Do One, Debt!

GoingToDoIt

Hello,
I've been lurking for a while knowing that I need to do something about my growing debts, now I have finally taken the plunge and started a diary :T:
I used to be the ultimate moneysaver! I can't believe how bad I have been in the last few years- missed payments on cc's for no good reason!?! My mental health suffered after being bullied at work a few years ago. I started smoking again, gained weight and lost control of my finances. I quit my job with no job to go to and that accounts for 50% of my debts ( 6 weeks unemployed) the rest is new carpets and a new mobile phone. Apart from that it's from...smoking!
I have now been a non-smoker for over 4 weeks so that is around £250 I've not spent.
I also need to get fitter, eat better and lose around 30kg. I know some people think "one thing at a time" however I feel they are all connected and as one improves the others naturally follow.
Will post some more info on my financials in due course...
Thanks for reading...Gonna

GoingToDoIt

Monthly Income 1811.63
(Loan of 107 deducted from wage)
Monthly Outgoings = 1369.53

Balance 442.10 for food, clothes, holidays, debt repayment....

mortgage 286.72
Rent 461.48
Electric 50.00
Water 32.42
Council tax 66.00
Phone/internet 25.00
Mobile 7.50
TV Licence 12.12
Travel 123.00
Insurance 13.29
Virgin cc min 25.00
Halifax cc min 32.00
Hairdresser 67.00
Cleaner 86.00
Contact lenses 12.00
Bday and xmas savings 70.00

GoingToDoIt

Ok so I actually feel a lot calmer from setting it all out- I expected to feel totally depressed! I think stopping smoking is the key, £450 isn't much when £300 is going up in smoke.
Ok so what can I cut back on...I'm going to review internet providers. I think everything else is as low as it can go except travel, I might be able to reduce it a tiny bit by using buses more.
So obviously in the list I have a cleaner which is a big expense, however as I have a disability it's a real help to me and my recent "stop smoking" was partially caused by my worrying about how to pay for the cleaning.
Hairdressing also is quite a big cost every 6 weeks, but with hair and contact lenses - it's how you look every day isn't it? I don't spend that much on clothes per month so I think it's a reasonable amount.
I know I'm lucky in that my debts are "manageable" and reducing them won't be too painful, but this is probably the worst financial situation I've ever been in since student days and I don't want to be like this in my 40's (only 2.5 years to go)
I think this is enough for the first day- tomorrow I need to work out budgets for the next 3 pay packets as it's xmas and my 0% runs out on my virgin card. I get paid on the 15th so have three pay cheques before xmas and I need to get it right!

GoingToDoIt

Right so for "Oct 2015" (I get paid on 15th remember! Pay is already in the bank whoop)
I am committed to the following expenses
Hairdresser and associated lunch and shopping £25 (meet old friend for a catch up and visit nearby bargain store, plus bus fare)
Train ticket for Jan £30 (buy in advance hope to get it lowest price)
Birthday gift for Aunt £20 ( family whip round contribution)
Food Shopping £80
BFF's birthday drinks £30
That's a total of £185 as a minimum to survive the month. I started the month overdrawn (of course!) by £90. So out of my £445, I've spent £90 and need to spend 185 so that leaves around £170 spare. I'm going to spend £5 right away as min payment on Post office cc.
So the challenge for October is- how much of the £170 will be left by next payday hmmm?????
The good news- am going to try and earn some other income this month asI'm currently signed off work sick for a week. So my challenges for the month are-
- see if I can get a better internet & phone deal
- apply for a bank account whichs gives cash for switching
- get to £20 on inbox pounds (am at £19.44)
- get to 849 sw@gbucks to get a £5 gift card (am at 641)
- stay in credit at H@lifax to earn the £5 bonus
- claim back work expenses worth £15 when am next in!

my sick pay has run out- trying not to think too much about that however I'm probably the only person who can work out sick pay so it won't go through without me knowing.
The main thing right now is to sort out the 3 smaller cc's. The virgin 0% ends After my next pay packet. :mad:

GoingToDoIt

I almost had an NSD, but as I'm so very ill I paid to change my train ticket and stay at home for a bit longer. Apart frim that I did well! Had no bread in, so I baked cheese and chive scones which are yum. Paid £5 off the post office cc and set up the standing order to sweep my xmas and bday savings into my saver account every pay day. I used to do this, can't believe how messed up I have let things get.

I made a list of who I'll buy an xmas pressie for, and when I need to buy it by, and I actually only "need" £50 in cash for kids cards, which is handy. I may borrow from Peter to pay Paul in terms of using some of the saved "xmas and bday" cash to pay off Virgin/Debenhams and then buy presents on another cc, meaning that I can pay for them from my January wages.
On a happier note I remembered that I'm due around £130 refund from overpaid service charges within the next 2 weeks, if I'm very good maybe I could pay all of Debenhams off by next payday and not be charged any interest!
Update- well I've just applied online to swith my bills account, which hopefully will net me a payment of £125 within 28 days! And I'm hopefully going to switch my broadband tomorrow to the talk talk offer which is £100 a year cheaper and gives a free £100 lovetoshop card after 28 days! I could use that to buy gifts. So possibly the cash freebies will be here very quickly, I though it would take a few months or so. This could really make the next few months a bit easier, so fingers crossed it all goes ahead smoothly.

