Facing my fears and doing it anyway

Celticmiss

Good morning, Hope everyone is okay the weekend is within sight. I have been reading lots of firsts this week to see how people are managing tackling the debts. There are so really good plans in place 's some are powering thoroughbred debt.

My journey seems to be positive but a slow start I know I have only just started on this road. Things that have been working for me this month are challenging myself to AND which I enjoy although don't keep track of how many I know this works for me. Rounding down us the business and I have managed to pay an extra £25 to cc- this I enjoy. Paying with cash works for me too and the trip to the beauty shop for award prep today has been managed. I would have preferred not to have to spend £48 there but it's a glam affair and I will feel better for it.

DR1 gas learnt a little bit of money babysitting and ironing this has gone straight into her savings account so refreshing to see she previously would have blown it on sweets. Sharing the MSE vibe to all who listen so see s to 've paying off with her.

My niece is heading to uni and I know is broke and her mum is not in a position to help as she has major debt that needs sorting-long story. I am very proud of my niece and she will work her socks off. She does plan to get a job too but I feel I want to try and send her a bit if cash when u can to help her along. I vividly remember student days with £2 to last me the week and no food in my cupboards. Will do what I can but seeing her in Sunday and need to let her know it won't be any huge amount.

I have put cash in my purse for the trip to London today andDon't have plans to be spending the whole amount, it's mainly for travel fares and food.

£200 remaining in my account for the month and I have never been in credit at this time of the month.

I still haven't formulated any concrete plans for repaying the debt but I'D gone last month and throwing pounds and pennies at the credit card. I think I then snowvall to TSB loan.

This isn't the most interesting diary on the site but Lord it helps me no end.xx

Celticmiss

Sorry for the predictive text.x

Celticmiss

Dear Diary,

My updates are missing?!* Okay so I need to be at desktop pc to maintain diary, not perfect but its not a major problem.

All okay I havent gone off piste, I am still hear although did go off piste and blew extra £40 in London this weekend...grrr. Gave in to temptation and alcohol. Definitely weakens my resolve. So need to rejig budget and buckle in for the last half of the month. I can do it, no major outgoings foreseen, but no emergency fund if they pop up either, lets hope it doesn't get bumpy.

Family coming around for a curry and prossecco (?spelling) to send niece off to uni thsi week- hooray clever girl.

Hope all okay.xx

Celticmiss

Morning world, anyone else feel like they are on full speed today?

Lots to do:

Dog walk including dog's sister and meeting a friend -free
Collect car from garage - £35 MOT
Friend for lunch, will eat whatever fridge has to offer - free
Dog walk - free
Quick shop - £5.00 budget
Homemade lasagne for tea-as per meal plan.
Hand second wash out, looks like a nice day.
Ironing
Corrie.

I feel as though this has been a long month and in reality September quite short so slightly worried about impending months ahead of money saving.

To my credit I have cleared the overdraft this month and in total paid £500 toward my debts. I have enrolled in a Pilates class which will start on Friday so have plenty to feel positive about.

Decision of the day is whether to contact DD school ans speak to year head- DD1 is a great girl and enjoys being very chatty and popular among her peers. My reason for considering contacting school is that now they are in high school she just seems to do the minimum required of her in relation to her homework or revision. I feel she needs to hear it from someone other than me that as she has the potential to do well at school with some effort - she needs to be putting more into her homework. I am not a pushy mum but I am her number 1 fan.x

Any advice?x

Celticmiss

Only a little update today and I am not sure I have any money news at all.

About to head for my first Pilates class and have decided that it will probably be incredibly tricky and painful but I will stick it out until Christmas and then see what I think of it. I know I should not be arriving at first session with pre conceived ideas but cant help myself.

Tick tock til next pay day only 7 days to go and can alter my signature again.

Lots of organizing happening since I had my LBM - I think there must be more i could be doing to generate more cash. Learnt about snowballing and snowflakes yesterday and realized that is the approach I am planning.

Cheerio for now.xx

Celticmiss

Okay, survived Pilates and actually even enjoyed it although feeling I might me sore ish in the morning. Feeling positive.

NSD today. Sausages, potatoes,veg, Yorkshire pud and lashings of gravy for tea, meal planned and everyone happy except DD1 who is a tweenie and says she'll make her own tea. This is fine as long as she uses what is in.

Looking forward to meal out in Leeds tomorrow night which is DH treat as he is working tomorrow and away the following weekend. Great to get into town but the challenge will be keeping the girls in check.

Lots of plans to hit the weeds in our garden this weekend.

have a lovely weekend all.x

Celticmiss

Morning Diary,

Just a quick check in today before I head to work. busy weekend pottering around the house and being a taxi to all.

