My Kick Up the backside Diary...............

aprilshower

Hi Everybody

Thanks Bob.

I have set up the spending spreadsheet so will see how that goes. I think it will make me realise were the spending is actually going and not were I think it is going.

I am going to list a few things on eBay today as I have a little spare time today.

Take care everybody

Aprilshower

aprilshower

Hi Everybody

I hope everybody is going have a good long weekend.

This week I have set up my spending spreadsheet, I have decided to start using it from the 1st June so it is a full month.

The shopping budget is doing really well again I have spent £32 this week and really do not need anything for today and tomorrow. This has made me become so much for organised.

I have listed some stuff on eBay over this week. I am hoping it will be a free listings weekend as I am going to carrying on listing all the treasures :rotfl: that I have found.

This week I decided to clean, organise and declutter room by room. Up to now I have completed two rooms. As a result I ended up with an eBay pile, charity shop bag and car boot sales pile.

I paid my eBay fees and now have £92 in my paypal account that I am going to pay off one of my cards.

Aims for this week:

1. Keep up with the food budget of £35.
2. Clean, organise and declutter another couple of rooms.
3. List all the items I have found on eBay.

So a busy weekend for me which will hopefully raise a lot of cash. I have decided not to do a boot sale until I have sorted through all the house.

Take care everybody

Aprilshower

enjoyyourshoes

Hi
just some thoughts:-


1. calculate monthly amount per CC that you need to pay off to get to zero balance by the end of each different 0% promotional periods. Don't rely on min payment to pay off balance. Then use this figure to set up SO/DD to each CC


2. Ensure you pay for all insurances as a one off payment (the pesky blighters charge you large credit fees for monthly payments)


3. Meal plan, scratch cook once a week, freeze (main meals, puds and sarnies for lunch)- then take out on day required. Link cooking day to shopping. use freezer for bread milk to avoid necessity of visiting the 'halls of doom' (supermarkets that entice you, draw you in and success you on every isle)


4. Daily reconciliation of bank account (include all CC payments, DD/SO, savings for annual 1/2 & 1/4ly bills, internet purchases (no paper trail and you easily miss them), pay at pump petrol 9same as adjacent) & don't spend more than you bring in


5. save for PAYE, VAT (calculate monthly) and put in allocated hig interest savings account


6. Have clear life objective that can be achieved within your financial envelope


7. charge rent or %age utility bills to the kids that live at home and earn (gets them used to realities)


Well done and don't let the pesky banks/CC Companies get more tan they should get from you








4.

Cat_girl_2

Hi,
Just red your diary, we are both in a similar position apart from the fact that I have an OH but he isn't reaaly aware how much I owe and I would rather not involve him unless I have to as its my debt. How are you finding things at the moment, did you set up a monthly spreadsheet and has it helped, I was thinking of doing this....

Good luck :rotfl: xx

aprilshower

Hi Everybody

Thank you so much enjoy your shoes and Cat Girl for your posts and help.

Cat Girl - I have set up a spending diary but I decided to start it from the 1st of June so it is a full month. Do you have a diary, as I would love to read it if you are in a similar situation to myself.

Enjoy your shoes - First of all I love your name. Thank you for all the tips. I do totally agree that you should pay insurance in one go as you do save so much money rather than over 12 months. This is something I have always done.

Meal planning is something I never did and just went to the supermarket and filled the trolley with all kinds of stuff. Now is a different ball game altogether. I am sticking to a £35 a week budget and using up all the stuff that is in the cupboards and freezer as I did buy it to use.

VAT and Tax I have done what you said so that I am more organised than this year. I do not think I will ever not budget for it again.

As the my CC I have set up DD with payments a lot more than the minimum payment. I have also gone into each account and found out the end dates for the various promotional rates. So when I come to make overpayment I know which ones to pay off first.

So I am so much more organised than I was say one month ago which is great.

In my bank account at the moment I have £328 which is amazing considering it is pay day next Friday. Last month I would have been left with very little money by now. So sticking to the food budget is now paying off and I can see that in my bank balance.

Take care everybody and have great bank holiday tomorrow. Going to list a few more things on eBay before cooking food.

Aprilshower

Cat_girl_2

Hi Apes!!:)
Let me know how you go with the eBay thingy. I told the DH that during the summer ( we are teachers) I am having a clear out and might try putting some stuff on there but I just wonder if it's a lot of faffing about for not much gain which I don't have time to do atm. However during the summer holidays I will!
:T

aprilshower

Hi Cat Girl

I have started to sort out room by room and then forcing myself to list all the half decent stuff on eBay. Last month a made just over £300 selling just junk really and this month up to now I have made £215.

I work for myself and I have to go to the post office anyway each day, so I have a drop and go account which is great. I don't think I could go and stand in the line to post items each day.

I would say give it a go and see what happens.

I think I have decided that my goal is to get down to £21,000 by the end of this year. That is about £4500 in the next six months.

Take care and good luck

Aprilshower

Cat_girl_2

Hi again,
It's the thought of standing in a post office queue that puts me off but in the summer hols I will have more time so I will give it a go as I have a fair amount of stuff I could get rid of.
I am hoping to pay in the region of £3500 - £4500 off in the next six months so let's see how we get on. I am determined to cut my shopping bill down by at least £50 this month and see how I get on.:o
Cat girl x

aprilshower

Hi Cat Girl

Let the challenge begin! It is great to have somebody to talk to and run with this.

If you are organised you can save on shopping. I used to spend about £100 - £120 a week. I have really cut down on this and we are eating more healthier than ever now and we are using all the stuff in the freezer and cupboards.

As for Ebay I sold another two things yesterday so that was another £35 in the bank which is great. I have sorted out another room this week so I have a lot more stuff to put onto eBay when I get a chance.

Anyway I must start work. Take care and stay focussed.

Aprilshower

aprilshower

Hi Everybody

This last week has gone so fast. I have been really busy with work which is great.

Over the weekend I have sorted out a lot more stuff to list on eBay, which I have started to do. I have had another two sales today. I have not worked out how much I have made yet but every little helps.

Food budget went well again last week and once again stayed under the £35.

I have not managed to look at my bank and cc balances yet as been busy on eBay and working. Hopefully in the next day or so I will be able to gather information and see what my new balance is.

I started my spending diary yesterday so will see how that goes.


Goals for this week:

1. Stay within budget for food
2. List more items on eBay
3. Find balances for cc so I can calculate a new total balance.

Take care everybody

Aprilshower