tightening my belt and battening down the hatches

Nelly11

Well not quite a NSD for me yesterday, I bought some butter and made some cakes to sell. Trying to perfect my straight line with icing, I made the icing a little to slack so next time I shall add less water, the do look wonderful though, have a really girly Vintage feel.
Need to buy some veg today for lunch, then OH is over so a nice relaxing evening.
I am starting to feel less stressed by money, if I havent got it it because Im paying off debt, this actually feels good

Nelly11

I am going to try to set myself some goals for February, Im great at checking the budget daily and cant seem to stick to it, unexoected things like stupidly getting a parking ticket throw my budget out straight away, all because I didnt have a £1 for the parking ticket.
here goes

Februarys Goals

• Pay everything in my monthly buget, not to miss any
• Start to reduce my overdraft
• Look at and get together all Do-it-yourself divorce info
• Apply for Childminders grant
• Stick to Harcombe diet Phase 1 until 16th Feb then back onto it on 18th Feb
• Clean up garden

This seems like a start. If anyone has any tips regarding do-it-yourself Divorce then please let me know

Thanks
xxx

Nelly11

Sitting at the kitchen table having to write out my budget all over again, Ive over complicated things and now need to rehash, taking into account extra electricity bill and parking ticket!

Nelly11

After re doing it, I now am MINUS £163.58 so now I guess I have to strip it back as much as possible as this doesnt include shopping for food! I have 315 in my purse, get paid on the 25th both wages and child tax credits and 3 lots of weekely child benefit,
Here is what is coming into the house
£907 - Wages
£607.77 - Working families tax credits
£60.90 - Childbenefit

here is what is going out
£796.70 - Mortgage
£1.00 - Npower
£35 - Blackhorse
£20 - Owed to son
£45 - owed to partner
£118 - Council tax
£20 - Link
£59.31 - Sky
£86.74 - 2 months Orange bills, my mobile
£86.74 - 2 months Orange bill, son mobile
£75 - Parking ticket
£53.04 - Next
£111.22 - EDF
£40 - Sons lunch for month
£100 - Petrol
£11.72 - Insurance
£6.78 - Insurance
£6.00 - Unison
£30 - Bank fees
£50 - Sons pocketmoney

Right now to try and re gig this, my brain is hurting, its my own fault i didnt pay the phones, elec bill or water bill over christmas.
now im paying the price.

So now to get my brain into gear and try to get rid of as much debt as I can in 16 months so hopefully I shall be debt free apart from the mortgage on the 31st June 2015

Nelly11

Im counting down the minutes to payday, only 5 1/2 hours, my budget is still slightly over, but ive been given two days extra work so hopefully should pay everything off in 15 months.

Nelly11

:j:j Horray! All bills paid except the parking fine, that will have to come out of CSA payment:mad:
Ive actually paid everything, it feels great, ive no money left mind you!
I went to the Chicken Farm yesterday and got enough Chicken for 42 meals for £12.50, I've lots of Curry Sauces etc that can be used up, no chips in though or pizza which is DS fave to just pop in to cook while Im working.
I even got some new slippers using my Nectar rewards. The car is full of petrol, will need to fill up again soon as Ive a funeral on Weds which is a 160 mile round trip.
Ive £110.41 to see me through the rest of the month, the Sky bill will come out of that so my balance from Monday will be £51.00, which is enough to refill the car and get some oven chips and pizzas in.
I feel Ive entered a new phase.
Money wont be as tight next month hopefully, if payroll are notified in time for me to get my extra wages. Last time I worked full time they cocked it up and I didnt get paid for 3 months.

Nelly11

All the bills are paid and Im breathing a sigh of relief, I have no spare cash but ive decided to do little things that will cheer me up until I can see a light at the end of the tunnel, so todays money free treat is to paint my nails a lovely candy blue.
I managed to speak to Orange and had my phone bill decreased from £42 to £26, I need to do that with my sons phone too.
Also going to borrow some DVDs and catch up on some movie watching, also a free treat!
Off now to have a look at the spend no more on toiletries challenge

Nelly11

Wow, Its such a long time since I have been on here. Im still plodding along on The Debt Free Wannabe challenge, I have paid one off so I need to update my signature and try to get as motivated as I was in January. I have has a temporary increase in my hours at work, so I have since mid February been working 37 hours a week instead of the 25 I was doing, this has meant I have been able to clear the outstanding amount of arrears on my mortgage and that I have paid of a council tax bill, Im also back to paying The Blackhorse the full payment plus the interest payment each moth, My next bill is reduced to under £100 so that is my next one to complete on payday.
I could do with some sort of clear system which focus's my mind and keeps me on target, If anyone has any ideas then please feel free to let me know, I'd be grateful for the input.

GunWharf

:wave: Just been reading through your diary Nelly11 and the very best of luck to .

Keep with it, keep strong and try to write something on here everyday. You will look back in a few years and see all your progress!

All the best from the South Coast

Nelly11

GunWharf wrote: »

:wave: Just been reading through your diary Nelly11 and the very best of luck to .

Keep with it, keep strong and try to write something on here everyday. You will look back in a few years and see all your progress!

All the best from the South Coast

Thank you so much! I havent had a computer for a while as mine broke and I havent been able to replace it, I have a work one now that I can use. Writing on here daily keeps me motivated. I really want to make some serious head way on my debts so I can move in the future over to live with my other half x:):)