Determined & Frustrated!

kickuptheasstime

Hi everyone

Having lurked for a long while & recently subscribed to AFNM thread, I thought it high time that I started a diary
Apologies if it gets a bit tedious & dull - I've never done this before

Essentially, I have been in debt ever since my first year of Uni back in 1996, where I foolishly thought money would last forever and that there would be no consequences. I had no concept of budgetting or saving money for things that I wanted, and this has basically continued ever since! My debts have gone up and down over the years, but I have never really come close to paying everything off. I dread to think how much I've paid in interest! My poor money management is one of my biggest embarassments & regrets in life.

Anyway, my 35th birthday has now come to pass, and I cannot continue in the same way. There are so many things I need & want to do with my life that I seriously need to knuckle down & sorth my (financial) life out.

I'd like to start a family, buy a larger house, and gain a small degree of financial stability. I'm lucky in that I have a job and earn a decent wage, but the trouble is that I have been incredibly good at burying my head in the sand, and pretending that my debts will just get sorted at some point. Well that point has come & this diary is my pledge to anyone who cares to listen that I WILL pay off all of my debts using the following goals:

1. Pay off both CC debts by Xmas 2013
2. Pay off my loan by Sept 2014

I plan to do a proper budget & stick to it - I will also have a go at the sealed pot challenge & keep up-to-date with th AFNM challenge

That is all
(thanks!)

KUTAT x

kickuptheasstime

Not the best start to the day - received a letter from Student Loans Company stating that my first repayment will go out by D/D on 15th April. I did know about this, but had forgotten so I now need to rearrange money pots to try & cover it

I have however added 2 more books to my Ebay selling list, so hopefully they'll raise a little more cash

There's always something, isn't there?!

Right, I'm off to complete a budget spreadsheet - I've been meaning to do it for ages but have never quite managed it, so here goes....

kickuptheasstime

Woohoo!! Just received a statement from the Vets & owe £7.51 :j I thought I owed about £200!! That's brightened my day

kickuptheasstime

Rubbish couple of days! Well, financally anyway! Had some friends over for lunch yestrday & managed to spend £20 in Sainsbury's on Sat eve on food for lunch - only wanted to get some baked potatoes as we already had beans & cheese in the house :mad:
Then yesterday, after friends left, we had run out of toilet roll so another visit to the shop was required... £10 later
Honestly, this is ridiculous! I know exactly where I spend my money - those pesky supermarkets!! I simply can't go in & just buy the exact items that I need - I've got into the terrible habit of picking nice things up as I go round. Even when I've got a list. Shocking.

I had some cash in the house which I was saving for a rainy day, but I've paid it into the bank today to cover the student loan repayment which will go out next Monday.

On a positive note, I've added two more items to Ebay, and one ends tonight with bids already in so that's good. I'm becoming addicted though - I've got the Ebay App on my phone and keep checking it every 2 minutes :rotfl:

I have officially run out of money this month now with oooh 3 weeks to pay day on the 25th all major bills have now been paid though (except SL next week - must change the date to the begining of the month so it gets paid straight away)

I've got a couple of lessons to teach this weekend coming, so as long as the weather holds, that will be a little extra cash coming in.

I'm just feeling deflated today - I started with week with lots of gusto & enthusiasm, but starting to realise the enormity of the task ahead.... I guess if other people can manage it, then so can I....

Hey ho... onwards!!

TTFN x

kickuptheasstime

I'm on for a 2nd NSD - woohoo!
:j
(nothing else exciting to report...)

kickuptheasstime

OK here goes.... My May budget is as follows:

Horse & Dog = £390
Car & Petrol = £250
Mortgage = £450
Debt Min Payments = £598
Debt Overpaymnt = £100
Bills = £84

Total outgoings = £1887

I have broken these figures down in a spread sheet so that I have covered everything

I also do some freelance teaching so this money will also be used to pay to outstanding debt

I also aim to raise £100 this month by selling items on Ebay

That is all

KUTAT x

kickuptheasstime

Uurgh, had to revise my May budget - I've realised this morning that Scottish Power have sent me bills for Gas & Electricity - £90 & £114 respectively

I did a price check at the end of March & changed supplier to EDF, but since I pay D/D to Scottish Power, I have a balance outstandng I have called both Scottish Power & EDF to confirm final meter readings were communicated

So unfortuantely, I need to pay out £204 extra from this pay DH said he would pay half, but I need to make sure that the money is there just in case

So, budgets adjusted to the following:

Horse & dog = £343
Car & Petrol = £220
Mortgage & Min Payments = £1048
Bills = £288

Aim = Make £240 from teaching in May (£200 to pay off debt, £40 for misc spending)

Aim = Make £100 on EBay in May (all to pay off debt)

Hmm, not great news & a good job that I hadn't already paid out £100 to CC, but at least I'm planning rather than burying my head in the sand!

I have got a cheque for £25 to pay into my bank today, and £40 to transfer from PayPal to also go towards debts

x

kickuptheasstime

Think I need to check my credit rating... will read up on MSE :money: for advice!

kickuptheasstime

Not managed to sort my credit rating yet I will do it before the end of May!

Budgets for May are in place and I'm on target so far

I have also got a savings card from SM and added £2 stamps - I plan to save for Xmas 2013 with this My aim is to fill 2 full cards which is equivalent to £200

I think this weekend is a free listing weekend on Ebay so I need to dig out as many things as I can to sell

I have a couple of lessons booked to teach this weekend so that should bring in some extra cash to pay to Virgin CC

KUTAT x

elantan

keep going, your slowly getting there and learning things in the process... would it help just taking cash into the supermarket? say you budget for £50 so take £55 which should cover you any extras or price fluctuations but not enough so that you would over spend by too much ?

kickuptheasstime

Thanks Elantan! That's a great idea, I'll try it next week
I'm trying to go to the SM only once per week - one of my worst hbits is 'popping in' to th SM to pick up bits & pieces then end up spending easily twice as much
I just feel like such a numpty - how have I let things get so bad? A long time burying my head in the sand