Keeping on the straight and narrow...Taka's debt diary - SOA now added

taka

Well I went and it was really wierd. It was a mix of people but it was nice to see those I knew. Several asked me how i'd enjoyed my week off along with a few asking me if I was feeling better and when I'd be back at work. :rolleyes: I ended up staying for a couple of hours but felt really awkward, was very quiet and had to do some deep breathing exercises to try and calm down at one point. I only stayed that long as it was torrential rain and I'd got wet enough getting there in the first place! Oh well I'm glad I went tho

Apparently my boss has been having a bit of a freak out while I was off... apparently hes been checking (v. regularly) that everyone is ok and not having any problems! Hes even been checking with people who aren't in our group anymore but still work on our floor :eek: Bless him... I feel guilty now

Today is just a quiet day for me - lots of checking and updating spreadsheets etc I think!

redsquirrel80

Ooh Taka, don't blame you for not wanting to go out in the Festival crowds - I used to live in Edinburgh and I spent a lot of the summer wanting them all to get out of my way.. misery guts that I am Glad to hear you went along though, when you're worrying about something like that it can be so hard to motivate yourself to go- good on you! And good luck with the debt - writing/ typing things down definitely helps

The_Dragon

Taka - it sounds as though you are getting a handle on everything well done you! :j

taka

Not sure I'm getting a handle on it ... but I am too stubborn to give up trying :rotfl: ... hopefully it will get easier! thanks your your comments!!

millionaire_in_training

Taka. There are a few of us just starting this DFW journey. I find my diary keeps me on the straight and narrow and makes me think of what I am doing/spending. I lov e reading other'd diaries too like Hypno and seaxwyn. They have been at this a bit longer than us so they know the ins and outs of things. Get your chin up girly and go for it. Is the rubbish time you are having only to do with money? Are you managing your payments etc. I dont see an SOA. Keep posting. I'll be reading xx

taka

millionaire_in_training wrote: »

Taka. There are a few of us just starting this DFW journey. I find my diary keeps me on the straight and narrow and makes me think of what I am doing/spending. I lov e reading other'd diaries too like Hypno and seaxwyn. They have been at this a bit longer than us so they know the ins and outs of things. Get your chin up girly and go for it. Is the rubbish time you are having only to do with money? Are you managing your payments etc. I dont see an SOA. Keep posting. I'll be reading xx

I know I love reading the various diaries (including yours!) To be honest my mood is a lot more to do with other things than money but when I am in control(ish:rotfl: ) of my money it seems to help. I'm keeping up with payments fine at the mo just need to make sure that continues!

taka

OK time for that SOA!! :eek: Gulp...

Incoming per month

Salary 1416.63

Outgoings per month

Mortgage 337.43
Building/Contents Insurance 32.34 - best I can get :rolleyes:
Life Insurance 5
Council tax 102 - this includes sgl person discount and water as I live in scotland
Gas 15 - approx - have just changed supplier
Electricity 20 - see gas
TV licence 11.37
Phone 12.5
Broadband 12.99 - about 2 months into 12 month contract
Bus 35
Charity 10
Loan 233.74
Sub total 827.37

Food 152.08
Spends 45.63 - this includes PAYG mobile costs
Sub total 197.71

Counselling 86.90 - its keeping me sane(ish) while I wait on the never ending waiting list on the NHS
Xmas 50 - only just started to save
Holiday 50 - same
Birthdays 15.21
Hairdressers 15.21
Clothes 30.42
Shoes 15.21
Going out 60.83
Dental/doctor savings 21.29
Sub total 345.07

The rest is
MPPI which I will cancel I think (£41.95:eek: )
Loan overpayment (max £100/month) £4.53

Total outgoings 1416.63

I should point out the funny amounts in the clothes/birthday are the average for the month (ie 365/12 times whatever) so actually vary month to month.

I'm trying to lower the food/spends by taking part in grocery challenge and PAP/moozies weekly spends challenge and have only just decided on the clothing/hairdressers/going etc out part. I should really lower these too but am trying to do it gradually and this is a huge reduction already!!

I am swapping all gift vouchers from pigsback/surveys etc for the appropriate money in whichever pot and putting the cash to the loan overpayment fund and quidco-ing/surveys etc cash goes into this too.

Well I hope all of that is clear... :rotfl: :rotfl: ... not a chance!!

taka

Oops forgot the details of the loan :rotfl:

£7500 over 36 months at 7.9% 1st payment due tomorrow! - £233.74/month

I managed to scrape together £100 a couple of weeks ago for an overpayment (£100 max/month) due in most part to a refund from british gas and underspending in Julys budget!

millionaire_in_training

Righto. I have never given anyone advice on their SOA so I might be talking mince lol
I am not putting holidays on my budget as I am not going to take any for the next year or so until I break the back of this debt. Took me a while to cancel my charity donation but I have evntually done it. My kids need the money at the mo and I will make it up in the future. I sold my vouchers on e-bay and got just less than their worth. They were for Marks( I wont shop there as I think they rip you off) and Boots.Do you need that many shoes??:eek: Probably not helped you much but someone else will come along with better advice. Good luck x

taka

millionaire_in_training wrote: »

I am not putting holidays on my budget as I am not going to take any for the next year or so until I break the back of this debt.

I know what you mean but I've only been on holiday twice in the last 7 years (and one of those I got very ill on the 1st night :eek: - ended up being off work ill for 2 weeks after I got back too). It may not end up happening but I would like to keep saving it anyway - it would be Budget flights, accom and including spends. Its very possible it may be combined with a work conference which, if that happens, I would only have to pay accom for extra time away and spends for the trip. I think I'll keep it going till xmas and then decide. If it doesn't happen it will go towards the loan repayments.

Took me a while to cancel my charity donation but I have evntually done it.

I am so loathe to get rid of them - it means a lot for me personally to be able to do this and I would get rid of almost anything except essential bills to continue doing this.

I sold my vouchers on e-bay and got just less than their worth. They were for Marks( I wont shop there as I think they rip you off) and Boots.

I've only managed to get vouchers from pigsback so far (2 lots of £10 arcadia voucher - 1 of which should be on its way to me now). I've been using them to replace my clothing budget (with the money transfered to my loan overpayment) as I'm rather large so a lot of my clothes shopping is in Evans anyway. I will look into ebaying others I get which are less useful to me if I ever reach the payout levels!! :rotfl:

Do you need that many shoes??:eek:

Honest answer is I don't know :rotfl: I hate buying them as I have really wide feet so end up buying Hush puppies as they make one of the few shoes that fit me (mesmerise). Unfortunately they cost £40-45 a pair and are rarely in the sales :rolleyes: I do shop around and try to get shoes in the sale but they so rarely fit me I end up with hush puppies again. I think I'm on about my 20th pair of hush puppies :eek: (I wear them till they fall to bits and only tend to have 2-3 prs on the go)