Starting over again- Take 2

Shelbi

Morning Diaryland,

So last night was lovely, it was good to spend time with my colleagues, I really need to make more of an effort with everyone else other than my team. Some really smart & interesting people. Well I didnt stick to budget grand old spend of £8.66..but I did save on travel as I was lucky to be dropped off home..so overspend £1.46:o got home just intime to catch run fat boy run & bruce almighty, you know what i really enjoyed it, got to bed about 2.30 in the end but needed a laugh.

So today I am decluttering, and lobbing some bits onto ebay...if I havent used/worn/watched it 2years it goes one way or another (ebay,freecycle,charity etc. This will be my project over lent.

£1.22 received from squidco.
£60 rent contribution, though not heading to the bank today, rather save the petrol as im not doing any food shopping, seems pointless, will stash it away and use it for petrol, birthdays & purse money next month (ie this week) save me taking cash out come payday.

Feeling optimistic today & very positive, slightly at ease. Though I suspect thats because Im alone at home again, I rarely get peace & quiet, dont get me wrong I love my family its just nice to have a little space now and then. Ok stuff to tidy and sort... wishing you all a wonderful, fun and frugal day xX

Shelbi

Quick update...Slipped off the MSE wagon and ordered a skirt &boots on sale:o have no idea what I was thinking...I thought i needed boots but no I wanted the boots, Its not a life or death situ..but I cant afford to be buying boots:wall: so when they arrive they will be returned for a refund . Been a grump today, no idea why, think im just sick of being in debt I guess...no ones fault but my own. Just a pain sometimes. Anyway enough of that, sulking & self pity wont help me get out of it....so on a more positive note I made a payment to cc of £19, spendy day brought measuring tape, canderell & batteries oh and lunch..yup slight slip up, total damage £5.60... oh also collected £11 odd from fleabay sales. nothing much else to report/confess :rotfl:
Roll on Payday I need to feel like im making some sort of progress...anyway I best get some sleep and hopefully will feel more motivated in the morning....hasta mañana dfw's

Shelbi

Evening Diary land,

Havent wrote in a couple of days that slight slump was hard to shake off...up and down like a rollercoaster. Ok back to debt busting...have cleared my credit card aside from the refund expected and have started squirreling away funds for the lump payment. well a tiny bit but its a start. Had a spendy day I brought my breakfast and lunch..I didnt end up going out for afterwork drinks so I guess that contra'd out. That was a treat and within budget so wont be treating myself to anything more...no drinking is going great..ok so its only been10 days but since ive been out twice and abstained id say im doing ok...actually prob why im struggling cant forget my feelings with a cheeky glass of red lol! ok so what have i done thats helpful..earned £3.49 squidco and another £1.04 on opinions survey. will list some more items on Sunday evening or when a £0 listing comes up. stock up on lunches for work, will include that in shop tomorrow. have funded my emergency fund can breathe a little easier, can also now cancel the credit card once the refund clears. Id like to keep it for the points and its zero % but if im honest I just spend on it more so than if I actually have to use cash...perhaps ill just hide it somewhere incase of big emergencies?! I dont know..

Nothing really to report, need to get income up and freeze spending, the norm really...been using YNAB religiously so I stay on track.

Have hit the 50% mark just under £15k with 4months left...if I use the lump sum figure (assuming I manage to get the money together itll be possible) the standing order will chip away at the debt and i can payoff 75% of it..hopefully come June my savings and lump sum offer will equal out...so no more debt payments its just squirrel mode. I guess. I'm a bit excited I think there's a small chance I might make it...small but ill take it! Anyway I guess thats enough waffling from me for one night hoep everyone has a fab weekend x

Shelbi

Happy 1st of March Everyone....New month fresh start!

Received £2.39 from quidco, seems all my cashback from xmas pressie shopping is coming in woohoo its a little but it helps...just waiting on the bigones -£10odd mcafee, £25 tesco and £25/£50 squidco xmas bonus..hope it all comes soon!

Have updated YNAB with a fresh budget for March all reconciles and it looks achievable.. Just have to stick to it. Have updated signiture too, its starting to look less scary..don't get me wrong its still a shocking amount owed but when I started this diary again it was way higher so im doing ok I think.

Brother told me I can expect £65 repayment for a carparking fine I paid for him..yay to that!!, he seems to be doing better financially which makes me really happy.

Trying to think of anything that ive missed...not to hard not much happening at the moment, Will write back later to set targets for March..hope everyone has a really wonderful Sunday, whatever you're doing xX

Trixxibell

Hiya Shelbi,

Just want to say you are doing so well! Well done sweetheart xx

Your signature is looking fab x

Shelbi

Yay youre back!! Hiya hun...Thank you, im working on it, getting there slowly but surely xX

Shelbi

Evening Diaryland, quickish check in: So I didnt manage to pop back and set March goals..sorry I got distracted Ok well no time like the present goal 1) stay within budget. Goal 2) save as much as possible goal 3) make some extra cash. Seem simple enough.

So since I last checked in I brought mothers day gift, had brought mum a pretty but modest price necklace which i gave her to cheer her up the other day...couldnt help it. So asked her what shed like she said her hair done, so I grabbed a groupon offer..need to make up that difference in budget, have fleabayed a perfume hopefully that will sell and ill recover the cost.