Was feeling all very positive and pleased with myself until I remembered that I owe the Halifax over 3K. My plan is to hopefully transfer it to another interest free card- my virgin one, which is why I really need to get it cleared. To be fair it's going to take at least 18 months to clear I think.

GoingToDoIt

Well this flu is causing me to sleep all day and stay up all night. Just spent £9.75 on lip balm...there is a sort of good reason! It's a cool brand called EOS and I bought 3 with free delivery. They are on sale in Topshop for £7 each.
I recently had a really minor issue with my bank FD, anyway instead of a "sorry" email which was all I expected, they said they would send me a gift- 5x 100ml Molton Brown shower gels turned up the next day!
So for 3 friends I am making a gift set of a MB shower gel, EOS lip balm (3.25) L'Occitaine hand cream (free with magazine which costs £4) and some mini green & blacks half price (£2.50) from superdrug. Total cost £9.75- under a tenner, amazing!. The total value is just over £25.:money:
Here's the rest of my list- it's handy to have it on here to refer back to
Relative 1 - £150
Relative 2 - £35 (wines)
Relative 3 - £15 (nespresso)
Relative 4 - £11 (xmas pud)
Relative 5 - £15 (toys?)
Child 1 - £10 cash
Child 2 - £10 cash
Child 3 - £10 cash
Hairdresser £20 tip
Friend 1- £20 ice cream maker
Friend 2 - £20 (?)
Friend 3, 4, 5 MB/LOccitaine/EOS/Green&Blacks = £29.25

GoingToDoIt

Well I was a bit gutted to be rejected for the bank transfer. I'll try again in a few months I guess. Hoping for an NSD today, got my home made snacks packed for my trip and even my refillable water bottle. Sw@ggy is going very well for me just now and then there's the broadband move to do next week.

wishus

Good luck Goingtodoit! I'm sure you wil.

Currently trying to ignore Christmas...

OH managed to spend £200 last year just for food on the day for us and one guest! We are actually toying with the idea of going to a pub as it might be cheaper, but as affordability is key... mmm, maybe that won't happen.
Will think about this later...

Orange_Ena

Hi Gonna, just thought I'd pop by and say hello. Although I wish I hadn't.......I love L'occitane stuff so it looks my no spend week is ruined by buying a magazine or 3! :rotfl::rotfl::D

Sorry to hear you couldn't do the bank transfer but good news about the broadband wins and the other bargains. Do you use cashback sites? Anything to eb@y? All good ways to boost income if you can't cut costs any more.

What you said in your first post really resonated with me, about things being connected. Over the last couple of years I've tackled my clutter, which made me feel better so I ate better, then I've been losing weight, selling clothes that are too big which has boosted income and helped me to tackle the debts. A 3 prong attack to sorting out my life!

Wishing you the best of luck

GoingToDoIt

Hi Wishus- wow that's a lot of food, did it all get eaten on the day or were you still eating it in January?!?! Imdin't do christmas myself so it won't cost me anything extra (usually have a pizza!)

Hi Ena, I loved your diary so far. I'm not sure I have anything to Eb@y I am good at decluttering and a few years ago (when I controlled my finances) I sold a lot of stuff off. I think I probably need to learn to JUST STOP SPENDING. Although I just read in a mag in the hairdresser about this service caller N!mber.com where you can charge to deliver goods/parcels on routes you already travel. As I'm in centralish London this could be a way to earn cash, so I'll look into that.

Today is spend cash day, first hairdresser now lunch. My MSE twist is to walk to lunch and back saving over £4 on bus fares.
Happy money saving!
Gonna

Orange_Ena

GoingToDoIt wrote: »

Hi Wishus- wow that's a lot of food, did it all get eaten on the day or were you still eating it in January?!?! Imdin't do christmas myself so it won't cost me anything extra (usually have a pizza!)

Hi Ena, I loved your diary so far. I'm not sure I have anything to Eb@y I am good at decluttering and a few years ago (when I controlled my finances) I sold a lot of stuff off. I think I probably need to learn to JUST STOP SPENDING. Although I just read in a mag in the hairdresser about this service caller N!mber.com where you can charge to deliver goods/parcels on routes you already travel. As I'm in centralish London this could be a way to earn cash, so I'll look into that.

Today is spend cash day, first hairdresser now lunch. My MSE twist is to walk to lunch and back saving over £4 on bus fares.
Happy money saving!
Gonna

Oh that sounds interesting. Presumably it wouldn't be anything to big or heavy? I have visions of them asking you to deliver a fridge freezer :rotfl:

Enjoy the rest of the weekend