Busy Bee diary - take it one flower at a time

Wanna_Bee_Free

The time has come for me to tackle my last remaining debt and I have decided to start a diary on here to help me focus on my finances. I tend to be all or nothing in most things. I have joined the clear my debt by Christmas Challenge and my current debt is £5411.64.

I have repaid all my credit cards so this last debt is to repay my boyfriend - I haven't factored in any interest on that but he's not expecting me to either. Once I've paid the amount back I might add some interest in too. We'll see.

In August 2006 my credit card debt was £25,141.66 and I have plugged away at that pretty well since then epecially given a period in a much lower paid job and several gaps being unemployed in that time. Since starting my current job, I have got into a habit of putting between £600 and over £900 in spending on my credit card and repaying it on pay day. Somehow because I haven't been hurting with interest payments I have effectively ignored this being always a month behind - added to the savings I borrow from myself each month my real debt is actually bigger.

I am starting January with no credit card debt, but only £1.49 in my current account, £55 to come in work expenses and £4.29 in my purse. I go out a lot in London - I drink too much and have been on the cutting down alcohol thread on here. What I'm trying to say is that I have a lot of fun times planned this month and don't like the idea of not doing it or doing it cheaply but need to change my mindset!

I have savings pots for expenses coming up and at the moment it has nearly £500 in. I usually borrow from this all month to get through and then repay it on pay day so effectively I use it like an overdraft without interest.

I am paid well, as is my OH so usually fritter away a lot of money - time to focus and get serious about debt busting!

Wanna_Bee_Free

2 things occurred to me straight away. Most of my bills for January have already been paid but I am due to pay £28.03 so effectively I have £28.46 in the bank plus £4.29 so £32.75 to last until payday, Friday 31st January so about £1.21 a day. I have oyster credit of £14.40 too and a travelcard so don't pay the tube day to day with this it's for visiting friends in the wilds of outer London.

The other thing is that it's my OH's birthday this month and I will be taking him out to an expensive meal and spending a lot on his present. This is non-negotiable - my frittering is my fault and he has been a rock to me financially for years - he pays more than his share and I want his birthday stuff from me to be first class.

Right, off to waste some time reading on here instead of going back to bed - I woke at 4 with my bad cough and have been up since then worrying - head buzzing with stuff.

Wanna_Bee_Free

Just caught myself wanting to buy a £16.99 holdall - no no no no no! I must focus.

I read some amazing posts on here and felt very humbled - things are so much better than they could be and there are people on here doing amazing amounts with the sort of money I have left this month.

One spend at a time.

Wanna_Bee_Free

I have resisted a few temptations so far, taken lunch in and generally not spent anything for 3 days. My lovely OH bought groceries on Saturday so technically I should have spent some cash that day but every little helps.

Wanna_Bee_Free

Well I am in the right frame of mind to restart this diary. I blew January's budget out of the water, OH had a great birthday and everything troggled along as before.

I was made redundant in the summer but managed to start a new contract quickly so now I need to make hay while the sun shines so to speak and really get my debt repaid and not go overboard on Christmas or other spending.

I took lunch to work yesterday, egg mayo sandwich and apple and celeriac soup - yummy and cheap. I have updated my spreadsheet and now just need to focus and sick to the plans rather than flitting onto another thing that's new and shiny!