Tf! decided to charge me £22.80 for a single journey..well 3 lots of £7.60 i think it was...apparently 2 journeys from my house to unknown and a failed inspection. I explained to the customer service guy that Id taken the journey in to work at £1.70 cost but the rest is unknown too me, the card hadnt failed or the inspector wouldve pulled me, plus its my bank card the day after payday so funds were there & it obviously tapped in...anyway he agreed that the funds would be refunded in 3 days. But im sceptical about this contactless business I mean £23odd instead of £1.70 is a big difference. think perhaps oyster maybe the way forward again..to be fair the guy was very helpful & polite, just my YNAB is showing red, which erks me a bit. Good job I check my bank statements.

Other than that nothing really happening, lifes pretty quiet, whats it they say- its either quiet or everything happens at once. guess ill just enjoy the peace whilst it lasts...hope it lasts..

Night all..Have a good one xX

Shelbi

Morning Diaryland,

Quick update- ok so no refund still from tfl but will call them tomorrow if it doesnt show. Went to a conference yesterday- £20 petrol spend but that should be reimbursed, mcd breakfast £5 spend (non reimb) but I did take pack lunch so no cost there:)..shouldnt of had mcd's I wish i could say my eyes are bigger than my belly but thats not the case right now :rotfl:

Received my car tax reminder Friday- have opted for dd, reasoning cost apr-june (dfd target date) is £34.14 which is a better hit than the £130 payable in April..better for my cash flow at least. Once that gets taken will change my mobile dd back to Santander so I can get cash back for it (small amount but still).:money:

I have a slow puncture on my car, instead of fixing it have opted to keep filling it up with air- will take care of that next payday, actually have MOT& Service due so ill take the hit all at once next month. Hopefully can sell a few bits between now and then to soften the blow.

Nothing else to report other than these bits have been quite frugal..purse strings are being held tight!;)

Well I hope everyone has a wonderful Sunday!!...oh & Happy International Women's Day ladies xXx

Shelbi

Evening all, well just wrote a long post and lost it...well annoying!
So once again but way much shorter!!- not much to report had a no spend day, and thanks to system failure at work was able to make £2.24 doing a survey. Silver lining! well its a start at least! right off to make lunch, weigh in & measure up, do hair and study...evening all!! xX

Shelbi

Morning all,

Haven't really checked in lately but have still been lurking and reading getting my dose of inspiration from other diaries.
Well for me this week has been spendy one- I slid off the mse wagon and am now chasing after it trying to jump back on..it started with dinner with my friend...cheap and cheerful on taste card turned into a quick expensive gbk- £20 for a burger and fries ahhh could've kicked myself..plus points the milkshake was good, calorific but good. from then I figured ah i have no credit card debt and mullah in the bank let me by lunches at work, take trains...you know how it is a little spend here and there, doesnt go unchecked but it doesn't hurt..well I reverted back to full ways on Friday night. Went out on friday night, went way off, started as most things do with me by falling off the abstinence wagon..I couldnt take my mocktails and wanted a glass of red! fast forward a few glasses, dinner and couple of jager train, I woke Saturday with a stonking hangover and looking in my purse at reciepts to see what id spent the night before:o ahh im so peeved with myself...I think all in all I spent about £90 :eek: on drink and food...thats literally a weekly shop. Why am i like this!!

On saturday I brought a weekly shop in aldi again expensive- £95 (we did need a restock on pretty much everything) but still Its excessive. especially when I see others can do theres for half that! Last night i sat there on right move looking at flats to rent, I found a great one for £1100 and thought id give them a call Monday..love the look of this place, but wait Im Broke!!! this morning ive sat pondered my behaviour and had to have a word with myself!! actually a few!! Dave Ramsey says that your housing rent/mortgage should be 25% of youre take home pay- well £1100 is way above my 25% allowance...I thought id slayed my spendy reckless ways but nope I still have them....I need a place at the moment for about £600pm I live in London so unless I flat share its not going to happen. I need to sort myself out and save to get debt free, get a deposit at least a mortgage on 1 bed could be more reasonable, but Ill never make it if I dont reign my ways in.

Well I guess whats done is done, Ive wasted alot of money this month, could kick myself- but I wanted to confess, Im struggling here I know what im supposed to do but I have to battle to do it most times. phew I actually feel better for that.

Saving points- I didnt use my credit cards at all- which im proud of, just cash flowed my stupidity!! Have reconciled YNAB and as it stands I have £1600 still in my ac so guess it couldve been soo much worse! still feel sick to think on it though...(£1000 of that is my emergency fund though). and i still have rent in a separate ac so I think ill be ok, just annoyed at myself for being so darn wasteful..I thought I had control, but guess im still working on it.

In other financial updates- £2.80 claimed for breakdown cover cash back, £30 e-bay bid in and £25.88 xmas bonus from quidco to be paid. Also training for poll check this week, I get paid for that (fingers crossed).

Sorry for the essay I just needed to get it all out, right lets get back on this and try to keep plodding on to debt freedom...

Happy Sunday guys xX