Managed to pop some things on ebay and they will be finished next Sunday so hoping for a few sales.

We have enough food in til the weekend although might need the odd extra bit of fresh.

Meal plan done for next month and online Mxxxx shop done £191 for the month without fresh. Would like to stay under £300 for the month.

Have booked an extra day in at work so will throw this money into the cc debt.

Downloaded snowballing app to help and have a DFD May 2017 but looking to shift this 2015/2016.

I did download the YNAB onto PC but I cant see that it has a security/privacy button and I really don't need other half or kids viewing this so might not be able to use it.

Roll on pay day and looking forward to bringing a loan under £5000 great as its started as £13000 2012.

I have a trip away to see friends at eh end of the month so will need to pop money aside for this at the beginning of the month.

Phew that was meant to be brief too.

oh and need to check my new H..fax account as things don't seem to have done any switching so far.x

Celticmiss

Hello diary,

So the H..fax switch service didn't switch as they say the online system hasn't registered my request so having to juggle a few things around to ensure all paid promptly..arghhh best laid plans again gone wrong.

Employer has paid salary twice into both accounts so although that will look amazing I cant keep it...booo. I could be cross as my best efforts of organizing my finances is being tested but I wont let it phase me I just need to keep the MSE faith.

NSD yesterday but today looks like I need to pop fuel in the car and get the odd thing from local shop.

Amaxxx item gone missing via post- early xmas pressie half price and company are blaming Royal Mail. I am sure they must have some obligation to honour the order if it does not appear. I dont think it has been lost by Royal Mail. Hmm will pursue with this one or request money back. My organisation isn't going as planned.

Accounts checked online today. Ebxy checked and a few watchers but no bidders.

Positives- meal planning, account checking and sellling.xx

Habibiboo

Celticmiss wrote: »

Just did a bit of online transfer to another bank. So my plan is totally separate bank for salary and standing orders/DD. Then £500.00 transferred across to existing account to blitz overdraft but use as a day to day spends account. I feel I need to physically separate my money.. .. i think I might start using the envelope idea too.

Is this a daft idea? Am I avoiding reality?

:wave:

No, it's not daft, it's completely sensible and you deserve this :T for being so pro-active.

I've used these kinds of systems for a long time (particularly when my children were younger) and have just adopted another new envelope system. For years my OH has gently teased me about how I apparently "don't live in the 21st century" because I use only cash rather than rely on a debit card etc.

However, he's just asked me to help him sort his account as he's gone into overdraft because he's been debiting this, visiting the ATM for that and basically been using his debit card willy-nilly across the summer, the approach he's always teased me for not using. He's now going to be using a 'spending money' approach that has a strict amount set to it, at least until his account's back in order again!

The key thing is to use what works for you in your quest to be DF: that is your reality and you're facing it, not avoiding it. If it works then no way is it daft. If it doesn't work, then you weren't daft for trying it, in fact you've just informed yourself about what works and what doesn't in your circumstances, your reality.

Building a buffer is an excellent idea and you might consider how you could do this whilst also paying down anything which has an interest payment lurking alongside it.

You've mentioned switching banks. Perhaps moving to a provider who offers an interest free OD might allow you that buffer without actually having to find the cash in the short term. Of course, using it does produce a debt, although a "free" one so long as you're careful not to run up the OD beyond the interest-free amount, but if it's only there for absolute emergencies then that might work, at least whilst you're shifting debts with interest on them. This is what we're looking to do with my OH's account once it's straightened out a bit, so that he doesn't fall foul of OD charges again. But again, it's whatever works for you.

In one of your posts you asked about what others are doing to pay down their debts. Although many diaries across MSE have lots of that kind of information, there is a thread which has asked that same question which you might find useful as it has lots of the info you might be looking for, all in one place:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/66562596#Comment_66562596

Sorry about the long ramble! Best of luck with your quest. x

Celticmiss

Habibiboo, Thank you for your sensible words of encouragement and support. Tomorrow is pay day two since my LBM and looking forward to a few debts being hit this month. My aim is to pull my TSB loan to under £5000 and pay £400 to my cc. I also plan to snowflake the cc as this worked really well last month. I would like to add an additional £100 to the Christmas budget and £80 to my emergency fund.

October is 5 week til pay day month so the envelope system will be in place for the first time. Fingers crossed.

I have stayed out of the overdraft for the first time in so long and it feels good. Need to keep the motivation going now.

Your signature Habibiboo is impressive and obviously has taken some discipline. :T

Keeping the MSE faith and moving on to October/month two.xx