Lightbulb moment......

Sellurgranny

Hi just wanted to wish you good luck with your money saving and debt busting. I did the same as you with the Halifax o/d and thought it best to convert to the reward one instead of paying a quid a day. This january i decided to pay off the overdraft and switched my ac to a normal current account. So glad to save the tenner a month. I never used any of the other benefits the reward ac offered. I sold stuff on ebay to pay off the o/d.

You'll get such a kick from paying things off it'll seem like second nature before long.

Surg x

Willowpop

I wouldn't beat yourself up over the presents you got, they were a good deal and needed getting at some point.
What I would do is write them down on a bit of paper and keep it in your bag or wallet, because if you're anything like me, in about 2 months you'll forget you've bought them, see a bargain for the very same people and buy it. If you keep a list with you, you can ad to it as you buy.
I do this as I buy Xmas presents though the year so I need a log of what I've got for people so I don't double up!

Skintandscared

Had a crazy 24 hours, and have spent what seems like a fortune - avoiding adding it up!!! :eek:

Basically I had to buy a few grocery items for a close family member, as they had no money, and as their cupboards were bare I offered to take them to the local cafe for breakfast - I would've offered to pick them up more groceries, but they wouldn't have accepted that offer!
So breakfast was £13, with just over £7 for groceries....and as I felt like I was coming down with something I popped in Iceland on the way home and got stuff for tea/packed lunches for another £11.....
And paid another £2 in shop for a drink (as my throat was itching like mad) and a scratch card for my OH as felt so guilty about taking money out!?!?!
And he took the £5 to work today (to buy drinks) and lunch as he wouldn't take sandwiches as he didn't feel well

THEN I saw B+Q were selling off Wallpaper at £1, and as we are currently down to bare walls in our dining room (after a ceiling leak), I spent £5 on 5 rolls, which was a fabulous bargain :money:

But it still feels like i'm spending, spending, spending even though I've saved us a fortune on essential buys i.e. wallpaper and family xmas gifts.

My head has been somewhat in the shed at the minute, so I am going to try my hardest, but I think my OH will be in bed ill all weekend (with a sore throat :cool:), and I have 3,000 things going on.........

How is everyone else getting on?? Thanks for all your lovely advice guys, and sorry if this feels long and ranty, I am all over the place at the minute, so apologies....Thanks for the suggestion Willowpop, I will most definitely take that on board, and do that this weekend :-)
Thanks Sellurgranny, I haven't used the rewards either! It's rubbish isn't it?
Thanks WantToBeSE, it's a subject I shall be tackling head on this weekend, and sorting a plan in the coming weeks - I am terrible for being on HotUkDeals and buying gifts etc...

WantToBeSE

Hi S&S, how are you today?

I got paid yesterday and took out £250 for food for the month. I did a shop with Sainsburys online (£65) and a £18 F&V shop at the greengrocers.

The rest will have to last until 12th June (i get paid every 4 weeks).

Bobarella

What a lovely kind thing to do taking your relative for breakfast. Random acts of kindness are important too I think.
How are you feeling now?

Skintandscared

WantToBeSe and Bobarella I am not in a good place finance or emotion wise :-( my little one has come down with a sickness bug and the last 24 hours are a bit of a blur :-/ Will update you all when I get a chance and all is back to normal - Hope you are all well too xx

Skintandscared

Bad, bad news: As of a few hours ago, I am no longer employed - the place I was working at has closed down. I am not going to get any type of redundancy due to the financial situation the business was in.
This is not good, but as I can't change it there's no point in worrying.
I highly doubt though that I will find a similar job that was evenings, after my OH got home, didn't require any childcare and worked around my kiddies hours. And they were very understanding if my children were ill etc.
I highly doubt we will be entitled to anything, due to my OH'S income being just on the tax credit threshold. So this thread really will be a diary of a wake up call!

In other news, I gave notice to cancel my mobile when it comes to the end of contract in June, so at least £15 a month saving. I will be using the phone we stupidly got on contract for my eldest for Xmas, and he's not interested in it. It made sense just to use something we're paying for anyway, rather than add more expense on.

Hope everyone else's journey's are going well x

Ps Officially restarting my shambolic attempt at "money saving" and being debt free x

chasingfreedom

Hi Skint, sounds like you had lots of advice and recommendations already and I echo some of them. Especially the Aldi food shopping. My OH takes 2 packs of crisps to work everyday with his packed lunch (greedy swine!!) and Aldo do a pack of 30 which is about £3 I think but honestly they are really nice. Similar style to walkers. My daughter only likes quavers and won't eat Aldi's imitations, they're definitely saltier or something but worth a try on some of the stuff. Also their whole biscuits/choc bars/cakes ranges are great. Even if you don't buy anything else from there I save a fortune on packed lunch stuff. My hubby aswell as his hundreds of crisps packets a day also takes choc bars. Aldi do versions of things like kitkats/penguins which are really nice and only about 85p for 8. Sounds like I should be on commission, lol. I'm only enthusiastic because it saves me a fortune!!!


Failing that the budget idea is a good one too


Wish you luck on your journey x

Bobarella

SS - I am so sorry to hear about your job. How awful. Ideas that popped into my head to investigate were, bar work, pizza hut/take out place evening staff, supermarket shift worker, virtual PA, can you drive? Would you consider evening work driving at all? I appreiate none of those jobs are thrilling, but if it is a matter of fitting around your husbands working hours, to take advantage of unpaid childcare, then some of those might fit in.
Other things I investigated when my business couldnt trade, was Yodel delivery staff, it looked quite a low rate but again, you could do it when you wanted to.
Really am sorry you've been dealt such a blow.

Bob

Skintandscared

Thanks for the kind words Bob - I would do literally ANYTHING to earn a living, but I don't drive (my old job was a five minute walk away), and I have no childcare at all and my family all work. It will be something I will definitely be investigating, but as I am my children's main carer, it will need to be work from home or amazing work hours. I am keeping positive about it

Quite proud that despite the emotional last few days, everyone had home cooked meals and we used everything from the stores in house rather than ordering takeaway

Onwards and upwards, will keep you updated on the job hunting/debt busting/money saving journey :beer:

Night all xx