New diary for 2013: The year of keeping things simple

Ruby789

As predicted, bank holiday became a money pitt. But boyfriend spent twice as much! I should have called it a day or paid another round or a meal. I just took and took and took, so I need to do something nice for him and soon! And it needs to be monetary and not just effort based. He does deserve it.

Otherwise, was reading through this diary looking for some data I put in. It's nearly annual statement time so I wanted to check last years figures and see how I was getting on. I didn't find the numbers I wanted, but I did notice myself going on and on about stuff I really wanted to buy. Naturally, now I can't even recall what these really amazing items were! Just goes to show now doesn't it.


Anyway, another chip off the debt this month, and some to savings again. Still 250 behind in my savings plan though.

Ruby789

I have finally figured out how to budget for this month (stuff that needs paying for that isn't covered by a budget and there is no contingency). I have managed to calculate that I will remain £1.75 in the black if I can stick to the budget I have drawn up. It's a bit of a guesstimate really, but theoretically it'll work.

Also been investigating mortgages and it's depressing. I have found two wonderful places (well one has massive potential to be wonderful) and the other a new build, and I won't be able to buy either. It's either that multiples of my salary mean that I need a massive deposit which I don't have and will take a decade to save up, or that the places I'm ok for the multiples mean massive rail fares which make it unaffordable. Universe, please send me money enough to get on the property ladder, or nudge boyfriend into readyness please

Ruby789

Hadn't heard anything about the correction to my credit file, so called the bank and they told me, by phone, that the incorrect marker has been removed from my file (for that product).

I have nothing in writing though, so now i'm waiting for my Noddle account to refresh. So annoying that it's only once a month! Need to investigate how to see if this change filters through them all.

Keeping everything crossed! There are reasons to worry still. One of my accounts had a bit of an issue at the time that marker appeared. The marker could have been a straightforward error, or it was intentional but just applied to the wrong account. They may have just moved to marker to the other account, I really don't know yet. I would still contest an AP marker if one appeared there instead, but it's less straightforward to argue than this was.

A mortgage any time soon would be pretty much off the table if that marker remains.

Once it's gone, think my credit looks ok. I have some available lines of credit, a little debt, regular payments etc .... perhaps looks a little sporadic, but maybe that's not something they care about. One more negative in my file is a late payment, but this will drop off in the next 4 months so not worth stressing about. And that was a fair marker so I can do nothing.

Keeping everything crossed that they've just removed the AP and it's gone forever.

Ruby789

I'm becoming very jealous of the people around me, and then I feel ugly for being jealous.


It's really unpleasant to feel this way. I seem to be surrounded by people who manage their money effortlessly. They have debts (some larger than me now per month) AND save more than me AND live a really good life (2 dinners out a week, big nights of drinking) AND are generous with others without resenting it. I put massive effort in to saving 70% of what they do, I avoid going out as the money won't stretch to more than once a week, I'm less generous overall.


I shouldn't be feeling like this, but it keeps bubbling up. I don't want 'stuff' like I used to, and it's not about the latest gadgets or anything. But, I do want to buy a treat dinner without thinking about the next two months of deprivation that I'll need to go through to pay for it. It ruins it for me, and I guess it's felt generally, as none of my generous splurges have really been successful.

Final figures: £142.87 adrift of where I should be. This is in addition to the £250 I still owe my savings.

Ruby789

Success! HSBC removed the incorrect AP marker from my file. It is no longer appearing on Noddle, but I need to check the others. Delaying that for a month as I also need to get onto O2 to amend something too.

I plan to set that into motion this week and would HOPE that they will change it within the month. I'll check Noddle next month, and if the change is showing I'll order my report from Equifax and Experian.

I really need to improve my file. Looking at it i'm not sure I'd lend me money. There is clear evidence of peaks and troughs of debt and some bad account management.

Credit card 1: Balance transfer. Bad marker removed. Weird early balance data to be checked with other agencies to make sure it's not reported in a bad way.

Credit card 2: Was also a balance transfer card initially. Has a late payment marker (soon to drop off).

Credit card 3: Not used much. Was in credit by £6 for 4 years! Not a sign of good management.

Current account: Can only see 12 months on Noddle (with 4 months reported as being in the OD). The reality is that it's the best part of 6 years in the OD (close to MAX) and some charges for bad management and going over limits etc..... Can't see any of this on Noddle so I really can't tell how bad it looks. I will assume the worst because in reality I wasn't in control, had no idea of my balance ever, and getting charges was frequent a few years back. If other agencies show 6 years then I may well be in trouble.

