The "getting my life sorted" Diary

Sharon87

An update:

I have secured myself 3 days work. As my current role not the promotion I'm looking for. But it's only 3 days I guess. I also have a mystery dining booking. So free meal on Tuesday! Providing I follow the instructions.

Sharon87

1373.35 1614.32
Income:
Salary - £1361
bingo winnings (from free bingo) £12.35
INCOME TOTAL: 1373.35

Rent 450
Debt payments 320.49 - minimum and overpayments
Medical 224 - glasses (every 2 years)
holiday savings 120
Food Shopping 81.72
Travel 66.5 - Oyster
Eating Out 66.56 - from meals, to fast food, to a chocolate bar
Social, drinking 55.35 - alcohol for home, pub
Stuff 49.99 - that i dont really need...
clothes 43.86
toiletries 43.07 - stocked up this month
mobile bill 36
savings 20
entertainment 18.17
bank fee 10
magazines 4.5
work lunches 4.11

EXPENSES TOTAL: 1613.32

So as you can see, need to curb some of my spending, its almost £200 on entertainment/non essentials. Travel and food is usually more, but my job at the beginning of the month gave me taxis back as I finished at night and an evening meal.

My aim is to reduce the expenses in non essential areas.

The medical (opticians) I hadn't planned for this month, but I had a free voucher for an eye test, so decided to do it. Same with stocking up on toiletries.

Angry_Bear

Sharon87 wrote: »

The medical (opticians) I hadn't planned for this month, but I had a free voucher for an eye test, so decided to do it. Same with stocking up on toiletries.

In future get your eyes tested for free, then use the prescription at somewhere like goggles4u.com (there's a guide somewhere on this site). Myself and OH have had 5 pairs of glasses from there between us (2 prescription sunglasses, 2 regular pairs and a spare pair for OH). They're pretty flimsy and "cheap" feeling, but the prescription has always been right and they look okay in my experience.

It's cost me about £20 a pair - a far cry from the £200 I usually spend at the high st. opticians.

Sharon87

Angry_Bear wrote: »

In future get your eyes tested for free, then use the prescription at somewhere like goggles4u.com (there's a guide somewhere on this site). Myself and OH have had 5 pairs of glasses from there between us (2 prescription sunglasses, 2 regular pairs and a spare pair for OH). They're pretty flimsy and "cheap" feeling, but the prescription has always been right and they look okay in my experience.

It's cost me about £20 a pair - a far cry from the £200 I usually spend at the high st. opticians.

I did get 3 pairs of glasses this time, one old pair of frames relensed, sunglasses and another pair of glasses. I think next time I'll just get them relensed.

Sharon87

Done my budget for the month. I've put around £30 for social and drinking and £25 for eating out. £140 is going to holiday savings so I've got £1000 saved now!! So about halfway there lol.

I put my job seekers allowance for this month into a savings account for use next month when I may need it more.

I'm going to use what I've got in my freezer and cupboards before I buy anymore of it. I've got so much chicken and salmon in my freezer I could live off it for a couple weeks.

I will continue my spending diary on the app on my phone. I'm also doing mystery dining, so this will help reduce my expenditure on eating out and food shopping.

My sister in law is coming back to the UK this week after getting her visa, so we decided when she's back, me, her and my brother are going to do a car boot sale. So in the next month or so that may happen and I'll get some money from my old crap!

Sharon87

More good news I have a few more days work! This means I have 7 days in total coming up, which is about more than I earn on benefits in a month! So will need to sign off and inform housing benefit people.

I'm away from tomorrow until Saturday, all my food and travel gets paid for so that's some saving right there.

Sharon87

So at the train station today a woman asked me if used the underground a lot, I said yes and she gave me 2 Oyster cards she didn't want! Even after telling her she could get get them refunded. She says there's about a giver in each. If that's true that's about 20 quid I can get from them.

Sharon87

Update:

Had a busy 3 days at work on location. The only thing I bought those 3 days were an Archers and lemonade at hotel bar and a bottle of water on way home on train. All my food, travel, hotel.etc were paid by the company. So saved money there.

I have started making ebay listings for some of my items, which hopefully I can sell on the next free listings weekend... whenever that may be.

I've picked up my new glasses, which I love.

I had an interesting lot of post when I got back to London. I had my replacement credit card, credit card statements, letter from HMRC saying I've underpaid tax and MBNA (formerly my Virgin card) saying they're increasing my limit by £600 to £3300!!

I've also found out that my Natwest card is expiring in November, so may contact MBNA to see if they can offer anything as that card is currently being used for general spends, which gets paid off in full at end of the month. It's only about £950, so hopefully I'll be able to do it.

I did spend money yesterday I didn't mean to, but I've been after a new handbag for ages as mine is knackered. I spent ages shopping around but found one I like for only £29.99 and it looks like it will last longer than my previous bags! I need to get a new winter coat this year as well, I meant to get one last year, but couldn't find any I liked.

Sharon87

So one good day yesterday. Very productive.

Sorted out my room which included boxing up some items and putting them in the attic. I've also sorted some stuff to eBay, cleaned my room and reorganised everything! I've also sorted out all my financial paperwork into their folders.

So today I'm doing a mystery dining thing today. So free meal of I do everything right!

Sharon87

So I've been at work for past 3 days, which is good, and I've been extended for another week! So yay!

I've also been offered another 0% balance transfer on my Halifax card, which is quite good timing because of my Natwest card's offer expiring very soon. It's 0% for 12 months with 3% fee. And afterwards it's a lower interest rate if I haven't paid it off then. I have around £900 or so to transfer with about 2 grand left on the card.

I'm off to a house party tonight, so I'll be able to have a good time for very little money!