Flo's Debt Free Diary

Florence_J

So I am visiting home for a few days and my dad is charging me 3.50 per night i stay! I know he has had his income reduced since the last of my brothers moved out, so it's not so much the money, it's the fact i found out after I arrived! So that's 14 quid I hadn't budgeted for, oh dear

I do worry about him, he's up for retirement but I don't think he can do it financially, and he had a heart attack a few years ago, I do worry about him.

I bought myself some food at the co op, as i don't like to eat his food, so another 18 quid spent. and it won't be a NSD tomorrow as i have to get the train to visit my grandfather. hopefully i will clock up the 10 NSD's i've set myself the challenge of achieving this month.

Kick starting a new healthy eating regime with salmon, brown rice and med veg, it will be ready soon, yum yum.

Florence_J

So I put a big purchase on my credit card today. I paid for the hotel for my friends wedding this October. I felt I had to. I've been watching the hotels near the venue for the date of the wedding for ages and I have seen the hotels become further and further away for more and more money. I've paid 250 pounds for two nights, which is 50 quid more than I had budgeted for. I hope I get a full time job soon so I can pay for all this. And Christmas. I'm already thinking about it. And the fact me and my boyfriend will have to give 7 quid between us a day to my dad!

I have had my very healthy dinner and am about to watch the football.

I have just bought a new sports watch as my old one has gone missing.

I feel like I have to go home and sell everything. I think i will come back to Cardiff on Wednesday rather than Thursday. I have too much to do. I need to get back to the action. I say that, and I haven't even been in Worthing a full day yet!

Bobarella

How did your Dad decide on £7 a day out of interest?

Florence_J

Ah, the £7 is for me and my boyfriend, the daily rate for one person is £3.50, as to how he got to this number, I'm sure he has some sort of logic, Ah yes, I think I've got it. When i used to pay housekeeping it was £25 a week, 7 x £3.50 is £24.50, so maybe that's it.

If it's not then i don't have a clue.

Florence_J

£5.40 was spent on a train ticket today. I can't believe how expensive train tickets are without a railcard (oh how I mourn my 16-25 railcard days), I was on the train less than 10 minutes. Grrr. Maybe it's a Southern Rail thing, in Cardiff a longer journey is only £3.80.

If I get a job in Cardiff I can look into a railcard, one for my boyfriend and me, but whilst working in Bristol most of my usual train spends were taken care of in my season ticket.

Tomorrow won't be a NSD either as going into town with Brother 1 to meet up with Brother 2 and see the place he's moved into.

Hoping to clock up some NSD's once I get back to Cardiff.

I saw my sister today and she told me about an app called Headspace, which will help me to become more mindful. I realise my anxiety usually stems from problems with living in the moment, I just can't relax unless I'm working or doing something productive. I'm a real fidget. I can't relax watching a film unless I have a notebook and pen with me incase I need to write something down. I'm serious! I take a notebook and pen to the cinema, and a book to read whilst waiting for the lights to go down. I don't know how to relax.

You'd think I'd be very productive, but I do have huge moments of procrastination. I can waste whole days and wonder how I achieved nothing when I seemed to be busy the whole time. I also find it really hard to start a project or to do a big task if I am busy that evening. Something like tidying the house I will put off till I have a full day, or at least am only doing something in the morning. I actually hate doing things in the evening unless I've been busy all day anyway. I also get really anxious about leaving to get somewhere and will leave far too far in advance and end up waiting around for ages, wasting more time!

Yeah, so hopefully this Headspace app will help.

I might come back a day early (on Wednesday) because I am so anxious about getting on and doing things. I just find it hard to concentrate and do anything in my family home.

I feel bad, I don't get to see too much of my family, and when I'm here I just get anxious about things I need to do in Cardiff. It bothers me that I don't have my files with me, Or i can't bring my ironing with me. :rotfl: I need to work on this.

Bobarella

I know what that feeling is like too, of not being able to sit down. Its annoying isnt it. I usually watch TV/netflix and be on here as well...

Florence_J

So ebay have informed me that my bill to them is £23.40, grrrr, :mad:

And to top it off, a buyer who paid by e cheque (maybe unknowingly) which only cleared today has emailed to say 'Why haven't you posted my item yet please' :mad:

I would have put it a bit nicer than that.

Luckily I figured this would happen and bought the parcel with me so will post it tomorrow.

I don't know why but this has set me off in a tiz and I am now very anxious and can feel my heart beating. Over what? Worse case scenerio this idiot of a buyer will give me bad feedback which will be my first in over 12 months, so it's unlikely to deter any potential buyers, or affect my rating, yet I am now stressed and don't know how to calm down.

