PositiveBalance’s Diary: In Search of Positivity, Balance and a Positive Bank Balance

PositiveBalance

DedicatedDFW wrote: »

Ooh Looking forward to hearing your good news :T

And what did you see at the theatre ?

Lion King. Best costumes I have ever seen!

PositiveBalance

Happytogetdebtfree wrote: »

Hi just having a quick read , well done on the positive diary. Regarding the laptop, how much is it to fix ? is it cost effective ? i havent bought a new laptop for years, i just use it for the internet of course, if its business related then yes new but sometimes you can get really good second hand ones, well ive always been ok with second hand ones. . I look forward to reading more of your journey

Ye gods. It's a nightmare! :eek:

The problem is to do with the power jack, and also the power cable. It's a recurring problem and apparently all too common with the brand of computer I have. I've had it before, but the computer was under warranty, so it got replaced for free (but not without a monumental fight)! A friend who has a similar problem with his thinks and is fairly computer savvy thinks it will cost about £75 to repair, which if you consider that the laptop was only £300-and-something, that's quite a lot. Also, I've had issues with the battery, which needed replacing (I did), and the power cable, which I replaced, but which is messing me around again and could do with being replaced again. The computer company want £120-something for a new cable, and slightly more for a new battery, if I remember correctly. I bought replacements for the battery on Ebay for a lot less and the cable for lots less in a computer shop as well. The problem with the cable is in two parts: the bit with the box on, and the other bit that plugs into the box and has the actual plug on. The replacement box part of the cable that I bought from the cheap shop didn't come with the other part of the cable, so I used my old one, which has been OK up until recently, but now it doesn't seem to fit as snugly as it used to, and keeps dislodging itself, which means that my computer often turns itself off while in use, as the battery doesn't normally charge properly, so there is no back up power source (but not all the time...the day that happens, I'm in serious trouble!). I could buy a new one, but since it doesn't charge the battery properly as the jack it links to in the computer isn't stable, I'm not sure it's worth it.

Confused?! Essentially, it's probably nearly terminal. I will have to keep going as best I can as I just don't have the money to replace it at the minute, then do something when I really can't use it any longer.

I'm not sure about the 2nd hand option, TBH, as you can't get a repair warranty with it, and computers generally don't seem to do too well with me...the computer before this didn't have an extended warranty and just out of the guarantee period the hard driver crashed and needed replacing, as did it's succesor...I think the extended warranties are the only thing that keep my technologically going!

PositiveBalance

catriona79 wrote: »

Hi PB
firstly - good luck with debt busting! I'm doing the same at the mo - even more difficult after Xmas!
Secondly - you say that you've been paying off your 0% card with min repayment + £1. Can I ask why?
X

Hi catriona! :wave:

On some of the other boards I read that CC companies now log if you just make your minimum payment as if you are only just covering all your minimum payments it could be an indicator that you are only just upholding your commitments and it could potentially stop you getting credit elsewhere. However, apparently if you make any payment over the minimum payment, this is registered as making overpayments, which is seen as a good thing...and the minimum overpayment you can make is £1. (I'm not sure where I read it, but I read it more than once which means it's more than likely to be true, but please have a scout around the forum and don't take my word for it).

I hope to see you around...do you have a diary?

PositiveBalance

Grr! :mad:

I just wrote a huge post telling you what I've been up to all week and then I copied it in case I lost it, and the computer did something wierd and tried to move back a page and when I then pasted what I wrote it tried to paste the entire page from the header downwards, with no sign of my text! :mad: (I tried writing them in Word to stop this happening, but I've noticed that when you paste them back it misses out the spaces between words so then you have to go back and edit it, wasting more time.)

Computer seem to hate me, sometimes! :mad:

I'll write it all again tomorrow, when I have time. Na night! :wave:

*Edits* Before I forget, I transfered £20 to savings as I won't be having my hobby class in the last week of the month as my teacher is away. And one pound cos I didn't buy a soft drink I REALLY wanted twice during the week, which means a pound's discrepancy between the real total and my total here, but I know I did it a third time, which must have been last week, so I'll account for that here as well.

Savings: +£23

catriona79

PositiveBalance wrote: »

Hi catriona! :wave:

On some of the other boards I read that CC companies now log if you just make your minimum payment as if you are only just covering all your minimum payments it could be an indicator that you are only just upholding your commitments and it could potentially stop you getting credit elsewhere. However, apparently if you make any payment over the minimum payment, this is registered as making overpayments, which is seen as a good thing...and the minimum overpayment you can make is £1. (I'm not sure where I read it, but I read it more than once which means it's more than likely to be true, but please have a scout around the forum and don't take my word for it).

I hope to see you around...do you have a diary?

Hi PB

Thanks for the info re card overpayments - v useful to know.

I have a CC debt of £16k from buying a house and doing it up. It bothers me very much to be constantly in the red, I'm sure people on here understand it better than the average person.

I do go through bouts if overspending - which, I think, is because I am too tough on myself for a while - and then can't handle it any more and do something stupid.
But thanks to this site I have made lots of savings - even had my loft insulated for free this morning! So now I am off for the rest of the day which is nice.

I have been thinking of writing a DFW diary - to keep myself on track! I just don't know if I have the courage. I really admire all of you people who are able to do it. I will definitely subscribe to your thread for now and let you know when I get round to writing mine!
X

PositiveBalance

catriona79 wrote: »

Hi PB

Thanks for the info re card overpayments - v useful to know.

I have a CC debt of £16k from buying a house and doing it up. It bothers me very much to be constantly in the red, I'm sure people on here understand it better than the average person.

