No more Shopping......

laurag89

Felt it was time for an update! My wages went in Saturday and since Saturday everyday has been a NSD which is really good!!
I have just paid £184.10 to Barclaycard, odd amount but the minimum was £160 and I added a little extra. I will continue to pay odd amounts off throughout the month.


So I have come up against something today, I have just realised its my OH's birthday next month and we usually go crazy on presents for each other... I know I cant do that anymore and that is another reason I am in a ridiculous amount of debt but how do you explain that all of a sudden you cant do it when he did for me on my birthday.
Also have an appointment booked at the dreaded dentist next month, and they told me I needed white ones as the silver colour would be easily noticed. Up until now I have gone with what they have said, and had the white ones.... There is a massive difference in cost. I need two fillings.... white ones would cost me in today almost £200! If I stick with NHS (Silver ones) it will cost me £40 in total but you will see them. Think I have answered my own question there (Silver ones it is!)


Also starting to worry about Christmas, I have nothing in place savings wise for Christmas, and not much hope of building any savings up while I am paying off my debt. The scary thing is that I am not even massively over paying the debt at the moment as the minimum payment is high.
Thinking I may have to do loads of Valued Opinions surveys to get loads of vouchers and literally only use them towards xmas without touching my own money!


I am still budgeting to an extreme over a month, only giving myself £140 to live off. That is to included paying for my diesel aswell.


Why is money so stressful

Maryland_Cookie

Hey Laura, hmmm difficult one about pressies - my OH and I have never spent much on each other and sometimes don't even bother. Does your OH know your situation with repayments etc?

As for the fillings, I had one last month and went for the cheap option lol!

Back at work and bagged one NSD yesterday, planned one for today but had to buy goodies for a fuddle at work. Couldn't have gone empty handed!

Keep up the good work with the overpayments and NSDs x x x

Tabithabooboo

A couple of years ago our in laws insisted that we made our Christmas presents to each other, have to say that I'm not arty or anything and was initially not keen but ended up making everyone a wee hamper as I like to cook. Cheap as chips with a little imagination and everyone loved it! Decided to do it again this year. Not sure what your OH would think but could be cost saving for others?? Love reading your diary

laurag89

Thanks Tabithabooboo! That's a brilliant idea, and they do say a way to a mans heart is through their stomachs right I could kill two birds with one stone there! I will have a think for some ideas, thanks so much!

laurag89

Thought I should update today seeing as I have made a huge development in my journey to being debt free and changing my spending habits!

Basically what has happened is, my car battery light came on on my dashboard and it's been fine since .... Till today! It will not start, luckily this happened after work so it wasn't too much of a drama!
Old Laura would have literally gone up to halfords and got a battery whilst being completely ripped off at the same time and paid for them to fit it aswell just to get it fixed!

The new Laura..... Called OH who knows his stuff about cars and turns out he has a spare battery at his that I can have for free on Friday! So I called a work colleague to see if she minded picking me up and dropping me off till Friday and bless her.... She said that was fine!

Just shows that by not being in so much of a hurry like I usually am I can prevent myself spending 60 pounds and some! today was also a NSD!!!!

laurag89

Bad news diary, my alternator has gone on my car .... The car I only got a couple of months ago, and to make matters worse it's not covered under the basic guarantee. Too make matters even worse I do not have the money to pay for the repair unless I use my credit card.

I can't use my credit card, I won't! Therefore until I actually have the money saved it looks like I will be walking to and from work for a while! It's not too far maybe a 20 minute walk each way. But until I have the money there is not a lot else I can do.

Today has been another NSD!

Smiles123

Really sorry to hear about your car, but very impressed your walking x good news is it is bank holiday onMonday x

laurag89

Thanks smiles123 I am surprising myself with this money saving! There is an update on the car...... After hours and I mean hours of phoning around I have got hold of another alternator it isn't brand new but for £50 and the OH is fitting it for free! That's getting things repaired on a budget

The old me would have used the credit card and gone to any old garage - whoever would do it the quickest regardless of the cost!

Smiles123

That is something I would have done lol...

I am hoping to start my journey next month, ex has said he will try and clear some of the csA arrears as he is getting some rdundancy, so that should help me as didn't get anything this month ��... I am also going to try and budget so I don't rely on it like I have been doing so then I will stop over spending lol... I am also on mat leave form work at the mo and income is going to drop again soon so until I know what I am going to get I am going to have to be extra careful...OH has noticed I have stopped taking purse out lol....

Maryland_Cookie

Oh Laura, bad news and then good news re: car - but what a change in how you have handled things. You have come such a long way, well done :0)

What would you say your biggest motivating factor is?

My mojo is still AWOL, can only claim 1 NSD this week. Pay day today though - phew I was ready!

Have a great bank holiday weekend xx