Hopeless case - needs to get a grip!

Hopeless_case_3

I discovered MSE about 6 years ago and this has got to be my 5th attempt at trying to pull myself out of this mess. I don't think I'm really getting the point because although the debt keeps moving, its moving in the wrong direction!

I'm really fed up with myself about this. I do things on impulse even though the little voice tells me not to, I don't think its loud enough because I keep ignoring it and going my own merry way.

This diary is my last chance - if this doesn't work I may as well give up, sell up and lose my home. I'm hoping the people here will be my little voice and shout at me REALLY loudly if I let things slide.

I'm cooking roast pork at the moment (from stores) so I'll be back later with more details and plans (once I've thought of them!).

Own_My_Own

Good Luck ! You can do this !

I have subscribed and will follow your journey to being debt free.

Desperate_to_be_debt_free

Hi there,
Reading your post and it's as if your writing about me. If I don't get a grip I'm going to find myself losing my home too.

We can do it, the support network on here is fab x

Hopeless_case_3

Thank you both for saying hi!

Dinner was quite nice, although pork isn't my first choice for a roast. There's no more money until payday now (well very little) so I'll be reading the OS boards to try and get the most out of what we have in the storecupboard. Tomorrow's dinner will be leftovers so no cooking after work

Ok, here's a bit more information. I'm 44, divorced and happily engaged to my BF who is a complete opposite to the ex and who I'd be completely lost without. I've got three grown up children who make me really proud. They're one thing I did right anyway!

I don't owe as much as some people on here. Without checking I'd guess its amount to about £7,000, but I need to check to get the exact sorry tale. One thing I do know is that there's always too much month left at the end of the money and I've had enough. I want to have money left at the end of the month to go out for a nice meal if we feel like it.

I'm registered as a business seller on Eb*y. I've started buying stuff to sell on but so far it hasn't brought in much profit. Since the 26th March, I've made the grand sum of £45 in profit. Not a lot of money for a lot of work, but on the other hand, that's £45 I wouldn't have had otherwise.

My plan is to put the capital back into my savings account each time I make a sale and transfer the profit into a different account in order to keep it separate. Payday, I'll transfer half the profit into my savings account and use the other half to make an over payment on one of my cards.

I'm two weeks into a new job and not sure yet if I've made a huge mistake. I had to move in order to get job security, but I think I may have made a bad move - not sure yet. If I'm honest, I don't really know what I want because I applied for another job this evening. I'm 44 and still don't know what I want to be when I grow up :rotfl:

Another thing I need to do is lose some weight, but can't stick to that either - just demolished a bag of Maltesers with BF - but tomorrow is another day

I think this is enough revelation for one day, tomorrow you will see (read) a new woman.

Hopeless_case_3

Good morning!

I had quite a restless night last night, I just couldn't seem to switch off. As soon as my head hit the pillow my brain went into overdrive.

Anyway, its Day 1 for the new me. Lunch is made, a nice healthy pot full of salad and a low fat yogurt for pudding. Breakfast was porridge and a cup of coffee so its so far so good on the healthy eating - but I've only been up for 90 minutes so not much of an achievement really

Just checked my online banking and nothing unexpected went out overnight, so at least my cash situation isn't any worse than it was last night. Nothing sold on Eb*y overnight, so its not any better either

I'll be back later with another update on a (hopefully) spend free day.

Hopeless_case_3

Back again! Its been a busy week. I've had three weeks in my new job now and I'm still coming home from work and collapsing in a heap on the sofa. At least its good to know my brain still works. I'm not sure if its a job I want to stay in forever, but it'll do for now. The ideal would be to find something closer to home which would cut travel costs.

I'm not doing very well with my moneysaving at the moment. I think I'm going to have to just muddle through till payday and start from scratch from then on.

I think this is going to be a long journey and it seems overwhelming at the moment, but I need to start from scratch. Its my first payday on the 26th and I've decided to set myself a challenge every month.

The first challenge is really basic - I need to see if I can last the month without putting anything on my credit card, which means that this month I need to set myself a budget and stick to it!

My eba*ing is going ok, but why do people buy stuff and then not pay for them? Its driving me mad. I've sold 5 items this week and only one has been paid for. I've sent countless messages to ask if there's a problem, but received no answers. I've opened two non paying bidder cases and still nothing :mad::mad::mad: It must be silly season!!

I'm going to work out a budget for myself now so I'll be back later with more details.

giblet1979

Just found your diary - I'm new here too, and have started writing everything down in a diary which I think definitely makes you feel more accountable, and there are some great ideas that I have gained from other people!

Good luck with the budget (and the sellers) and I will follow your debt free journey with interest

Btw, I'm trialling the 'you need a budget' software which is excellent (as recommended by many forumers) and it is keeping me focused this month, hard as it still is not to just pop to the shops, or buy something for the house (as we are renovating). Maybe have a look if you think it might be helpful to you? x

Hopeless_case_3

Thanks Giblet, I'll have a look at that now. I have a little notebook that I write things down in, but I don't always remember. Its defeating the object really because I keep spending money on buying pretty notebooks

Hopeless_case_3

Ok, this is where I've got to so far:-

Take home pay - £1,250.00

Outgoings:- Mortgage - £460.71
Joint Account - £370.00
O2 - £22.00
Orange - £36.00
Denplan - £22.00

Total Outgoings - £910.71

This leaves me - £339.29 to pay for petrol and to make card payments. Petrol is usually about £120 monthly which leaves me £219.19 for debt repayments and sundries etc.

The O2 payment is the contract I pay for my son. He's on an apprenticeship now and so this will cease in about 2 months when the contract comes to an end. The Orange plan is mine and will be downgraded to a cheaper contract as soon as I'm able.

The transfer into the joint account covers all household expenses. BF contributes more into the joint account because I pay the mortgage. The mortgage is mine because I bought the house after my divorce and its my safety net. I have about 50% equity in the house and want it to be something I leave to my boys. Of course if BF and I get married one day things will change and if his name goes onto the mortgage ownership of the house will have to change too.

Its looking like I need to step up the pace on my eb*ying! My eb*y profit account now has £61 in it and if my non-payers coughed up that would be over £100. I transfer the purchase price back into my savings account and the profit into a different account.

My savings account is now back up to £300. Ideally, I would like to have around £3,000 in there as an emergency fund.

BF and I will be carbooting on Good Friday in search of goodies for the Eb*y shop. We go out really early (about 5.30am) in order to grab the bargains! It sounds like torture, but actually its quite fun

I'd better go and check my dinner is ok. I have beef stew in the oven and it smells lovely. BF gets home from work in about an hour and I need to go and pick up my mum at 5.00.

I'm actually quite hungry now

supersaver1000

Hopeless_case wrote: »

If I'm honest, I don't really know what I want because I applied for another job this evening. I'm 44 and still don't know what I want to be when I grow up :rotfl:.

join the club. I'm a few years older than you and I'm the same - it doesn't become any clearer - probably worse
:rotfl::):rotfl::). Good luck with the job app though - nothing ventured .....

GunWharf

:wave: Hello!

Good luck and I will swing in and see your progress.

Good luck, you can do it!