Juicygirl's 'Will I ever learn?' diary

juicygirl

Hi everyone,

I've been an MSE member and forum user on and off for years. I started off on these boards, fell away, came back, ended up on the MFW boards and now....... I'm back here again with more debt

I've never had a DFW diary before and I'm really hoping that this will make a difference!

So us: me, DH ( both mid 30's), DS ( 3 next month) and baby on the way ( due Aug). DH works full time and is a spender. I work part time since baby in a job that people think of as very well paid (it's nowhere near as good as they think) and I'm a spender too.

I really want to get this all sorted ASAP for several reasons:
1. I'm sick of living payday to payday and seeing very little reduction in the CC payments
2. Due to my credit rating (see below) I can't apply for anymore CC's to transfer the balance and the interest disgusts me!
3. I hate my job, want to stay part time, but would love to be able to walk away from it if it ever became too much.
4. I love my holidays and want to be able to justify them ( and pay them off without using CC's)

Complication- Late last year when applying for a 0% CC to balance transfer I got turned down. I was shocked to discover my previously excellent credit rating had dropped to poor. I've never missed any payment to a creditor, but had let an unused current account go £4.32 into the red :mad:. I knew nothing about this ( never checked online banking as I didn't use account, never received any correspondence from bank) and because it went on for so long before I realised the account became classed as 'delinquent' and my credit was shot. Only got myself to blame I know.

The debts ( all payments bar one have been made for this month):

RBS CC : £4056.14 ( not paid yet this month)
M&S CC : £600.00
Virgin CC: £7700
Next catalogue : £300

TOTAL: £12,656.14.

Will post an SOA next. All thoughts, encouragements, friendly faces welcome.

Thanks for reading!

juicygirl

Can anyone point me in the direction of an SOA template?

Celticmiss

You've started now so although might be tough at times you can do this. It'll take a bit of jiggery pockery and a shift in mind set but it's doable.xx

juicygirl

Thank you Celticmiss! I do feel more determined this time! X

juicygirl

So today, or indeed this month, was probably not the right time to start a diary about not spending money. We have so many birthdays, weddings, days out, and a weekend away to account for. Thinking about it all is a bit overwhelming, especially with todays spends for these events in mind.

Today's spends : all on list and stuck to it, but still :eek::

Petrol - £48.81 ( full tank, should last til next payday)
Polythene envelopes for posting EBay sales - £10.98
Wedding present for SIL - £133.49 ( budgeted and saved for over last few months, as is the overnight stay for it)
Cards/ wrapping for this months birthdays - £11.46
Milk - £0.89 ( most remember to remove one from my online shop which comes tomorrow)
Birthday gift - £6.97
Newborn starter set baby grows, vests etc for hospital - £8.00

Hoping to offset the birthdays this month with my EBay sales - still got two more to buy for.

Had a lovely lunch at my sister's and now DS is napping so I'm going to get into some DFW activity:

- package up EBay sales for posting tomorrow, £25 sales this week
- update my spending sheet
-look for Onepoll surveys
- hang washing outside to dry
-finish book which is worth a few £ on Am**on
- list 3 items on EBay
- look for an SOA template.

If anyone is reading, hope you are having a lovely bank holiday!

juicygirl

My SOA:

My salary - £2500-£3300 pretax ( I'm self employed and this varies, I tend to put away more tax money on better months)
Other income - £800 ( from DH - we keep separate currents accounts and he pays some of bills direct from it and gives me this towards others)
Benefits - £0.00


Monthly Outgoings:

Mortgage/Rent - £813.19
Council Tax ( inc water) - £227
Tax - varies
NI contrib - £10.00
Gas/electric - £87
TV License - £12.12
Sky/Internet/landline- comes out of husbands account
Mobile - £37.00
Food - £300 ( a rough guess- will add up this month. Inc cleaning products and now starting to stockpile nappies etc when on offer)
Car Insurance - £28.42 ( just renewed)
Home insurance -£23.43
Petrol - £50
Childcare - £100
Critical illness policies- £38.01 and £42.31
Mortgage cover/life insurance - £46.60


I tend not to factor in budgets for clothes/haircuts etc, I rarely buy clothes and when I do just do this from wages/gifts. I buy a lot of clothes for DS from EBay and am lucky enough to get lots of hand me downs. Any gaps are just bought from wages as and when required.

Any thoughts/suggestions much appreciated ( goes off to hide in dark hole).

juicygirl

Made last credit card payment required for the month. Minimum payment was £90 and I've paid £120 to round it down to the nearest £100.

I'm going to try to continue making small overpayments by rounding down my current account and hopefully some more EBay sales.

Today's tasks:

- post 4 eBay parcels (and make this my only spend of the day)
- list at least 3 more items
- joined the 'pay off debt by Christmas' challenge - aiming to reduce debt to under £6k this year
- check for Onepoll surveys
- clean kitchen with store cupboard inventory ( if DS will allow)
- need to wait in for T*esco delivery and new bed delivery for DS ( time to get him into a single bed well before arrival for baby no 2 to allow toddler bed to be converted back to cot) but hopefully get a walk to the park if if doesn't get too wet!
-send hubby to work with packed lunch

Have a good day everyone!

kittycatfan

Hi juicygirl i have about same amount of debt as you it's frustrating paying creditcard all the time most of my wages goes down as payments but i no its my fault so like you i need to pay of asap luckily for me I don't have any interest to pay on mine , also what is your job as you get very good wage for part time , so far your doing well , i need to just stop all spending in general and pay of asap, good luck i will subscribe

Harryspotter

hi, just wanted to wish you luck. I have slightly more debt than you (embarrassed look) but your story struck a chord with me when you mentioned you wanted to be able to justify holidays. i too love my holidays and will always do my best to pay for them! Next summer, I have already booked a holiday for my family which is costing nearly £5000 but I am doing my best to pay down the credit cards at the same time. I realise this is quite a challenge lol! What i have begun to do this week is if I save any money (e.g. I had a £5 money off coupon for my for shopping) I have moved half of that saving into my holiday savings account (even though its only £2.50!). Hopefully that will add up over the coming year.
Any way good luck and keep going x

juicygirl

Thanks a lot for the comments! It's nice to know I'm not talking to myself!

Kittycatfan- I don't want to mention my job on here for a few reasons: I don't want to make myself too identifiable, I'm embarrassed to have the debt with the job I have and I'm not sure people would understand it either. I will say that it's stressful, getting more stressful and I hate it! But at least the money is good ( although those figures are pretax remember).

Harryspotter - glad to find I'm not alone. I too plan a holiday next year and am putting money away for it. I just haven't booked anything yet cos I want to see what kind of baby I have! DS is such a good traveller. Does this mean I haven't had a true LBM?? Hmmm.... Anyway, do you have a diary? I'd like to follow if so!

Harryspotter

hi jg

i have started a diary (only yesterday) because I desperately want to keep focused on paying the debt and saving at the same time. I know what you mean about wondering if you have had a light bulb moment yet - I too have questioned myself but I feel that it is ok to have holidays etc and still want to be debt free. In the past I have used credit cards to pay for holidays whereas now i am saving up. Also my debt is all 0% and with manageable payments so I am still making good headway with the debt. In my opinion, your children only have one childhood and I want to enjoy it with them. If I can find the money to enjoy holidays as a family then I will. If things were dire financially then obviously things would have to change but while they are not life is for enjoying.:j

x