Thistlewhistle 2014 - A Fresh Start

Thistlewhistle

Feeling sick as a parrot today - car just gone in for new tyres and they're a fortune! Can't get cheaper ones because they have to be a certain width, speed strength (???) and they're tough to source.

Credit Card payments are just paving the way for more charges on the card so it's two steps forward and one back at the moment.

Working hard on my budget so I can really start to see a solid way forward but I just need the world to stop for five minutes so I can catch my breath!!!

Tx

tattycath

Thistlewhistle wrote: »

Feeling sick as a parrot today - car just gone in for new tyres and they're a fortune! Can't get cheaper ones because they have to be a certain width, speed strength (???) and they're tough to source.

Credit Card payments are just paving the way for more charges on the card so it's two steps forward and one back at the moment.

Working hard on my budget so I can really start to see a solid way forward but I just need the world to stop for five minutes so I can catch my breath!!!

Tx

Have a dodgy hug! :grouphug:

Hurdler

Thistlewhistle wrote: »

Feeling sick as a parrot today - car just gone in for new tyres and they're a fortune! Can't get cheaper ones because they have to be a certain width, speed strength (???) and they're tough to source.

Credit Card payments are just paving the way for more charges on the card so it's two steps forward and one back at the moment.

Working hard on my budget so I can really start to see a solid way forward but I just need the world to stop for five minutes so I can catch my breath!!!

Tx

I feel your pain tyres wise. Three had to be replaced and the moment they were ordered they were placed on back order, so had to replace all 4 (thankfully negotiated all 4 for the price of the three) but yeah - I was told you couldn't mix and match (well you can but it is not advised).

Thistlewhistle

Thanks guys,

Because of the miles I do for work (24,000 pa) I'm replacing two tyres every 6 months or so. It's working out at £45/month just for tyres!!!
At least I've engineered it so it's only 2 - 4 at a time would be a nightmare, especially after road tax in Feb (£105) and insurance in January (paid in full to avoid the interest). I'm drained of cash!!!

Tx

Thistlewhistle

I might have to let the credit card at 14.95% roll for a month which gets my goat!!!

Thistlewhistle

Afternoon all,

Just taking a 30 minute break from some serious work for a cup of tea and a lounge on the sofa. It's how I work best - promise myself a brew in 90 minutes and then knuckle down to work. I get more done than having the brews on the desk with me!! Funny that!

Anyway, some tidying up of accounts leaves the CC standing order a/c up to £17 thanks to the Tilly Tidies. Also cleared down the CC balances to nice round numbers which I find oddly pleasing

As a result and completely unplanned for, these payments broke the 40% paid off threshold. I have to say though that I'm a little up against it cashflow wise at the moment.

I was wondering why this was, but it's actually because I've done my Zero based Budget, and I've realised that I was overspending. Now I've curtailed my extravagances, I'm feeling the pressure a little.

Feels good to be in control even though I'm not moving forward as quickly as I'd hoped. Still, I've offered to cover for a colleague on Thursday so that'll bring in £60 which I can allocate to an area of shortage.

Going to spend the next 18 minutes of my break, having a power nap :shhh: before I hit the computer again at 16:30. Then my next :coffee: will be at 18:00

T

tattycath

Thistlewhistle wrote: »

Afternoon all,

Just taking a 30 minute break from some serious work for a cup of tea and a lounge on the sofa. It's how I work best - promise myself a brew in 90 minutes and then knuckle down to work. I get more done than having the brews on the desk with me!! Funny that!

Anyway, some tidying up of accounts leaves the CC standing order a/c up to £17 thanks to the Tilly Tidies. Also cleared down the CC balances to nice round numbers which I find oddly pleasing

As a result and completely unplanned for, these payments broke the 40% paid off threshold. I have to say though that I'm a little up against it cashflow wise at the moment.

I was wondering why this was, but it's actually because I've done my Zero based Budget, and I've realised that I was overspending. Now I've curtailed my extravagances, I'm feeling the pressure a little.

Feels good to be in control even though I'm not moving forward as quickly as I'd hoped. Still, I've offered to cover for a colleague on Thursday so that'll bring in £60 which I can allocate to an area of shortage.

Going to spend the next 18 minutes of my break, having a power nap :shhh: before I hit the computer again at 16:30. Then my next :coffee: will be at 18:00

T

Sorry you're feeling the pressure, but you're still doing really great! :T
I like your thinking regarding the breaks and cuppas. I work better like that too.

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS

Hi Thistle, sounds like you've had a productive day. Glad the TTs are helping

Tilly x

Thistlewhistle

Morning all!
It's Friday:j:j:j

Yesterday was the payment day for CC debt #3 (£370) and although I made the payment, I REALLY struggled to do it. In fact I had to use another credit card for groceries and fuel and then use the cash I would have spent to throw at the card. Not very satisfactory as I now have a £300 debt on another card at a higher rate!!!!!:mad:

However, it has got me thinking. I'm not in a position to just pay off the CC with the interest rate at the moment but what I'm going to do is use the credit card for all my spends, but save the cash from my spends a/c in my savings fund so when the card payment is due, I have the money available, but......and here's the clever bit.....

If I spend £x on fuel, I am going to do a Tilly Save (TS) and save up to the next £10

Eg spend £62.47, save £70.

In this way, the credit card bill will come down but I'll be rolling my credit each month and will avoid any interest effectively making it a 0% card.

That's the plan! Now to do it!:rotfl:

T:D

Thistlewhistle

Right, it's official!

I am broke until 9th April!

Emergency measures are being invoked.

#1 Operation freezer use-up
#2 Operation limit groceries to milk, fruit & veg and own brand essentials:o)
#2a Operation "don't watch fruit & veg from #2 go mouldy in the fridge - you're not Tracey Emin!)
#3 Operation cupboard use-up (yes, even that tin of artichokes :huh:)
#4 Operation shower gel / bath foam use-up (19 half full bottles:eek: really??)
#5 Operation dry washing on the line - it's windy enough!!
#6 Operation "no eating out"
#7 Operation "Take lunch with you or starve!"
#8 Operation "Actually use money off vouchers - don't just decorate the fridge with them!"

Phew! Cathartic or what!!!

Days to April 9th = 20
NSD Goal = at least 10 (not counting Direct Debits & Bills)

T:D