My friend might be going on a meditation retreat this month, and although it's £35 I feel it might be money I will have to spend in order to learn a better coping mechanism.

I have downloaded the headspace app so may give it a go this evening.

Sometimes I feel really optimistic and that everything will work out and life will be super duper, then something small will set me off and I'll be in a panic.

Grrrrrr :mad:

I just need to learn to calm down.

I used to watch comedy late at night and go to bed feeling really relaxed that way. I may have to introduce that. Considering all I've been watching recently is the news that might explain things.

I may re-watch 'Sun, Sea and Supersavers' to inspire me. I've watched it about three times now. I am very, very boring. Oh well. :rotfl:

(sorry for all the growling and angry faces)

Florence_J

So, my brother has given me my presents from Vietnam. I have received a yellow lucky cat hanging chime (i like cats and the colour yellow so this is a great buy) and.....A SEALED PIGGY BANK!

It is literally a pig, with red flowers all over it. It is....very ugly. But I am still debating whether to use this as my long desired sealed pot so I can join the sealed pot challenge, or whether i should keep it as some sort of ugly ornament.

I have decided (very quick i know). It will be my sealed pot.

I am putting its inaugural coin in, 20p. Every little helps.

Will join the sealed pot challenge now.

Florence_J

Ok guys, it's time for the bad news.

Since June I have spent £591.87 on my Vanquis Credit card. :eek:

Which means my balance is now £1305.22. :eek:



Ok, so £250 of that was my Hotel reservation for the wedding, £25.60 was the wedding clothes, nearly £90 was our monthly food shop.

But that leaves around £230 spent on things that i shouldn't have been buying.

On the plus side, sort of, through the Payment a Day thread that I have joined I have paid £13.35 to the card, on top of the rather generous minimum monthly payment. So erm, every little helps?

I know I wouldn't have spent this money If i had been working full time, I've just been bored and spending to make myself feel better. I've been buying things I do admittedly need, but I feel I have somewhere dramatically crossed the essential spend/non essential spend line.

I have explained my reasons for purchasing the hotel stay.

Part of me feels that maybe I should not go to the wedding, i mean, i don't want to unduly punish myself, but my 2016 attitude had been 'if you can't afford it on a debit card, you can't afford it on a credit card' which had changed from 2015's attitude which was 'BUY, BUY, BUY, THERE'S A SHINY HOLE IN MY HEART'

And yes, It will all work out if i get a job in Cardiff, it will all work out-but slower-if i get a job in Bristol, I am going to get another job, i won't be 'Flo, the girl who never got another job' but my problem is i'm impatient (i think the very definition of credit card debt like mine is that you are impatient and won't save for things, in my case at least) and I can handle waiting, but only when there is a clear outcome as to when things will come to me. It's the not knowing when I will next get a job that concerns me.

But now is the time to batten down the hatches, I don't want to get into more debt, so here are some emergency goals (for people who follow the NST, grocery challenge and pad threads, you will have heard this before)

A minimum of 10 NSD (Ideally 16)

Grocery budget slashed to £165 a month

Sell 'everything' on ebay/gum tree/etc

Apply for minimum of 7 jobs a week

Make a payment of £1+ each day to Vanquis credit card

DO NOT USE MY CREDIT CARD (ATTITUDE TO FOLLOW- ' IF I CAN'T AFFORD IT ON A DEBIT CARD, I CAN'T AFFORD IT ON A CREDIT CARD') (This is 100% true, on a debit card you pay just for the item, on a credit card you pay for the item AND interest)

Use HeadSpace app everyday.

Go to Library (how frugal) and take out books on anxiety, mindfulness, meditation, yoga, finances, job hunting, etc

Contact good reputable agencies about temporary work.

Create a blog and post 2 times a week.

DO NOT EAT CRISPS (For a month)

Everytime I do food shopping, buy one item for the local Food banks
(I used to volunteer at the local food bank and believe in what they do 100%) - I know some might say i shouldn't do this if i'm in debt, but i want to, helping people makes me feel good and less anxious, and i do need to work on my fear of people by going out and about

Do exercise 4 times a week

Watch what I eat (and i don't mean when I put it in my mouth :rotfl:)

I think that's all for now, I'm sure I'll think of some more later.

reality_check

You can't forget to live and have a life in between all this debt busting - a best friends wedding is 100% essential!!


I would freeze your card in some ice in the freezer or a least keep it out of your purse that way if you really want something when you are out you have the time to go home and get it and consider do you really need it.


I couldn't give up crisps, you have more will power than me! xxx