I do go through bouts if overspending - which, I think, is because I am too tough on myself for a while - and then can't handle it any more and do something stupid.
But thanks to this site I have made lots of savings - even had my loft insulated for free this morning! So now I am off for the rest of the day which is nice.

I have been thinking of writing a DFW diary - to keep myself on track! I just don't know if I have the courage. I really admire all of you people who are able to do it. I will definitely subscribe to your thread for now and let you know when I get round to writing mine!
X

]
A bit like a diet I think it's very easy to be very strict on ourselves for a short period of time and then for us to rebel and have 'splurges'. I think we all have to try to aim for a middle ! ground. Slow and steady wins the race, but it doesn't half seem to take us a long time to realise it!

And start a diary! It give you loads of encouragement, means we can nip between each others' thread for cups of tea (or something stronger!) and will result in you getting loads more advice that's relevant to your situation. I'll help you decorate, if you like!

PositiveBalance

I'm still behind on all my adding up etc. I'm running around like a headless chicken at the minute and life is just not organised and I'm not getting stuff done. The one thing I do know is that sI have spent the past few days returning quite a lot of stuff I bought that I don't need...I'll have to fill you in on the exact details later. And I bought an expensive birthday present for £60 which was part necessary, part panic buy. And I bought lunch, so not all winning today (although a man came from the electricity company to fit a check meter to help solve the riddle of the exorbitant electricity bill, so that's a good start).

I need to go to bed. Tomorrow will be a long day.

Night all! :wave:

DedicatedDFW

Hey PB - try and give yourself some time to relax too - i know its hard doing lots of things at once x I'd also love to hear what you've been up to as well Hope you're good - lion king - v jealous - we're hoping to see it in london if we can get tickets

I'll try and catch up more thoroughly this weekend - my deadline is tomorrow and my brain has switched off on thinking and processing info. for now so just a quick relax before bed and back to it tomorrow! Deadline is tomorrow so positive vibes would be appreciated

PositiveBalance

:mad: :mad: I just wrote a huge post and the stupid computer turned itself off. :mad: :mad: I can’t wait until I can afford a new one!

Essentially I was saying that I have been really busy, hence being so poor at posting. I am so happy that it is the start of a new month though, as it means that I have had the chance to take stock and start again afresh. I haven’t had the chance to go through last month’s finances with a fine toothed comb as I need to yet, but given what you are about to hear, that will probably not happen for some time.

February is going to be very tight, financially. I need more money!

So here’s the general financial update:

Food budget (January): I was just about on target with my admittedly generous food budget until one of the last days of the month when my brother (DB) and his girlfriend came round for dinner. He always suggests getting a takeaway, partly cos he eats out quite a lot, and partly, I think, cos he doesn’t always like to eat the same types of things that I like to eat (what’s wrong with houmous and risotto– albeit not together?). As a result, I spent £12.50 on takeaway for us all, and given how things are going to be this month, there’s no way I will be able to afford to do that every week, as they will be coming round once a week on average. (I’ll have to see the actual overall budget damage later.)

Insurance excess 1: I came out of work one day last week to a broken window. Hello vandalism, goodbye £75.

Insurance excess 2: Last month I was involved in the tiniest possible accident with another car, and the drivers of the other car have put in a claim. This could potentially get messy as they are claiming personal injury on top of a pre-existing condition. My car is pretty old, although a fabulous runner, so my DB, car genius, thinks that there is a very real chance that they might write it off as it’s not worth a lot of money. This would mean having to buy a new one, or forking out the excess. I can’t remember what that is exactly, but either way it is going to hit me hard financially.

Work: My fun days out of my residence that give me the funds to pay for it have recently become evenmore fun to the point where my position at work is now untenable. I need to get out, and fast. I can’t go into more detail in a public forum at this stage, but if I were to, you would literally go :eek: at what goes on at my workplace. New job, here I come!

Electricity: My metre readings have been up the (expensive) creek without a paddle and two months after me initially telling my supplier that something is wrong, it still hasn’t been resolved. It’s a royal PITA as I don’t know how much to budget for and I have been doing lots of things to try to get it sorted. It’s fair to say I am not impressed.

On top of that my mobile bill will be a bit bigger than usual this month, cutting into what’s left of my salary even more and my sewing course has cost me £30.99 in materials, and is likely to cost me even more before long. Happy as I am to be learning the skills, I kind of wish wasn’t doing the course at the minute as it means more expenses I could do without right now.

Overall, things could be better. It just seems to be one fairly major headache after another at the minute. And the money just doesn’t look like it is going to stretch anywhere near enough this month.

Anyone got a magic wand handy?!

DedicatedDFW

Wow PB - hope you had a lovely lie-in after such a late post x

First thoughts with your brother and GF coming over would be to do a come dine with me type meal if thats possible ? You could take it in turns as to who does starter / pudding and main meal maybe even set a maximum budget for each too to keep it fair? I'd be suggesting things like hearty stews / casseroles / chilli etc. so can be filling and if there's any left ideal to freeze My Mr can eat what is for him 1 portion and which i would say is a generous 3 portions :eek: so i understand what you mean about having someone who eats alot - thats the good thing with things like chilli and stews i think as you can bulk it out

So sorry to hear about the accident - hope your car will be ok x

:mad::mad::mad: to vandalsim !!!!!

Couldn't really follow your work post but best of luck with the job hunt xx

Remember hon, times are like this sometimes where it seems like there's just one financial drain after another - your budget was very well thought out and planned and it will get better x