Debt Diary??!!?? HELP!!!!

zoe1982

Hi tifnstav

Gonna look at the old board - i know i spend far too much on food - just needed someone to tell me!!!

Unfortunately the contact lenses are boyf and if im honest his glasses arent the right perscription now so dont think he would be too chuffed at me suggesting that one.
I am an idiot and have only just signed up for sky so am in a 12 month contract - why oh why do i do these things!!!!!!!! Do you think I could get out of this??????????

Gonna look into genie - FAB IDEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you hun

duchy

Hi Zoe
You can probably get the contact lense bill down without resorting to specs by shopping online for them rather than giving them up completely-check out the shopping sites and the cash back sites like Quidco.
What is your boyfriend spending £300 a month on-not petrol as that is listed seperately. In fact with both of your personal spending are there cutbacks to be made with packed lunches, cutting back on socialising and general spending like magazines and bits and bobs. A spending diary might help you work out where money is going. It's shocking sometimes how much we spend without realising on junk.
I like PAYG for phones as it makes me think before making a call-amazing when I'm seeing the money go that I decide to wait til I get home and can call for nothing instead
I food shop once a week on-line. It works for me as I spend so much more if I shop more often-popping out for a pint of milk and coming back £20 lighter. My rule is if I run out of something I wait to replace it in the big shop instead. I also look at all the BOGOFs first on-line -I never seem to see so many when I physically walk into Tescos.
Takeaways are a treat in our house -we've gone from once or twice a week to once a month. We both appreciate them more and it saves at least £60 -which for you equates to a couple of card payments for example.
You could probably get rid of a couple of card debts next month if you make simple savings like this and then start on the next one the following month. If you add up what you are paying in interest every single month it's really scary but it's also amazing once you start chipping away at more than the minimum payments how quickly the total debt amount falls (especially if you cut the cards up as soon as they are clear )
It isn't easy but it isn't as hard as you think either-a lot of it is about perspective and how you look at things too and there's loads of great support on here.

zoe1982

Have just been looking at the old board so off to do my meal planner, go on tesco website and add up how much it will cost (can get clubcard points then!!). Boyf has decided its time for him to go on diet which is fab so will hopefully help with the shopping amount.
Boyf has £300.00 but smokes and enjoys his footie (which is the only time he goes out) so feel bad about taking money off him as debts are mainly mine!!!!!
I am going to have a spending diary as now im not smoking (since feb woohoo!!!) will not need all this money. Hopefully this will help towards XMAS.
Feeling really upbeat about all this now - I CAN DO IT (my new mantra - ha ha).

Zoe
x x x

Mindspace

Hi Zoe,

Welcome to DFW forum!! I'm a newbie as well. These forums are just addictive, i find. Great to c u to start tackling with the debt. It feels so good..believe me when you make even a little progress everyday. Good Luck and focus on your goal of being Debt Free.

Noticed few things on ur SOA. If you have signed up to sky, you get free broadband along with the package. And if its less than 30 days since you've signed up for the contract with sky, you can always pull out of it without any additional charges. Worth finding more about it!

If not either try buying out from orange contract. Not sure if it will save money, worth a try in my opinion. I guess orange contract is along with ur mobile phone. Bottom line is you are paying too much for broadband. Weigh different options. It would save atleast 200/year on broadband alone.

I'm sure, a lot many mavericks will stop by to give you advice and support. Good luck.

Cazzdevil

zoe1982 wrote: »

Out goings
Maintenance - £290.00 (includes loan from future mother in law)
Rent - £550 00
Council Tax - £105.00
Orange Broadband - £20.00 (just signed up with them for 2 years)
Gas - £45.00
Electric - £25.00 (gas end elec are from previous house I havent even set up the new ones yet!!!!) Make sure you allow something in your monthly budget for them.
Water - £50.00 This seems quite high, mine's only £20 a month for 2 of us...
Mobile phones - £60.00 (for both of them) So does your Orange Broadband not come as part of a mobile contract then? Look into a PAYG, O2 do one where you top up £10 a month and get 300 free texts.
Sky - £40.00 Are you tied into a contract for this? Phone them up and cancel it, get a freeview box for a 1 off payment of £20
BT - £25.00 (dd has been increased as we had to pay to be connected here)
Contact lenses - £35.00 A a temporary measure until debts are cleared would he not switch to glasses? That would be a big saving.
house Insurance - £15.00
TV - £11.00
car insurance - £24.00
boyf petrol - £140.00 (has to drive for his job so is reflected in pay)
food - £220.00 You could halve this easily, my boyf & I NEVER spend more than £100 a month and we eat very well!
Boyf - £300.00 Why does he need more than you? And what does he spend it on?
Me - £200.00 (covers my petrol, bdays, car tax but i know that i can strim this down) Good girl, go for it
Life insurance - £11.00 Meh, Cancel it.
Electrical cover - £10.00 (covers 2 tv's - could never afford to replace them so thought this was a good idea??!!??) Meh. Cancel it.

I'm sure everyone else will come up with good suggestions too, but just a bit of initial food for thought

zoe1982

Hi Cazzdevil

£100 shopping a month. I think you have set the challenge!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ha ha ha

Thanks
Zoe
x x x x

GeorgeUK

For your CC's have you looked at any of the promotional 0% offers?
Might take a bit of the sting out of the higher interest accounts that you are paying only the minimum on.

Have a look at https://www.whatsthecost.com and look at the snowball section. Can be quite a motivater to lose some of the more costly debt.

zoe1982

Hi georgeuk
thanks for the advise desperatly need to get this interest down - every bit helps.

This forum is fab
I am sooooooooo proud of myself - I knocked 50 quid (my compute appears to be broken - the pound sign wont work!!!) off my first careful food shopping spree - next month will bve even better!!!!!!!!!!!!

lynzpower

In terms of things like youer telly - if it breaks - Id get one off ebay. we are looking for a portable one for our bedroom and you can pick them up for a fiver on ebay. Not worth spending 10 a month on

Definatley check out asda for contact lenses they are often thought to be cheap and get cash back via quidco. also theres a really long thread in "health money saving" about contact lenses and where to get them cheaper, many people get them for just shy of a tenner a moth.

also check ytour contents cover is the cheapest, I got 120 cashback from Ltsb via quico for ours and we only pay 8 a month, so they are paying me to have it

zoe1982

Hi lynzpower

I need to get with that company for home ins - that sounds like an amazing deal!!!!!

My task this week is the contact lenses!!!!!!!!!

Trying to talk boyf out of having the insurance for the tv - its difficult as it is his baby but I will get to him eventually!!!!!!!!!!!!!!