Madnessa's Debt Diary & Change Life by Xmas Challenge

ktb

I highly recommend keeping a spending diary (especially if you are a bit of a shopaholic :rolleyes: ). Just get a little notepad which you carry with you at all times and write down every single penny you spend... 30p on a packet of chewing gum, £1.80 for a coffee and all the big spends too... if you then tot this up at the end of a week and do yourself a spreadsheet it really hits home just where you money goes and how much is wasted on really unnecessary stuff - which you can then start to cut out and give yourself more for your debts/living expenses.

For me it was a real turning point in me taking control and sorting out my finances! You have to be strict with yourself and write everything down tho...

Madnessa

I wish I could get rid of the car. But I live in the centre of York and work 15 miles away in the middle of nowhere. Petrol is only about £25 per week just for me. But if OH has job outside of York which was the case last month he had to drive me to work and then 13 more miles to his work and back to me in the evening and then back home. That was about 60 miles a day!

But at least we are sharing a car i suppose.

Have also suggested car pooling but nobody seems into it where I work. There are only about 30 people working here and only a couple that live in York. So no go there.

OH was also really unlucky as he has quite regular work for one agency. Between 3 and five days every week but then another agency said they could get him a six month job in a factory. The person who he was replacing decided to come back and he only got 1 week and four days out of it. Am not impressed with that agency at all. :mad:

So he was off again monday and Tuesday and today he has work. Not sure if it is just for today or longer yet though. But still an extra £60 that we could well use.

Am finding this very calming getting this off my chest.

Cazzdevil

Definitely keep a spending diary - this has really helped me so far. The other major thing I would agree with everyone else with is to cut your food spending down - my OH and I get by on £80 a month for the two of us for food, household & toiletries.

fistfullofdollars

Hi

I moved from York to the SE last year. I miss York loads. Its a great place to live. I used to live just outside the city centre (behind the station) and used to love to walk into town for a quiet pint next to the river.

Re agencys in York: Big Fish Little Fish were really good for me when I left uni and found me a good job. The rest are all !!!!! sharks. I wouldnt go near Kelly Services etc as they will have your OH working in the basement of Norwich Union for £4.25 ph. I signed up with them for a bit when I wanted to leave my banking job and the best they could come up was a photocopier monkey.

Good luck on the DFW journey.

Madnessa

Thanks for the advice guys.

So my to do list is as follows:
Start a spending diary :eek: Thanks KTB
Go through my old junk and see what to sell (thanks Lucy 1982, and Lynzpower
Go on other boards and find advice on living efficiently (thanks Zulu Dawn and Skint_catt)

I knew I wouldn't regret coming on here. Thanks all of you and I will keep you updated as to how my to do list is going. I have already found a little notebook for my spending diary.

I think I am also going to join some of the challenge threads. They look really motivating.

omg_3

Best advice from me would be CUT UP THE CC and dont use it.

Madnessa

Thanks for that fistfullofdollars. York is great isn't is. I totally love it. Beautiful! And really friendly people too.

Cazzdevil

Money saving challenges are brilliant - the grocery and storecupboard challenges on the Old Style board have saved me loads, and the Unnecessary challenge on here has really put my "silly spending" into perspective!

Madnessa

omg wrote: »

Best advice from me would be CUT UP THE CC and dont use it.

i have frozen it for the moment (is next to pork chops). Feel a little scared of cutting it up as we have no savings and if my car breaks down or something like that I might well need it. But I do plan on reducing the limit everytime I get it down £500. And when it is at £1,000 just keep it forzen for emergencies until I have enough of a rainy day fund

ktb

Madnessa wrote: »

Thanks for the advice guys. I have already found a little notebook for my spending diary.

:T

Excellent! Just don't leave anything out.. no matter much you want to... every penny makes a difference! You can't get yourself fully in control of your money until you know exactly where it is going.

Good Luck!!