a good read! I've only just found your diary and will be back to read more. Very inspirational and so true about it being a lot of little efforts, and about consistency. I don't think that's my personality, hence I'm finding getting out of debt really trying.
Still, just like you - I am trying to keep going and am doing very well - especially in the last month or so.
Also think Internet shopping is evil you are right, once you start looking at the goodies, you're a goner!!
I am trying to be super disciplined and I know my downfall. It's 1) clothes and make up 2) food shopping and 3) going out. I have curbed no 1 and very pleased with that. Number 2 - I've started shopping at lidl which is only a 2 min walk away and it's saving me buying lots - my food bills are so much lower - used to be £40-50 on a weekend with about 4-5 top ups in the week!!!:eek:
No 3 is a bit more tricky - I love being with my friends - but find that since I've broken up with my bf a few weeks ago life has been much cheaper. It helps to socialise with people on a similar budget. Quite a lot of people I know live on more than me a month - maybe because they haven't got debts! But I've made a few friends recently who are more sensible and good savers, so that has helped.
Anyway, just to illustrate the point of how easy it is to slip up, I've been wanting a Mini Cooper for years and years, but could never afford it. But I think a combination of being a bit sad after breakup and wanting no cheer myself up and maybe the time of year when it's a bit depressing - I did the worst thing possible and actually went to look online! How stupid. I was also considering ways of getting it, which were all credit! Grrr! I didn't do it in the end, but it takes so little to get into debt and so long to dig yourself out!!...

Anyway, have a good day.

I think I may start a diary too!