Tales from the city

ani*fan

Hi there cottage_retreatist


Nice to meet you! Thanks too for the good advice about the credit cards. Isn't it odd when you know what you should do but somehow can't bring yourself to do it? My cards have been taken out of my wallet and tucked away, which is a start, but cutting them up will be a whole different story.


The sofa and armchair are green leather; I like the sound of your red one better! I mentioned them to my pal on the phone today and it turns out her and her OH are interested in buying. I need to get some photos taken quick.


Anyway, feel free to keep offering advice, and I'll see you around!

asparagus1968

himthere.
re easter, could you put an ad up in uni and see if anyone is going that way too?share the costs?

speak/text/email your friend "would love to see you ,miss you lots, but i'm an impoverished student now so can't afford posh meals out" etc or something like that, a proper friend won't mind, geez, she might even treat you!!

agree re car,smart change would/could mean less insurance and tax, cheaper repairs, less petrol etc.

good diary, enjoying it.

ps. honey,lemon+hot water for the cold, plus paracetamol and lots of vit c !

ani*fan

Another reminder to myself...


I worked out the snowball based on £100 overpayment to credit cards every month. So far this month I've managed £55...and there's still plenty of month left to find the rest. Yey!


Once the £100 is paid, I'll start to equally divide anything extra between an emergency fund and my expenses kitty. Like I said I'm aiming for £300 emergency and the kitty needs to be back up to £1k.


I think this is a plan that could work. But we'll see.


Oh my word, am I actually budgeting? Lol!

ani*fan

Hi there asparugus1968


Nice to meet you and thanks for dropping by! I can't help being impressed by your debtfree status, wow, bet it feels good. Well done you!


You've just reminded me of a lift share website I used to belong to, where you posted up a journey and waited to see if anyone was going that way. I'll need to get back on to that.


The car situation...yes I need to change my car. If I was feeling better this week I may have gone out looking for a new one and asking about exchange deals but it will need to wait. It's high on my list of priorities though.


My friend would fully understand if I didn't make it to go see her this time. I'm pondering telling her I'm too skint. She's paying off debt too so I know she would get it. Plus she's my best pal in the whole world so the chance of us losing touch is slim to none.


And this cold? It's been more flu-like, exhaustion and sweats and aches but I'm feeling a lot better and hoping to get back to work on Monday. Let's hope my wage hasn't been docked.


See you around!

asparagus1968

ooh, flu-horrid.
it's not damaged your positive cheery attitude. I feel totally sorry for myself when i'm ill!

took me a while to knock the debts on the head.i did the "spending to make me feel happy" after a divorce. it did work for a little while, then it was time to get a grip.
lost a couple of friends on the way too.
I now have no debt but the mortgage, a cashback credit card that I pay in full each month, just use it for petrol, make about £25 a year after the £24 fee is deducted, but every little helps.
I have £260 in savings and £260 in emergency fund. that's it, not much of a buffer, but getting there.
good wishes to you, and with the new life and uni.
will follow you:)
just borrowed "a girl called jack" from the library-really good frugal food recipes.

ani*fan

I have just managed to get my smilies working!!

:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:rotfl:

ani*fan

Asparagus...how much do I aspire to be in your position? You've done amazing!!! And you have proper savings and everything...oh, one day, one day...:)

The Girl Called Jack has a website too, someone mentioned her to me the other day, it's all helpful stuff.

I remember reading a book called 'How I lived on a pound a day' by a woman in Bristol. It was truly motivating.

asparagus1968

oh, I read that book!

I have had it easier than most on here ,paid off joint debts and had a good deposit for a (very) little house for me and DS when I got divorced, took a part time( but very secure) job to avoid child care costs. luckily the ex is good with DS and has a good job so stability of money from him too.
I just spent money to cheer myself up, prove to people I was fine on my own after ex left etc, to try and banish the lonliness I felt.
my debt was only £5K at the worst.but I had no emergency buffer.it never occurred to me to worry!
Then all of a sudden it hit me, think it was the "i'm not getting any younger, DS will eventually spread his wings, then I'm on my own" I started worrying and getting anxious about all sorts of things, things that wouldn't even be happening for years and years.
then I started thinking I just wanted some "peace".
paying off the debt was based on that being one less thing to worry about.

I don't socialise much, actually, I do socialise, but don't do "big nights out". have cut down the clothes and expensive handbags.
take pleasure in simple things now,a good book, good chatty wine filled evenings with friends,walking the dog etc

basically I have made my life very simple and happy and lessened the things to worry about,

I really feel for people on here who have debt because of things out of their control,like redundancy,divorce,no support etc.

flipping heck,what a ramble, so sorry!

ani*fan

Asparagus, I completely relate to everything you just said. Spending to make yourself feel better is not a good idea, unless of course you have the cash to do that, which I didn't! And the peace of mind that comes from knowing there is enough cash to deal with everything that comes up is amazing. Feel free to ramble on, I'm enjoying your posts very much!


And on that note, I just sold a sofa for £125. :j Cash in hand.

So, £45 will go to Cap 1 which brings my total overpayment this month to £100...mission accomplished.

£40 will go towards topping up the expenses kitty.

And £40 will go in my brand new emergency fund.

So, can anyone tell me what emergency funds should be used for? I'm guessing not a takeaway and a bottle of wine on a Friday night, tempting though that may be. Can you use it for car repairs? Not a regular mot, but things that come up by suddenly?

in_need_of_direction

It's whatever would normally derail your budget if you had to pay it.