Need to be meticulous from now on.

• Under no circumstances dip into the OD. Use savings. Check account on last day of the month and credit accordingly.
• Do not apply for any credit of any kind at all.
• Leave CC1 to run as is and pay off before end of promotional period.
• CC2 use as normal, pay balance off in full.
• CC3 start to use normally, charge a really small amount to it each month and pay balance off in full.

Suppose I needed to grow up at some point. I wanted to rush headlong into a mortgage (if I could get boyf on board), but my credit is not in good standing so a delay is probably for the best so I can improve things.

Ruby789

Cannot find O2 paperwork for the life of me! Grrr. Need to get onto them asap. Really want to be done and dusted with this credit report fixing malarkey. Will check Noddle monthly from now on, and get the statutory ones once a year just to make sure.

In other news, still not found a way to afford the shortfall this month, so I will have to transfer in some savings as a buffer ~£100. I must stay out of the OD for the next 18 months to make me look better on paper. Will now owe my savings £350. Don't know if it's depressing or motivational to keep tallying up all the savings I owe me.

Need to sort my life out! So much home and personal admin to be doing. Again, been a stuck record, this week it's been credit reports. Actual achievement on that score took 30 mins, and 20 mins useful research. The rest was flapping (lost 3 evenings to it). Daft!

Ruby789

I think I now understand why there is only a year of OD reported on my credit file (bearing in mind i've only checked with one agency so far). I think that it is because at that time I upped my limit (effectively starting a new line of credit). Maybe this triggered them to start reporting it when they previously weren't. I really don't know for sure, but I hope that the other agencies show the same. My bank are shown on the list of people who have credit checked me so I assume they Callcredit and I can rely on it.

Can relax a bit now, this explanation seems to fit the data i'm seeing. Honestly have been wound up so tight about this, googling incessantly. I still don't know for sure, but it looks highly probable. A mortgage is still going to be difficult to secure without a huge deposit (which I'm working on), but my credit file shouldn't be an issue). Phew.

So onto the practicalities. My credit card payment is due after I get paid. I have most of the bill now but I am that 90 odd pound short. I can use some of next months money to cover that temporarily and leave my savings where they are. Then I can use the 30 from my frivilous fund, and try and find the 60+ from my spending money. As long as I'm square by the 1st I won't need to worry about it.

Ruby789

The good:

Finally managed to understand one of my accounts! Had lots of little pots in one account. No matter what I did I could never calcualte the balance that was in the account. So I zeroed it and started again and I think I have it sussed now.

The bad:

Overspent this weekend, again. Hard to put a number on it really, at least £25 but probably closer to £50. . Stuff I didn't need. Can't take it back.

Ruby789

Optimisitically moved a bigger chunk of money into savings this month. I'm pretty sure I'll need to take a bit back though, don't think I can get three nights out (two with dinner) out of my budget this week.

Seeing if I can cash in some tesco vouchers for restaurant vouchers, but need to eat in a very specific area, AND I need to stick to my diet which rules out Italian .....

In good news, I'm on a diet, and less than 24 hours later, I stilll feel like I can do it this time. FIngers crossed.

Ruby789

Been very naughty today and internet shopped on Amazon. I spent £60 that I wasn't supposed to. I am supposed to use my budgets and this isn't covered by any of them! I have also already spent this weeks spending money and its not even the weekend. Comfort spending and comfort eating, again.

I have really not been taking good care of myself at all lately. I look like I need a really good dose of tlc and I need to start taking care of my health. I'm not very well put together at all at the moment, my roots are showing, my hair needs a cut, my skin is grey and dry and I look like I'm suffering from severe insomnia.

So today I decided I needed to stat exercising. Endorphins will raise my mood, and as I seem to be be bent on falling off the diet waggon, this is a welcome distraction. I'm not likely to go out in the cold to do something free - suffering from severe lazy-i-tis such as I do - and I refuse to get stuck in another gym contract.

So, I will make use of my front room. I bought a couple of basic but well reviewed exerise DVD's and some weights. They're very simple ones and won't burn calories (can't do the intensity stuff till I get over an injury). Bit impulsive and probably not very well researched, but seemed like a good idea at the time. I skimped on the delivery charges so will be next week at the earliest that I will actually get them. Motivation PLEASE stick around till then!

I ate loads at lunch which was bad. Lost the best part of a stone recently, and now have gained 5lbs back already and far too easily.:eek:

Need to get back in control asap!



Tonights positive to do list:

• Get off the bus 4 stops early and walk part of the way home.
• Prep food for tomorrow, 3 proper healthy meals!